Games using tangible projectile – Golf – Club or club support
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-16
2004-06-15
Passaniti, Sebastiano (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Golf
Club or club support
C473S331000, C473S336000, C473S340000, C473S332000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06749523
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to adjustable golf equipment and more particularly to a putter with an adjustable sweet spot and having a construction facilitating adjustment of the putter to compensate for a golfer's tendency to miss putts by misdirection.
Many different kinds and shapes of putters are available on the market and new putter models are continuously being developed. Some putters in the prior art employ adjustable weights to enable the sweet spot in the putter to be adjusted along the axis of the putter head. In one prior art putter, adjustable weights are screwed into a weight chamber extending from the heel to the toe of the putter and the threaded chamber is closed with threaded end plugs. The weights and the end plugs are provided with slots to receive a screw driver to enable adjustment of the weights. The above described putters of the prior art enable the sweet spot to be adjusted, but the weight adjustment is a very time consuming procedure. In another putter, the weights are in the form of truncated pyramids, which slide in trapezoidal slots in the putter head and while are held in place by screw bolts projecting from the back of the putter. This arrangement has the weights located within the slots. The arrangement limits the size of the weights, reducing the ability to provide much sweet spot adjustment and the trapezoidal slope to the slots makes manufacture difficult and expensive. This latter deficiency is alleviated somewhat by making the slots open ended, but this arrangement makes it easy for the weights to be slid entirely out of the slot, thus permitting them to become easily lost. Furthermore, the projecting bolts are susceptible to being knocked by external objects causing the weight assembly to come loose form the putter head.
In all of the adjustable weight putters of the prior art, there is also a tendency for the weight to vibrate against the putter head when the ball is struck, giving the golfer a bad feel in the stroke.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the problems of the prior art adjustable sweet spot putter by providing adjustable weights which are designed to permit a sliding motion within an outer chamber along a closed channel which runs longitudinally within the putter head. The weights comprise oval members which are fixed to the slides with bolts. The slides slide in the channel and the bolts extend through slots in a retainer plate closing the top of the channel. The bolts are tightenable in the slides to hold the weights against the retainer plate defining the slot by securing a slide to the opposite side of the slot to hold the weights in their selected position. The bolts are structured to be loosened and tightened with an allen wrench or a screw driver to enable sliding the weight along the channel to a new position.
The face of the putter is provided with small arcuate vertical grooves which improve the consistency of the contact of the putter face with the dimpled ball surface to give the golf ball struck with the putter face more consistency in its direction.
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Aitken Andrew C.
Passaniti Sebastiano
Venable LLP
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