Wood golf club improvement

• US 3,980,301 A
• Filed: 06/26/1975
• Issued: 09/14/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kenneth L. Smith
• Original Assignee: Kenneth L. Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Application Number:
  US05/590,691
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 273/77 R, 273/80 C, 273/80.1, 273/80.2-80.8, 273/164, 273/167-175, D34/5 GC, D34/5 GH
• US Class Current: 473/314
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft

Abstract

In a wood golf club wherein the club head is connected to the shaft by a generally L-shaped connecting member. The connecting member has (a) one leg received within and internally connected in the lower half of the club head and in general parallelism with the striking face and (b) the other leg has lower and upper portions wherein the lower portion extends upwardly from the one leg at substantially a right angle in a forward and upward direction and the upper portion is of an obtuse, angular configuration and connected to the lower extremity of the golf shaft and is so configured that the longitudinal axis of the shaft and upper portion extends downwardly, passing behind the striking face but positioned closer thereto than the longitudinal axis of the one leg.

Claims

1. In a wood golf club, described with the club head grounded in normal play,

a club head provided with a toe and a heel at opposite ends thereof, a sole and a slightly arcuate, somewhat inclined striking face on the leading side of said head,

an elongate shaft having a lowermost extremity,

a generally L-shaped, in view toward the striking face of the club head, integral connecting member made up of two legs,

a first one of said connecting member legs being received within and internally connected to said head and extending longitudinally therewithin from the heel towards the toe thereof in a direction substantially parallel to said striking face,

said first leg entering the club head through the heel thereof, extending in substantially horizontal direction therewithin and spaced rearwardly within said club head with respect to said striking face,

the other leg having lower and upper lengths thereof forming a substantially obtuse angle with one another viewing toward said striking face,

the lower length of said other leg extending, in view toward said striking face, at substantial right angles to said first leg in substantially vertical orientation,

the upper length being connected to the lowermost extremity of the shaft and extending downwardly therefrom in longitudinal alignment therewith,

the longitudinal axis of the shaft and said upper length, extended downwardly, passing behind the striking face of the club head, but positioned more closely thereto than the longitudinal axis of said first leg,

whereby the lower length, in view towards the heel of the club head, is angled forwardly and upwardly from its connection with the first leg toward the striking face of the club head and its connection with the upper length of said other leg.

2. A wood golf club as in claim 1, wherein the connection of the first leg to the club head is sufficiently spaced rearwardly within the club head that the most leading portion of the lower length is positioned at least somewhat rearwardly of the striking face of the club head.

3. A wood golf club as in claim 1 wherein the lowermost portion of the lower length of the other leg is partially received within the heel of the club head.

4. A wood golf club as in claim 1 wherein the angle of connection of the first leg and lower length, viewed toward the clubface, is about 90°

, whereby the upper portion of the lower length slightly overlies the heel of the clubhead.

5. A wood golf club as in claim 1 wherein the lowermost portion of the lower length is partially received with the heel of the club head and the angle of connection of the first leg and lower length, viewed toward the club face, is about 90°

, whereby the upper portion of the lower length overlies the heel of the club head.

6. A wood golf club as in claim 1 wherein said club head has a top side and a sole, the latter contacting the ground in substantial horizontal relationship, said first leg positioned substantially closer to said sole than to said top side, whereby to be at least substantially entirely received within the lower portion of said club head.

7. A wood golf club as in claim 1 wherein the transition between the upper and lower lengths is closely positioned above the top of the clubhead.

8. A wood golf club as in claim 1 wherein the transition between the upper and lower lengths is closely positioned above the top of the clubhead and the angle of connection of the first leg and lower length, viewed toward the club striking face, is about 90°

, whereby the upper portion of the lower length slightly and closely overlies the heel of the clubhead.

9. A wood golf club as in claim 1 wherein said club head has a top side and a sole, the latter contacting the ground in substantially horizontal relationship, said first leg positioned substantially closer to said sole than to said top side, whereby to be at least substantially entirely received within the lower portion of said club head,

the lowermost portion of the lower length is partially received within the heel of the club head, and

the angle of connection of the first leg and lower length, viewed toward the club face, is about 90°

, whereby the upper portion of the lower length overlies the heel of the club head.

10. A wood golf club as in claim 1 wherein the lowermost portion of the lower length is partially received within the heel of the club head,

the angle of connection of the first leg and lower length, viewed toward the club face, is about 90°

, whereby the upper portion of the lower length overlies the heel of the club head, and

the transition between the upper and lower lengths is closely positioned above the top of the club head.