Apparatus for measuring golf clubs

• US 5,105,550 A
• Filed: 03/25/1991
• Issued: 04/21/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Wilson Sporting Goods Company (Anta International Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shenoha, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wirthlin, Alvin
• Application Number:
  US07/674,609
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: 33/528, 33/1 N, 33/549, 33/567.1, 33/573, 33/568, 273/77 R
• US Class Current: 33/508
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/42 Devices for measuring, verifying, correcting or customising the inherent characteristics of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like, e.g. measuring the maximum torque a batting shaft can withstand
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/0023 Measuring of sport goods, e.g. bowling accessories, golfclubs, game balls

Abstract

An apparatus for measuring the length, lie and loft of a golf club includes a base having a flat top surface and a pivot plate which is pivotally mounted relative to the base for pivoting movement about a pivot axis which lies in the plane of the flat top surface of the base. The shaft of the club is held by the pivot plate so that the centerline of the shaft is perpendicular to the pivot axis and passes through the pivot axis.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring a golf club comprising:

a base having a flat top surface;

a pivot plate pivotally mounted relative to the base for pivoting movement about a pivot axis which lies in the plane of the flat top surface of the base;

holding means on the pivot plate adapted for releasably holding the shaft of a golf club so that the centerline of the shaft is perpendicular to said pivot axis and passes through said pivot axis; and

measuring means adapted for measuring the distance from said pivot axis to the end of a shaft of a golf club in the holding means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including a mounting plate attached to the base and extending upwardly therefrom, the pivot plate being pivotally supported by the mounting plate.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the mounting plate includes a flat bottom surface which is supported by the flat top surface of the base and a pivot-supporting portion which extends downwardly into an opening in the base, the pivot-supporting portion being provided with a pivot opening for a pivot pin, the centerline of the pivot opening lying in the plane of the flat top surface of the base, the pivot plate extending into a slot in the base and being pivotally mounted on the mounting plate by a pivot pin which extends into said pivot opening.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 including a curved gear rack mounted on the mounting plate, the center of the curvature of the gear rack lying on said pivot axis, a gear rotatably mounted on the pivot plate and engaging the gear rack, and means attached to the gear for rotating the gear whereby rotation of the gear causes pivoting movement of the pivot plate.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the pivot plate is provided with a curved slot, the center of curvature of the curved slot lying on said pivot axis, and a bolt mounted on the mounting-plate and extending through the slot for clamping the pivot plate against the mounting plate.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said holding means includes means for permitting a shaft of a golf club to move longitudinally within the holding means as the pivot plate pivots about said pivot axis.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said holding means on the pivot plate includes a pair of grooved rollers which are rotatably mounted on the pivot plate about a pair of axes which extend perpendicularly to said pivot axis of the pivot plate and which are spaced apart along a line which is perpendicular to said pivot axis and passes through said pivot axis whereby when a shaft of a golf club is inserted into the grooves of the rollers the centerline of the shaft is perpendicular to said pivot axis and passes through said pivot axis.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which said holding means further includes means for releasably securing a shaft of a golf club in the grooves of the rollers.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 in which said holding means further includes a clamping block movably mounted on the pivot plate for movement toward and away from the grooved rollers, at least one roller rotatably mounted on the clamping block for rotation about a axis which extends parallel to the axes of the grooved rollers, and screw means for moving the clamping block toward the grooved rollers for releasably securing a shaft of a golf club between the grooved rollers and the roller on the clamping block.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said base is adapted to be mounted on a support and

said base having means thereon for adjusting the base relative to the support so that the top surface of the base can be aligned horizontally.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said measuring means comprises a ruler which extends perpendicularly to said pivot axis and is aligned with said holding means whereby a golf club shaft in said holding means lies alongside the ruler.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the top surface of the base is provided with a reference line which is aligned with said pivot axis.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said holding means defines a centering plane which extends through said pivot axis and perpendicularly to said pivot plate, and means for measuring the angle between the centering plane and the top surface of the base.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 including means for measuring the angle between a plane which extends perpendicularly to the base and through the centerline of a shaft of a golf club held by the holding means and the plane of the face of the golf club.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 including a track mounted on the flat top surface of the base and extending parallel to said pivot axis, and a slide assembly mounted on the track for movement in a direction parallel to the pivot axis, the slide assembly including a flat surface which extends perpendicularly to the pivot axis and is adapted to engage the leading edge of a golf club when the shaft of the golf club is held by the holding means.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 including means on the slide assembly for measuring the distance between the hosel of a golf club when the shaft of the golf club is held by the holding means and the flat surface of the slide assembly.

17. An apparatus for measuring a golf club comprising:

a base having a flat top surface;

a mounting plate attached to the base and extending upwardly therefrom;

a pivot plate pivotally supported by the mounting plate for pivoting movement about a pivot axis which lies in the plane of the flat top surface of the base;

holding means on the pivot plate for releasably holding the shaft of a golf club so that the centerline of the shaft is perpendicular to said pivot axis and passes through said pivot axis;

length measuring means attached to the pivot plate for measuring the distance from said pivot axis to the end of a shaft of a golf club in the holding means;

lie measuring means for measuring the angle between the centerline of a shaft of a golf club held by the holding means and the top surface of the base; and

loft measuring means for measuring the angle between a plane which extends perpendicularly to the base and through the centerline of a shaft of a golf club held by the holding means and the plane of the face of the golf club.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 including a curved gear rack mounted on the mounting plate, the center of the curvature of the gear rack lying on said pivot axis, a gear rotatably mounted on the pivot plate and engaging the gear rack, and means attached to the gear for rotating the gear whereby rotation of the gear causes pivoting movement of the pivot plate.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 in which said holding means on the pivot plate includes a pair of grooved rollers which are rotatably mounted on the pivot plate about a pair of axes which extend perpendicularly to said pivot axis of the pivot plate and which are spaced apart along line which is perpendicular to said pivot axis and passes through said pivot axis whereby when the shaft of a golf club is inserted into the grooves of the rollers the centerline of the shaft is perpendicular to said pivot axis and passes through said pivot axis.