Abstract: An arrow rest assembly includes a launcher, a lever, a launcher-lever coupler, and a switch. The launcher moves between launcher-up and launcher-down positions, biased toward launcher-up; the lever moves between brace and drawn positions, biased toward drawn; the coupler moves between coupled and decoupled arrangements, biased toward coupled. When coupled, the launcher and lever move together in an aligned arrangement, including launcher-down with brace and launcher-up with drawn. When decoupled: the launcher and lever move independently, with biased movement of the launcher to launcher-up; and movement of the launcher and lever into the aligned arrangement enables biased movement of the coupler to the coupled arrangement. When coupled and with the lever in the brace position, actuating the switch, using the shaft of an arrow nocked or positioned to be nocked, moves the coupler to the decoupled arrangement and allows biased movement of the launcher to the launcher-up position.

Abstract: A pulley assembly for a compound archery bow comprises an axle, a draw cable pulley, and a pair of split-buss let-out pulleys positioned on opposite sides of the draw cable pulley. Each secondary cable of a split-buss end of a power cable is wound in a spiral arrangement around a corresponding split-buss let-out pulley. As the bow is drawn, the pulley assembly rotates, the draw cable pulley lets out a draw cable, and each split-buss let-out pulley lets out the corresponding secondary cable. The spiral arrangement results in lateral movement, away from the draw cable pulley, of a contact point of the corresponding secondary power cable on each split-buss let-out pulley as the bow is drawn. The spiral arrangement can include a corresponding spiral groove on each split-buss let-out pulley.

Abstract: A pulley assembly for a compound bow comprises a draw cable pulley, a power cable pulley attached to the draw cable pulley, and a cable deflector attached to the power cable pulley or the draw cable pulley and adjustable among multiple deflector arrangements. The cable deflector engages the power cable during a let-off portion of drawing of the bow after the power cable is taken up by the power cable pulley. Different deflector arrangements result in corresponding draw force curves for the bow that differ from one another with respect to one or both of (i) draw force let-off rate with respect to draw distance or (ii) hold weight at full draw. The adjustment can be performed without using a bow press and without derigging the bow.

Abstract: A compound archery bow comprises a riser, limbs attached to the riser, pulley members mounted on the limbs, a draw cable, one or more additional cables, and a cable guard. The limbs, draw cable, and additional cables are arranged so that drawing the bow rotates the pulley members to let out the draw cable, takes up or lets out each additional cable with the pulley members, and bends the bow limbs toward one another. The cable guard comprises an elongated, resilient, non-articulated member attached to and extending backward from the riser, and a cable retainer. The cable guard displaces each additional cable laterally from a shooting plane of the bow sufficiently at brace to avoid fletching of an arrow, and bends inwardly when the bow is drawn but still displaces each additional cable laterally sufficiently to avoid the shaft of the arrow.

Abstract: A pulley assembly for a compound bow comprises a draw cable pulley, a power cable pulley attached to the draw cable pulley, and a cable deflector attached to the draw cable pulley and adjustable among multiple deflector arrangements. Deflection of the power cable by the cable deflector remains constant throughout drawing of the bow. Movement of the cable deflector alters deflection of the power cable to alter effective length of the power cable and relative synchronization (with the bow at brace) of the pulley assembly with a second pulley assembly. The adjustment can in some instances be performed without using a bow press and without derigging the bow.

Abstract: A compound archery bow includes a pulley member that is rotatable on a transverse axle and that takes up a power cable as the bow is drawn. The pulley member is arranged so as to be fixed at any one of multiple transverse positions along its rotation axis relative to the bow limb by one or both of: (i) the transverse axle being retained on the bow limb at any one of multiple axle positions along the rotation axis by engagement of the transverse axle with the bow limb, or (ii) the pulley member being retained on the transverse axle at any one of multiple pulley positions along the transverse axle by engagement of the pulley member with the transverse axle. Performance characteristics of the bow can be optimized with respect to the transverse position of the pulley member along its rotation axis.

Abstract: A pulley assembly for a compound bow comprises a draw cable pulley and a dual-groove power module attached to the draw cable pulley and adjustable among one or more positions and two orientations. A power cable is taken up into one of the two grooves depending on the power module orientation. Changing the power module orientation the power module position alters one or more of the bow's draw force curve, stored energy, draw length, or draw weight.

Abstract: A pulley assembly for a compound bow comprises a draw cable pulley, a power cable pulley attached to the draw cable pulley, and a cable deflector attached to the draw cable pulley and adjustable among multiple deflector arrangements. Movement of the cable deflector alters deflection of the power cable during the bow's draw to alter effective length of the power cable and relative synchronization of the pulley assembly with a second pulley assembly. The adjustment can be performed without using a bow press and without derigging the bow.

Abstract: As a compound archery bow (binary cam or hybrid cam; having first and second pulley members, a draw cable, and a single, continuous secondary cable) is drawn and its pulley members rotate: (i) both pulley members let out the draw cable; (ii) a take-up pulley of the first pulley member takes up a first end segment of the secondary cable; (iii) a let-out pulley of the second pulley member lets out a portion of an intermediate segment of the secondary cable; and (iv) a take-up pulley of the second pulley member takes up a portion of the intermediate segment of the secondary cable. Engagement of the intermediate segment with the second pulley member substantially prevents slippage of the secondary cable.

Abstract: A pulley assembly for a compound bow comprises a draw cable pulley and a power module attached to the draw cable pulley and adjustable among one or more positions and two orientations. Changing the power module orientation at a given power module position alters the bow's draw force curve and stored energy without altering the bow's draw length or draw weight.

Abstract: A pulley assembly for a compound bow comprises a draw cable pulley rotatable about a first axis, a mounting member attached to the draw cable pulley and adjustable among multiple positions, and a power cable pulley attached to the mounting member and adjustable among multiple positions about a second axis. Movement of the mounting member shifts the second axis relative to the first axis. Movement of one or both of the mounting member or power cable pulley alters one or more of the bow's draw force curve, draw length, draw weight, or stored energy.

Abstract: A shock-absorbing bolt for a crossbow comprises a shaft, a forward flange, and a shock-absorbing mechanism coupled to the shaft or the forward flange. The forward flange is coupled to a forward end of the shaft and has a forward surface with a transverse area that is greater than about three times larger than a transverse area of the shaft. A tapered tip can be attached to and protrude from the forward surface of the forward flange. The shock-absorbing mechanism is arranged so that, upon acceleration or deceleration of the bolt, kinetic energy of the bolt is dissipated by viscoelastic, viscous, or frictional forces within the bolt.

Abstract: A trigger assembly for a crossbow comprises a string retainer and a trigger mechanism. The trigger assembly can further comprise a piston, a safety mechanism, a secondary safety mechanism, a bolt sensor, or a pair of rotating sears. The string retainer can comprise a pair of opposed jaws.

Abstract: A trigger assembly for a crossbow comprises a string retainer and a trigger mechanism. The trigger assembly can further comprise a piston, a safety mechanism, a secondary safety mechanism, a bolt sensor, or a pair of rotating sears. The string retainer can comprise a pair of opposed jaws.

Abstract: A shock-absorbing bolt for a crossbow comprises a shaft, a forward flange, and a shock-absorbing mechanism coupled to the shaft or the forward flange. The forward flange is coupled to a forward end of the shaft and has a forward surface with a transverse area that is greater than about three times larger than a transverse area of the shaft. A tapered tip can be attached to and protrude from the forward surface of the forward flange. The shock-absorbing mechanism is arranged so that, upon acceleration or deceleration of the bolt, kinetic energy of the bolt is dissipated by viscoelastic, viscous, or frictional forces within the bolt.

Abstract: Each bolt of a set has three vanes and a nock with three diametrical transverse grooves; each groove is perpendicular to a corresponding vane. Each bolt is shot at least three times with a crossbow, at least once with each one of the vanes extending downward into the rail slot of a crossbow. After noting the positions on a target for each shot of each bolt, one vane of each bolt is marked so that shooting the set of bolts with the corresponding marked vanes extending downward into the rail slot results in the smallest grouping pattern for the set of bolts.

Abstract: A compound archery bow comprises a riser, limbs, pulley members connected to the limbs, a draw cable, and a power cable. A first pulley member includes a draw cable journal, a power cable take-up mechanism, and coaxial axle segments extending from opposite sides of the pulley member. The effective lever arm of the power cable take-up mechanism decreases, during a latter portion of drawing the bow, from a distance that is greater than a radius of the axle segments to a minimum distance that is less than that radius. The first pulley member is further arranged so that, with the bow fully drawn, at least a portion of the power cable passes through at least a portion of a space between the first and second axle segments.

Abstract: An archery bow comprises a central riser, first and second bow limbs attached to the riser, and a draw cable coupled to the bow limbs. Each bow limb comprises a multilayer composite structure having a compression layer, a tension layer, and an intermediate layer between the compression and tension layers, with the limbs arranged so that drawing the bow causes each limb to bend toward its corresponding compression layer. Each layer comprises corresponding fibers embedded in a corresponding polymer matrix. Elastic moduli of the compression and tension layers are each smaller than that of the intermediate layer. A method comprises attaching the first and second bow limbs to the riser and coupling the draw cable to the limbs. Another method can further comprise forming each bow limb by embedding the corresponding fibers of each layer in the corresponding polymer matrix, and curing the corresponding polymer matrix.