Games using tangible projectile – Golf – Club or club support
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-21
2002-08-20
Passaniti, Sebastiano (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Golf
Club or club support
C473S340000, C473S349000, C473S341000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06435979
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND—FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to golf putters and golf clubs, specifically to an improved method for making golf clubs and golf club putters from extrusions with many embodiments and making golf putters with a high resistance to twist upon impact.
BACKGROUND—FIELD OF INVENTION
The art of hitting a golf ball with a golf club head produces a moment (twisting force) if the ball is not struck at the club's center of gravity. This is a so called “off-center hit.” The twisting force opens or closes the club head face at impact so that the actual initial trajectory of the ball is not the intended trajectory. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that a golfer consistently hits the golf ball at precisely the center of gravity every time. Thus, one of the goals of golf club designers is to decrease the likelihood of off-center hits adversely affecting the trajectory of the golf ball by minimizing the effects of the twisting moment.
There have been many different design approaches to solve the no-twist problem for golf putter heads and golf clubs in general. These approaches may or may not be desirable from a manufacturing point of view. While it is effective to use exotic materials to solve the twisting moment problem by using light weight materials near the center of gravity of the club and very dense materials (tungsten for example) at the outer ends of the putter head, it is not cost effective to do so. Further, extensive machining of club heads from castings or billet materials can produce dynamically effective solutions, but not necessarily cost effective ones.
(Investment) casting of golf putter heads is the normal manufacturing method used today. With investment casting, designers strive to achieve the goals of the right dynamics and good looks while maintaining low manufacturing cost. Casting, in general, is a low cost for high volume approach to producing golf putters heads as well as irons and woods. However, casting these heads does not control the grain structure of the head since casting produces fairly homogeneous structures with randomly oriented grain structure. Further, casting methods may also produce voids in the heads as gas bubbles form in the cooling casting. Voids affect the dynamics, strength, sound, and uniformity of golf club heads, none of which is desirable.
The orientation of grain structure is desirable in ones own experience apart from golf clubs. Base ball bats are selected for gain structure, as are wooden mallets, wooden beams, wooden block floors for heavy machinery, machined metallic plates, etc., all of which are selected for their grain structure. From these examples, as far as the orientation of the grain, a grain structure which is oriented in line with the line of impact (baseball bats excepted) seems to be the most effective way for energy transfer. Croquette mallets or wooden mallets sound solid (and hit solid) because of their aligned grain structure. Thus, it seems that a golf putter head with an aligned grain structure would be also more effective in the transfer of energy.
Another important system of golf clubs (and golf putter heads usually) is the alignment system which helps the golfer align the club face perpendicular to the intended line of the golf ball. A simple analysis of the problem shows that a alignment error of one degree would produce an error of 10 cm (four inches) on a perfectly flat surface in a roll of 6 meters (20 feet). This error is approximately the width of the cup in the green. Alignment marks have been incorporated into golf putter heads for some time in order to reduce these alignment errors. It seems reasonable to incorporate the alignment principal into the design of the entire golf putter head: that of parallel and perpendicular lines and surfaces.
It also seems unlikely that one weight (mass) golf putter, one face loft, one shaft lie angle, one shaft length putter will suit all golfers. There are hundreds of variations (if not thousands) of mass, loft, lie, shaft length available to golfers today. It is desirable to be able to accommodate as many different models (with distinct features) into one basic design as possible. This would be done for market penetration reasons if not for manufacturing reasons. Thus, a design which allows for multiple configurations without any or few changes in machining would be very desirable.
Style considerations for golf club heads and golf putter heads specifically are restricted in at least two ways. One, the USGA will not allow but so much a departure from past conforming designs. Two, stylistic considerations from the users point of view may require proportionally and finish beyond that of just club head performance.
In conclusion, a most effective design would then incorporate all of the above, and achieve a dynamically sound, cost effective, uniform, solid feeling, easy to align, golf putter design which can be customized to many different golfers.
The following previous patents by other inventors have attempted to solve one or more of the above goals. None of the previous inventions achieve all of these goals. A short description of the more notable applicable inventions follows.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,252 to Roraback, Harry G. (Dec. 22, 1987): A golf putter with ball bearing heel-toe weight inserts is described in Roraback (U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,252). The ball bearings, being less dense than other materials such as lead, are located in hemispherical cavities running from the top surface to the sole. This putter lacks high mass moment of inertial achievable with other designs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,387 to Finney, Clifton D. (Feb. 6, 1990): Finney (U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,387) describes a cast aluminum putter head with only the toe section containing tungsten like inserts (in the abstract lead inserts are described). This is an extremely complex head with many machining steps. It also appears to have a fairly flexible hosel considering the mass moment of inertia claimed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,478 to Long, Dabbs C. (Sep. 15, 1987): A offset hosel (towards ball) with severe face balance is described in Long (U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,478). The higher moment of inertia is achieved by the severe machining of an aluminum casting at the back of the putter head. The face balance is achieved with a large face bias offset hosel. This is an example of a single-sided, face-balance putter head. Mention is made for different masses; however, with the offset hosel design, no mention is made as to the design being able to accommodate different face lofts and shaft lies while achieving the same balance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,656 to Kinoshita, Frank (Jul. 21, 1992): Another one striking face heel-toe weighted golf putter head is described in Kinoshita (U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,656). This putter is claimed to be so called “gravity balanced ” by Kraneberg below (herein we use center balanced) but is claimed to be face balanced by Kinoshita. A center (gravity) balanced putter hangs in no preferred orientation when the putter's shaft is placed on a flat surface normal to the direction of the force of gravity. This is one of the few if only reference to such a balance method. The Kinoshita putter has a hosel to attach the putter shaft to the putter head. The addition of a hosel increases the mass of the putter while minimally increasing the mass moment of inertia about the shaft, both of which are not desirable. Further, the complexity of the hosel, either in the machining or the casting of the putter head, does not warrant the addition of a hosel versus a direct attachment. The hosel design complicates the incorporation of different shaft lies. The Kinoshita invention does appear to have a constant radius sole, but no claim is made for this characteristic.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,106 to Ravaris, Paul A. (Aug. 23, 1994): Ravaris (U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,106) describes a design of a putter whose shape alone moves material to the heel and toe in order to increase the moment of inertia. However, this putter also has runners on the sole which would require an exact match of the shaft lie to a particular go
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