Golf club weight

• US 6,612,936 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2002
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Melchor E. Matias
• Original Assignee: Melchor E. Matias
• Inventors: Matias, Melchor E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sewell, Paul T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Legesse, Nini F.
• Application Number:
  US10/222,280
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 473/256, 473/219, 473/226, 473/227, 473/229
• US Class Current: 473/256
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3638 Normal golf clubs with directly attached weights

Abstract

A golf club weight that is secured around a shaft of a golf club for aiding a golfer in swing training and warm up activities. The weight has a primary sleeve, a secondary sleeve, and a securement means. The securement means serves to interlock the primary sleeve and the secondary sleeve for securement around the golf club shaft. A set screw extends through the primary sleeve and, when tightened, may lock the secondary sleeve in place within the primary sleeve. Attachment weights may be added to the golf club weight to increase the overall weight applied to the golf club.

Claims

1. A golf club weight for use with a golf club, the golf club having a shaft, comprising:

a primary sleeve, the primary sleeve having a top surface, a bottom surface, an outer wall, an inner wall, said walls extending longitudinally between the top and bottom surfaces, a central bore also extending between the top and bottom surfaces, and a longitudinal primary sleeve shaft slot extending from the central bore to the outer wall, said slot sized to allow the golf club shaft to be inserted into the central bore through said slot;

a secondary sleeve, the secondary sleeve having an outer wall, an inner wall, a cap, and a shaft extending downward from the cap, the cap having same diameter as the primary sleeve and a larger diameter than the shaft, and the shaft sized to fit within the primary sleeve central bore and rotatable within the primary sleeve, said shaft having an outer surface, an inner surface, and a bottom surface, a secondary sleeve central bore extending longitudinally from the cap to the shaft bottom surface, and a secondary sleeve shaft slot extending longitudinally from the central bore to the secondary sleeve outer wall and the shaft outer surface; and

a securement means, the securement means selectively interlocking the primary sleeve and the secondary sleeve for preventing relative longitudinally movement of the primary and secondary sleeves.

2. The golf club weight as recited in claim 1, wherein the securement means comprises threading on the inner wall of the primary sleeve and threading on the outer surface of the secondary sleeve shaft, wherein the shaft is selectively mateable with the primary sleeve and the securement means prevents uncontrolled longitudinal movement between the sleeves.

3. The golf club weight as recited in claim 2, wherein the primary sleeve further comprises:

a threaded aperture, the aperture extending transversely through the primary sleeve, from the outer wall to the inner wall; and

a set screw, the set screw being selectively mateable with the threaded aperture, said set screw having a protected end, a shoulder, and a thumb crank positioned on top of the shoulder, wherein the thumb crank is engaged by the user to thread the screw into the aperture.

4. The golf club weight as recited in claim 3, wherein the length of the set screw is longer than the distance between the outer wall and the inner wall of the primary sleeve, wherein when the secondary sleeve shaft is secured within the primary sleeve, the set screw protected end engages the shaft outer surface, thereby selectively locking the secondary sleeve shaft within the primary sleeve.

5. The golf club weight as recited in claim 4, wherein the protected end of the set screw has a pad which directly engages the golf club when the set screw is tightened thereagainst to prevent damage to the golf club shaft.

6. The golf club weight as recited in claim 5, wherein the length of the secondary sleeve shaft is equivalent to the length of the primary sleeve, wherein when the secondary sleeve shaft is completely threaded into the primary sleeve, the secondary sleeve cap rests on top of the primary sleeve top surface, and the shaft bottom surface is flush with the primary sleeve bottom surface.

7. The golf club weight as recited in claim 6, wherein the secondary sleeve central bore is lined with a non-abrasive material to protect the golf club shaft.

8. The golf club weight as recited in claim 1, wherein the securement means comprises circumferential grooves at the bottom edge and near the top edge of the primary sleeve and flanges extending outward from the shaft top edge and the shaft bottom edge, wherein the shaft flanges engage the primary sleeve circumferential grooves, thus selectively mating the primary sleeve and preventing longitudinal movement between the sleeves.

9. The golf club weight as recited in claim 8, wherein the primary sleeve further comprises:

a threaded aperture, the aperture extending transversely through the primary sleeve, from the outer wall to the inner wall; and

a set screw, the set screw being selectively mateable with the threaded aperture, said set screw having a protected end, a shoulder, and a thumb crank positioned on top of the shoulder, wherein the thumb crank is engaged by the user to thread the screw into the aperture.

10. The golf club weight as recited in claim 9, wherein the length of the set screw is longer than the distance between the outer wall and the inner wall of the primary sleeve, wherein when the secondary sleeve shaft is secured within the primary sleeve, the set screw protected end engages the shaft outer surface, thereby selectively locking the secondary sleeve shaft within the primary sleeve.

11. The golf club weight as recited in claim 10, wherein the protected end of the set screw has a pad which directly engages the golf club when the set screw is tightened thereagainst to prevent damage to the golf club shaft.

12. The golf club weight as recited in claim 11, wherein the length of the secondary sleeve shaft is equivalent to the length of the primary sleeve, wherein when the secondary sleeve shaft is secured within the primary sleeve, the secondary sleeve cap rests on top of the primary sleeve top surface, and the shaft bottom surface is flush with the primary sleeve bottom surface.

13. The golf club weight as recited in claim 12, wherein the secondary sleeve central bore is lined with a non-abrasive material to protect the golf club shaft.

14. The golf club weight as recited in claim 1, further comprising an attachment weight that may be added to the golf club weight to increase the weight thereof, said attachment weight having an outer wall, a top surface, a bottom surface, a central bore extending longitudinally between the top and bottom surfaces, and a shaft slot extending longitudinally from the central bore to the outer wall.

15. The golf club weight as recited in claim 14, wherein the attachment weight further comprises a pair of threaded holes, the holes extending through the attachment weight, from the top surface to the bottom surface, said holes sized to accommodate a screw.

16. The golf club weight as recited in claim 15, wherein the primary sleeve further comprises holes corresponding to the attachment weight holes, wherein when the attachment weight is placed against the primary sleeve, with the shaft slots aligned, screws may be threaded through the attachment weight into the primary sleeve, thereby securing the attachment weight to the golf club weight.

17. A method of adding weight to a golf club shaft using a golf club weight, the golf club having a golf club shaft, and the golf club weight comprising a primary sleeve and a secondary sleeve, the primary sleeve having a primary sleeve shaft slot, and the secondary sleeve having a cap, a shaft extending down from the cap, a secondary sleeve shaft slot, and a secondary sleeve central bore, comprising the steps of:

aligning the secondary sleeve shaft slot with the primary sleeve shaft slot by rotating the secondary sleeve within the primary sleeve;

inserting the golf club shaft through the shaft slots into the secondary sleeve central bore;

misaligning the shaft slots by rotating the secondary sleeve about the primary sleeve, thereby locking the shaft within the secondary sleeve central bore;

practicing a golf swing using the golf club.

18. The method of adding weight to a golf club shaft using a golf club weight as recited in claim 17, wherein the weight further comprises a thumb crank and a set screw, the set screw having a protected end opposite the thumb crank, and the secondary sleeve shaft having an outer surface, wherein the step of practicing a golf swing using the golf club is immediately preceded by the step of:

locking the secondary sleeve in place within the primary sleeve by turning the thumb crank and engaging the protected end of the set screw against the shaft outer surface.