Golf club with head having exchangeable face plates

• US 4,884,808 A
• Filed: 03/24/1988
• Issued: 12/05/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jerome E. Retzer
• Original Assignee: Jerome E. Retzer
• Inventors: Retzer, Jerome E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coven, Edward M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Passaniti, S.
• Application Number:
  US07/172,389
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 273/77 R, 273/77 A, 273/167 R, 273/167 F, 273/167 H, 273/167 C, 273/167 J, 273/169-175, 273/194 R, 273/194 A, 273/194 B, 273/168, 273/78, 273/79
• US Class Current: 473/288
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/005 Club sets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• 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 is shown with a head having a selection of exchangeable face plates adapted to be secured thereon. The club head includes a face portion, a toe portion, a heel portion. a sole or bottom portion, and a hosel receiving a shaft. The face portion has a recess exending inwardly a short distance from the outer surface of the face to receive the exchangeable face plates. A bore extends inwardly a distance from the recessed surface and a pair of smaller bores are spaced laterally to each side of the larger bore. Each face plate has a flat rear surface corresponding to the recess in the club head. The face plates are provided in varied swing weights and hardnesses and the ball striking surfaces have different characteristics for loft, bulge, and or roll. A plurality of face plates are provided with striking surfaces corresponding to conventional clubs #1 through #14. A tapered projection extends outwardly from the center of the rear surface of the face plate and a pair of smaller dowels are spaced laterally to each side of the tapered projection to be received in the bores in the recessed surface. A set screw carried in a threaded bore extending upward from the sole or bottom portion forces a small cylindrical clamping plunger into engagement with the tapered projection to secure the face plate to the club head. The club is provided as a set of two, one with the characteristics of an iron and one with the characteristics of a wood.

Claims

1. A golf club head having exchangeable face plates comprising;

a body having a face portion, a toe portion, a heel portion, a sole portion, and a hosel portion,

a recessed surface formed on said face portion having a plurality of bores extending inwardly a distance into the body,

a plurality of face plates removably securable on said recessed surface and having respective face plate striking surfaces configured to impart predetermined flight characteristics to the ball corresponding to clubs ranging from U.S.G.A. #1 through #14,

each said face plate having a flat rear surface with a plurality of projections extending outwardly therefrom to be received in said bores and a front ball striking surface which is configured to impart predetermined flight characteristics to the ball when struck thereby,

said one or more bores in said recessed surface comprising a central tapered bore and a pair of second bores, one spaced laterally to each side of the first bore extending inwardly from said recessed surface to receive said projections,

said one or more projections on said face plate rear surface comprise a tapered projection extending outwardly from the center of the rear surface of said face plate and a pair of smaller dowels extending outwardly from the rear surface, one spaced laterally to each side of the tapered projection and corresponding axially to the spacing of said bores, and

means for securing removably and replaceably said face plate non-rotatably on said body face portion extending from said body sole portion and releaseably engaging said tapered projection to secure said face plate on said recessed surface, and comprising a set screw threadedly received in a threaded bore extending from the sole portion of said body and at a right angle to and operatively engaging said tapered projection of said face plate and a clamping member comprising a small cylindrical plunger slidably received in the threaded bore and moved into engagement with said tapered projection by said set screw, the taper on said projection being effective to move said plunger back into said threaded bore on insertion into said tapered bore.

2. A golf club head according to claim 1 in which

the head body portion and face plate have the characteristics of an iron.

3. A golf club head according to claim 1 in which

the head body portion and face plate have the characteristics of a wood.

4. A set of golf clubs comprising a pair of clubs as defined in claim 1, in which

one club has a head and a plurality of exchangeable face plates having the characteristics of an iron, and the other club has a head and a plurality of exchangeable face plates having the characteristics of a wood.