Golf club, and improvement process

• US 5,458,334 A
• Filed: 10/21/1993
• Issued: 10/17/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jet Engine Technologies, Inc., Sheldon Research & Development, Inc., Wennie L. Lloyd
• Original Assignee: Sheldon Research & Development, Inc.
• Inventors: Mitchell, Daniel B., Sheldon, Gary L., Lloyd, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US08/141,787
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167 R, 273/167 A, 273/, 273/167 B, 273/167 C, 273/167 E, 273/167 F, 273/167 G, 273/167 H, 273/167 J, 273/168, 273/78, 273/169, 273/170, 273/171 , 273/172, 273/173, 273/174, 273/175, 273/193 R, 273/194 R, 273/77 R, 273/, 273/DIG. 23
• US Class Current: 473/349
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• 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 which generally includes a shaft, a grip and a clubhead, which includes a sole, a back and a clubface. The surface layer of the clubface of the golf club is a substantially harder material than the material generally comprising the clubhead. The process for imparting the substantially harder material onto and to become a part of the surface layer of the clubface generally includes micro-welding an electrode material to the surface of the clubface. The micro-welding process can be any one of a number of known micro-welding processes, such as electro-spark deposition, or others. The electro-spark deposition process generally includes the utilization of an electrode, through which short duration, high amperage charges are directed through the electrode and the clubhead. Extremely short duration discharges at high discharge frequencies result in deposition of the electrode material onto the clubface of the golf club, such that it becomes micro-welded.

Claims

1. A golf club comprised of:

a. a shaft;

b. a grip affixed to and around one end of said shaft;

c. a metal clubhead affixed to said shaft at an end of the shaft opposite the grip and which includes a clubface, a sole and a back portion; and

d. in which an outer surface of the clubface is comprised of a relatively smooth and substantially homogeneous combination of an electrode material which is alloyed with and becomes part of a base metal comprising the remainder of the clubhead and said electrode material being deposited on the clubface by electro-spark deposition.

2. A golf club as recited in claim 1 wherein the compound is a combination of a metal and a ceramic material.

3. A golf club as recited in claim 1 wherein the compound is titanium carbide.

4. A golf club as recited in claim 1 wherein the compound is molybdenum carbide.

5. A golf club as recited in claim 1 wherein the compound is molybdenum.

6. A golf club as recited in claim 1 wherein the compound is nickel.

7. A golf club comprised of:

a. a shaft;

b. a grip affixed to and around one end of said shaft;

c. a metal clubhead affixed to said shaft at an end of the shaft opposite the grip, and which includes a clubface, a sole and a back portion; and

d. in which an outer surface of the clubface is comprised of a substantially harder material comprising a relatively smooth and substantially homogeneous combination of an electrode material which is alloyed with and becomes part of a base metal comprising the remainder of the clubhead and which is received by the clubface by electro-spark deposition.

8. A golf club as recited in claim 7 wherein a combination of a metal and a ceramic material is a material that is electro-sparked onto the outer surface of the clubface.

9. A golf club as recited in claim 7 wherein titanium carbide is a material electro-sparked onto the outer surface of the clubface.

10. A golf club as recited in claim 7 wherein molybdenum carbide is a material that is electro-sparked onto the outer surface of the clubface.

11. A golf club as recited in claim 7 wherein molybdenum is a material that is electro-sparked onto the outer surface of the clubface.

12. A golf club as recited in claim 7 wherein nickel is a material that is electro-sparked onto the outer surface of the clubface.

13. A clubhead for use in golf which comprises the following:

a. a metal clubhead for affixing to a shaft at an end of the shaft opposite a grip, and which includes a clubface, a sole and a back portion; and

b. in which an outer surface of the clubface is comprised of a relatively smooth and substantially homogeneous combination of an electrode material which is alloyed with and becomes part of a base metal comprising the remainder of the clubhead and said electrode material being deposited on the clubface by electro-spark deposition.