Golf club head with variable center of gravity

• US 5,082,278 A
• Filed: 04/12/1990
• Issued: 01/21/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James C. Hsien
• Original Assignee: James C. Hsien
• Inventors: Hsien, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US07/507,775
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167-175, 273/77 A, 273/164, 273/183 D, D21/219, D21/220
• US Class Current: 473/242
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• 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

Abstract

A solid club head with a substantial vertical hosel with a horizontal portion extending between a toe portion to a heel portion with an inclined front face and a curved back face. The back face has a contour of variable radii of curvature from a very large radius at the upper reaches of the horizontal portion of the head to a very small radius of curvature at the lower reaches of the horizontal head portion. The back face has several recesses disposed along the expanse of the back face. There are one long upper recess and two lower recesses just below the upper recess coextensive with the long upper recess. Additive masses are insertable into said two lower recesses. The inclined front face has horizontal lines with triangular lands or unmachined lines amid the horizontal lines for proper orientation of the club in the hands of the player.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a substantially vertical hosel adapted for attachment to a shaft;

said head having horizontal top and sole portions extending between a toe portion and heel portion with an inclined front face in a single plane and curved back face;

said back face having a contour of variable radii of curvature from a larger radius at the top horizontal portion of the head to a smaller radius of curvature at the horizontal sole portion of the head;

said back face comprising recesses inset in said back face of larger radius of curvature including one upper long recess and two lower separate shorter recesses with two rims in the same plane and coextensive with and just below the upper recess;

said lower recesses being capable of retaining a plurality of additive mass means and being completely separated by a vertical partition, the bottom thereof being flat and substantially parallel to the contour of the back face;

additive mass means for insertion in said two lower recesses;

a fourth recess comprising said lower recesses and having in the contour of very large radius of curvature a further rim separated from the plane of the rims of said two lower recesses, said rim of said fourth recess being outside the rims of the two lower recesses in countersuck fashion; and

a cover element for insertion in said fourth recess to cover said additive mass while being flush with said contour of said back face with said radius of curvature.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

the bottom of the two lower recesses are flat and substantially parallel to the contour of the back face where it has a very large radius of curvature.

3. The golf club head of claim 2 further including:

a cover element for covering said additive mass means while being flush with said contour of said back face with said very large radius of curvature.

4. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

said back face meets said inclined front face at the said horizontal sole portion in a curve on the edge of the plane of said front face with a forwardmost limit to the curve;

said hosel having a forwardmost limit; and

said forwardmost limit of the curve being offset from the forwardmost limit of the hosel by an amount ranging from 1/32 inch to 3/8 inch.

5. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein:

said hosel is fastened to a shaft; and

whereby the additive mass means increases the angular momentum when the shaft is swung by 4 to 7.5 percent with an increase in the radius of gyration and the mass of the club head.

6. A golf club head comprising:

a substantially vertical hosel adapted for attachment to a shaft;

said head having horizontal top and sole portions extending between a toe portion and heel portion with an inclined front face in a single plane and curved back face;

said back face having a contour of variable radii of curvature from a larger radius at said top horizontal portion of said head to a smaller radius of curvature at said horizontal sole portion of said head;

said inclined face having horizontal lines inscribed thereon and unmachined lines defining a triangle disposed amid said inscribed horizontal lines,

said triangle having opposite sides having unmachined lines both converging near said top portion, and extending in an uninterrupted fashion to adjacent said sole portion to form a triangular pattern,

said triangle forming sighting means enabling a player to accurately address a golf ball with said head, whereby;

a horizontally arcuate flight path is achieved by said golf ball when struck by said head,

said flight path dependent upon the region of contact of said unmachined lines and said inscribed horizontal lines with said golf ball.