Golf putter with adjustable head

• US 8,905,857 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lewis V. Eckhart
• Original Assignee: Lewis V. Eckhart
• Inventors: Eckhart, Lewis V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US13/833,001
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 473/219, 473/231, 473244-248, 473251-256, 473/340, 473/341, 473305-315
• US Class Current: 473/244
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2053/0491 with added weights, e.g. changeable, replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/007 Putters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/02 Joint structures between the head and the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/022 allowing adjustable positioning of the head with respect to the shaft
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/04 Heads
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0441 with visual indicators for aligning the golf club
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/065 for putters
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/00 Details or accessories of golf clubs, bats, rackets or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 60/12 contoured according to the anatomy of the user's hand
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/3685 Putters or attachments on putters, e.g. for measuring, aligning A63B69/3614 takes precedence

Abstract

A putter for use in a game of golf including a handle from which exends a shaft having a lower extension portion connected to a hosel mounted on a putter head having a front putting face, upper and lower surfaces and opposite side portions and wherein a central alignment groove extends along a central longitudinal axis of the head toward the putting face and wherein pairs of alignment members extend parallel on opposite sides of the central alignment groove and perpendicular to the putting face, and wherein at least one projection from the hosel is spaced above one of the pairs of alignment members and includes an alignment band for aligning with the one of pair of alignment members when the putter is addressed relative to a ball.

Claims

1. A putter for use in a game of golf, the putter comprising a handle from which exends a shaft having a lower extension portion, the extension portion being mounted to a hosel so as to extend generally parallel to a plane defined by an upper surface of a club head of the putter, means for mounting the hosel to the club head, the club head having a front putting face, rear portion, opposite side portions and upper and lower surfaces, the club head having a central longitudinal axis that extends perpendicularly with respect to the putting face, a central alignment marker provided along the upper surface so as to be perpendicular to the putting face and in alignment with the central longitudinal axis for aligning a central sweet spot of the putting face with a ball, a set of spaced alignment markers provided along the upper surface of the putter head and on opposite sides of and parallel to the central alignment marker, the hosel being mounted adjacent to but spaced from the putting face to the upper surface of the club head and in alignment with the central alignment marker, at least one alignment projection extending outward from the hosel so as to be spaced above the central alignment marker and perpendicular to the set of spaced alignment markers, at least one alignment band being provided on one of the lower extension of the shaft or the at least one alignment projection, the at least one alignment band having a end that is vertically aligned relative to one of the set of spaced alignment markers, and whereby a proper alignment of the putting face with a ball is visually determined by aligning the at least one alignment projection with one of the set of spaced alignment markers and aligning the at least one alignment band with one of the set of spaced alignment markers when the club head is viewed from above.

2. The putter of claim 1 including at least one pair of spaced additional alignment markers, the additional alignment markers being parallel to the putting face and between the putting face and the hosel.

3. The putter of claim 2 wherein the additional alignment markers and the set of alignment markers are formed as slots in the upper surface of the putter head.

4. The putter of claim 3 wherein the central alignment marker is formed as a groove within the upper surface of the putter head, and the hosel being mounted within the groove.

5. The putter of claim 4 including two alignment bands, one alignment band provided on the lower extension of the shaft and one alignment band provided on the at least one alignment projection.

6. The putter of claim 5 wherein the alignment bands are equally spaced outwardly on opposite sides of the hosel.

7. The putter of claim 1 wherein the at least one alignment extension is formed by a free end of the lower shaft extension which is connected to the hosel.

8. The putter of claim 1 wherein weight receiving slots are provided in each of the opposite side portions of the putter head, and a set of weights for being selectively mounted within the weight receiving slots.

9. The putter of claim 1 wherein the lower surface of the putter head tapers upward toward side walls of the opposite side portions of the putter head.

10. The putter of claim 1 wherein a center of mass of the putter head is located along the central longitudinal axis.

11. The putter of claim 1 including means for adjustably mounting the hosel to the putter head so that the putter may be used for right and left handed putting.

12. The putter of claim 1 wherein the central alignment member is formed as a groove within the upper surface of the putter head, and the hosel being mounted within the groove.

13. The putter of claim 1 wherein the hosel includes a top surface and vertically extending side walls which do not extend outwardly relative to the top surface when viewed from directly above the top surface and wherein at least two oppositely oriented side walls are spaced from one another at a distance which is equal to a width of the groove.

14. The putter of claim 1 including two alignment bands, one alignment band provided on the lower extension of the shaft and one alignment band provided on the at least one alignment projection.

15. The putter of claim 14 wherein the alignment bands are equally spaced outwardly on opposite sides of the hosel.

16. A putter for use in a game of golf, the putter comprising a handle from which exends a shaft connected to a hosel, a pair of alignment projections extending from opposite sides of the hosel, means for mounting the hosel to a club head having a front putting face, rear portion, opposite side portions and upper and lower surfaces, the club head having a central longitudinal axis that extends perpendicularly with respect to the putting face, a first alignment groove provided along the upper surface so as to be perpendicular to the putting face and in alignment with the central longitudinal axis for aligning a central sweet spot of the putting face with a ball, the hosel being mounted within the groove adjacent to but spaced from the putting face, a first pair of spaced alignment slots provided along the upper surface and on opposite sides of the groove, the first pair of alignment slots being parallel to the groove and perpendicular to the putting face, a second pair of alignment slots extending from opposite sides of the hosel toward the opposite side portions, the second alignment slots being parallel to the putting face, the pair of alignment projections extending outward from the hosel so as to be spaced above the first pair of alignment slots and rearward relative to the second alignment slots, at least one alignment band being provided on one of the lower extension of the shaft or the at least one alignment projection, the at least one alignment band having a end that is vertically aligned relative to one of the second pair of alignment slots, whereby a proper alignment of the putting face with a ball is visually determined by aligning pair of alignment extensions with the first and second pairs of alignment slots and aligning the at least one alignment band with one of the second pair of alignment slots when the hosel of the club head is viewed from above.

17. The putter of claim 16 including two alignment bands, one alignment band provided on each of the alignment extensions.

18. The putter of claim 17 wherein the alignment bands are equally spaced outwardly on opposite sides of the hosel.