Golf club with lockable head to shaft relative angle adjustment

• US 5,292,123 A
• Filed: 04/19/1993
• Issued: 03/08/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zevo Golf Co., Inc. (Dick's Sporting Goods Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Plop Golf Comany
• Inventors: Hannon, Richard H., Schmidt, Jacob H. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US08/048,295
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167 R, 273/77 R, 273/167 A, 273/167 D, 273/167 F, 273/167 G, 273/167 H, 273/80.1, 273/80.2, 273/80.3, 273/80.7, 273/80.8, 273/80 C, 273/80 B
• US Class Current: 473/248
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/025 lie angle only, i.e. relative angular adjustment between the shaft and the club head about an axis parallel to the intended line of play when the club is in its normal address position
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/065 for putters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club with a shaft angularly adjustable relative to the head through selected angles. A special tool must be used to allow any angular adjustments between shaft and head. A structural stop limits the maximum and minimum angles of adjustment between the head and shaft.

Claims

1. A golf club with a shaft angularly adjustable relative to the head through selected angles comprising:

a club head having an open central area, a bottom surface and a top surface;

a removable sole plate forming a portion of the bottom surface of said club head, said sole plate having upstanding spaced apart walls extending within said club head open area;

an opening through the top surface of said head extending into said open area;

a club shaft, said club shaft having an extension arm angularly attached to a distal end, said distal end of said shaft and said extension arm extending through said opening, said extension arm having a distal end pivotably attached between said upstanding walls;

locking means at said distal end of said extension arm for preventing relative rotation between said upstanding walls and said extension arm when said sole plate is in place forming the bottom surface of said club thereby maintaining a selected relative angle between said surface of said club head and said shaft; and

means for securing said sole plate in place on the bottom surface of said club head.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the angle between said shaft distal end and said extension arm is greater than 90 degrees.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the pivotal attachment of said extension arm between said walls comprises a pivot pin fixedly attached to said extension arm.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said pivot pin is circular.

5. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said pivot pin and mating surface include meshable teeth.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein said teeth mesh with the teeth on said mating surface when said sole plate is in place on said golf club bottom surface.

7. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said pivot pin is oval.

8. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said locking means comprises an aperture through said upstanding walls for receiving a pivot pin fixedly attached to said extension arm for pivotably attaching said extension arm to said sole plate, said aperture including an elongated slot extending from said aperture to an outer surface of said upstanding walls whereby when said sole plate is seated on the bottom surface of said golf club said slot compresses for gripping said pivot pin thereby preventing relative rotation between said sole plate and side extension arm.

9. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for securing said sole plate to said golf club comprises a plurality of screws with external slots.

10. The invention as defined in claim 9 wherein said slots are in the form of a hex.

11. The invention as defined in claim 9 wherein said slots are in the form of a star.

12. The invention as defined in claim 9 wherein said slots are in the form of a torque slot.