Golf club head

• US 3,995,857 A
• Filed: 02/11/1976
• Issued: 12/07/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Jepson, John W., Lynch, Francis deS., Woolley, Edward R., Cochran, Alastair J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Application Number:
  US05/657,023
• Time in Patent Office: 300 Days
• Field of Search: 273/77 R, 273/77 A, 273/80 C, 273/80.2, 273/167-175, 273/164
• US Class Current: 473/291
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/005 Club sets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/045 Strengthening ribs
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0462 characterised by tapering thickness of the impact face plate
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/46 Measurement devices associated with golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like for measuring physical parameters relating to sporting activity, e.g. baseball bats with impact indicators or bracelets for measuring the golf swing

Abstract

A golf club head having a high radius of gyration while maintaining desirable conventional design features is disclosed. The golf club head comprises a steel head and preferably tungsten embedded inserts being added in the heel and toe areas thereof. The entire back of the club head is located on one side of an area defined by a plane which is parallel to the axis of the golf club shaft and tangential to the top of the back of the club head.

Claims

1. A correlated set of golf club irons comprising at least three irons at least one of which is selected from the group consisting of the 2, 3, and 4 irons, each of which comprises a shaft and a steel club head, the steel club head of at least three of the irons having heel and toe portions, weighting means for said club head, said weighting means including added weight in the back of the club head in at least the toe area of the club head of at least 16 grams per cubic centimeter, and said weighting means further including at least one indentation in the back of the club head between the heel and toe portions, the mass and position of the added weight and the size and position of the indentation being sufficient in combination to provide the club head with a radius of gyration about an axis which is parallel to the axis of the shaft and which passes through the centroid of the club head within about the following limits for the at least three irons:

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________ MINIMUM RADIUS MAXIMUM RADIUS OF GYRATION OF GYRATION IRON (Inches) (Inches) ______________________________________ 2 1.06 1.17 3 1.07 1.18 4 1.08 1.19 5 1.09 1.20 6 1.10 1.21 7 1.11 1.22 8 1.12 1.23 9 1.13 1.24 10 1.14 1.25, ______________________________________

the entire back of the club head being located on one side of an area defined by a plane which is parallel to the axis of the golf club shaft and tangential to the top of the back of the club head.

2. The correlated set of clubs of claim 1 further comprising for the at least three clubs added weight of density not less than 16 grams per cubic centimeter in the back of the heel area of the club head.

3. The correlated set of clubs of claim 2 wherein the added weight in the heel and toe areas comprises from about 85 to about 95% tungsten.

4. A correlated set of golf club irons comprising at least three irons at least one of which is selected from the group consisting of the 2, 3, and 4 irons, each of which comprises a shaft and a steel club head, the club head of at least three of the irons having heel and toe portions, weighting means for said club head, said weighting means including added weight in the back of the club head in at least the toe area of the club head of a density not less than 16 grams per cubic centimeter, scoring on the face of the club, and said weighting means further including an indentation in the rear of the club head at least a portion of which is behind the scored area, the mass and position of the added weight and the size and position of the indentation being sufficient in combination to provide the club head with a radius of gyration about an axis which is parallel to the axis of the shaft and which passes through the centroid of the club head within about the following limits for the at least three irons:

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________ MINIMUM RADIUS MAXIMUM RADIUS OF GYRATION OF GYRATION IRON (Inches) (Inches) ______________________________________ 2 1.06 1.17 3 1.07 1.18 4 1.08 1.19 5 1.09 1.20 6 1.10 1.21 7 1.11 1.22 8 1.12 1.23 9 1.13 1.24 10 1.14 1.25, ______________________________________

the entire back of the club head being located on one side of an area defined by a plane which is parallel to the axis of the golf club shaft and tangential to the top of the back of the club head.

5. The correlated set of golf clubs of claim 4 wherein for each of the at least three clubs the indentation is throughout a substantial portion of the back of the club head behind the scored area of the club head face.

6. The correlated set of clubs of claim 5 wherein there is at least one supporting rib across the indented area of the at least three clubs.

7. The correlated set of golf clubs of claim 6 wherein the center line of each rib essentially bisects the angle formed by the intersection for each club of the lines extending along the top of the back of the club head and the bottom of the back of the indentation.

8. A correlated set of golf club irons comprising the 2 through 9 irons, each club comprising a shaft and a steel club head having heel and toe portions, weighting means for said club head, said weighting means including added weight of density not less than about 16 grams per cubic centimeter inserted into the back of the steel club head at least at the toe area of the club head, and said weighting means further including at least one indentation in the back of the club head between the heel and toe portions, the mass and position of the added weight and the size and position of the indentation being sufficient in combination to provide the club head with a radius of gyration about an axis which is parallel to the axis of the shaft and which passes through the centroid of the club head within about the following limits:

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________ MINIMUM RADIUS MAXIMUM RADIUS OF GYRATION OF GYRATION IRON (Inches) (Inches) ______________________________________ 2 1.06 1.17 3 1.07 1.18 4 1.08 1.19 5 1.09 1.20 6 1.10 1.21 7 1.11 1.22 8 1.12 1.23 9 1.13 1.24, ______________________________________

the entire back of the club head being located on one side of an area defined by a plane which is parallel to the axis of the golf club shaft and tangential to the top of the back of the club head.

9. The correlated set of clubs of claim 8 wherein the added weight comprises from about 85 to about 95% tungsten.

10. The correlated set of clubs of claim 8 further comprising added weight of density not less than 16 grams per cubic centimeter in the heel area of each of the club heads.

11. The correlated set of clubs of claim 8 wherein the radius of gyration of each club head is higher for each successive club in numerical order from the 2 iron to the 9 iron.

12. The correlated set of clubs of claim 8 wherein the weight of the club head of the 2 iron is from about 7 to about 9 ounces, the 9 iron from about 9 to about 11 ounces, the weight of each club head from the 3 to the 8 having a weight therebetween, the weight of each successive club head in numerical order being greater than the weight of the club head preceding it in numerical order.

13. A correlated set of golf club irons comprising the 2 through 9 irons, each club comprising a shaft and a steel club head having heel and toe portions, weighting means for said club head, said weighting means including added weight of density not less than about 16 grams per cubic centimeter inserted into the back of the steel club head at least at the toe area of the club head, a scored area on the face of the club head, an indentation in the rear of the club head at least a portion of which is behind the scored area, the mass and position of the added weight and the size and position of the indentation being sufficient in combination to provide the club head with a radius of gyration about an axis which is parallel to the axis of the shaft and which passes through the centroid of the club head within about the following limits:

space="preserve" listing-type="tabular">______________________________________ MINIMUM RADIUS MAXIMUM RADIUS OF GYRATION OF GYRATION IRON (Inches) (Inches) ______________________________________ 2 1.06 1.17 3 1.07 1.18 4 1.08 1.19 5 1.09 1.20 6 1.10 1.21 7 1.11 1.22 8 1.12 1.23 9 1.13 1.24, ______________________________________

the entire back of the club head being located on one side of an area defined by a plane which is parallel to the axis of the golf club shaft and tangential to the top of the back of the club head.

14. The correlated set of golf clubs of claim 13 wherein for each of the clubs the indentation is throughout a substantial portion of the back of the club head behind the scored area of the club head face.

15. The correlated set of clubs of claim 14 wherein there is at least one supporting rib across the indented area.

16. The correlated set of golf clubs of claim 15 wherein the center line of each rib essentially bisects the angle formed by the intersection for each club of the lines extending along the top of the back of the club head and the bottom of the back of the indentation.

17. The correlated set of clubs of claim 13 wherein the radius of gyration of each club head is higher for each successive club in numerical order from the 2 iron to the 9 iron.

18. The correlated set of clubs of claim 13 wherein the weight of the club head of the 2 iron is from about 8 to about 9 ounces, the 9 iron from about 10 to about 11 ounces, the weight of each club head from the 3 to the 8 having a weight therebetween, the weight of each successive club head in numerical order being greater than the weight of the club head preceding it in numerical order.