Golf club head and method of forming same

• US 5,344,140 A
• Filed: 12/28/1992
• Issued: 09/06/1994
• 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:
  US07/997,161
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167 R-77 A, 273/77 R, 273/78, 273/164.1, 273/193 R, 273/194 R, 273/162 R
• 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 53/0425 the face insert comprising two or more different materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0458 with non-uniform thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0462 characterised by tapering thickness of the impact face plate
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club head, comprising a main body portion formed by an investment casting of a first metallic material; a face plate formed of a second metallic material which is forged and is substantially softer than the first material; joining the periphery of the face plate to the main body portion to form a high strength, forged face plate for the golf club head, and the metallic materials for the face plate and main body portion being of substantially the same composition.

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 metallic material which is forged and is substantially softer than said first material,

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

d) the metallic materials for said face plate and main body portion being of substantially the same composition.

2. The club head of claim 1 wherein said head has a top wall, a bottom wall, a toe and a heel, and wherein there is a minimum gap between the loop and said top wall, and a minimum gap between the loop and the toe, the first mentioned minimum gap being the lesser of said gaps.

3. The club head of claim 1 wherein there is a minimum gap between the loop and bottom wall and a minimum gap between the loop and said heel, the first mentioned minimum gap being the lesser of said gaps.

4. The club head of claim 2 wherein there is also a minimum gap between the loop and said heel, and which is greater than said first mentioned minimum gap.

5. The club head of claim 3 wherein said minimum mad between the loop and said bottom wall is lesser than the minimum gap between said loop and the heel.

6. The club head of claim 2 wherein said loop also:

projects toward and closer to said bottom wall than to said toe

projects toward and closer to said top wall than to said heel

projects toward and closer to said bottom wall than to said heel.

7. The club head of claim 1 wherein said metallic materials for said forged face plate, and cast main body portion, consist essentially of steel.

8. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein said first and second ledges define beveled surfaces seating correspondingly beveled surfaces defined by the face plate.

9. The golf club head of claim 1 wherein the forged face plate extends to the bottom level of the head and defines a lowermost front edge portion of the head to strike the turf during golf ball striking movement of the head.

10. 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 metallic material which is forged and is substantially softer than said first material,

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

d) the metallic materials for said face plate and main body portion being of substantially the same composition,

e) said means joining the periphery of the face plate to said main body portion consisting of welding extending in a loop,

f) said head having a top wall, a bottom wall, a toe and a heel, and said loop characterized by at least one of the following:

i) projects toward and closer to said top wall than to said toe

ii) projects toward and closer to said bottom wall than to said toe

iii) projects toward and closer to said top wall than to said heel

iv) projects toward and closer to said bottom wall than to said heel.

11. The club head of claim 10 wherein said loop is characterized by at least two of the following:

i) projects toward and closer to said top wall than to said toe

ii) projects toward and closer to said bottom wall than to said toe

iii) projects toward and closer to said top wall than to said heel

iv) projects toward and closer to said bottom wall than to said heel.

12. The club head of claim 10 wherein said loop is characterized by at least three of the following:

i) projects toward and closer to said top wall than to said toe

ii) projects toward and closer to said bottom wall than to said toe

iii) projects toward and closer to said top wall than to said heel

iv) projects toward and closer to said bottom wall than to said heel.

13. The club head of claim 10 wherein said loop is characterized by all of the following:

i) projects toward and closer to said top wall than to said toe

ii) projects toward and closer to said bottom wall than to said toe

iii) projects toward and closer to said top wall than to said heel

iv) projects toward and closer to said bottom wall than to said heel.

14. The club head of claim 10 wherein said loop projects upwardly toward said top wall.

15. The club head of claim 10 wherein said loop is polygonal.

16. The club head of claim 10 wherein said loop is trapezoidal.

17. The golf club head of claim 10 wherein the forged face plate extends to the bottom level of the head and defines a lowermost front edge portion of the head to strike the turf during golf ball striking movement of the head.

18. 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 metallic material which is forged and is substantially softer than said first material,

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

d) the metallic materials for said face plate and main body portion being of substantially the same composition,

e) said periphery of the face plate extending in a loop,

f) said means joining the periphery of the face plate to said main body portion consisting of welding extending in a loop.

19. The club head of claim 18 wherein said loop is characterized by at least two of the following:

i) projects toward and closer to said top wall than to said toe

ii) projects toward and closer to said bottom wall than to said toe

iii) projects toward and closer to said top wall than to said heel

iv) projects toward and closer to said bottom wall than to said heel.

20. The club head of claim 18 wherein said loop is characterized by at least three of the following:

i) projects toward and closer to said top wall than to said toe

ii) projects toward and closer to said bottom wall than to said toe

iii) projects toward and closer to said top wall than to said heel

iv) projects toward and closer to said bottom wall than to said heel.

21. The club head of claim 18 wherein said loop is characterized by all of the following:

i) projects toward and closer to said top wall than to said toe

ii) projects toward and closer to said bottom wall than to said toe

iii) projects toward and closer to said top wall than to said heel

iv) projects toward and closer to said bottom wall than to said heel.

22. The golf club head of claim 21 wherein the welding extending closer to the bottom wall than to the toe is offset rearwardly from a lowermost front edge defined by the forged face plate.

23. The club head of claim 18 wherein said loop is polygonal.

24. The club head of claim 18 wherein said loop is substantially trapezoidal.

25. The golf club head of claim 18 wherein the forged face plate extends to the bottom level of the head and defines a lowermost front edge portion of the head to strike the turf during golf ball striking movement of the head.

26. A golf club head having a heel and toe and comprising:

a) a main body portion formed by a steel casting,

b) a face plate formed of forged steel, and having a periphery, and

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

d) said main body portion having a recessed portion into which the periphery of the face plate is fitted, said weld 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 recessed portion, and said weld means extending along the periphery of the face plate in looping configuration, and said weld means and face plate extending substantially to the bottom level of the head, and toward the toe and heel of the head,

e) said face plate having generally trapezoidal configuration, with top and bottom elongated extents;

the top extent projecting upwardly, and the bottom extent projecting downwardly.

27. The golf club head of claim 26 wherein said main body portion forms ledge means supporting peripheral portions of said face plate.

28. The golf club head of claim 27 wherein said ledge means includes a first ledge proximate the toe and extending upright from the bottom level of the head into proximity with the top level of the head, a second ledge proximate the heel and extending upright from the bottom level of the head into proximity with the top level of the head, and a third ledge proximate the top level of the head and extending generally parallel thereto and toward uppermost extents of the first and second ledges.

29. The golf club head of claim 28 wherein said first and second ledges extend lengthwise generally parallel, the first ledge substantially longer than the second ledge.

30. The golf club head of claim 26 wherein the forged face plate extends to the bottom level of the head and defines a lowermost front edge portion of the head to strike the turf during golf ball striking movement of the head.

31. A golf club head having a heel and toe and comprising:

a) a main body portion formed by a steel casting,

b) a face plate formed of forged steel, and having a periphery, and

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

d) said main body portion having a recessed portion into which the periphery of the face plate is fitted, said weld 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 portion, and said weld means extending along the periphery of the face plate in looping configuration, and said weld means and face plate extending substantially to the bottom level of the head, and toward the toe and heel of the head,

e) said weld means having generally trapezoidal configuration, with top and bottom elongated extents;

the top extent projecting upwardly and the bottom extent being downwardly convex.

32. 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 including looping welding 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) the forged face plate defines a lowermost forward edge of the club head.

33. The golf club head of claim 32 wherein said second forged material is forged steel, and said first cast material is a material selected from the group consisting of steel, beryllium copper, and aluminum.

34. 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

c) means including looping welding 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) the forged face plate defining a lowermost forward edge of the club head,

e) at least one of said first and second metallic materials selected from the group consisting of steel, beryllium cooper, titanium and aluminum, and related alloys.

35. 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

c) means including looping welding 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) the club head having a lowermost forward edge and the forged face plate extending proximate said lowermost forward edge of the club head.

36. 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 including looping welding 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) the club head having a lowermost forward edge and the forged face plate extending proximate said lowermost forward edge of the club head,

e) at least one of said first and second metallic materials selected from the group consisting of steel, beryllium copper, titanium and aluminum, and alloys thereof.

37. 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 including looping welding 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) at least one of said first and second metallic materials selected from the group consisting of steel, beryllium cooper, titanium and aluminum.