Golf putter

• US 5,531,439 A
• Filed: 08/25/1995
• Issued: 07/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charles W. Azzarella
• Original Assignee: Charles W. Azzarella
• Inventors: Azzarella, Charles W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US08/519,295
• Time in Patent Office: 312 Days
• Field of Search: 273/167 S, 273/173, 273/174, 273/175, 273/167 G, 273/80 C
• US Class Current: 473/331
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0416 Heads having an impact surface provided by a face insert
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0445 Details of grooves or the like on the impact surface
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 53/0487 for putters A63B53/065 takes precedence

Abstract

A putter for imparting rotation to a golf ball during putting. The inventive device includes a club handle with a sole plate attached to a lower end thereof. A face plate projects from a forward edge of the sole plate and is oriented at an orthogonal angle relative thereto. A frictional insert is mounted within a slot of the face plate and operates to frictionally engage a golf ball to impart a rotation to the ball during impact.

Claims

1. A stainless steel insert golf putter comprising:

an elongated handle;

a club head mounted to a lower end of the handle, the club head including a sole plate and a face plate projecting from a forward edge of the sole plate, the face plate being shaped so as to define a receiving slot directed thereinto, the face plate is oriented so as to extend at an orthogonal angle relative to the sole plate, the face plate of the club head is shaped so as to define a linear lower edge spaced from an upper edge, with lateral edges extending between the upper edge and the lower edge, the lateral edges of the face plate being oriented so as to extend at an oblique angle relative to the lower edge so as to define a substantially trapezoidal shape of the face plate;

the sole plate is shaped so as to define a top face spaced from a planar bottom face, a rear edge spaced from a forward edge of the sole plate, and orthogonal lateral edges extending substantially orthogonally between adjacent ends of the rear edge and the forward edge, the sole plate is further shaped so as to define a hosel directed thereinto and located medially between the orthogonal lateral edges, the hosel receiving and engaging a lower end of the handle;

the lower edge of the face plate extends into contiguous communication with the planar bottom face of the sole plate, the face plate being further shaped so as to define a planar front face spaced from a rear face, with the receiving slot being directed into the front face of the face plate and extending through the face plate to terminate proximal to a juncture of the face plate and the sole plate of the club head;

the receiving slot is shaped so as to define opposed and substantially parallel dovetail channels extending vertically and parallel through the front face along respectively opposed sides of the receiving slot from the upper edge of the face plate;

a frictional insert positioned within the slot of the face plate for frictionally engaging a golf ball during impacting thereof so as to impart a rotation to the ball, the frictional insert is shaped so as to fit into and frictionally engage surfaces of the receiving slot, the frictional insert being formed of stainless steel and having a plate member with a planar front face spaced from a planar rear face;

a top edge extending substantially orthogonally between the front face and the rear face, and a bottom edge extending in a substantially spaced and parallel orientation relative to the top edge, the plate member being further shaped so as to define dovetail lateral edges extending from the front face at an oblique angle relative thereto and into communication with the rear face, wherein the front face is of a first width measured between the lateral edges, and the rear face is of a second width measured between the lateral edges, with the second width being substantially greater than the first width so as to define the dovetail lateral edges extending between the front face and the rear face, the dovetail lateral edges operate to be received within the dovetail channel of the face plate; and

the front face of the plate member is shaped so as to define a plurality of grooves extending between the dovetail lateral edges, with the grooves being oriented in a substantially spaced and parallel orientation relative to one another and cooperating to define a plurality of projections extending between the dovetail lateral edges of the plate member, the grooves are substantially rectangular in cross section so as to define projections which are substantially rectangular in cross section, each of the projections having a pair of spaced and parallel orthogonally oriented corner edges which frictionally engage the exterior surface of the golf ball.