Adjustable golf club

• US 6,506,126 B1
• Filed: 07/06/2001
• Issued: 01/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Phillip M. Goodman
• Original Assignee: Phillip M. Goodman
• Inventors: Goodman, Phillip M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US09/900,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20030008723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 473/245, 473/246, 473/247, 473/248, 473/325, 473/288, 403/97
• US Class Current: 473/245
• 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 53/047 iron-type
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/06 adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like

Abstract

A golf club includes a shaft, a hosel mounted on the lower end of the shaft and a golf club head mounted on the hosel for pivotal movement about an axis which is generally horizontal when the club is in an addressed position. The golf club head includes a blade portion pivotally mounted to a heel portion. A lever is operably connected to a linkage assembly so that the lever can be moved from a first position in which the linkage assembly secures the blade to the heel and a second position in which the linkage assembly allows disengagement of the blade from the heel so that the blade may be rotated relative to the heel.

Claims

1. A golf club having a normal address position when the user addresses the ball, said golf club including a shaft, a club head mounted on the lower end of the shaft and including a hosel, a heel portion and a blade portion, said hosel being integrally formed with said heel portion and said blade portion being mounted on said heel portion for limited pivotal movement about an axis which is generally horizontal when the club is in the address position, first coupling means on said heel portion, second coupling means on said blade portion and engageable with said first coupling means for rigidly coupling said blade portion to said heel portion, linkage means coupled to said blade portion and to said heel portion for moving said blade portion between a first position in which said blade is rigidly coupled to said heel and a second position in which said blade is disengaged from said heel to allow rotational movement between said blade and said heel and latching means for selectively positioning said first coupling means in at least said first and second positions so that said blade portion may be pivoted and secured into a plurality of loft angles upon movement into engagement with said heel portion,

said latching means comprising a lever pivotally mounted on said hosel and movable between a first position in which said lever is substantially parallel to the hosel and in which said heel portion and blade portion are rigidly coupled and a second position in which said lever is rotated away from the hosel and in which said blade portion is disengaged from said heel portion allowing limited rotational movement of said blade relative to said heel,

said linkage means comprises a lever stud disposed within a cavity in said heel portion and extending horizontally from said heel portion into said blade portion and secured thereto, and an adjustment pin operably connected to said lever and said lever stud and movable in cooperation with said lever from a first position in which said heel portion and said blade portion are rigidly coupled to a second position in which said blade portion is disengaged from said heel portion allowing limited rotational movement of said blade relative to said heel, further comprising biasing means coaxially disposed about said lever stud to urge disengagement of said blade portion from said heel portion.

2. A golf club having a normal address position when the user addresses the ball, said golf club including a shaft, a club head mounted on the lower end of the shaft and including a hosel, a heel portion and a blade portion, said hosel being integrally formed with said heel portion and said blade portion being mounted on said heel portion for limited pivotal movement about an axis which is generally horizontal when the club is in the address position, first coupling means on said heel portion, second coupling means on said blade portion and engageable with said first coupling means for rigidly coupling said blade portion to said heel portion, linkage means coupled to said blade portion and to said heel portion for moving said blade portion between a first position in which said blade is rigidly coupled to said heel and a second position in which said blade is disengaged from said heel to allow rotational movement between said blade and said heel and latching means for selectively positioning said first coupling means in at least said first and second positions so that said blade portion may be pivoted into a plurality of loft angles upon movement into and out of engagement with said heel portion,

said latching means comprising a lever pivotally mounted on said hosel and movable between a first position in which said lever is substantially parallel to the hosel and in which said heel portion and blade portion are rigidly coupled and a second position in which said lever is rotated away from the hosel and in which said blade portion is disengaged from said heel portion allowing limited rotational movement of said blade relative to said heel, and

wherein said linkage means comprises a lever stud disposed within a cavity in said heel portion and extending horizontally from said heel portion into said blade portion and secured thereto, and an adjustment pin operably connected to said lever and said lever stud movable in cooperation with said lever from a first position in which said heel portion and said blade portion are rigidly coupled to a second position in which said blade portion is disengaged from said heel portion allowing limited rotational movement of said blade relative to said heel.

3. The golf club defined in claim 2 further comprising biasing means coaxially disposed about said lever stud to urge disengagement of said blade portion from said heel portion.

4. The golf club defined in claim 2 wherein said blade portion is provided with a cavity back and said lever stud includes a threaded end extending into said cavity and secured therein with a threaded fastener.