Golf putter

• US 5,676,606 A
• Filed: 09/08/1995
• Issued: 10/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ASICS Corporation
• Original Assignee: The Founders Club Golf Company
• Inventors: Vokey, Robert W., Sheets, Jeffrey D., Schaeffer, Barry M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US08/525,842
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 473/324, 473/328, 473/332, 473/340, 473/341, 473/345, 473/349, 473/350
• US Class Current: 473/340
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2209/00 Characteristics of used materials
• 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

Abstract

A golf putter head has a main body portion with a front, striking face, a lower, sole face, a heel, a toe, and a rear face, and an arcuate indent or recess in the sole face extending out to the outer perimeter of the heel, toe and rear face. The main body portion is of a first material, and an arcuate weighting member of a second material heavier than the first material is secured in the indent. The weighting member has a lower face flush with the sole face of the main body portion, and an outer peripheral face flush with the adjacent outer perimeter portions of the rear face, heel and toe of the body portion.

Claims

1. A golf putter, comprising:

an elongate shaft having an upper end and a lower end;

a club head secured to the lower end of the shaft, the head having a main body portion comprising a front, striking face, a sole face extending rearwardly from the striking face, and an outer perimeter defining heel, toe and rear faces of the club head;

the sole face of the main body portion having an arcuate indent extending outwardly to the outer perimeter of the heel, toe and rear faces;

an arcuate weighting member secured in said indent, the weighting member being of shape and dimensions matching the shape and dimensions of said indent and having a lower face extending flush with said lower sole face and an outer peripheral edge extending flush with the outer perimeter of said heel, toe and rear faces; and

the main body portion being of a first material having a first density, and the weighting member being of a second material of higher density than said first material.

2. The putter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the club head is mallet-shaped and the main body portion has a solid body extending rearwardly from said striking face including an upper face extending rearwardly to said rear face.

3. The putter as claimed in claim 2, wherein the weighting member has a flat upper face and flat end faces and the indent has a corresponding flat lower face and flat end faces, the flat end faces of the recess being substantially parallel with the striking face and spaced a predetermined distance behind the striking face.

4. The putter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recess and the weighting member are of corresponding, horseshoe shape.

5. The putter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body portion comprises a front wall forming said striking face, the front wall having a lower edge, an upper edge, and opposite heel and toe ends, and a lower wall extending rearwardly from the lower edge of the front wall, the lower wall having an arcuate rear edge defining said indent, and the weighting member comprises an arcuate member secured to the rear edge of said lower wall and having a rear perimeter forming part of outer perimeter of the club head.

6. The putter as claimed in claim 5, wherein the weighting member is flat and has a thickness equal to the thickness of said lower wall.

7. The putter as claimed in claim 5, wherein the main body includes heel and toe flanges extending rearwardly from the heel and toe ends of the front wall, the heel and toe flanges having cut out recesses forming part of said indent, and the weighting member has a flat central portion for fitting against the rear edge of the lower wall and raised opposite end portions for fitting into the respective recesses in said heel and toe flanges.

8. The putter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main body is of aluminum and the weighting member is of brass.

9. A golf club putter head, comprising:

a main body portion of a first material having a front, striking face, a sole face, heel and toe faces and a rear face, the main body portion having an arcuate indent in the sole face extending outwardly to the heel, toe and rear face of the main body portion;

an arcuate weighting member secured in said arcuate indent and being shaped and dimensioned for close, mating engagement in said indent;

the weighting member having a lower face flush with the sole face of said main body portion and forming a smooth continuation of said sole face, and an outer peripheral edge forming at least part of the outer perimeter of said putter head and having faces extending flush with the rear, heel and toe faces of the main body portion; and

the weighting member being of a second material of higher density than said first material.

10. The head as claimed in claim 9, wherein the main body portion comprises a generally mallet-shaped, solid body including an upper face extending rearwardly to the rear face, and the indent and weighting member are of corresponding, horseshoe shape.

11. The head as claimed in claim 10, wherein the indent has a curved inner face following the same general contour as the outer perimeter of the putter head and a flat upper face extending from said inner face out to the outer perimeter of the putter head, and the weighting member has a corresponding curved inner face for mating with the inner face of said indent and a flat upper face for mating with the flat upper face of said indent.

12. The head as claimed in claim 9, wherein the main body portion comprises a front wall forming said front striking face, the front wall having a lower edge, and a sole plate extending rearwardly from the lower edge of said front wall, the indent comprising an arcuate cut-out in said sole plate, and the weighting member comprises an arcuate plate for mating engagement in said cut-out to form a rearward continuation of said sole plate.