Golf putter with interchangeable shafts and heads

• US 4,506,888 A
• Filed: 04/11/1983
• Issued: 03/26/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Michael Nardozzi Jr
• Original Assignee: Michael Nardozzi Jr
• Inventors: Nardozzi, Michael Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US06/483,518
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 273/80.1, 273/168, 273/80 C, 273/80.2-80.9, 273/171, 273/77 A, 273/173, 273/174
• US Class Current: 473/307
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/007 Putters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/021 the shaft axis being forwardly offset relative to the striking face of the head
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/52 with slits

Abstract

A putter shaft has a lower end portion extending angularly relative to the shaft longitudinal axis and is slidably engageable with a guideway in the top of a removable putter head. The guideway extends substantially the length of the putter head and includes an entry at one end portion and a stop at the opposite end portion. The guideway is selectively oriented relative to a striking surface of the putter head so that when a shoulder on the shaft lower end portion abuts the guideway stop, the putter head is in the desired spatial relation with the putter shaft. Cooperating releasable locking devices carried on the lower end portion of the putter shaft and within the guideway of the putter head engage to secure the putter head to the shaft when the putter head is in the operative position on the shaft lower end portion. The cooperating locking devices are easily disengaged to facilitate disconnection of the putter head from the shaft for change of putter heads of different weight and configuration on the shaft, or change of different types of shafts for one or more types of putter heads.

Claims

1. A golf club having interchangeable head and shaft portions comprising:

a club shaft having a longitudinal axis and a lower end portion, said lower end portion including a shoulder,

a club head having a body portion with a striking face on one side thereof, said body portion having opposite end portions formed by a toe at one end and a heel at an opposite end, said striking face extending from said toe to said heel,

a guideway extending in said club head parallel to the plane of said striking face from said toe to said heel spaced behind said striking face and along the length thereof,

said guideway being open at said toe to form an entry into said guideway at said toe, said guideway being closed adjacent said heel to form a stop spaced from said entry,

said shoulder on said shaft lower end portion being received through said entry and slidable in said guideway from said toe to said heel to a fixed position abutting said stop to mount said club head on said shaft at an angle relative to said shaft longitudinal axis so that when said club shaft is swung a force is applied to said shaft lower end portion to maintain said shoulder abutting said stop, and

interconnecting means carried on said club shaft lower end portion and on said club head within said guideway for releasably securing said club head to said club shaft when said shoulder abuts said stop to permit selected removal of said club head and replacement of another on said club shaft and removal of said club shaft and replacement of another on said club head.

2. A golf club as set forth in claim 1 which includes,

a trailing face positioned on said club head body portion on a side oppositely of said striking face,

said guideway extending between said striking face and said trailing face, and

said shaft lower end portion being releasably retained in said guideway so as to position said shaft longitudinal axis rearwardly of said striking face.

3. A golf club as set forth in claim 1 which includes,

a trailing face positioned on said club head body portion on a side oppositely of said striking face,

said shaft lower end portion being releasably retained in said guideway,

a shaft neck portion extending between said shaft lower end portion and said shaft, and

said shaft neck portion extending at an angle relative to said shaft longitudinal axis so as to position said shaft longitudinal axis forwardly of said striking face.

4. A golf club as set forth in claim 1 in which,

said interconnecting means includes a spring biased detent extending through said shaft lower end portion into said guideway,

an indent selectively positioned on said club head body portion in said guideway, and

said spring biased detent engageable with said indent to retain said club head on said shaft lower end portion when said shoulder is positioned in abutting relation with said stop.

5. A golf club as set forth in claim 1 in which,

said guideway includes a channel being formed by a pair of adjoining passages in which the width of one passage is greater than the width of the other passage,

said passages extending from said entry to said stop, and

said shaft lower end portion having guide rails slidably received within said pair of passages to guide said club head into and out of a fixed position on said shaft lower end portion where said shoulder abuts said stop.

6. A golf putter comprising,

a putter shaft having a longitudinal axis and a lower end portion extending angularly from said longitudinal axis, said lower end portion including a shoulder,

a removable putter head having an elongated body including an upper surface and a planar surface extending downwardly from said upper surface for striking a golf ball on one side of said body,

said putter head body having opposite end portions with said planar surface extending therebetween, a toe positioned at said one body end portion and a heel positioned at said opposite body end portion,

receiving means in said body upper surface for guiding said putter shaft lower end portion into engagement with said putter head,

said receiving means including an elongated slot in said body upper surface extending from an entry at said toe through said one end portion to a stop adjacent said heel, said receiving means extending parallel to the plane of said planar striking surface to maintain said putter shaft longitudinal axis parallel to said planar striking surface,

said putter shaft lower end portion being positioned in said slot by slidable movement through said entry from said toe to said heel,

cooperating locking means on said putter shaft lower end portion and said receiving means for releasably securing said putter head to said putter shaft in said preselected spatial relation, and

said locking means on said putter shaft lower end portion and within said slot being engageable when said putter shaft lower end portion shoulder abuts said stop to secure said putter head in a fixed position to said shaft.

7. A golf putter as set forth in claim 6 in which,

said putter head is disconnected from said shaft by slidable movement of said putter shaft lower end portion out of said slot, and

a second putter head having an elongated slot for receiving said putter shaft lower end portion to replace said first mentioned putter head for said second putter head on said putter shaft.

8. A golf putter as set forth in claim 6 in which,

said putter shaft is disconnected from said putter head by slidable movement of said putter shaft lower end portion out of said slot, and

a second putter shaft having a lower end portion being connected to said putter head by slidable movement of said second putter shaft lower end portion into said slot into abutting relation with said shoulder stop to replace said first mentioned putter shaft for said second putter shaft on said putter head.

9. A method for interchanging the components of a golf club comprising the steps of,

releasably connecting a first club head to the lower end portion of a club shaft,

slidably releasing the first club head from engagement with the lower end portion of the club shaft,

aligning the lower end portion of the club shaft with a guideway extending in the body of a second club head as a replacement for the first club head on the shaft,

moving the club shaft lower end portion to a first position in the guideway at the toe of the second club head,

sliding the club shaft lower end portion in the guideway from the first position in a direction parallel to the plane of the striking face of the second club head to a second position at the heel of the second club head where the longitudinal axis of the club shaft is parallel to the striking face of the second club head,

abutting a shoulder on the club shaft lower end portion with a stop at the end of the guideway to fix the position of the club head on the shaft lower end portion,

actuating locking means carried by the club shaft lower end portion and by the club head in the guideway when the club shaft lower end portion is in the second position to releasably connect the club head to the club shaft and facilitate the replacement of the second club head for the first club head on the club shaft lower end portion, and

maintaining the shoulder in contact with the stop when the golf club is swung by the centrifugal force applied to the club shaft lower end portion.

10. A method for interchanging the components of a golf club as set forth in claim 9 which includes,

sliding the club shaft lower end portion out of the guideway to remove the club shaft from connection with a selected one of the first and second club heads,

positioning the lower end portion of a second club shaft for insertion in the guideway of a selected one of the club heads, and

advancing the second club shaft lower end portion of the second position in the guideway to securely connect the second club shaft to a selected one of the club heads.