High Moment of Inertia Putter Having Adjustable Weights

• US 20040138003A1
• Filed: 08/13/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MacGREGOR GOLF COMPANY (Dick's Sporting Goods Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: MacGREGOR GOLF COMPANY (Dick's Sporting Goods Incorporated)
• Inventors: Grace, Robert M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,896,625 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/334
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0437 with special crown configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

A golf putter head of triangular shape. A ball-striking leading wall has a first breadth greater than a second breadth of a trailing wall. The leading and trailing walls are interconnected at their respective opposite ends by sidewalls that converge toward one another. A web interconnects the leading and trailing walls along a longitudinal axis of the golf putter head. A first embodiment may include a trailing copper weight and side wall aluminum weights. A second embodiment may include three copper weights, a third embodiment may include three copper-tungsten weights, and a fourth embodiment may include three tungsten weights. The weights are removable so that a putter having a low swingweight or a high swingweight can be brought up to or down to a standard swingweight. The weights may also be mixed in the second, third, and fourth embodiments.

Claims

1. A golf putter head, comprising:

a main body having a generally triangular configuration;

said main body having a leading wall having a first breadth;

said leading wall having a top edge and a bottom edge;

said main body having a trailing wall having a second breadth less than said first breadth;

said trailing wall having a top edge and a bottom edge;

a first sidewall interconnecting a first end of said leading wall and a first end of said trailing wall;

a second sidewall interconnecting a second end of said leading wall and a second end of said trailing wall;

a soleplate interconnecting said bottom edge of said leading wall and said bottom edge of said trailing wall;

said soleplate having a breadth less than said second breadth of said trailing surface;

a cavity formed in said main body, said cavity bounded on four sides by said leading wall, said trailing wall, said first sidewall, and said second sidewall;

said cavity being unbounded on a top end and being partially bounded on a lower end by said soleplate;

a ball-striking surface adapted to be mounted to said leading wall;

said soleplate being normal to said leading wall and said trailing wall;

a first trailing weight-receiving cavity formed in said trailing wall;

a plurality of trailing weight members of differing weights adapted to be releasably and selectively positioned within said trailing weight-receiving cavity;

a first side wall weight-receiving cavity formed in said first side wall;

a plurality of first side wall weight members of differing weights adapted to be releasably and selectively positioned within said first side wall weight-receiving cavity;

a second side wall weight-receiving cavity formed in said second side wall;

a plurality of second side wall weight members of differing weights adapted to be releasably and selectively positioned within said second side wall weight-receiving cavity;

whereby the swingweight of a putter is adjusted by preselecting weight members from said plurality of trailing weight members and said plurality of first and second side wall weight members.

2. The golf putter head of claim 1, further comprising:

a web disposed in interconnecting relation between said leading wall and said trailing wall;

said web being disposed normal to said leading wall and said trailing wall;

said cavity being divided into two cavities by said web;

whereby said web transmits forces applied to said leading wall at least in part to said trailing wall;

whereby resistance offered by said leading wall to said applied forces is supplemented by resistance offered by said trailing wall.

3. The golf putter head of claim 2, further comprising:

said soleplate being centered on a longitudinal axis of symmetry of said golf putter head;

said web being mounted in upstanding relation to said soleplate;

said web being disposed on said longitudinal axis of said golf putter head and dividing said cavity into two cavities of equal size.

4. The golf putter head of claim 1, wherein said leading wall of said golf putter head is about 3.7 to 4.0 inches in breadth.

5. The golf putter head of claim 1, further comprising:

said plurality of trailing weight members including a first trailing weight member;

said plurality of first and second side wall weight members including a first side wall weight member and a second side wall weight member;

said first trailing weight member being formed of copper and said first and second side wall weight members being formed of aluminum;

said golf putter head having a total weight of about three hundred forty grams; and

said golf putter head having a moment of inertia of about 4390 gm cm².

6. The golf putter head of claim 5, wherein the swingweight of a club having a thirty two inch shaft and said golf putter head has a swingweight of B-6.

7. The golf putter head of claim 5, wherein the swingweight of a club having a thirty three inch shaft and said golf putter head has a swingweight of C-5.

8. The golf putter head of claim 5, wherein the swingweight of a club having a thirty four inch shaft and said golf putter head has a swingweight of D-3.

9. The golf putter head of claim 5, wherein the swingweight of a club having a thirty five inch shaft and said golf putter head has a swingweight of E-1.

10. The golf putter head of claim 5, wherein the swingweight of a club having a thirty six inch shaft and said golf putter head has a swingweight of E-8.

11. The golf putter head of claim 1, further comprising:

said plurality of trailing weight members including a first trailing weight member;

said plurality of first and second side wall weight members including a first side wall weight member and a second side wall weight member;

said first trailing weight member and said first and second side wall weight members being formed of copper;

said golf putter head having a total weight of about three hundred fifty two grams; and

said golf putter head having a moment of inertia of about 4600 gm cm².

12. The golf putter head of claim 11, wherein the swingweight of a club having a thirty two inch shaft and said golf putter head has a swingweight of B-9.

13. The golf putter head of claim 11, wherein the swingweight of a club having a thirty three inch shaft and said golf putter head has a swingweight of C-9.

14. The golf putter head of claim 11, wherein the swingweight of a club having a thirty four inch shaft and said golf putter head has a swingweight of D-8.

15. The golf putter head of claim 11, wherein the swingweight of a club having a thirty five inch shaft and said golf putter head has a swingweight of E-7.

16. The golf putter head of claim 11, wherein the swingweight of a club having a thirty six inch shaft and said golf putter head has a swingweight of F-3.

17. The golf putter head of claim 1, further comprising:

said plurality of trailing weight members including a first trailing weight member;

said plurality of first and second side wall weight members including a first side wall weight member and a second side wall weight member;

said first trailing weight member being formed of copper and said first and second side wall weight members being formed of copper-tungsten;

said golf putter head having a total weight of about three hundred sixty five grams; and

said golf putter head having a moment of inertia of about 4950 gm cm².

18. The golf putter head of claim 17, wherein the swingweight of a club having a thirty two inch shaft and said golf putter head has a swingweight of C-4.

19. The golf putter head of claim 17, wherein the swingweight of a club having a thirty three inch shaft and said golf putter head has a swingweight of D-4.

20. The golf putter head of claim 17, wherein the swingweight of a club having a thirty four inch shaft and said golf putter head has a swingweight of E-3.

21. The golf putter head of claim 17, wherein the swingweight of a club having a thirty five inch shaft and said golf putter head has a swingweight of F-2.

22. The golf putter head of claim 17, wherein the swingweight of a club having a thirty six inch shaft and said golf putter head has a swingweight of F-8.

23. The golf putter head of claim 1, further comprising:

said plurality of trailing weight members including a first trailing weight member;

said plurality of first and second side wall weight members including a first side wall weight member and a second side wall weight member;

said first trailing weight member being formed of copper and said first and second side wall weight members being formed of tungsten;

said golf putter head having a total weight of about three hundred seventy five grams; and

said golf putter head having a moment of inertia of about 5200 gm cm².

24. The golf putter head of claim 23, wherein the swingweight of a club having a thirty two inch shaft and said golf putter head has a swingweight of C-8.

25. The golf putter head of claim 23, wherein the swingweight of a club having a thirty three inch shaft and said golf putter head has a swingweight of D-8.

26. The golf putter head of claim 23, wherein the swingweight of a club having a thirty four inch shaft and said golf putter head has a swingweight of E-7.

27. The golf putter head of claim 23, wherein the swingweight of a club having a thirty five inch shaft and said golf putter head has a swingweight of F-6.

28. The golf putter head of claim 23, wherein the swingweight of a club having a thirty six inch shaft and said golf putter head has a swingweight of G-1.

29. The golf putter head of claim 1, wherein said golf putter head leading wall has a breadth of four inches (4″

), where said trailing weight is selected from the group consisting of copper and copper-tungsten weights, wherein said first and second side wall weights are selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, copper-tungsten, and tungsten weights, and wherein said golf putter head has a moment of inertia that ranges from 5890 gm cm² to 6900 gm cm².

30. The golf putter head of claim 1, wherein said golf putter head leading wall has a breadth of five inches (5″

), wherein said trailing weight is a copper-tungsten weight, wherein said first and second side wall weights are selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, copper-tungsten, and tungsten weights, and wherein said golf putter head has a moment of inertia that ranges from 11,000 gm cm² to 14,500 gm cm².