Adjustable golf putter

• US 5,533,730 A
• Filed: 10/19/1995
• Issued: 07/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John A. Ruvang
• Original Assignee: John A. Ruvang
• Inventors: Ruvang, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US08/545,250
• Time in Patent Office: 264 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167 R, 273/168, 273/78, 273/169, 273/170, 273/171, 273/172, 273/173, 273/175, 273/167 D, 273/167 F, 273/167 G, 273/80 C, 273/167 H, 273/167 J , 273/167 K, 273/77 R, 273/81.2, 273/80.1, 273/80.2, 273/164.1, 273/187.4, 273/193 R, 273/194 A, 273/193 B, 273/163 R, 273/79
• US Class Current: 473/251
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/021 the shaft axis being forwardly offset relative to the striking face of the head
• 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 53/028 with a range of alternative attachment points for the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

An adjustable golf putter provides configurable characteristics of striking face-to-shaft lateral alignment, center of gravity, shaft-to-head longitudinal alignment, head-to-shaft angle, total weight, weight distribution, and targeting. In a preferred embodiment, a golf club has a shaft attached to a putter head, the head having a hosel assembly and weight assemblies clamped between opposing face plates.

Claims

1. An adjustable putter head for attachment to a shaft, the putter head comprising:

a first elongated hosel member, said first hosel member having a hole formed on a first opposite end thereof for attachment of the shaft to said first hosel member, a spaced series of indentations formed on a second opposite end thereof, and a first aperture formed laterally through said first hosel member intermediate said first and second opposite ends;

a second elongated hosel member adjacent said first hosel member, said second hosel member having a spaced series of projections formed on a first opposite end thereof, said projections being complimentarily shaped to engage said first hosel member indentations, and a second aperture formed laterally through said second hosel member on a second opposite end thereof, said second aperture aligning with said first aperture when said indentations engage said projections;

a fastener extending through said first and second apertures and forming a pivot about which said first and second hosel members rotate with respect to each other; and

a face plate attached to said first and second hosel members,

whereby the shaft may be conveniently rotated with respect to said face plate by pivoting said first hosel member with respect to said second hosel member about said fastener.

2. The adjustable putter head according to claim 1, wherein said first hosel member further comprises first and second opposite side surfaces, each of said first and second side surfaces having said spaced series of indentations formed thereon,

whereby said second hosel member may be placed adjacent either of said first and second side surfaces to engage said projections with said indentations.

3. The adjustable putter head according to claim 2, wherein said first hosel member further comprises upper and lower portions, said upper portion being laterally offset from said lower portion, such that when said second hosel member is placed adjacent said first side surface of said first hosel member, the shaft has a first relationship to said face plate, and when said second hosel member is placed adjacent said second side surface of said first hosel member, the shaft has a second relationship to said face plate, said second relationship being laterally offset from said first relationship.

4. The adjustable putter head according to claim 1, wherein:

said second hosel member has a slot formed thereon intermediate said second aperture and said projections, said slot having a first spaced series of teeth formed thereon; and

said face plate has a longitudinally extending rail formed thereon, said rail being complimentarily shaped for insertion into said slot, and said rail having a second spaced series of teeth formed thereon, said second teeth being complimentarily shaped to engage said first teeth when said rail is inserted in said slot,

whereby said second hosel member may be longitudinally positioned on said face plate by inserting said rail in said slot and engaging said first and second teeth.

5. The adjustable putter according to claim 1, wherein said face plate further has first and second opposite ends, and further comprising two weight assemblies attached to said face plate first and second opposite ends, each of said weight assemblies comprising a plurality of weight members, such that said weight members may be selectively attached to said weight assemblies,

whereby said weight members may be selectively attached at said first and second opposite ends of said face plate.

6. The adjustable putter according to claim 1, wherein said face plate further has a longitudinally spaced series of third apertures formed thereon, and further comprising a target member complimentarily shaped for insertion into said third apertures,

whereby said target member may be positioned longitudinally on said face plate by inserting said target member into a selected one of said third apertures.

7. The adjustable putter according to claim 1, wherein said second hosel member further has an indicator pointer formed thereon, and said face plate further has a longitudinally spaced series of graduations formed thereon, such that said pointer aligns with a selected one of said graduations when said second hosel member is attached to said face plate.

8. For use in a golf game to strike a golf ball, an adjustable putter head for attachment to a shaft, the putter head comprising:

an elongated plate having a generally planar striking surface formed thereon for striking the ball, said striking surface having a spatial relationship to the shaft, said plate further having first and second opposite end portions, and a first spaced series of teeth formed on a side surface opposite said striking surface and extending from said first end portion to said second end portion; and

a hosel assembly, said hosel assembly having a shaft attachment portion and a plate attachment portion formed thereon, said plate attachment portion having a second spaced series of teeth formed thereon for engagement with said first spaced series of teeth, said hosel assembly attaching the shaft to said plate and being capable of altering said spatial relationship of said striking surface to the shaft.

9. The putter head according to claim 8, wherein said hosel assembly comprises a first hosel member and a second hosel member, said first and second hosel members being releasably and pivotally attached to each other, and each of said first and second hosel members having complimentarily shaped splines formed thereon, such that when said first and second hosel members are released said splines are disengageable and said first and second hosel members may be pivoted with respect to each other and when said first and second hosel members are attached to each other said splines engage and said first and second hosel members are secured against pivotal movement relative to each other.

10. The putter head according to claim 8, further comprising two weight members, each of said weight members being attached to one of said first and second opposite end portions of said plate.

11. The putter head according to claim 10, wherein said weight members each comprise a plurality of removably secured weight disks.

12. The putter head according to claim 8, further comprising a clamping member, said clamping member being configured for clamping said hosel assembly between said plate and said clamping member.

13. The putter head according to claim 12, wherein said clamping member is formed as a structural mirror image to said plate.

14. The putter head according to claim 12, wherein said plate and said clamping member each have an aligned and longitudinally spaced series of holes formed on opposing side surfaces of said clamping member and said plate, and further comprising an elongated target member received in and extending between a pair of said opposing aligned holes.

15. A golf club, comprising:

a shaft;

a hosel major, said hosel major being rigidly attached to said shaft and having a first spaced series of projections formed thereon;

a hosel minor adjacent said hosel major, said hosel minor being pivotably attached to said hosel major and having second and third spaced series of projections formed thereon, said second spaced series of projections complimentarily engaging said first spaced series of projections to prevent pivotal movement of said hosel minor relative to said hosel major;

two weight assemblies;

two face plates, each of said face plates having a fourth spaced series of projections formed on an inside surface thereof, one of said fourth spaced series of projections complimentarily engaging said third spaced series of projections, said face plates being disposed so that said inside surfaces are in a facing, spaced apart relationship; and

two fasteners clamping said hosel major, said hosel minor, and said two weight assemblies intermediate said two face plates.

16. The golf club according to claim 15, further comprising a target member extending into holes formed on each of said face plate inside surfaces and intermediate a facing pair of said holes.

17. The golf club according to claim 15, wherein said weight assemblies each comprise a housing, said housing having an opening formed therein, and a weight member received in said opening.

18. The golf club according to claim 15, wherein said hosel minor further has an indicator point extending therefrom, and each of said face plates further has a spaced series of graduations formed thereon, such that when said third projections engage said fourth projections, said indicator point aligns with one of said graduations.

19. The golf club according to claim 15, wherein said hosel major further comprises a shaft attachment portion and a hosel minor attachment portion, said shaft attachment portion being rigidly attached to said shaft, said hosel minor attachment portion being pivotably attached to said hosel minor, and said shaft attachment portion being laterally offset from said hosel minor attachment portion.

20. The golf club according to claim 19, wherein said hosel major hosel minor attachment portion has first and second opposite side surfaces, each of said first and second opposite side surfaces having said first spaced series of projections formed thereon, such that said hosel minor may be pivotably attached to a selected one of said first and second opposite side surfaces.