Games using tangible projectile – Golf – Club or club support
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-24
2001-07-10
Passaniti, Sebastiano (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Golf
Club or club support
C473S340000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257994
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to golf putters and in particular to putters with improved ball striking face configurations.
It is well known that a golf ball tends to skid a considerable distance across a putting green surface after being struck by a planar ball striking face of a putter before it begins to roll. Various ball striking face surfaces, many with face insets made of different materials, have been developed to improve the way a golf ball rolls off a putter face.
For example U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,616 to Rife uses a series of horizontal, V-shaped grooves with truncated outer ball gripping edges to grip a golf ball as it leaves the striking face to increase roll.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,637,044 to Swash shows a golf putter having a ball striking face with a plurality of concentric grooves.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,641 to Miesch et al. shows a putter face made of an array of pyramids to increase friction between the golf ball and the putter face.
U.S. Design Pat. D 411,275 to Bottema et al. shows a putter face with an array of cylindrical projections.
U.S. Design Pat. D 415,809 to Bottema et al. shows a putter face with an array of cubed shaped projections.
U.S. Design Pat. D 57,980 to Kraeuter shows a putter face with an array of diamond shaped projections.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,434 to Baker et al. shows a putter face with an array of truncated, pyramid shaped projections.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,530,052 to Stuff et al. and 4,508,342 to Drake both show putter faces with vertical grooves.
U.S. Design Pat. D 63,284 to Challis shows a putter face with an array of square projections.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a variety of putter ball striking face configurations including free standing raised projections, punch marks, vertical and horizontal grooves and combinations thereof.
The ball striking face surfaces of the present invention, in addition to producing substantially more cushioning effect at impact, also provide increased traction between the club face and the golf ball, resulting in optimum tracking accuracy from the initial ball contact and greater increased resistance to adverse lateral movements or reactions which can occur when off center ball contact occurs. Thus when a golf ball is struck by the ball striking face configurations of the present invention, there is a greater ball resistance to such things as minor surface imperfections on the putting green, and other impediments such as top dressing, grass cuttings or other particles sometimes found on putting green surfaces. Because of the increased top traction applied to golf balls when they are struck by the free standing, projections of this invention, the behavior of the balls is altered considerably. The balls begin to roll immediately with additional traction and axis spin resulting in the ball rolling over obstacles instead of being easily deflected. Furthermore, the raised projection designs of the present invention produce enhanced, positive traction between the club face and the golf ball whereby the ball quickly reacts and adheres to the club face for a slightly longer time than it would with a normal flat ball striking surface of conventional type putter faces. The tendency for the ball not to jump off of the club face is particularly useful in putting downhill putts or on extremely fast greens where controlling the ball speed is of primary importance.
The staggered free standing, rectangular projection designs of the present invention create more isolated land areas where ball contact occurs. This improved structure not only produces dramatically more cushion but permits the optimum transfer of energy to the precise point of ball contact on the putter face. Because less area of the ball is contacted by the smaller isolated, free standing land areas, the transmitted energy is more focused directly to the precise ball surface contact point rather than being dissipated across a larger planar striking face surface like that of traditional putter faces.
Applicant significantly associates his present invention, to the occurrence of one of Natures' phenomena involving the Laws of Physics and Dynamics. He has relied on the irrefutable visible results that occur, repeatedly, when a golf ball lands in a pond or any pool of water.
“Ripples” or “Concentric Rings” start forming immediately from the force at impact. Most notably, the available energy is distributed in a 360° direction, perpetuating a group of continuing “Concentric Rings”, that behave in a most extraordinary manner . . . the “Concentric Rings” are symmetrically formed, retain their same space between them, and never overtake one another. Also, as the force or energy level diminishes, it does so equally, in a 360° direction. This amazing visual demonstration occurs each time, in the same order, at the same tempo and with the same results.
Using this knowledge, the present invention incorporates free standing, smaller rectangular projections on the ball striking face which are totally isolated, individually separated from each other. The free standing projections have planar land surface areas which permit only minimal contact of the putter face to a golf ball during a putting stroke thus concentrating the force at the precise point of contact between the ball and the club face. This minimizes any diminishing effect or energy loss of the impact force which can dissipate away from the golf ball, thereby allowing more energy to be instantly available for transmission directly to the ball at the precise point of contact on the putter face.
Further, the unusual concepts of this invention not only increase the ball's tracking accuracy and responsiveness, they also produce a significant and impressive amount of a “softer”-type built-in cushioning. The land area surfaces of the raised free-standing projections are much smaller than the land areas between the longer vertical or horizontal grooves . . . or the planar surfaces of conventional putter faces. Consequently, more energy is transmitted to the ball by the larger land areas of such putters. However, the free-standing construction of the smaller surfaces of this invention, appear to produce more P.S.I. available at ball-contact, than the larger land areas of other planar face or grooved putter faces.
Having this unique capability, putter faces with this invention permit golfers to stroke their putts, with more authority, knowing that the ball will not roll excessively beyond the intended hole. Also, golfers, knowing their balls will not roll and roll, uncontrollably far beyond their intended putting hole, quickly develop increased confidence and assurance when confronting fast downhill putts.
Quite often, some putts with visible “breaks” require the ball to be stroked on a “curved” path to have any chance of rolling into the intended cup. All golfers dread this situation. However, the gripping action of this invention, is so effective and compelling that golfers can boldly stroke their balls, more directly to the hole, or with much less allowance for the normal “break” needed with putters having planar faces.
A first embodiment uses a series of free standing, raised rectangular projections which are offset with each adjacent projection in a vertical brick configuration.
A second embodiment uses a series of free standing, raised rectangular projections which are staggered in a horizontal, brick configuration.
A third embodiment uses a series of free standing, vertical raised projections at the center of the club face and a series of raised rectangular projections which are staggered in a vertical brick configuration at the heel and toe sections of the putter face.
A fourth embodiment uses a series of spaced, hyphenated, vertical raised projections at the center of the club face and a series of free standing, raised rectangular projections which are staggered in a vertical brick configuration at the heel and toe sections of the putter face.
A fifth embodiment uses an array of free standing, three sided, equilateral triangular shaped, raised projections on
Passaniti Sebastiano
Welsh & Flaxman LLC
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