Tyler Stallings, an entrepreneur and former Marine, said that crossbows are more complex to design than bows due to their lack of universal parts, and when patenting, it's crucial to clearly define ownership without overstepping boundaries, focusing on utility rather than just design. Stallings was a guest on a recent episode of the Best of Midland Podcast.
“With crossbows, it's a little bit more intricate in that they don't have a universal way that they're designed,” said Stallings on a recent edition of the Best of Midland Podcast. “Bows have a few universal parts that are all the same piece to piece, which made making a universal part a little bit easier. Crossbows are a little bit tougher. We're working to do that.”
“Whenever we set out to do the patent, they kind of describe it like putting a fence in your yard,” Stallings said. “You don't want to make the fence outside your borders of what you don't own, but you also don't want to put it too close inside and leave space on the outside of your property. You want to claim what you own and make it very defined, which is the reason why people file so many patents—to cover the specifics of not the design, but the utility, the purpose of how it's used.”
Stallings, a former Marine, is the creator of the StealthRig, a product designed to enhance bow hunting gear. Drawing from his experience as a Machine Gunner with the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, Stallings developed the StealthRig after a challenging hunting experience during his military service.
Best of Midland Podcast is hosted by Ryan Shewchuk and Terra Avery. It is an extension of the broader Best of Midland program, which aims to support small, local businesses by showcasing them and the people behind them. Their website lists top businesses and upcoming live events happening in the area.
The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.