Golf club with interchangeable faces and weights

• US 8,177,663 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2009
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WM. T. Burnett IP, LLP
• Original Assignee: WM. T. Burnett IP, LLP
• Inventors: Tucker, Richard B. C. Sr., Tolen, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): STANCZAK, MATTHEW BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US12/508,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20110021287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• Field of Search: 473/342, 473334-341
• US Class Current: 473/334
• 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 2209/08 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/10 with adhesive type surfaces, i.e. hook and loop-type fastener
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/065 for putters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/02 Ballast means for adjusting the centre of mass A63B60/24, A63B60/54 take precedence

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention, a golf putter and method of adjustment of the golf putter are provided. The golf putter includes two threaded connections, one between a weighting element and a putter head, and one between a screw fastener and a replaceable striking surface attachment. The weighting element may be attached to the putter head by manual manipulation. The striking surface attachment may be attached to the putter head by a magnetic connection or any other attachment means suitable for easy replacement during a practice or experimentation mode, and is further configured to be attached to a screw fastener using a tool such that the golf putter is in compliance with rules. The screw fastener passes through the weighting element so that it locks the weighting element simultaneously when affixing the striking surface attachment, thus rendering the weighting element non-removable without the use of a tool.

Claims

1. A golf putter comprising:

a putter head defining a front portion, a rear portion, a threaded stub protruding from said rear portion, a bore passing through said putter head and said threaded stub, a surface of said threaded stub being defined by a first threaded portion having a first thread pitch;

a striking surface attachment attached to the front portion of the putter head, a rear portion of the striking surface attachment having a second threaded portion having a second thread pitch, the second thread pitch being different from the first thread pitch;

a weighting element disposed at a rear portion of the putter head, the weighting element having a third threaded portion matching the first thread pitch, the weighting element attached to the putter head via the first threaded portion engaging with the third threaded portion, the weighting element being attachable to and detachable from the putter head manually; and

a screw fastener disposed within the weighting element, the screw fastener having a fourth threaded portion matching the second thread pitch, the screw fastener passing freely through the weighting element and the bore of the putter head and attached to the striking surface attachment via the second threaded portion engaging with the fourth threaded portion, the screw fastener when engaged securing both the striking surface attachment and the weighting element to the putter head.

2. The golf putter of claim 1, wherein said first threaded portion is an internal surface of said bore passing through said stub of the putter head.

3. The golf putter of claim 1, wherein said first threaded portion comprises an external surface of said stub, and the bore passing through the putter head has a diameter smaller than the first threaded portion, and wherein the bore is concentric to the first threaded portion.

4. The golf putter of claim 1, wherein the screw fastener is captively held by the weighting element.

5. The golf putter of claim 4, wherein an outer portion of the weighting element is mechanically deformed to captively hold the screw fastener within the weighting element.

6. The golf putter of claim 4, wherein a retaining element is attached to an outer portion of the weighting element in order to captively hold the screw fastener within the weighting element.

7. The golf putter of claim 1, wherein the front portion of the putter head defines a cavity, and wherein the striking surface attachment is disposed in the cavity and magnetically attached thereto.

8. The golf putter of claim 1, wherein the striking surface attachment comprises protrusions and the front portion of the putter head comprises indentations, and wherein the protrusions and indentations are configured to consistently align the striking surface attachment with the putter head.

9. The golf putter of claim 1, wherein the first thread pitch comprises fewer threads per inch than does the second thread pitch.

10. The golf putter of claim 1, wherein the screw fastener is a socket head screw that requires the use of a tool to affix the screw fastener to the striking surface attachment.

11. The golf putter of claim 1, further comprising a biasing or cushioning member configured to resist free movement of the screw fastener when the screw fastener is not attached to the striking surface attachment.