Golf club head and method of forming same

• US 5,261,663 A
• Filed: 12/13/1991
• Issued: 11/16/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pacific Golf Holdings
• Original Assignee: Donald A. Anderson, Donald J.C. Sun
• Inventors: Anderson, Donald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US07/806,348
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167-175, 273/77 R, 273/77 A, 273/78, 273/79, 273/193 R, 273/194 R, 273/164
• US Class Current: 473/342
• 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 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club head has a main body portion formed by an investment casting of material such as stainless steel, beryllium copper, titanium, and aluminum. The face plate of the head is formed of a forged metal, such as forged carbon steel, this plate being welded to the face portion of the casting to form an integral assembly therewith. The forged metal face plate affords a more solid impact and feel to the club which provides better control. Also, it has very high strength. Preferably, the head consists of cast stainless steel, and the face plate of forged stainless steel, both steels being of the same composition. Face plate metal is preferably re-distributed toward the toe and heel of the head.

Claims

1. A golf club head comprising:

a) a main body portion formed by an investment casting of a first metallic material,

b) a face plate formed of a second material which is forged and is substantially softer than said first material, and

c) means joining the periphery of said face plate to said main body portion to form a high strength, forged face plate for said golf club head,

d) only the face plate being forged,

e) the face plate having up, down, left and right peripheries, at least one of said peripheries being arcuate and elongated,

f) the forged face plate increasing in thickness toward the toe, the plate also having a stair-stepped thickness configuration toward the toe.

2. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein said second forged material is forged steel, and said first cast material is a material selected from the class consisting of steel, beryllium copper, and aluminum.

3. The club head of claim 1 wherein said main body portion has a peripheral lip portion thereon, said main body portion having a forward facing slot formed therein, said main body portion further having a recessed portion into which the periphery of the face plate is fitted with said lip portion matingly facing said slot, said means joining said face plate to said main body portion comprising weld joint structure formed along the periphery of said face plate and welding said face plate periphery to said lip portion.

4. A golf club head comprising:

a) a main body portion formed by an investment casting of a first metallic material,

b) a face plate formed of a second material which is forged and is substantially softer than said first material, and

c) means joining the periphery of said face plate to said main body portion to form a high strength, forged face plate for said golf club head, the main body portion and the face plate both consisting of stainless steel of the same composition,

d) the face plate having up, down, left and right peripheries, at least one of said peripheries being arcuate and elongated,

e) only the face plate being forged,

f) the forged face plate increasing in thickness toward the toe and toward the heel, the increase in thickness toward the toe having a stair-stepped configuration, and the increase in thickness toward the heel having a stair-stepped configuration.

5. The club head of claim 4 wherein the head is a golf wood.

6. A golf club head, comprising

a) a main body portion formed of a first metallic material and having a toe and heel,

b) a face plate formed of a second material which is formed of a second metallic material,

c) means joining the periphery of said face plate to said main body portion to form a high strength plate for said head,

d) said plate having first and second portions and an intermediate portion, said first and second portions respectively located closer to said body portion toe and heel than said intermediate portion,

e) at least one of said plate first and second portions having greater thickness than said intermediate portion,

f) the face plate being a forged element and the main body portion being a second element, only the face plate element being forged,

g) the plate first and second portions respectively increasing in thickness toward the toe and toward the heel, each said increase in thickness also having a stair-stepped configuration.

7. The club head of claim 6 wherein said plate first portion located closer to said body portion toe progressively increases in thickness in a direction toward said toe.

8. The club head of claim 6 wherein said plate recessed portion located closer to said body portion heel progressively increases in thickness in a direction toward said heel.

9. The club head of claim 6 wherein said plate is elongated.

10. The club head of claim 9 wherein the body consists of steel, and said plate material is selected from the group consisting of steel, beryllium copper and aluminum.

11. The club head of claim 9 wherein the body portion and plate both consist of the same material which is steel.

12. The club head of claim 6 wherein said face plate consists of stainless steel.

13. The club head of claim 6 wherein the main body portion is a metal wood shell.

14. The club head of claim 6 wherein the main body portion is an iron defining a recess into which the plate projects.

15. A golf club head having, in combination

a) a main head body which has first toe and heel portions,

b) a face plate joined to said body, and consisting of forged metal, the face plate having second toe and heel portions, and at opposite sides of an intermediate portion of the face plate, said face plate second toe portion located closer to said body first toe portion than said intermediate portion, and said face plate second heel portion located closer to said body first heel portion than said intermediate portion,

c) said face plate second toe and heel portions having greater thickness than said face plate intermediate portion to cause the head to resist twisting when said face plate intermediate portion strikes a golf ball.

d) said face plate toe and heel portions also each having a stair-stepped configuration,

e) said face plate being forged and being the only forged component of the head.

16. A golf club head, comprising

a) a main body portion formed of a first metallic material and having a toe and heel;

b) a face plate formed of a second material which is formed of a second metallic material,

c) means joining the periphery of said face plate to said main body portion to form a high strength plate for said head,

d) said plate having first and second portions and an intermediate portion, said first and second portions respectively located closer to said body portion toe and heel than said intermediate portion,

e) at least one of said plate first and second portions having greater thickness than said intermediate portions,

f) said face plate being forged, and being the only element which is forged, and said main body portion metallic material and said face plate metallic material both having substantially the same composition,

g) the plate first and second portions respectively increasing in thickness toward the toe and toward the heel, each said increase in thickness also having a stair-stepped configuration.