Adjustable head golf club with positive locking mechanism and locking screw therefore

• US 5,390,920 A
• Filed: 01/26/1994
• Issued: 02/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert H. Nickum
• Original Assignee: Robert H. Nickum
• Inventors: Nickum, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Passaniti, Sebastiano
• Application Number:
  US08/186,841
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 273/80.1, 273/80.2, 273/193 R, 273/194 R, 273/77 R, 273/167 R, 273/79, 273/168, 273/167 G, 273/80 C, 273/80 R, 411/39, 411/512, 411/910, 411/911
• US Class Current: 473/246
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/023 adjustable angular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0433 with special sole configurations
• 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 having an adjustable head with a positive locking mechanism. The lower end of the golf club shaft terminates in a spherical ball which is restrained within a cooperating bore in the golf club head which permits free rotational and pivotal movement of the head with respect to the shaft. A locking screw, when tightened within the bore, holds the pivot ball in place against rotational and pivotal motion. A portion of the locking screw is designed to break off after tightening so that the position of the head cannot be changed during play.

Claims

1. A golf club comprising:

a shaft having a lowermost end, the lowermost end of said shaft terminating in a generally spherical pivot ball having an exterior bearing surface including a lower bearing surface and an upper bearing surface;

a golf club head having an upper surface and a lower surface and including a bore extending from said upper surface to said lower surface of said head, said bore having an upper end and a lower end, said ball being rotatably and pivotally captured within said bore, said upper end of said bore being provided with an inwardly directed annular shoulder having a central opening smaller than the diameter of the ball for preventing disengagement of said ball from said bore and a pivot ball contacting portion; and

a locking screw having an upper end and a lower end threadedly engaging a portion at least of said lower end of said bore, said locking screw when in a loosened position permitting free rotation and pivotal motion of said ball within said bore so that said golf club head can be adjusted to a desired position, said upper end of said locking screw when in a tightened position contacting a portion at least of said lower bearing surface of said ball so as to force a portion at least of said upper bearing surface of said ball into engagement with said shoulder to prevent rotation and pivotal motion of said ball, thereby positively locking the golf club head in the desired position with respect to said shaft;

said locking screw including a lower portion configured to be engaged by a tightening tool, said locking screw further including an upper portion having an upper surface configured to forcibly engage said lower bearing surface of the pivot ball, and a frangible portion connecting said upper and lower locking screw portions, said frangible portion being configured to cause separation of the upper and lower locking screw portions when the engagement force applied to the pivot ball by the upper locking screw portion exceeds a predetermined amount sufficient to positively lock the golf club head in the desired position with respect to the shaft.

2. The golf club according to claim 1 wherein said bore is centrally located on said golf club head.

3. The golf club according to claim 1 wherein said shaft is provided with an angularly disposed offset adjacent said golf club head.

4. The golf club according to claim 1 wherein said pivot ball contacting portion of said shoulder is provided with a sharpened edge for engaging the bearing surface of the ball when the locking screw is in the tightened position.

5. The golf club according to claim 1 wherein said lower locking screw portion does not enter said threaded bore.

6. The golf club according to claim 1 wherein said upper locking screw portion is configured to resist removal after said frangible portion operates to separate said upper and lower locking screw portions.

7. A locking screw in combination with an adjustable head golf club of the type having a shaft including a lowermost end, said lowermost end of said shaft terminating in a generally spherical pivot ball having an exterior bearing surface including an upper bearing surface and a lower bearing surface, and a golf club head including an upper surface and a lower surface, said head further including a threaded bore extending from said upper surface to said lower surface of said head, said locking screw comprising:

an upper portion for threadedly engaging the golf club head bore and having an upper surface configured to abut the lower bearing surface of the pivot ball;

a lower portion having a lower surface configured to be engaged by a tightening tool; and

a central portion connecting said upper and lower locking screw portions, said central portion being configured to separate said lower portion from said upper portion, when said upper portion has been tightened against said pivot ball.

8. The combination according to claim 7 wherein said central portion is configured to separate said upper and lower locking screw portions when the force supplied to said lower portion exceeds a predetermined value.

9. The combination according to claim 8 wherein said central portion is configured to break off when the force applied to said lower portion exceeds a predetermined value.