Patent Claims for a Trebuchet

by Michael Goltry, Registered Patent Attorney (480-991-3537; mg@pgpct.com)

Above is a counterweight trebuchet, a catapult configured to throw a load, such as one or more projectiles, toward an intended target. The trebuchet includes a sturdy frame f and an arm a. Arm a has an end e1 counterweighted by a weight w and an opposed end e2 including an attached sling s configured to adjust between load securing and releasing positions. Frame f extends upwardly from its substantial base b to arm a mounted to swing about a fulcrum p over an underlying ground surface. The arm’s a length between fulcrum p and end e2 is greater than the arm’s a length between fulcrum p and end e1 for leveraging purposes. A hoist h operates to swing arm a about fulcrum p to raise counterweighted end e1 and lower end e2 to a cocked position. Arm a swings about fulcrum p under the influence of counterweighted end e1 from the cocked position of end e2 to a launch position of end e2 upon releasing arm a from hoist h. Sling s swings with arm a accelerating a load secured by sling s when arm a swings from the cocked position of end e2 to the launch position of end e2. Releasing the load from sling s when end e2 reaches its launch position throws the load toward the intended target.

The Ethos of a Patent Claim Drafter: Focus on a novelty, the new over the old, field-specific context, and only as much old as required to support the new.

Assuming a point of novelty of this trebuchet is the sling, below is an example of two independent claims drawn to this trebuchet.

1.         A trebuchet, comprising:

• an arm including a first end a counterweighted second end, the arm mounted to swing about a fulcrum under the influence of the counterweighted second end between a lowered cocked position of the first end and a raised launch position of the first end;
• a first length of the arm between the fulcrum and the first end;
• a second length of the arm between the fulcrum and the counterweighted second end;
• the first length greater than the second length; and
• a sling coupled to the first end, the sling configured to a) adjust between a load securing position and a load releasing position and b) swing with the arm when the arm swings from the lowered cocked position of the first end to the raised launch position of the first end.

2.         A load throwing method, comprising:

• mounting an arm, including a first end and a counterweighted second end, to swing about a fulcrum under the influence of the counterweighted second end between a lowered cocked position of the first end and a raised launch position of the first end, the arm including a first length between the fulcrum and the first end, and a second length between the fulcrum and the counterweighted second end, the first length greater than the second length;
• securing a load by a sling coupled to the first end, the arm secured in the lowered cocked position of the first end;
• the arm swinging under the influence of the counterweighted second end from the lowered cocked position of the first end to the raised launch position of the first end upon releasing the arm from the lowered cocked position of the first end, the sling swinging with the arm accelerating the load; and
• releasing the load from the sling when the arm reaches the raised launch position of the first end.