Golf club face shield
First Claim
1. A shield assembly for covering a face of a golf club which has a curved face with a bulge and roll, comprising:
- a plate having a curved rear face with a shape adapted to approximate the bulge and roll and size of the face of the golf club; and
fastening means comprising a plurality of fasteners having retaining heads, the fasteners adapted to penetrate into the face of the golf club through the plate for securing the plate to the face of the golf club.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A shield is provided for covering the face of a golf club of the type known as a wood wherein the shield comprises a metallic plate, having the general shape and size to substantially cover a given golf club face; the shield may further comprise a bonding layer sandwiched between the metallic plate and the golf club face for filling voids therebetween and for imparting a cushioning and resilience effect. The shield may be attached to the face of the golf club either by the epoxy bonding layer itself, with adequate adhesive strength to retain the metallic shield, or by pinning devices such as screws, nails, or tacks penetrating through the metallic plate and into the club face. The shield can be of uniform thickness or it can have thickness gradient from one edge to the other for altering the directivity of the club. Specifically, it can have a top-to-sole gradient for changing loft characteristics or it can have a heel-to-toe gradient to counteract horizontal spin and thereby offset a slice or a hook tendency of the club.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A shield assembly for covering a face of a golf club which has a curved face with a bulge and roll, comprising:
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a plate having a curved rear face with a shape adapted to approximate the bulge and roll and size of the face of the golf club; and fastening means comprising a plurality of fasteners having retaining heads, the fasteners adapted to penetrate into the face of the golf club through the plate for securing the plate to the face of the golf club. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A shield assembly for covering a face of a golf club, the face of the golf club having a curved shape with a bulge and roll, the shield assembly comprising:
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a plate having a shape adapted to approximate the shape and size of the face of the golf club and having a curved rear face adapted to approximate the bulge and roll of the face of the golf club; a bonding layer located between the rear face of the plate and the face of the golf club, the bonding layer substantially covering the face of the golf club; and fastening means for attaching the plate and the bonding layer to the face of the golf club. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. An improved golf club comprising in combination:
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a golf club known as a wood, the golf club having a head with a face which includes an insert having a plurality of parallel grooves formed therein, the face being curved and having a bulge and roll; and a shield assembly for attaching to and covering the face and the insert of the golf club, the shield assembly further comprising; a plate having a front face, a rear face, a top edge, a sole edge opposite the top edge, a toe edge, and a heel edge opposite the toe edge, the rear face having a curved shape adapted to approximate the bulge and roll and size of the face and insert of the golf club; and a bonding layer of a nonmetallic material sandwiched between the rear face of the plate and the face of the golf club. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for improving a golf club comprising:
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providing a golf club of the type known as a wood to be improved, the golf club having a face containing a plurality of parallel grooves and a bulge and roll; determining improvement characteristics to be made to the golf club, including changes to at least one or more of loft, hook and slice characteristics thereof and repair of damaged locations on a face of the golf club; providing a plurality of shield assemblies for attaching to a face of golf clubs, each shield assembly comprising a plate having a curved rear face shaped to approximate the bulge and a roll of the face of the golf club, the plate further comprising a thickness gradient from one edge to an opposing edge for establishing a pre-determined angle of the face of the golf club when the shield is affixed thereto, the shield assembly further comprising a fastening means for attaching the plate to the face;
thenselecting one of the shield assemblies provided to achieve the determined improvement characteristics sought for the golf club;
thensecuring the shield assembly to the face of the golf club, covering the grooves of the face of the golf club, and adjusting the shape of the shield assembly as installed for smoothness and appearance.
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22. A method for manufacturing a new golf club comprising:
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providing a blank head for a golf club commonly referred to as a wood;
the blank head having a prefabricated hosel and a curved face with a bulge and a roll;determining intended hook, slice and loft characteristics for a finished golf club to be fabricated from the blank head; installing a shaft for the golf club; providing a plurality of shield assemblies for attaching to a face of a golf club, each shield assembly comprising a fastening means and plate having a curved rear face shaped to approximate the bulge and the roll of the blank head, the plate further comprising a thickness gradient from one edge to an opposing edge for establishing an angle of the face of the finished golf club when the shield is affixed thereto, the shield assembly further comprising a fastening means for attaching the plate to the face;
thenselecting one of the shield assemblies provided to achieve the determined characteristics sought for the gold club;
theninstalling the shield assembly to the face of the golf club and adjusting the shape of the shield assembly as installed for smoothness and appearance.
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Specification