Golf club with loft adjusting means

• US 5,228,689 A
• Filed: 04/06/1992
• Issued: 07/20/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Frank C. Donofrio Sr
• Original Assignee: Frank C. Donofrio Sr
• Inventors: Donofrio, Frank C. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pierce, William M.
• Application Number:
  US07/864,310
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 273/79, 273/80.1, 273/80.2, 273/168, 273/193 B
• US Class Current: 473/245
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/005 Club sets
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/026 loft angle only, i.e. relative angular adjustment between the shaft and the club head about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the intended line of play when the club is in its normal address position
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A multi-loft golf club that provides a golfer with a more conventional mode of play. More than one club can make up a set. A six iron lofted head mounted in line with the shaft hozel can be closed incrementally to yield eight club positions, a 6,5,4,3,2,1, driver and a putter. The second club, with a 60 degree lofted head mounted in line with the shaft hozel can in a like manner yield eight club positions, a 60 degree sand wedge, 56 degree wedge, 52 degree wedge, pitching wedge, 9,8,7, and another 6 iron . . .being useful when a second player shares the club set. The high lofted club being broader in the club face and with more weight is fitted with a shorter club shaft and the low lofted club with less weight being fitted with a longer club shaft for greater distance; requiring higher velocity. Each club is comprised of a club head, a selector plate, a shaft hozel, a shaft, a shaft grip and fasteners which are mounted to the shaft hozel; when loosened slightly, frees the selector plate to change club-head loft. The selector plate with club head attached, changes the loft via a slotted network. Two radial slots in the selector plate provide a path to intersecting club change slots which are positioned on angles incrementally spaced and converge on a theoretical center point at the bottom leading edge of the iron head. This method of pivoting for loft negates the need for a fastener at the bottom which, when pivoting, creates leading edge offset on each selection where a different point of contact is presented with the ball with each swing.

Claims

1. A multi-loft golf club comprising;

a pre-lofted club head having a front face with toe, heel, top and bottom portions, a back face with toe, heel, top and bottom portions displaced rearwardly from said front face, a sole extending between said front and back bottom portions, a top displaced upward from said sole and extending between said front and back top portions and ahead hozel extending from said heel portions;

a shaft having an axis extending between a vertical tip end and a grip end;

a shaft hozel with a mouth end mounted to said vertical tip end of said shaft and a flat face angled approximately thirty degrees to said shaft;

a selector plate with a plurality of labyrinths for detachably mounting to said flat face with studs and fasteners, said selector plate having a surface surrounded by sides and ends;

a hozel-like integral extension attached at one end to said selector plate such that it forms an acute angle from said selector plate surface and having amount at an opposite end fixedly engaging the head hozel by means of a cross pin;

said plurality of labyrinths through the surface of the selector plate each comprising a plurality of radial-end slots extending in increments from a plurality of labyrinths through the surface of the selector plate each comprising a plurality of radial-end slots extending in increments from a plurality of concentric annular slots having a radial center at the bottom of the front face and extending a length defined from the front face of the club head to a point coincident with the axis of said shaft when viewed perpendicular to said surface whereby said studs extending through the labyrinths and area mounted to said flat face of said shaft hozel with the selector plate in a preferred angular relationship by means of said fasteners in order to change the loft of the club.

2. The multi-loft golf club of claim 1 wherein said fasteners for detachably mounting said selector plate to said flat face of said shaft hozel comprise threaded nuts having elongated slotted ends adapted to be engaged by a golf shoe spike tool.

3. The multi-loft golf club of claim 2 wherein said studs have locking means and penetrate said flat face of said shaft hozel to fixedly engage coincident detents on said shaft vertical tip end to retain shaft.