Golfing iron club and manufacturing method thereof

• US 20020016218A1
• Filed: 07/19/2001
• Published: 02/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: K.K. Endo Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: K.K. Endo Seisakusho
• Inventors: Takeda, Hitoshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,497,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/324
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49995 Shaping one-piece blank by removing material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49996 Successive distinct removal operations

Abstract

A manufacturing method for a golfing iron club and an iron golf club manufactured by the method. A shaft is connected to a head 1 having a face 3 on a front and a shaft attachment portion on one side. After a pre-forging stage using an upper die and a lower die, a rear region corresponding section 9′A and a lower peripheral face corresponding section 11A are machined with an end mill A. Then post-forging is performed using an upper die and a lower die to form the head 1. Thereafter, post-machining is performed using an end mill B. Thus, a rear region 9A and a lower peripheral face 11 can be formed without forging. Machining can be carried out between the pre-forging and post-forging stages, so that locations which are difficult to forge can be accurately formed. In addition, the head 1 is able to be formed more freely, owing to a post-machining stage.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a golfing iron club having a shaft attached to a head formed by forging and provided with a face on a front surface, a cavity in a rear surface, and a shaft connecting portion on one side, which comprises the steps of:

forming a raw material of the head, selected from among stainless steel, titanium alloy, nickel alloy and high tensile strength steel, into a head piece so that the head piece may be provided with respective parts corresponding to said face, shaft connecting portion and cavity, by a first die forging step;

forming a lower peripheral face of the part corresponding to said cavity, by a first machining step, while cutting off flash formed during the first die forging step;

forming the head piece into said head, by a second die forging step; and

forming the lower peripheral face of the part corresponding to said cavity to an undercut shape.

2. A method of manufacturing a golfing iron club according to claim 1, wherein the part corresponding to said cavity is machined by a second machining step, after the said second die-forging.

3. A method of manufacturing a golfing iron club according to claim 2, wherein the lower peripheral face of said cavity is formed with a groove by said second machining step.

6. A method of manufacturing a golfing iron club according to claim 2, wherein said first and second machining steps use an end mill as a machining tool, in which an end mill of a smaller diameter is used in said second machining step than in said first machining step.

7. A method of manufacturing a golfing iron club according to claim 6, wherein the lower peripheral face of said cavity is formed with a groove by said second machining..

13. A method of manufacturing a golfing iron club according to claim 3, wherein said groove is formed by abutting a distal end of an end mill to said cavity obliquely relative to said face.

14. A method of manufacturing a golfing iron club according to claim 7, wherein said groove is formed by abutting a distal end of an end mill to said cavity obliquely relative to said face.

4. A method of manufacturing a golfing iron club having a shaft attached to a head formed by forging and provided with a face on a front surface, a cavity in a rear surface, and a shaft connecting portion on one side, wherein a raw material of said head selected from among stainless steel, titanium alloy, nickel alloy and high tensile strength steel, is subjected to a first die forging process to form a head piece so that the head piece may be provided with parts corresponding to said face, shaft connecting portion and cavity, and then to a first machining process for forming a lower peripheral face of the part corresponding to said cavity while cutting off flash formed during the first die forging step, and further to a second die forging process for forming the head piece into said head, and forming the lower peripheral face of the part corresponding to said cavity into an undercut shape.

5. A method of manufacturing a golfing iron club according to claim 4, wherein the part corresponding to said cavity is machined by a second machining step, after the said second die-forging.

11. A method according to claim 5, wherein said first and second machining steps use an end mill as a machining tool, in which an end mill of a small diameter is used in said second machining step than in said first machining step.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the lower peripheral face of said cavity is formed with a groove by said second machining.

16. A method of manufacturing a golfing iron club according to claim 12, wherein said groove is formed by abutting a distal end of an end mill to said cavity obliquely relative to said face.

8. A method of manufacturing a golfing iron club having a shaft attached to a head formed by forging and provided with a face on a front surface, a cavity in a rear surface, and a shaft connecting portion on one side, which comprises the steps of:

forming a raw material of the head selected from among stainless steel, titanium alloy, nickel alloy and high tensile strength steel into a head piece so that the head piece may be provided with respective parts corresponding to said face, shaft connecting portion and cavity, by a first die forging step;

forming a lower peripheral face of the part corresponding to said cavity into an undercut shape, using an end mill with a distal end abutted to the lower peripheral face obliquely relative to the face, by a first machining step while cutting off flash formed during the first die forging step;

forming the head piece into said head, by a second die forging step; and

finishing the head by forming the part corresponding to said cavity to a final shape, by a second machining step.

9. A method of manufacturing a golfing iron club according to claim 8, wherein said first and second machining steps use an end mill as a machining tool, in which an end mill of a smaller diameter is used in said second machining step than in said first machining step.

10. A method of manufacturing a golfing iron club according to claim 9, wherein the lower peripheral face of said cavity is formed with a groove by said second machining.

15. A method of manufacturing a golfing iron club according to claim 10, wherein said groove is formed by abutting a distal end of an end mill to said cavity obliquely relative to said face.