Golf club

• US 6,149,533 A
• Filed: 09/10/1997
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charles A. Finn
• Original Assignee: Charles A. Finn
• Inventors: Finn, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kien T.
• Application Number:
  US08/926,557
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 473/334, 473/335, 473/336, 473/340, 473/341, 473/245, 473/246, 473/247, 473/300, 473/305, 473/308, 473/313
• US Class Current: 473/336
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0495 moving on impact, slidable, spring or otherwise elastically biased
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2060/464 Means for indicating or measuring the pressure on the grip
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0625 Emitting sound, noise or music
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0627 when used improperly, e.g. by giving a warning
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/56 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/026 loft angle only, i.e. relative angular adjustment between the shaft and the club head about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the intended line of play when the club is in its normal address position
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0466 wood-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/14 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3632 Clubs or attachments on clubs, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence; clubs for swinging exercises in general A63B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3635 with sound-emitting source

Abstract

A golf club includes a head having a striking face, a threaded cylindrical chamber behind and generally parallel to the face, a cylindrical weight member threaded in the chamber, a hosel attached to the cylindrical weight member having a shaft receiving socket with a non-circular portion and a threaded portion, a shaft having a hosel engaging end with a mating non-circular cross section and a ferrule having threads engagable with the threaded portion of the socket. An additional weight is adjustable in the chamber to provide the desired balance characteristics to the club. A second embodiment includes a head which is symmetrical so that the hosel may be attached at either end to make the club ambidextrous. Some different structures for attaching the hosel to the cylindrical weight member provide for variations in the loft of the club. Other embodiments include an asymmetrically weighted movable weight member which engages the head within a cavity therein and is adjustable both longitudinally and by changing the location of its center of gravity. A tool mates with each of the adjustments to provide complete and accurate club assembly and adjustment.

Claims

1. A golf club including a shaft, a grip on the shaft, a head and a hosel attaching said head to said shaft;

said head including a ball striking surface, a cylindrical chamber having a first end and a second end and whose axis is substantially parallel to said striking surfaces, internal threads in said chamber and a side wall, a weight member threadably engaged with the threads in said chamber and movable axially in said chamber;

said head including an opening in said chamber for access to said weight member, said weight member being accessible through said opening to adjust the position of said weight member; and

means for closing said opening.

2. A golf club in accordance with claim 1 wherein said closing means comprises a hosel of the golf club.

3. A golf club in accordance with claim 1 including means for securing the longitudinal position of the weight member within the chamber.

4. A golf club in accordance with claim 1 wherein one end wall of said chamber is defined by an end of said hosel.

5. A golf club in accordance with claim 1 wherein one wall of said chamber is defined by a removable plug.

6. A golf club in accordance with claim 1 wherein said weight member has a center of gravity offset from its axis of rotation whereby upon rotation of the weight member about its axis of rotation, the center of gravity of the weight member is moved thereby moving the center of gravity of the club head.

7. A golf club including a shaft, a grip on said shaft, a head and a hosel attaching said head to said shaft;

said head including a ball striking surface, a cylindrical chamber having a first end and a second end and whose axis is substantially parallel to said striking surface, internal threads in said chamber side wall, and a weight member threadedly engaged with the threads in said chamber and movable axially in said chamber;

said head including an opening in said chamber for access to said weight member, said weight member being accessible through said opening to adjust the position of said weight member;

means including said hosel for closing said opening; and

means for securing said weight in the chamber including threads on the exterior of said weight member engaging mating threads in said chamber.

8. A golf club in accordance with claim 7 wherein said securing means includes means bonding said weight member to at least one wall of said chamber.

9. A golf club in accordance with claim 7 wherein said hosel includes a plurality of angularly selectably securing means for engagement with said club head and said club head includes mating securing means of adjustably changing the loft for the golf club.

10. A golf club in accordance with claim 9 wherein said securing means and mating securing means comprises a plurality of angularly displaced pins and mating recesses.

11. A golf club including a shaft, a grip on the shaft, a head and a hosel attaching said head to said shaft;

said head including a ball striking surface, a cylindrical chamber whose axis is substantially parallel to said striking surface and threads in said chamber, a generally cylindrical weight member threadedly engaged with the threads in said chamber and movable axially in said chamber, said weight member also having a threaded bore along its axis;

said hosel including a bore in alignment with said threaded bore and a bolt passing through said bore and threadedly engaged with said threaded bore and means operable between said weight member and said hosel for establishing radial alignment of said head and said hosel.

12. A golf club as claimed in claim 11 wherein said cylindrical chamber extends through the length of said head, and an axially movable weight is threadedly engaged with the threads in said chamber.

13. A golf club as claimed in claim 11 wherein said cylindrical chamber extends entirely through said head such that said generally cylindrical weight member can be installed in either end of said cylindrical chamber.

14. A golf club as claimed in claim 11 wherein said hosel includes a circular contact face for contacting an end of said cylindrical weight member and said face includes a plurality of bores generally parallel to and radially outward of said bolt.

15. A golf club as claimed in claim 11 wherein said cylindrical weight member is cemented to said head.

16. A golf club as claimed in claim 11 wherein said threaded bore extends through the length of said cylindrical weight member, an axially movable weight is threadedly engaged with said threaded bore and said head includes a bore aligned with said threaded bore for reception of a tool for turning said weight in said threaded bore to vary the position of said weight.

17. A golf club as claimed in claim 11 wherein said means for establishing radial alignment between said head and said hosel includes a large number of mating radially aligned teeth on said cylindrical weight member and said hosel.

18. A golf club as claimed in claim 11 wherein said means for establishing radial alignment between said head and said hosel includes at least one bore in one of said cylindrical weight members and said hosel parallel to and radially displaced from said threaded bore and a cylindrical projection on one of said hosel and said cylindrical weight member aligned with said radially displaced bore.

19. A golf club including a shaft, a grip on the shaft, a head and a hosel attaching said head to said shaft;

said head including a ball striking surface, a cylindrical chamber whose axis is substantially parallel to said striking surface and threads in said chamber, a generally cylindrical weight member including a threaded bore, said weight member being threadedly engaged with the threads in said chamber and movable axially in said chamber;

a closure for said cylindrical chamber including a bore in alignment with said threaded bore and a bolt passing through said bore and threadedly engaged with said threaded bore and means establishing radial alignment of said head and said hosel.

20. A golf club as claimed in claim 19 wherein said hosel includes said closure and a cylindrical extension threadedly engaged with said threads in said chamber.

21. A golf club as claimed in claim 19 wherein said cylindrical extension also has internal threads and an asymmetrical cylindrical weight member is threadedly engaged with said internal threads.

23. The combination in accordance with claim 21 wherein said tool is elongated with the shaped end for engaging the movable weight within the club located at one end of the tool;

an adjustable stop threadably engages the threaded portion of the tool for longitudinal adjustment; and

the wrench elements are located at the opposite of said elongated tool from said shaped end.

22. A golf club including a shaft, a grip, a hosel, and a club head which is detachable from the hosel and wherein the club head is hollow, includes a movable weight therein and is closed by a plug which threadably engages a longitudinal cavity at one end and the hosel is in threaded engagement with the opposite end of the cavity and in which the shaft is secured to the hosel by means of a threaded ferrule;

a tool including a handle and means for engaging said plug for removing the plug from the club head;

said tool including a shaped end into the cavity in the club head;

said tool including a pair of arms defining a wrench and a spanner wrench;

whereby said tool can remove and replace the shaft from the hosel and the plug from the club head and adjustably position in said weight within the club head.

24. A golf club including a shaft, a head and a hosel attaching said head to said shaft;

said head including a ball striking surface, a cylindrical chamber having a first end and a second end and whose axis is substantially parallel to said striking surface, internal threads in said chamber, a side wall and a weight member threadedly engaged with the threads in said chamber and movable axially in said chamber;

said head including an opening in one end of said chamber for access to said weight member, said weight member being accessible through said opening to adjust the position of said weight member; and

means including said hosel for closing said opening.

25. A golf club as claimed in claim 24 wherein a cylindrical plug is threadedly engaged with the threads in said chamber and said plug and said weight member are cemented to said head to provide a solidly fixed club head after adjustment.