U.S. patent number 3,790,948 [Application Number 05/261,705] was granted by the patent office on 1974-02-05 for radio transmitting hunting arrow with finding means.
Invention is credited to John M. Ratkovich.
United States Patent |
3,790,948 |
Ratkovich |
February 5, 1974 |
RADIO TRANSMITTING HUNTING ARROW WITH FINDING MEANS
Abstract
A battery-powered radio transmitter is carried in the tip of a
hunting arrow to aid in locating wounded game. The antenna for the
transmitter is carried in the hollow shank of the arrow so that
breakage of the shaft will not be detrimental to transmission of
radio signals from the transmitter.
Inventors: |
Ratkovich; John M. (Evanston,
IL) |
Family
ID: |
22994502 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/261,705 |
Filed: |
June 12, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
342/386;
455/66.1; 342/419; D10/65; 455/98; 455/100; 473/570; 473/578 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01S
1/02 (20130101); F42B 6/04 (20130101); F42B
12/385 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F42B
6/04 (20060101); F42B 6/00 (20060101); F42B
12/38 (20060101); G01S 1/00 (20060101); G01S
1/02 (20060101); F42B 12/02 (20060101); G01s
003/14 () |
Field of
Search: |
;325/66,102,115,116,118
;343/113R,113PT,718 ;273/16.5R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
Radio Electronics, June, 1956, p. 79 .
Radio News, April, 1939, p. 42.
|
Primary Examiner: Farley; Richard A.
Assistant Examiner: Berger; Richard E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Harbaugh and Thomas
Claims
1. In a hunting arrow of the type comprising a shaft carrying an
arrowhead at one end thereof including a housing and a noc at the
other end thereof for driving the arrow, the improvement
comprising, in combination:
said shaft being hollow and carrying a battery-powered radio
transmitter and its weight at the arrowhead end for embedment;
a rigid antenna connected to the transmitter at one end and at the
other end extending removably into said shaft in coaxial
relationship therewith;
and means rigidly securing said antenna to said radio transmitter
so that breakage and loss of the shaft will not be detrimental to
the transmission
2. A hunting arrow as described in claim 1, wherein said radio
transmitter is located adjacent said arrowhead and is generally
symmetrical about the
3. A hunting arrow as described in claim 1, wherein said antenna is
formed of spring steel freely supported in said shaft for
withdrawal therefrom so that breakage of the shaft formed of an
electrically nonconductive
4. A hunting arrow as described in claim 1, including a radio
receiver remote from said transmitter and tuned to the signal
frequency of said transmitter, said receiver having a directional
antenna and means for
5. A method for tracking game hunted with bow and arrow, which
comprises the steps of:
connecting a battery-powered radio transmitter to the head of an
arrow as a weighting part of the arrowhead;
embedding the transmitter within the body of a game animal along
with the head of the arrow and exposing a signal radiating antenna
outside of the body in supported position; and
tracking said signal by a radio receiver tuned to the signal
frequency of said transmitter, with the receiver having a
directional antenna to permit
6. A method for tracking game as described in claim 5, including
the step of carrying the receiver and finding the direction of the
transmitted
7. In a hunting arrow of the type comprising a hollow shaft
carrying an arrowhead at one end thereof and a noc at the other end
thereof, the improvement comprising, in combination;
a battery and a radio transmitter operable from said battery
forming an integral weight component of the arrowhead, and an
antenna axially withdrawable from the shaft for radiating the
radio-frequency signals generated by said transmitter to aid in
locating said arrow by radio
8. A hunting arrow as described in claim 7, wherein said arrowhead
includes a housing, said transmitter and battery are contained
within said housing, and said antenna is contained within said
shaft.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a hunting arrow, and more particularly to
a hunting arrow which is trackable by means of radio signals sent
therefrom.
During the hunting of animal game using bow and arrows, on many
occasions the arrow will imbed itself in the game and the wounded
game will immediately flee. In areas of dense foliage it is often
difficult to track the wounded game, and on many occasions the
wounded game may completely escape with the arrow.
Prior art solutions to this problem have been invented. For
example, in the U.S. Pat. No. to Searles, 3,150,875, a hunting
arrow is provided which contains means for releasing smoke so as to
provide a trail of smoke when the arrow is shot. In the U.S. Pat.
No. to Rohrbaugh, Jr., 3,417,944, a hunting arrow is provided which
discharges a continuous line of marking yarn, purportedly making it
possible to follow the path of the wounded game by following the
yarn trail.
The smoke-producing arrow of the Searles patent is disadvantageous
in that the wounded animal may flee to a point so distant or so
thickly wooded that the smoke can no longer be seen. The Rohrbauth
development is disadvantageous in that the yarn may become
entangled in a tree and break or may not be long enough to permit
tracking of an animal which has fled a great distance.
In sharp contrast, in the hunting arrow of the present invention
the problem of smoke not being seen or yarn breaking is obviated.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a hunting arrow
which can be tracked without the need to view a mechanical or
chemical device.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
hunting arrow which carries a radio transmitter that transmits
signals to a direction-finding receiver carried by the hunter.
On some occasions a wounded animal having a hunting arrow lodged in
it will break off the shaft of the arrow. The hunting arrow of the
present invention is constructed so that breakage of the shaft by
the wounded animal will not be detrimental to transmission of the
radio signals from the arrow.
Other objects of the present invention will become apparent as the
description proceeds.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In general, the hunting arrow of the present invention includes a
shaft of fiberglass or wood having a pointed material cap or
arrowhead at its forward end and having on its rearward end a noc
or transverse groove by which the end of the arrow can be held in
position by the string of a bow. The hunting arrow is provided with
the usual fletching or feathering near the rear end of its shaft to
aid in holding the arrow on a steady course during flight.
In accordance with the present invention, the arrowhead carries a
battery-powered radio transmitter. In further accordance with the
invention, the shaft of the arrow is hollow and contains, in
coaxial relationship therewith, a semi-rigid antenna. Means are
provided for rigidly coupling the antenna to the radio
transmitter.
In the illustrative embodiment of the invention, the radio
transmitter is located adjacent to the arrowhead and is generally
symmetrical about the axis of the shaft. In the illustrative
embodiment, a radio receiver, remote from the transmitter, is
provided so as to be carried by the hunter. The radio is tuned to
the signal frequency of the transmitter and has a directional
antenna and means for finding the direction of the transmitter.
A more detailed explanation of the present invention is found in
the following description and claims, and is illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The features of the present invention which are believed to be
novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The
invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof,
may best be understood by reference to the following description
taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in the several
figures of which like reference numerals identify like elements,
and in which:
FIG. 1 is a plan view, in partial cross-section, of a hunting arrow
embodying the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged broken view, in partial cross-section, of a
hunting arrow embodying the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the arrowhead in FIG. 2
embodying a battery-powered radio transmitter and antenna; and
FIG. 4 is a pictorial view depicting the application of the
invention to the sport of hunting.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 1, a hunting arrow 10 is shown which comprises a
hollow shaft 12 having an arrowhead 14 at its front end and a noc
16 at its rear end. A trio of fletchings 18 are symmetrically
fastened about the shaft adjacent its rear end as is conventional
with hunting arrows.
The hunting arrow 10 carries a miniature battery-powered radio
transmitter 20 at the immediate rear of arrowhead 14. Transmitter
20 is generally cylindrical in shape and symmetrical about the axis
of shaft 12. A metal whip antenna 22 is fastened to transmitter 20
by suitable fastening means (not shown) and antenna 22 extends
inside hollow shaft 12 in coaxial relationship therewith. Antenna
22 is preferably formed of spring steel, which is very rigid as
contrasted to a thin wire antenna. This is desirable, since if the
wounded animal should break the arrow shaft, as happens on many
occasions, the antenna will remain extended and continue to operate
in conjunction with the transmitter.
Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the radio transmitter portion 20 of
arrowhead 14 is seen to be enclosed within a two-section housing of
resilient high-impact plastic or other suitable material. The shaft
12 of the illustrated arrow is fastened to the housing by means of
an annular abutment 24 and a flare 26 on the end of the shaft, the
upper half 28 and lower half 30 of the housing being clamped
therebetween by a resilient clamp ring 32. A non-metallic plug 34
is provided as an anchor for the antenna 22.
The two halves of the transmitter housing are fastened together
near the point of the arrowhead by a machine screw 36, which is
threaded into lower half 30. Four knife-edged blade surfaces 38 are
attached to the housing for hunting purposes.
A battery 40 is contained within the transmitter in a compartment
above the transmitter. The transmitter itself is constructed on a
printed wiring board 42, and aside from its extreme
miniaturization, is conventional in design. The transmitter is
preferably crystal controlled on a frequency appropriate to the
desired homing range and available antenna length, and may be
frequency or amplitude modulated to aid in reception.
As shown in FIG. 4, the hunter carries a direction-finding receiver
fitted with a directional antenna. The receiver is tuned to the
signal frequency of the transmitter so that the direction of the
transmitter can be found, as is well known in the art of radio
direction finding. An example of the general type of prior art
transmitter and receiver which could be used in the present
invention is shown and described in the U.S. Pat. No. to Sloan et
al, 3,336,530.
In utilizing the hunting arrow of the present invention, prior to
shooting the arrow, the transmitter is energized by a manual switch
or by other means such as insertion of the battery. Thus, when the
arrow is shot from the bow, if it misses its mark, it can be
readily found by the hunter by merely tracking the transmitted
signals. And if the arrow hits an animal, the animal can be tracked
by the hunter by following the direction of the transmitted
signals.
Although an illustrative embodiment of the present invention has
been shown and described, it is to be understood that various
substitutions and modifications may be made by those skilled in the
art without departing from the novel spirit and scope of the
present invention.
* * * * *