GOLF CLUB HEAD OF THE IRON TYPE HAVING A CONCAVE SOLE

• US 3,810,631 A
• Filed: 07/24/1972
• Issued: 05/14/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Frank Viola Golf Sales Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Joseph M. Braly
• Inventors: Braly, Joseph M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkham, Richard C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Application Number:
  US05/274,563
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 273/77R,167R,167A,167D,168,169,174,164,172,173
• US Class Current: 473/328
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club of the iron type having a novel golf club head comprising a striking face with a leading lower edge, a toe, a heel, and a novel concave sole; said concave sole imparting improved ball striking characteristics such as improved dynamic stability of the head in contact with the ground and minimize deceleration of the club head speed in contact with the ground. The golf head is useful for the manufacture of golf clubs of the iron type.

Claims

1. A golf club iron comprising a shaft with a metal head secured thereto at one end thereof, a substantially planar ball striking face inclined upwardly and rearwardly from a front ground penetrating edge portion to an uppermost rear portion, the major portion of the ball striking face being rearward of a reference plane containing the axis of the shaft and extending generally parallel to the front edge portion of the ball striking face, a downwardly facing sole rearward of the front edge portion of the ball striking face, a back face extending between the sole and the uppermost rear portion of the ball striking face, and shallow concavity in the major portion of the sole gradually curving in a direction generally transverse to the reference plane, the concavity having a leading boundary portion spaced from the front edge portion and forming a first sole portion, the leading boundary portion forming a first sole portion edge, the first sole portion edge being the lowermost elevation of the first sole portion, the concavity having a trailing boundary portion spaced from the back face and forming a second sole portion, the trailing boundary portion terminating at a second sole portion edge, the second sole portion edge being the lowermost elevation of the second sole portion, and the second sole portion edge being the lowermost elevation of the sole when the reference plane is vertical.

2. A golf club iron as in claim 1 wherein a line interconnecting the first and second sole portion edges forms an angle of 90* to 115* with the vertical.

3. A golf club iron as in claim 2 wherein the angle is in the range of 92* to 95*.

4. A golf club iron as in claim 1 wherein the shallow concavity is defined by the uppermost portion of a cylinder having a longitudinal axis generally parallel to the front edge portion of the ball striking face.