Golf club head

• US 5,464,211 A
• Filed: 09/19/1994
• Issued: 11/07/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Atkins Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Clyde Atkins Sr
• Inventors: Atkins, Clyde Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US08/308,571
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167 R, 273/167 H, 273/173, 273/172, 273/171, 273/169, 273/78, 273/167 J, 273/77 R, 273/170, 273/193 R, 273/194 R, 273/162 R, 273/162 F, 273/194 A
• US Class Current: 473/377
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0454 Strengthening ribs on the rear surface of the impact face plate
• 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 hollow golf club head for a "metal wood" is disclosed wherein an internally-mounted backing plate gives strength and stability to the striking face of the club. Additionally, in the preferred embodiments, an internal apparatus is present whereby the backing plate is compressively loaded to more rigidly support the striking face of the club, thereby to make it more unyielding upon impact with a golf ball. In further embodiments, weights may be added behind the backing plate in alignment with an axis that is normal to the center of the striking face.

Claims

1. A hollow golf club head of the type known as a "metal wood" for playing the game of golf, said club head having

a backwardly slanting striking face having an inner surface and an outer surface, and

an opposing rear portion having an inner surface and an outer surface,

a substantially flat-faced body having a stem portion having an axis protruding centrally from a rear thereof and substantially normal to the plane of said flat face, said face being rigidly bonded to said inner surface of said striking face,

wherein said stem engages in an axially slidable manner the hollow of an open-ended, internally-threaded tube having a screw therein, said tube engaging said inner surface of said rear portion and said screw threadably engaging said tube and applying an axial compressive force to said stem and an equal and opposite axial compressive force to said tube, the magnitude of said compressive force may be adjusted by turning said screw.

2. The club head of claim 1 wherein said screw is inserted through a hole in said rear portion, said hole being in registry with the hollow of said threaded tube.

3. The club head of claim 2 wherein said screw fills said hollow within said tube not occupied by said stem portion and initially protrudes from said hole, but is trimmed off to be level with said outer surface of said rear portion after said compressive force is set by turning said screw.

4. The club head of claim 1 wherein said screw is configured for enabling it to be accessed and turned by means of a tool through a hole in said rear portion, said hole being in registry with the hollow of said threaded tube.

5. The club head of claim 4 wherein said screw has length-to-diameter ratio of approximately 1:

1.

6. The club head of claim 1 wherein a weight to increase the weight of said club head is disposed within the hollow of said tube, thereby to position said weight in axial alignment with said stem portion of said backing plate.

7. The club head of claim 6 wherein said weight is placed between said screw and said stem portion.

8. The club head of claim 6 wherein said weight is disposed between said screw and a second screw that is present only to retain the weight.

9. The club head of claim 6 wherein said weight is disposed between two screws that are both present only to retain the weight.

10. The club head of claim 6 wherein said weight exists as a threaded screw engaging said threaded tube and that can be adjusted for axial position within said threaded tube by turning it about its axis within said tube.

11. A hollow golf club head of the type known as a "metal wood" for playing the game of golf, said club head having

a backwardly slanting striking face having an inner surface and an outer surface, and

an opposing rear portion having an inner surface and an outer surface,

a substantially flat-faced rigid backing plate, the flat face of which is disposed against said inner surface of said striking face,

and wherein said rigid backing plate further comprises a stem portion having an axis protruding centrally from the rear of said backing plate and substantially normal to the plane of said flat face, and wherein said stem engages in an axially slidable manner the hollow of an open-ended, internally-threaded tube having a screw therein, said tube engaging said inner surface of said rear portion and said screw threadably engaging said tube and applying an axial compressive force to said stem and an equal and opposite axial compressive force to said tube, the magnitude of said compressive force may be adjusted by turning said screw.

12. The club head of claim 11 wherein said screw is inserted through a hole in said rear portion, said hole being in registry with the hollow of said threaded tube.

13. The club head of claim 12 wherein said screw fills said hollow within said tube not occupied by said stem portion and initially protrudes from said hole, but is trimmed off to be level with said outer surface of said rear portion after said compressive force is set by turning said screw.

14. The club head of claim 11 wherein said screw is configured for enabling it to be accessed and turned by means of a tool through a hole in said rear portion, said hole being in registry with the hollow of said threaded tube.

15. The club head of claim 14 wherein said screw has length-to-diameter ratio of approximately 1:

1.

16. The club head of claim 11 wherein a weight to increase the weight of said club head is disposed within the hollow of said tube, thereby to position said weight in axial alignment with said stem portion of said backing plate.

17. The club head of claim 16 wherein said weight is placed between said screw and said stem portion.

18. The club head of claim 16 wherein said weight is disposed between said screw and a second screw that is present only to retain the weight.

19. The club head of claim 16 wherein said weight is disposed between two screws that are both present only to retain the weight.

20. The club head of claim 16 wherein said weight exists as a threaded screw engaging said threaded tube and that can be adjusted for axial position within said threaded tube by turning it about its axis within said tube.