Weighting of golf clubs

• US 5,716,289 A
• Filed: 02/21/1996
• Issued: 02/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Joseph R. Okoneski
• Original Assignee: Joseph R. Okoneski
• Inventors: Okoneski, Joseph R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLAU, STEPHEN LUTHER
• Application Number:
  US08/604,375
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 473/256, 473/288, 473/292, 473/297, 473/298, 473/299, 473/303, 473/318
• US Class Current: 473/297
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/10 Non-metallic shafts
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/14 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/06 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/08 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/10 with means for indicating correct holding positions A63B60/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/24 Weighted handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/54 with means for damping vibrations

Abstract

A method and apparatus for weighting of golf club handles that basically includes three components, namely, a sleeved receptacle, a weighted rod, and an adhesive. The sleeve is radially resiliently compressible and resiliently compressibly slidably fits inside of the shaft of a golf club at its upper end and resiliently compressibly slidably receives the weighted rod. The adhesive secures the receptacle-rod combination together and in the shaft. More specifically, the receptacle and the adhesive hold the weight centrally in the shaft and cushion it against vibration caused by forces traveling along the shaft when a golf ball is struck. The adhesive is initially placed in the receptacle and the rod is inserted into the receptacle immersing it in adhesive and forcing adhesive out through perforations in the receptacle to coat the exterior of the receptacle. When the receptacle-rod combination is in the golf shaft, outflow of the adhesive also coats the inside of the shaft so that the entire device is firmly held in position in the shaft. The method and apparatus are adaptable to commonly used golf clubs and are adjustable to the needs of individual golfers in that main and auxiliary rods of various weights are used. Tests have shown that a player obtains a better feel of the club, improves control without losing distance, and in fact may gain distance.

Claims

1. A weighted golf club handle which includes a shaft with a tubular upper end and a grip fitted, over said upper end, comprising:

a resiliently compressible sleeve resiliently compressibly fitted inside of the shaft at said upper end; and

a weighted insert resiliently compressibly fitted in and held by the sleeve throughout substantially the entire dimension of the insert lengthwise of the shaft.

2. The weighting device of claim 1:

wherein the sleeve is made of polyethylene.

3. The weighting device of claim 1:

wherein the insert is made of lead.

4. The weighting device of claim 1:

wherein the insert is cylindrical.

5. A weighting device for a golf club handle which includes a shaft with a tubular open upper end and a grip fitted over said upper end, comprising:

a resiliently compressible sleeve adapted to be resiliently compressibly slidably fitted inside of the shaft of a golf club at its upper end prior to placing the grip on the shaft,

a weighted insert resiliently compressibly slidably fitted in the sleeve, and

means for securing the insert in the sleeve and the sleeve in the shaft whereby the sleeve is resiliently compressibly fitted in the shaft, wherein the securing means extends through the sleeve and interconnects the insert and the sleeve and is adapted to connect to the shaft.

6. The weighting device of claim 5,

wherein said sleeve is perforated, and

wherein said securing means is an adhesive contacting the outside of the insert and the inside surface of the sleeve, extending through the perforations of the sleeve, contacting the outside surface of the sleeve, and adapted to contact the inside surface of the shaft.

7. A weighting device for a golf club handle which includes a shaft with a tubular open upper end and a grip fitted over said upper end, comprising:

a resiliently compressible sleeve adapted to be resiliently compressibly slidably fitted inside of the shaft of a golf club at its upper end prior to placing the grip on the shaft,

a weighted insert resiliently compressibly slidably fitted in the sleeve, and

means for securing the insert in the sleeve and the sleeve in the shaft whereby the sleeve is resiliently compressibly fitted in the shaft, wherein said weighted insert is an outer tubular insert, and

wherein an inner weighted insert is compressibly slidably fitted in the outer insert and has a weight less than the weight of the outer insert.

8. A golf club having a shaft with a tubular upper end and a grip fitted over said upper end, comprising:

an elongated weighted rod positioned in the upper end of the shaft and circumferentially spaced therefrom,

mounting means interposed the shaft and the rod resiliently compressibly mounting the rod in the shaft and cushioning the rod against vibrations of the shaft, and

adhesive means in contact with the rod and extending through the mounting means for adhering the mounting means to the shaft.

9. The golf club of claim 8:

wherein the adhesive means is in enveloping contact with the rod.

10. A weighting device for a golf club which has a shaft with a tubular upper end and a grip fitted over said upper end, said shaft having an inside surface, comprising:

an elongated, longitudinally rigid, cup-shaped receptacle positioned in the upper end of the shaft, said receptacle having a tubular wall which is radially resiliently compressible, said wall having a plurality of fins projecting radially outwardly in compressible engagement with the inside surface of the shaft so that the wall of the receptacle is resiliently compressed by such engagement, and

a weighted rod positioned in the receptacle and having an outside surface,

said wall of the receptacle having a plurality of fins projecting radially inwardly in compressible engagement with the outside surface of the rod so that the wall of the receptacle is resiliently compressed by such engagement, whereby the rod is resiliently compressibly held in the shaft by the receptacle.

11. The weighting device of claim 10,

wherein the rod is slidably insertable into the receptacle,

wherein the receptacle has openings therein,

wherein adhesive is in the receptacle, and

wherein slideable insertion of the rod into the receptacle forces adhesive out of the openings into engagement with the shaft thereby to secure the receptacle to the shaft and the rod to the receptacle.

12. A weighting device for the butt end of a golf club which has a shaft with a tubular open upper end and a grip fitted over said upper end, said upper end having a predetermined internal diameter comprising:

a plastic receptacle which includes an elongated radially resiliently compressible sleeve having a closed lower end and an open upper end, said receptacle having an annular rim at it upper end, said sleeve being fitted in the upper end of the shaft with the rim engaging the shaft,

said sleeve being formed by a plurality of rectangular longitudinal fins having longitudinal dimensions extending lengthwise of the sleeve and transverse dimensions extending radially of the sleeve, said longitudinal fins being spaced substantially equally about the circumference of the sleeve and having longitudinal inner edges within the sleeve and longitudinal outer edges outside of the sleeve,

said sleeve also being formed by a plurality of annular fins circumscribing the longitudinal fins around their outer edges and spaced substantially equally lengthwise of the sleeve,

said longitudinal and transverse fins thereby defining a plurality of apertures which extend between the interior and exterior of the receptacle,

the sleeve having an outside diameter which is tapered from its upper end to its lower end, the diameter of the sleeve at least along an upper portion thereof being greater than the inside diameter of the shaft so that the annular fins are in resiliently compressible engagement with the shaft circumferentially thereof,

an elongated cylindrical rod of lead positioned in the sleeve with the inner edges of the longitudinal fins resiliently compressibly engaging the rod circumferentially thereof, and

an adhesive within the sleeve and coating the rod between the interior of the sleeve and the rod, extending through the apertures, and coating the exterior of the sleeve and the interior of the shaft between the shaft and the sleeve so that the sleeve is immovably secured within the shaft and rod is immovably secured within the sleeve.

13. The weighting device of claim 12, wherein the club has a total weight which ranges from about 250 grams to about 400 grams:

wherein the sleeve, the rod, and the adhesive have a weight in the range of from about 5 to 50 grams.

14. The weighting device of claim 12:

wherein the rod is an outer rod which is solid except for a bore extending lengthwise thereof, and

wherein an inner elongated cylindrical rod of lead is compressibly slidably fitted in said bore.

15. The weighting device of claim 14,

wherein the inner rod has a weight which is less than the weight of the outer rod.

16. A method of weighting a golf club which has a shaft with an open upper end and a grip, said method involving the use of a tubular receptacle having an outside diameter slightly larger than the inside diameter of the shaft, and a weight that is slightly larger than the inside diameter of the receptacle, comprising the steps of:

compressibly fitting the weight into the receptacle and the receptacle into the upper end of the shaft whereby the receptacle is compressibly held in the shaft and the weight is compressibly held in the receptacle throughout substantially the entire dimension of the weight lengthwise of the shaft.

17. A weighted golf club handle that is made using the method of claim 16.

18. A method of weighting a golf club which has a shaft with an open upper end and a grip, said method involving the use of a perforate tubular receptacle having an outside diameter slightly larger than the inside diameter of the shaft, and a weight that is slightly larger than the inside diameter of the receptacle, comprising the steps of:

compressibly fitting the weight into the receptacle and the receptacle into the upper end of the shaft whereby the receptacle is compressibly held in the shaft and the weight is compressibly held in the receptacle, and

placing liquid adhesive in the receptacle before placing the weight therein so that fitting the weight into the receptacle causes the adhesive to flow around the weight and adhesively join the weight and the receptacle and to flow through the perforations and adhesively join the shaft and the receptacle.

19. A method of weighting a golf club which has a shaft with an open upper end and a grip, said method involving the use of a tubular receptacle having an outside diameter slightly larger than the inside diameter of the shaft, and a weight that is slightly larger than the inside diameter of the receptacle, comprising the steps of:

compressibly fitting the weight into the receptacle and the receptacle into the upper end of the shaft whereby the receptacle is compressibly held in the shaft and the weight is compressibly held in the receptacle,

wherein the weight is first fitted in the receptacle, and

then the receptacle is fitted in the shaft.

20. A method of weighting a golf club which has a shaft with an open upper end and a grip, said method involving the use of a tubular receptacle having an outside diameter slightly larger than the inside diameter of the shaft, and a weight that is slightly larger than the inside diameter of the receptacle, comprising the steps of:

compressibly fitting the weight into the receptacle and the receptacle into the upper end of the shaft whereby the receptacle is compressibly held in the shaft and the weight is compressibly held in the receptacle,

wherein the receptacle is first fitted in the shaft, and

then the weight is fitted in the receptacle.

21. A method of weighting a golf club which has a shaft with an open upper end and a grip, said method involving the use of a tubular receptacle having an outside diameter slightly larger than the inside diameter of the shaft, and a weight that is slightly larger than the inside diameter of the receptacle, comprising the steps of:

compressibly fitting the weight into the receptacle and the receptacle into the upper end of the shaft whereby the receptacle is compressibly held in the shaft and the weight is compressibly held in the receptacle,

wherein the receptacle is partially fitted in the shaft,

then the weight is partially fitted in the receptacle, and

then both the receptacle is fully tapped into the shaft and the weight is fully tapped into the receptacle.

22. A method of weighting a golf club handle which has a shaft with an open upper end and a grip, said method involving the use of a receptacle having a perforate, radially resiliently compressible tubular wall that is resiliently compressibly insertable into the open upper end of a golf club and a weight that is resiliently compressibly insertable into the receptacle, comprising the steps of:

placing a liquid adhesive in the receptacle, and

compressibly fitting the weight into the receptacle and the receptacle into the upper end of the shaft whereby the adhesive is forced to flow around the rod between the rod and the receptacle and out of the perforations around the exterior of the receptacle between the receptacle and the shaft so as to interconnect the shaft, receptacle and the rod.

23. The method of claim 22, including the further steps of:

curing the adhesive, and

attaching the grip to the club.

24. A golf club including a weighting device in the handle wherein the golf club is weighted using the method of claim 22.