Rail slide for a crossbow

Abstract

A crossbow comprises a longitudinal rail, first and second bow limbs, a slide, and a bowstring. The longitudinal rail has a longitudinal slot. The first and second bow limbs are coupled to the rail and arranged on opposing sides of the rail. The slide has a transverse hole therethrough. The bowstring is coupled to the first and second bow limbs and passes through the transverse hole through the slide. The slide is engaged with the slot so as to be constrained to move reciprocally along the rail and so as to enable the bowstring to move (i) from a forward brace position to a rearward drawn position and (ii) from the rearward drawn position to the forward brace position. A forward surface of the slide can be structurally adapted to engage a rear end of a bolt loaded onto the rail of the crossbow.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A crossbow comprising:
 (a) a longitudinal rail having a longitudinal slot;   (b) first and second bow limbs coupled to the rail and arranged on opposing sides of the rail;   (c) a slide having a transverse hole therethrough; and   (d) a bowstring coupled to the first and second bow limbs and passing through the transverse hole through the slide,   (e) wherein the slide is engaged with the slot so as to be constrained to move reciprocally along the rail and so as to enable the bowstring to move (i) from a forward brace position to a rearward drawn position and (ii) from the rearward drawn position to the forward brace position.   
     
     
         2 . The crossbow of  claim 1  wherein the slide is sufficiently heavy so as to substantially prevent damage to the crossbow or injury to a user of the crossbow when the bowstring is released from the rearward drawn position without a/the bolt on the rail. 
     
     
         3 . The crossbow of  claim 1  wherein the slide is sufficiently long so as to substantially prevent structural failure of the slide when the bowstring is released from the rearward drawn position. 
     
     
         4 . The crossbow of  claim 1  wherein a forward surface of the slide is structurally adapted to engage a rear end of a bolt loaded onto the rail of the crossbow. 
     
     
         5 . The crossbow of  claim 4  wherein the forward surface of the slide is substantially flat. 
     
     
         6 . The crossbow of  claim 4  wherein the forward surface of the slide includes a rearwardly extending recessed cavity arranged to receive therein the rear end of the bolt loaded onto the rail of the crossbow. 
     
     
         7 . The crossbow of  claim 4  wherein the forward surface of the slide includes a protruding horizontal ridge structurally arranged to engage a bowstring groove of a nock at the rear end of the bolt loaded onto the rail of the crossbow. 
     
     
         8 . The crossbow of  claim 1  wherein one or both of the slide or the slot are structurally arranged so as to substantially prevent lift off of the slide from the rail. 
     
     
         9 . The crossbow of  claim 8  wherein the slide has a transverse cross section that includes a dovetailed portion structurally arranged to engage the slot and constrain the slide to move reciprocally along the rail. 
     
     
         10 . The crossbow of  claim 8  wherein the slide has a transverse cross section that includes an inverted T-shaped portion structurally arranged to engage the slot and constrain the slide to move reciprocally along the rail. 
     
     
         11 . A method for using a crossbow, the method comprising:
 (a) drawing the crossbow by pulling a bowstring of the crossbow from a forward brace position to a rearward drawn position;   (b) with the bowstring held in the rearward drawn position, placing a bolt onto a longitudinal slot of a longitudinal rail of the crossbow; and   (c) with the bowstring in the rearward drawn position and the bolt on the slot, releasing the bowstring, thereby (i) enabling the bowstring to move from the rearward drawn position to the forward brace position and (ii) propelling the bolt from the crossbow,   (d) wherein the crossbow comprises:
 (i) the longitudinal rail having the longitudinal slot; 
 (ii) first and second bow limbs coupled to the rail and arranged on opposing sides of the rail; 
 (iii) a slide having a transverse hole therethrough; and 
 (iv) the bowstring, said bowstring being coupled to the first and second bow limbs and passing through the transverse hole through the slide, and 
   (e) wherein the slide is engaged with the slot so as to be constrained to move reciprocally along the rail and so as to enable the bowstring to move (i) from the forward brace position to the rearward drawn position and (ii) from the rearward drawn position to the forward brace position.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the slide is sufficiently heavy so as to substantially prevent damage to the crossbow or injury to a user of the crossbow when the bowstring is released from the rearward drawn position without a/the bolt on the rail. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the slide is sufficiently long so as to substantially prevent structural failure of the slide when the bowstring is released from the rearward drawn position. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein a forward surface of the slide is structurally adapted to engage a rear end of a bolt loaded onto the rail of the crossbow. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the forward surface of the slide is substantially flat. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the forward surface of the slide includes a rearwardly extending recessed cavity arranged to receive therein the rear end of the bolt loaded onto the rail of the crossbow. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the forward surface of the slide includes a protruding horizontal ridge structurally arranged to engage a bowstring groove of a nock at the rear end of the bolt loaded onto the rail of the crossbow. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11  wherein one or both of the slide or the slot are structurally arranged so as to substantially prevent lift off of the slide from the rail. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the slide has a transverse cross section that includes a dovetailed portion structurally arranged to engage the slot and constrain the slide to move reciprocally along the rail. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the slide has a transverse cross section that includes an inverted T-shaped portion structurally arranged to engage the slot and constrain the slide to move reciprocally along the rail. 
     
     
         21 . A method for making a crossbow, the method comprising:
 (a) engaging a slide with a longitudinal slot of a longitudinal rail of the crossbow;   (b) passing a bowstring through a transverse hole through the slide; and   (c) coupling the bowstring to first and second bow limbs, said bow limbs being coupled to the rail and arranged on opposing sides of the rail,   (d) wherein the slide is engaged with the slot so as to be constrained to move reciprocally along the rail and so as to enable the bowstring to move from a forward brace position to a rearward drawn position and from the rearward drawn position to the forward brace position.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the slide is sufficiently heavy so as to substantially prevent damage to the crossbow or injury to a user of the crossbow when the bowstring is released from the rearward drawn position without a/the bolt on the rail. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the slide is sufficiently long so as to substantially prevent structural failure of the slide when the bowstring is released from the rearward drawn position. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein a forward surface of the slide is structurally adapted to engage a rear end of a bolt loaded onto the rail of the crossbow. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the forward surface of the slide is substantially flat. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the forward surface of the slide includes a rearwardly extending recessed cavity arranged to receive therein the rear end of the bolt loaded onto the rail of the crossbow. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the forward surface of the slide includes a protruding horizontal ridge structurally arranged to engage a bowstring groove of a nock at the rear end of the bolt loaded onto the rail of the crossbow. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21  wherein one or both of the slide or the slot are structurally arranged so as to substantially prevent lift off of the slide from the rail. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the slide has a transverse cross section that includes a dovetailed portion structurally arranged to engage the slot and constrain the slide to move reciprocally along the rail. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the slide has a transverse cross section that includes an inverted T-shaped portion structurally arranged to engage the slot and constrain the slide to move reciprocally along the rail.