Compound bow cam arrangement with balancing yoke

Abstract

In certain arrangements, a balancing yoke is used in a hybrid cam arrangement of an archery bow, in which two cables are paid out from respective tracks or taken up in respective tracks on a cam when the bow is drawn. Aspects of the present disclosure incorporate a balancing yoke which has two leg portions which are symmetrically paid out or taken up in tracks on opposite sides of the cam's central rotational plane and wherein the force applied by a cable is divided and applied by the yoke legs to the cam on opposite sides of the cam's central rotational plane.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An archery bow, comprising:
 a riser with a handle;   upper and lower limb portions extending from the riser to limb tip sections;   first and second cams supported at the limb tip sections;   a bowstring extending directly between the cams and extending into a bowstring track on said second cam;   a control cable anchored at one end to said first cam;   a buss cable anchored at one end adjacent said first cam;   wherein at least one of said control cable and said buss cable extends to a junction, wherein two yoke legs extend from said junction to a pair of yoke tracks defined on said second cam; wherein said yoke tracks are offset from said bowstring track on opposing sides of said bowstring track.   
     
     
         2 . The archery bow of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one of said control cable and said buss cable extending to a junction is said control cable. 
     
     
         3 . The archery bow of  claim 2 , wherein said yoke legs are let out from said yoke tracks when said bow is drawn. 
     
     
         4 . The archery bow of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one of said control cable and said buss cable extending to a junction is said buss cable. 
     
     
         5 . The archery bow of  claim 4 , wherein said yoke legs are drawn into said yoke tracks when said bow is drawn. 
     
     
         6 . The archery bow of  claim 5 , comprising a pair of modules mounted on opposing sides of said second cam and forming portions of said yoke tracks, wherein said modules control how said yoke legs are drawn into said yoke tracks when said bow is drawn. 
     
     
         7 . The archery bow of  claim 1 , wherein said junction comprises a splitter member. 
     
     
         8 . The archery bow of  claim 7 , wherein said splitter member separates the yoke legs by a distance which equals the distance between said yoke tracks. 
     
     
         9 . The archery bow of  claim 1 , wherein said yoke legs are formed by a single yoke cable extending through said junction. 
     
     
         10 . The archery bow of  claim 1 , wherein said yoke legs are formed by a pair of yoke cables extending from said junction. 
     
     
         11 . The archery bow of  claim 1 , wherein the forces of said yoke legs applied on opposite sides of said bowstring track are substantially equal, resulting in a net force axis applied by said yoke legs substantially aligned with said bowstring track. 
     
     
         12 . The archery bow of  claim 1 , wherein the forces of said yoke legs applied on opposite sides of said bowstring track are unequal. 
     
     
         13 . The archery bow of  claim 1 , wherein said yoke tracks are arranged at different offset distances relative to said bowstring track. 
     
     
         14 . A cable arrangement for an archery bow having a riser with first and second limb portions, comprising:
 a cable extending from adjacent the first limb portion;   said cable extending to a junction adjacent said second limb portion;   two yoke legs extending from said junction to a pair of yoke tracks defined on a cam on said second limb portion, wherein said yoke tracks are arranged on opposing sides of a bowstring track on said cam.   
     
     
         15 . The cable arrangement of  claim 14 , wherein said cable extends from a cam on the first limb portion. 
     
     
         16 . The cable arrangement of  claim 14 , wherein said cable extends from an axle of the cam on the first limb portion. 
     
     
         17 . The cable arrangement of  claim 14 , comprising a splitter member which separates the yoke legs by a distance which equals the distance between said yoke tracks. 
     
     
         18 . A cam for an archery bow having a riser with first and second limb portions and a bowstring extending between said limbs, comprising:
 a cam body;   said cam body defining a bowstring track;   said cam body defining a pair of parallel yoke tracks offset on opposing sides of said bowstring track.   
     
     
         19 . The cam of  claim 18 , wherein said pair of parallel yoke tracks are arranged to take up a pair of yoke legs when said bow is drawn. 
     
     
         20 . The cam of  claim 18 , wherein said pair of parallel yoke tracks are arranged to let out a pair of yoke legs when said bow is drawn.