Golf club including alignment device

• US 4,340,229 A
• Filed: 02/06/1981
• Issued: 07/20/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alfred O. Stuff Jr
• Original Assignee: Alfred O. Stuff Jr
• Inventors: Stuff, Alfred O. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US06/231,981
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 273/183 D, 273/183 E, 273/183 R, 273/163 R, 273/163 A, 273/164, 273/162, 273/171
• US Class Current: 473/240
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3614 using electro-magnetic, magnetic or ultrasonic radiation emitted, reflected or interrupted by the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3685 Putters or attachments on putters, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence

Abstract

A golf club head for a putter or the like having a sighting device by which the golfer may easily align the club head to maintain its horizontal plane parallel with the putting surface. The sighting device is a cylindrical cavity in the club head immediately behind the point on the club face at which the ball is struck. A light colored spot surrounded by a dark area is concentrically disposed on the lower closed end of the cavity. A transparent lens, which may include a convex or concave surface, is disposed over the upper open end of the cavity and has a concentric dark spot concentric therewith. The golfer establishes a vertical line of sight with respect to the ball and adjusts the plane of the club head to cause the lower spot to be in coincidence with the upper spot. The sole plate of the club head is relieved to the rear of the club face to minimize dragging and scuffing on the grass of the putting surface during a stroke. Recesses in the relieved areas are adapted to receive selectable size weights which permit the weight of the club head to be adjusted to suit the individual and to also balance the head or to vary the heel-to-toe weight ratio.

Claims

1. A golf putter head comprising:

an elongate ball-striking face having a ball striking area, said head having a horizontal plane normal to said face;

sighting means disposed in a top surface of said head for visually determining when said horizontal plane is parallel with the putting surface, said sighting means having an index adjacent said ball-striking area, said sight means including a cylindrical sighting cavity recessed in said head and having a closed lower end and an open upper end;

a first sighting spot centrally disposed in said open upper end and said first sighting spot being a circular spot disposed concentric with said cylindrical cavity on a transparent lens concentrically disposed in said upper end, said transparent lens having reticle lines to permit the user to hold said head at a peredetermined offset from a parallel position with respect to the surface of the ground;

a second complimentary sighting spot disposed on said closed lower end wherein an imaginary line through said first spot and said second spot is normal to said horizontal plane, said second spot being circular and concentric with said cylindrical cavity and having a diameter essentially equal to the diameter of said first spot whereby coincidence of said first and second spots causes said second spot to disappear, whereby a user looking along a line of sight vertical with respect to the putting surface will observe coincidence of said first and second spots when said horizontal plane is parallel with the putting surface; and

said first spot being of a dark color and said second spot being of a light color surrounded by said dark color thereby providing visual contrast when said first and second spots are not in coincidence as seen by the viewer.

2. The putter head as defined in claim 1 in which said transparent lens includes a concave surface for causing said second spot to appear closer to said first spot.

3. The putter head as defined in claim 1 in which said transparent lens includes a convex surface for causing said spot to appear further away from said first spot.