Filament wound multi-color arrow shaft

Abstract

In certain preferred embodiments, the present invention provides arrow shafts and a method of making arrow shafts with two or more colors. Preferably the shafts incorporate filament winding to leave two or more visible colors in the finished shaft in a regular or irregular pattern. Preferably the multi-colored pattern extends a substantially distance through the thickness of the shaft.

1 . A method of making an arrow shaft having multiple graphite plies, comprising: 
 a) forming an arrow shaft core of at least one filament wound or sheet-rolled fiber reinforced graphite plies around a mandrel;    b) winding said core with a first filament wound ply including at least a first color;    c) winding said core with a second filament wound ply including at least a second color differing from said first color;    d) wherein said first filament wound ply and said second filament wound ply form an arrow shaft outer layer with a thickness having an outer diameter equal to or greater than the desired shaft finished outer diameter;    e) removing said shaft from the mandrel; and,    f) defining an arrowhead mounting portion and a nocking point portion on said shaft.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising finishing said outer layer to form a substantially smooth finished outer diameter.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , comprising removing at least a portion of the thickness of said outer layer to leave a shaft with a total diameter equal to the desired shaft finished outer diameter.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , comprising leaving an irregular color pattern of at least two different colors viewable on the outer surface of said outer layer.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said at least two different colors are selected from the group consisting of green, brown, black, white, gray and silver.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 2 , comprising leaving a regular color pattern of at least two different colors viewable on the outer surface of said outer layer.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising wrapping said core with a third filament wound ply of at least a third color differing from said first color and said second color.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , comprising leaving an irregular final color pattern of at least three different colors viewable on the outer surface of said outer layer.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , comprising leaving a regular final color pattern of at least three different colors viewable on the outer surface of said outer layer.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said first filament wound ply and said second filament wound ply includes metal-coated fibers.  
   
   
       11 . A method of making an arrow shaft having multiple graphite plies, comprising: 
 a) winding filaments including at least a first color around a mandrel;    b) winding filaments including at least a second color differing from said first color around the mandrel;    c) wherein said filaments are incorporated in the thickness of an arrow shaft, and wherein said first color and said second color create a color pattern wherein said color pattern extends through at least a substantial portion of the thickness of the shaft;    d) removing said shaft from the mandrel; and,    e) defining an arrowhead mounting portion and a nock mounting portion on said shaft.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising finishing the outer surface of said shaft and leaving said first and second colors at least partially viewable on said outer surface.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , comprising leaving an irregular color pattern of at least two different colors at least partially viewable on said outer surface of said shaft.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12 , comprising leaving a regular color pattern of at least two different colors at least partially viewable on said outer surface of said shaft.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 12 , comprising wrapping a third filament wound ply around the mandrel in forming said arrow shaft, wherein said third filament ply includes at least a third color at least partially viewable on said outer surface of said shaft, and wherein said third color differs from said first color and said second color.  
   
   
       16 . A composite arrow shaft formed from multiple fiber reinforced graphite plies, comprising: 
 a) a core for an arrow shaft having two ends, wherein said core is formed of at least one filament wound or sheet-rolled fiber reinforced graphite plies;    b) an outer layer of one or more plies filament wound around said core to form an arrow shaft with a desired total diameter, wherein said outer layer includes filaments of at least two different colors;    c) an arrowhead mounting section at one end of said shaft; and,    d) a nock mounting section at the opposing end of said shaft.    
   
   
       17 . The arrow shaft of  claim 16 , wherein said outer layer includes filaments of at least three different colors.  
   
   
       18 . The arrow shaft of  claim 16 , wherein said outer layer displays an irregular color pattern.  
   
   
       19 . The arrow shaft of  claim 18 , wherein said irregular color pattern is a camouflage pattern.  
   
   
       20 . The arrow shaft of  claim 18 , wherein said at least two different colors are selected from the group consisting of green, brown, black, white, gray and silver.  
   
   
       21 . The arrow shaft of  claim 16 , wherein said outer layer displays a regular color pattern.  
   
   
       22 . The arrow shaft of  claim 16 , wherein said outer layer has a thickness and said at least two different colors are filament wound substantially through at least the entire thickness of said outer layer.  
   
   
       23 . The arrow shaft of  claim 22 , wherein said core is filament wound and said at least two different colors are filament wound through said core.  
   
   
       24 . The arrow shaft of  claim 16 , wherein said outer layer includes at least one filament wound layer having metal-coated fibers.  
   
   
       25 . A composite arrow shaft formed from multiple fiber reinforced graphite plies, comprising: 
 a) a first filament wound portion including filaments of a first color; and,    b) a second filament wound portion including filaments of a second color;    c) wherein said first filament wound portion and said second filament wound portion are included in the length of an arrow shaft; and,    d) wherein said first color is different from said second color.    
   
   
       26 . The arrow shaft of  claim 25 , wherein said first filament wound portion extends along a portion of the length of said shaft for less than the entire shaft length.  
   
   
       27 . The arrow shaft of  claim 26 , wherein said first filament wound portion is adjacent an arrowhead section of the shaft.  
   
   
       28 . The arrow shaft of  claim 26 , wherein said first filament wound portion is adjacent a nock mounting section of the shaft.  
   
   
       29 . The arrow shaft of  claim 26 , wherein said first filament wound portion is along a first portion of the length of the shaft and said second filament wound portion is along a second portion of the length of the shaft.