Chemical etching of a striking plate for a golf club head

• US 6,381,828 B1
• Filed: 04/13/2000
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Callaway Golf Company (Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.)
• Inventors: Galloway, J. Andrew, Hocknell, Alan, Helmstetter, Richard C., Boyce, Ronald C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sewell, Paul T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VARMA, SNEH K
• Application Number:
  US09/548,314
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 473/342, 473/349, 473/350, 473/345, 473/409, 295/724, 29D/IG.18, 295/272, 295/57, 723/40, 723/64, 723/77, 148/527, 148/537, 148/670, 148/671, 148/669
• US Class Current: 29/527.4
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0408 characterised by specific dimensions, e.g. thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0412 Volume
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B21J 5/00 Methods for forging, hammering, or pressing for working sheet-metal or metal tubes, rods, or profiles B21D; for working wire B21F; Special equipment or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B21K 17/00 Making sport articles, e.g. skates
• CPC Class Codes: C22F 1/183 of titanium or alloys based thereon
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/00 Etching metallic material by chemical means manufacture of printing surfaces B41C; manufacture of printed circuits H05K
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 1/26 for etching refractory metals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49982 Coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49986 Subsequent to metal working
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49995 Shaping one-piece blank by removing material

Abstract

A method for chemically etching a forged striking plate for a golf club to uniformly remove 0.002 inch to 0.015 inch of material therefrom. The forged striking plate is placed in an acidic bath to uniformly remove material from all surfaces of the striking plate. The forging process, conducted prior to etching, involves multiple heating and pressing of a metal bar to obtain a final face member configuration. The heating of the metal bar is performed at temperatures below 1000° C. for less than twenty minutes. The final face member configuration has a striking plate with regions of variable thickness. The metal bar is preferably composed of a forged titanium material.

Claims

1. A method for producing a face member for a golf club head, the method comprising:

heating a metal bar to a temperature ranging from 900°

C. to 970°

C. for a time period ranging from 10 minutes to 17 minutes, the metal bar composed of a titanium material;

pressing the heated metal bar into an L-shape metal bar;

heating the L-shape metal bar to a temperature ranging from 900°

C. to 970°

C. for a time period ranging from 10 minutes to 17 minutes;

pressing the heated L-shape metal bar into an intermediate shape face member;

heating the intermediate shape face member to a temperature ranging from 900°

C. to 970°

C. for a time period ranging from 10 minutes to 17 minutes;

pressing the heated intermediate shape face member into the final face member configuration, the final face member configuration having a striking plate and a face extension extending laterally from a perimeter of the striking plate a distance ranging from 0.2 inch to 1.0 inch, the striking plate having a face area ranging from 4.00 square inches to 7.50 square inches and the face extension having an upper portion, a lower portion opposite the upper portion, a heel wall substantially perpendicular to the plate portion, and a toe wall opposite the heel wall; and

chemically etching the final face member configuration in single acidic bath to uniformly remove 0.002 inch to 0.015 inch from the exterior surface and the interior surface of the final face member configuration to create a final face member configuration that has a thickness ranging from 0.050 inch to 0.250 inch.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein 0.003 inch to 0.004 inch is uniformly removed from the exterior surface and the interior surface of the final face member configuration.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

heating the chemically etched final face member configuration to a temperature ranging from 250°

C. to 520°

C. for a time period ranging from 15 minutes to 20 minutes; and

pressing the heated final fare member configuration in a press to ensure proper bulge and roll of the final face member configuration.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the final face member configuration is composed of titanium.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the acid bath is composed of hydrofluoric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid or a mixture thereof.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the final face member configuration has a striking plate with concentric regions of varying thickness with the thickest region in the center.

8. A method for producing a face member for a golf club head, the method comprising:

heating a titanium cylindrical bar to a temperature between 900°

C. and 975°

C. for a time period ranging from 10 to 17 minutes, the titanium cylindrical bar has a diameter of approximately 1.8 centimeters and a length of 10 centimeters;

pressing the heated titanium bar into an L-shape bar;

heating the L-shape bar to a temperature between 900°

C. and 975°

C. for a time period ranging from 10 minutes to 17 minutes;

pressing the heated L-shape bar into an intermediate shape face member;

coating the intermediate shape face member with a glazing compound;

heating the coated intermediate shape face member to a temperature between 900°

C. and 975°

C. for a time period ranging from 10 to 17 minutes;

pressing the heated intermediate shape face member into a final face member configuration, the final face member configuration having a striking plate and a face extension extending laterally from a perimeter of the striking plate a distance ranging from 0.2 inch to 1.0 inch, the striking plate having a face area ranging from 4.00 square inches to 7.50 square inches and the face extension having an upper portion, a lower portion opposite the upper portion, a heel wall substantially perpendicular to the plate portion, and a toe wall opposite the heel wall; and

chemically etching the final face -member configuration in an acidic bath to uniformly remove 0.002 inch to 0.015 inch from the exterior surface and the interior surface of the final face member configuration.

7. The method according to claim 8 wherein the final face member configuration comprises

a striking plate having an exterior surface, an interior surface and a perimeter, and

a face extension extending laterally inward along the entire perimeter of the striking plate, the face extension having an upper portion, a lower portion opposite the upper portion, a heel wall substantially perpendicular to the plate portion, and a toe wall opposite the heel wall.