Abstract: A crossbow is provided including a barrel, a bowstring and a sight mount that surrounds the barrel. The sight mount can include a mounting rail and can be configured so that the bowstring is drawn through the sight mount during a draw cycle of the bowstring. The sight mount can form a tube with mount walls that partially and/or completely surround the barrel. The tube can include a lower mount wall and the barrel can include a lower barrel surface. The tube can be joined with the barrel via a connection between only the lower mount wall and the lower barrel surface. The barrel can be separated along its lateral surfaces from lateral mount walls of the sight mount via gaps between those elements.

Abstract: A crossbow can include a bolt retention plunger configured to retain a bolt against a rail of a crossbow. The bolt retention plunger can be movable between a retention mode and a neutral mode and can be operable in the retention mode to engage a bolt to consistently and evenly hold it adjacent the rail. The bolt retention plunger can define a planar surface facing the rail. The planar surface can contact the bolt along a linear line of tangency, rather than a point, extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the bolt. The crossbow can include a safety extending in the receiver and an anti-dry fire element movably disposed in the receiver. The bolt retention plunger can be separately operable from and distal from the anti-dry fire element and the safety.

Abstract: A crossbow crank can comprise a drive shaft selectively coupled to a one-way bearing that allows rotation of the drive shaft and an associated spool in a first direction, and impairs rotation of the drive shaft and the spool in a second direction. The drive shaft can be locked and unlocked relative to the one-way bearing, allowing the bearing to control operation of the drive shaft, via a brake. The brake can be axially compressible along the drive shaft to lock the drive shaft and a sleeve so they are fixed relative to one another and rotate in unison when the drive shaft is rotated in the first direction. Relative axial movement can occur between the spool and the drive shaft when the brake is axially compressed. A related method of use is provided.

Abstract: A crossbow can include a de-cocking system to allow a bowstring to be transitioned from a drawn mode to an undrawn mode. The de-cocking system can include a sled that engages the bowstring to draw it to a drawn mode and/or lets down the bowstring to the undrawn mode during a de-cocking operation. The sled can include a stop that prevents the sled or bowstring from engaging a safety and/or interfering with transition of the safety from a safety on mode to a safety off mode. The safety can be manually actuated from the safety on mode to the safety off mode. With the safety in the off mode, upon actuation of a trigger assembly, the sled assists transition of the bowstring to the undrawn mode. The stop can be reconfigured to a neutral mode so the sled can be used to draw the bowstring. A related method is provided.

Abstract: A crossbow crank can comprise a drive shaft selectively coupled to a one-way bearing that allows rotation of the drive shaft and an associated spool in a first direction, and impairs rotation of the drive shaft and the spool in a second direction. The drive shaft can be automatically locked and unlocked relative to the one-way bearing, allowing the bearing to control operation of the drive shaft, via a brake. The brake can be axially compressible along the drive shaft to automatically lock the drive shaft and a sleeve so they are fixed relative to one another and rotate in unison when the drive shaft is rotated in the first direction. The brake can be deactivated by operation of a crank so that the drive shaft can rotate freely relative to the sleeve and thus the bearing in a second direction. A related method of use is provided.

Abstract: A crossbow can include a bolt retention plunger configured to retain a bolt against a rail of a crossbow. The bolt retention plunger can be movable between a retention mode and a neutral mode and can be operable in the retention mode to engage a bolt to consistently and evenly hold it adjacent the rail. The bolt retention plunger can define a planar surface facing the rail. The planar surface can contact the bolt along a linear line of tangency, rather than a point, extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of the bolt. The crossbow can include a safety extending in the receiver and an anti-dry fire element movably disposed in the receiver. The bolt retention plunger can be separately operable from and distal from the anti-dry fire element and the safety.

Abstract: A crossbow crank can comprise a drive shaft selectively coupled to a one-way bearing that allows rotation of the drive shaft and an associated spool in a first direction, and impairs rotation of the drive shaft and the spool in a second direction. The drive shaft can be automatically locked and unlocked relative to the one-way bearing, allowing the bearing to control operation of the drive shaft, via a brake. The brake can be axially compressible along the drive shaft to automatically lock the drive shaft and a sleeve so they are fixed relative to one another and rotate in unison when the drive shaft is rotated in the first direction. The brake can be deactivated by operation of a crank so that the drive shaft can rotate freely relative to the sleeve and thus the bearing in a second direction. A related method of use is provided.

Abstract: A crossbow can include a de-cocking system to allow a bowstring to be transitioned from a drawn mode to an undrawn mode. The de-cocking system can include a sled that engages the bowstring to draw it to a drawn mode and/or lets down the bowstring to the undrawn mode during a de-cocking operation. A frame and/or the sled can include a stop that prevents the sled or bowstring from engaging a safety and/or interfering with transition of the safety from a safety on mode to a safety off mode. The safety can be manually actuated from the safety on mode to the safety off mode. With the safety in the off mode, the sled assists transition of the bowstring to the undrawn mode. The stop can be reconfigured to a neutral mode so the sled can be used to draw the bowstring. A related method is provided.

Abstract: A crossbow can include a de-cocking system to allow a bowstring to be transitioned from a drawn mode to an undrawn mode. The de-cocking system can include a sled that engages the bowstring to draw it to a drawn mode and/or lets down the bowstring to the undrawn mode during a de-cocking operation. The sled can include a stop that prevents the sled or bowstring from engaging a safety and/or interfering with transition of the safety from a safety on mode to a safety off mode. The safety can be manually actuated from the safety on mode to the safety off mode. With the safety in the off mode, upon actuation of a trigger assembly, the sled assists transition of the bowstring to the undrawn mode. The stop can be reconfigured to a neutral mode so the sled can be used to draw the bowstring. A related method is provided.

Abstract: A crossbow crank can comprise a drive shaft selectively coupled to a one-way bearing that allows rotation of the drive shaft and an associated spool in a first direction and impairs rotation of the drive shaft and the spool in a second direction. The drive shaft can be automatically locked and unlocked relative to the one-way bearing, allowing the bearing to control operation of the drive shaft, via an axially compressible brake. The crossbow crank can be in the form of a removeable and replaceable module that can be positioned on right or left sides of a crossbow for right or left sided operation. A related method of use is provided.

Abstract: Approaches are described for release-time-driven (RTD) prioritization of on-board content scheduling and delivery to in-transit transport craft via communications systems. In context of a constrained network, content is scheduled to be delivered to those in-transit on-board media servers in a manner driven by respective release times and other prioritization factors associated with the updated content. Each content is associated with a RTD priority profile that can define a release time, a release priority, and a profile plot for the content. The RTD priority profiles can be used to compute priority surfaces that define priority scores over a multidimensional space for a particular time. A subset of the content can be selected for delivery based on the priority surfaces, and can be scheduled for delivery according to network capacity determinations.

Abstract: Approaches are described for release-time-driven (RTD) prioritization of on-board content scheduling and delivery to in-transit transport craft via communications systems. In context of a constrained network, content is scheduled to be delivered to those in-transit on-board media servers in a manner driven by respective release times and other prioritization factors associated with the updated content. Each content is associated with a RTD priority profile that can define a release time, a release priority, and a profile plot for the content. The RTD priority profiles can be used to compute priority surfaces that define priority scores over a multidimensional space for a particular time. A subset of the content can be selected for delivery based on the priority surfaces, and can be scheduled for delivery according to network capacity determinations.

Abstract: Approaches are described for release-time-driven (RTD) prioritization of on-board content scheduling and delivery to in-transit transport craft via communications systems. In context of a constrained network, content is scheduled to be delivered to those in-transit on-board media servers in a manner driven by respective release times and other prioritization factors associated with the updated content. Each content is associated with a RTD priority profile that can define a release time, a release priority, and a profile plot for the content. The RTD priority profiles can be used to compute priority surfaces that define priority scores over a multidimensional space for a particular time. A subset of the content can be selected for delivery based on the priority surfaces, and can be scheduled for delivery according to network capacity determinations.

Abstract: Approaches are described for release-time-driven (RTD) prioritization of on-board content scheduling and delivery to in-transit transport craft via communications systems. In context of a constrained network, content is scheduled to be delivered to those in-transit on-board media servers in a manner driven by respective release times and other prioritization factors associated with the updated content. Each content is associated with a RTD priority profile that can define a release time, a release priority, and a profile plot for the content. The RTD priority profiles can be used to compute priority surfaces that define priority scores over a multidimensional space for a particular time. A subset of the content can be selected for delivery based on the priority surfaces, and can be scheduled for delivery according to network capacity determinations.

Abstract: An archery bow is provided including limbs and at least one power cable disposed in a track of a cam rotatably mounted to a limb. The power cable is anchored to the cams with a fastener having a shaft registered in a hole defined by a landing surface of the cam so that a power cable is trapped in a cable capture void between a head of the fastener and the landing surface. The fastener can include a radius between a fastener axis and an outer edge of the head. A separation distance can be defined between the head and the track, with a ratio of the separation distance to the radius being less than 1:1. The separation distance can be less than a diameter of the power cable. A related method of use is provided.

Abstract: Approaches are described for release-time-driven (RTD) prioritization of on-board content scheduling and delivery to in-transit transport craft via communications systems. In context of a constrained network, content is scheduled to be delivered to those in-transit on-board media servers in a manner driven by respective release times and other prioritization factors associated with the updated content. Each content is associated with a RTD priority profile that can define a release time, a release priority, and a profile plot for the content. The RTD priority profiles can be used to compute priority surfaces that define priority scores over a multidimensional space for a particular time. A subset of the content can be selected for delivery based on the priority surfaces, and can be scheduled for delivery according to network capacity determinations.

Abstract: Approaches are described for release-time-driven (RTD) prioritization of on-board content scheduling and delivery to in-transit transport craft via communications systems. In context of a constrained network, content is scheduled to be delivered to those in-transit on-board media servers in a manner driven by respective release times and other prioritization factors associated with the updated content. Each content is associated with a RTD priority profile that can define a release time, a release priority, and a profile plot for the content. The RTD priority profiles can be used to compute priority surfaces that define priority scores over a multidimensional space for a particular time. A subset of the content can be selected for delivery based on the priority surfaces, and can be scheduled for delivery according to network capacity determinations.

Abstract: Reinforced composite materials having a thermoplastic matrix and at least 30% by volume and preferably at least 35% by volume of reinforcing filaments, at least 25% by volume being pitch based graphite fibres, are produced having a longitudinal flexural modulus according to ASTM D790-81 of at least 250 GN/m.sup.2. Impregnation of very fragile, inflexible pitch based graphite filaments is achieved using supporting filaments of greater robustness to the abrasion encountered in impregnation processes and, optionally, severing the filaments during the process if products containing only pitch based graphite filaments are required.