Fletching Sleeve System and Method of Application and Manufacture

Abstract

A disclosed archery fletching sleeve system and method of application and manufacture includes a fletching sleeve configured to frictionally fit onto an arrow shaft. The fletching sleeve defines glue application holes, slots, slits and channels or cavities on an inner surface thereof adjacent the glue holes to draw an applied glue therein via a capillary effect and/or an accordion bellows pumping effect. Additional slots and/or slits allow the sleeve to elastically stretch like an accordion to fit a wide range of arrow shaft diameters. The system also includes an application tool comprising two or more fingernail-like members configured to have a first end and a second end, the first end configured to have an inside arc and an outside arc orthogonal to a longitudinal dimension thereof, the outside arc configured to slide into a fletching sleeve applied to an arrow shaft slid into the inside arc of the fingernail-like members.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An application tool, comprising two or more fingernail-like members, each member configured to have a first end and a second end, the first end configured to have an inside arc and an outside arc orthogonal to a longitudinal dimension thereof, the outside arc configured to slide into a fletching sleeve applied to an arrow shaft slid into the inside arc of the fingernail-like members. 
     
     
         2 . The application tool of  claim 1 , wherein the first end of each of the finger-nail like members is chamfered and configured to be easily received into an inside diameter of the fletching sleeve. 
     
     
         3 . The application tool of  claim 1 , wherein the fingernail-like members comprise a thickness and a length comprising a number of equal measure parts and a demarcator configured to indicate a placement of the fletching sleeve on the fingernail-like members dependent on a ratio of one part fingernail-like member thickness to at least 50 parts length inserted into the fletching sleeve. 
     
     
         4 . The application tool of  claim 1 , wherein the fingernail-like members include a demarcator configured to indicate a mid-point of the fletching sleeve slid onto the outside arc of the fingernail-like members. 
     
     
         5 . The application tool of  claim 1 , further comprising a knob-like piece and/or portion laterally attached to the second end of each fingernail-like member to enable a user to pull the application tool bearing a fletching sleeve onto an arrow shaft extending there through. 
     
     
         6 . The application tool of  claim 1 , further comprising a handle orthogonally attached to the fingernail-like members, wherein the handle defines a hole parallel to the fingernail-like members, the hole being adjacent to the attachment of the fingernail-like members to the handle, a diameter of the hole being substantially the size of a commercially available arrow shaft and a length of the hole extending a thickness of the handle. 
     
     
         7 . The application tool of  claim 6 , wherein the handle comprises at least two slits which are in part parallel to the hole and extend the thickness of the handle, the number of slits being dependent on the number of low-profile members. 
     
     
         8 . The application tool of  claim 6 , wherein each of the fingernail-like members is positioned in a slit and the second end is secured to the handle. 
     
     
         9 . The application tool of  claim 6 , wherein each of the fingernail-like members is positioned in a slit and the second end is wrapped around the handle. 
     
     
         10 . The fletching sleeve application tool of  claim 1 , further comprising a space between a plurality of elongate edges of the two or more fingernail-like members, the space configured to be variable with a diameter of the arrow shaft. 
     
     
         11 . The fletching sleeve application tool of  claim 1 , wherein the two or more fingernail-like members are made of a low durometer material configured to allow the fingernail-like members to flex around a plurality of arrow shaft sizes. 
     
     
         12 . The fletching sleeve application tool of  claim 1 , wherein the fingernail-like members are adjoined at an approximate midpoint between each first and second end and connected in an ‘H’ like configuration. 
     
     
         13 . The application tool of  claim 1 , wherein the fingernail-like members are disparate and the second ends thereof may be grasped for pulling the fletching sleeve and the first ends onto the arrow shaft. 
     
     
         14 . The application tool of  claim 1 , wherein each second end of the fingernail-like members is configured to form a ribbon-like loop for pulling the application tool onto an arrow shaft. 
     
     
         15 . A fletching sleeve installation system, comprising a hollow cone for covering an arrow nock and an installation tool including two or more fingernail-like members configured to have an inside arc and an outside arc orthogonal to a longitudinal dimension thereof, the outside arc configured to slide into a fletching sleeve applied to an arrow shaft slid into the inside arc. 
     
     
         16 . A fletching sleeve installation tool, comprising a semi-hollow cone configured to cover and attach to an arrow nock via a stem extending from an inside of the cone, the stem configured to be received into the nock. 
     
     
         17 . The fletching sleeve installation tool of  claim 16 , wherein the stem is substantially longer than a distance from a trough of the arrow nock to a tip of a set of nock prongs. 
     
     
         18 . The fletching sleeve installation tool of  claim 16 , further comprising a skirt of the hollow cone extending beyond the stem, the skirt configured to provide a smooth transition from a conic portion of the hollow cone to a cylindrical portion. 
     
     
         19 . The fletching sleeve installation tool of  claim 16 , wherein a thickness of the stem is substantially equal to the thickness of a typical commercially available bowstring. 
     
     
         20 . The fletching sleeve installation tool of  claim 16 , wherein a width of the stem is configured to be variable with an inner diameter of the hollow cone and the skirt.