US3448981A - Golf club - Google Patents

Description

June 0. 96 D. M. ANWEILER 3,448,981

com CLUB Filed Sept. 16, 1966 INVENTOR DONALD MANWEILER Arromvsrs United States Patent 3,448,981 GOLF CLUB Donald M. Anweiler, 105 E. Paulding Road, Fort Wayne, Ind. 46807 Filed Sept. 16, 1966, Ser. No. 579,942 Int. Cl. A63b 53/12 US. Cl. 273-80 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A golf club comprising a shaft, a head and a shank portion. The head has a dimension measured rearwardly of and perpendicular to the striking surface which is less than the horizontally disposed dimension between the opposite boundaries of the striking surface when the head is in a ball-striking position. The shank portion includes opposite end portions respectively secured to the shaft and to the head. The securance of the shank portion and the head is at a position rearward of the striking surface of the head. The shank end portions are offset from each other in a manner such that the shaft axis is spaced from the striking surface of the head 'by substantially the radius of a golf ball and the shaft axis, when extended, passes through the center of the golf ball addressed by the head in a position midway between the opposite boundaries of the striking surface.

The present invention relates to a golf club, and more particularly, to a golf club having the shaft uniquely positioned in relation to the striking surface of the club head.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved golf club uniquely constructed so as to allow the user of the club to more accurately aim or align a golf ball along the intended path of the ball and to minimize the twisting motion of the shaft of the club upon impact with the ball.

Another object of the invention is to provide a putter of the improved golf club construction of this invention.

A further object of this invention is to provide a golf club which is constructed in such a manner so as to position the shaft in relation to a ball properly addressed by the club such that the axis of the shaft if extended would pass through the center of the ball.

The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a golf putter made in accordance with this invention illustrating the club addressed or in ball-striking relation with a ball illustrated in dashed lines;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the putter and ball illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the head and shank portion of the club illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 showing the ball to which the club is addressed in dashed lines and diagrammatically illustrating the force movements about the shaft of the club when the ball is not struck in the center of the striking surface of the club;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the head and shank portion of the club illustrated in FIG. 3 showing the ball properly addressed by the club in dashed lines;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the head and shank portion of the club and the ball illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the head and shank portion of the club illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 diagrammatically illustrating the intersection of the shaft axis 3,448,981 Patented June 10, 1969 'ice and a ball radius drawn perpendicular to the club striking surface.

In the broader aspects of this invention there is provided a golf club comprising an elongated shaft with a grip adjacent to one end thereof, a head and a shank portion. The head has a flat striking surface and a weighted portion extending rearwardly of the striking surface with a dimension measured rearwardly of and perpendicular to the striking surface which is less than the horizontal dimension of the striking surface. The shank has opposite ends which are respectively connected to the shaft and to the head and which are offset from each other so as to position the shaft forwardly of the striking surface of the head by substantially the radius of the golf ball, the shaft being connected to the head by the shank portion midway between the opposite ends of a horizontal line drawn on the striking surface of the head between the opposite boundaries thereof. The shank angularly disposes the shaft with respect to the vertical when the club is addressed to a ball thereby to position the shaft out of the golfers line of vision of the ball and the intended path of the ball.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a golf putter generally comprising a shaft 10 and an integrally formed head and shank portion 12. Shaft 10 can be of conventional design and has adjacent one end 14 a grip 16.

The integrally formed shank portion and club head 12 is more clearly shown in FIGS. 3 through 6. The club head 18 has a flat side striking surface 20 and a weighted portion 22 extending rearwardly of the striking surface 20. The striking surface 20 is elongated such that the dimension A measured horizontally when the club is in a ball-striking position is longer than the dimension B measured vertically thereof (see FIG. 6). Also the dimension A of the surface 20 is longer than the dimension of head 18 measured perpendicularly of the surface 20 (see FIG. 3). Dimension B, on the other hand, is greater than a radius of a golf ball 42 and less than a diameter of the ball 42. The club head 18 further has a generally flat bottom 23 which is disposed generally perpendicularly to the striking surface 20 such that when the club is positioned in a ball-striking position, the striking surface 20 defines a plane which is substantially vertical. While the bot-tom 23 is described above as generally flat, bottom 23 actually is curved from the surface 20 rearwardly and has a radius of generally the length of the club.

The shank 24 includes opposite end portions 26 and 28 and an intermediate portion 30. End portion 26 of the shank 24 is provided with a coaxial opening 32 therein such that the shaft 10 can be coaxially positioned therein and secured in the conventional manner. Thus, both the shaft 10 and the shank portion 26 will lie on the same axis. This axis is given the reference numeral 34. Shank portion 28 is secured to the portion 22 of the head 18 at a position rearward of the striking surface 20 and substantially midway between the opposite side boundaries 36 and 3S. Shank portions 26 and 28 are offset from each other and interconnected by the shank portion 30. In relation to the shaft 10 and the head 18, the intermediate portion 30 angles forwardly of the striking surface 20 so as to position the shaft 10 in a manner such that the shaft axis 34 when extended is spaced from the striking surface 20 by substantially the radius of a golf ball 42. The intermediate portion 30 has an axis 40 which forms an acute angle D with the bottom 23 of the head 18. The axis 34 is positioned generally parallel to the striking surface 20'. Together, the axis 34 and the axis 40 define a plane which defines an acute angle E with the vertical.

In a specific embodiment of the golf putter illustrated, the head and shank portion 12 is integrally cast out of metal in the general shape illustrated and then machined to polish at least the striking surface 20. The preferred angular relation of the shaft and the shank 24 to the club head 18 is achieved when angle D is about 40 degrees and angle E is about degrees. Further, in the preferred embodiment of the golf putter illustrated, the dimension A is about 2 /2 inches, the dimension B is about 1% inches, the dimension C is about 2 inches, and the club head and shank portion 24 weigh approximately 12 to 14 ounces.

In operation, the golf club of this invention functions to allow the golfer to accurately aim and align the golf ball addressed by the club with the desired path of the ball 42. The point of contact between a ball 42 properly addressed by the club and the surface is adjacent to the top boundary 44 of the head 18. The curvature of the bottom 23 is generally of the radius of the pendulumswinging movement of the club as the club is swung. This curvature tends to ensure that the club will not touch the ground after the ball is contacted so as to interrupt the swing of the club. The shaft 10 of the club is angularly disposed to the head 18 such that the shaft is substantially positioned out of the golfers line of vision of the ball 42 and the intended path of the ball. Further, the unique construction of the club of this invention positions the shaft 10 such that the axis 34 thereof, if extended, passes through the center of a golf ball properly addressed by the club thereby eliminating the twisting motion of the club in the golfers hand if the ball is struck in the center of the surface 20. Further, the twisting of the club is minimized when the ball is not so struck. This is due to the fact that the moment arm of the moment applied to the club of this invention by the striking of a golf ball 42 is always the distance between the center of the ball struck and the axis 34 of the shaft 10. When the ball 42 is properly struck, the axis 34 passes through the center of the ball 42, as aforementioned, and thus, no moment is applied to the shaft 10. However, when a ball 42 is struck on either side of the center of surface 20 by the club of this invention, a small moment occurs. This moment is diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 3 to consist of the force F and the moment arm G. Since this moment can usually be controlled easily by the golfer, the club head 18 will not shift in the golfers hand and the ball will still follow the path intended.

While there have been described above the principles of this invention in connection with specific apparatus, it

is to be clearly understood that this description is madeonly by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A golf club comprising an elongated shaft with a grip adjacent to one end thereof, a head, and a shank portion, said head having a fiat striking surface, the dimension of said head measured rearwardly of and perpendicularly to said striking surface being less than the horizontally disposed dimension between the opposite boundaries of said striking surface when said head is in a ball striking position, said shank portion including opposite end portions and an intermediate portion between said end portions, one of said shank end portions being secured to said shaft remote from said grip, the other of said shank end portions being secured to said head at a position rearward of said striking surface, said shank end portions being offset from each other, said intermediate shank portion extending forwardly of said striking surface, said shaft and said one shank end portion being on the same axis, said axis being spaced from said striking surface by substantially the radius of a golf ball, said axis when extended passing through the center of a golf ball addressed by said head and midway between said opposite striking surface boundaries, said shaft being angularly disposed to the vertical when said head is in the aforementioned ball striking position thereby to position said shaft out of the 'golfers line of vision of the ball and the intended path of the ball, said striking surface being elongated, said dimension between the opposite boundaries of said striking surface being longer than the dimension of said striking surface measured vertically between said head bottom and an upper boundary of said striking surface, said striking surface generally defining a vertical plane When said head is in the afore-mentioned ball-striking position, said axis lying in a plane perpendicular to said striking surface, said axis being generally parallel to said striking surface, said head having a weighted portion extending rearwardly of said striking surface, said other shank end portion being secured to said head at a position substantially midway between said opposite striking surface boundaries, said intermediate shank portion having an axis which defines an acute angle with said head bottom, said shaft axis and said last mentioned axis defining a plane which defines an acute angle with the vertical when said head is in the aforementioned ball-striking position, said vertical dimension of said striking surface being greater than a radius and less than a diameter of a golf ball, whereby the point of contact between a golf ball and said striking surface when said ball and said head are in striking relation is adjacent to said upper boundary of said striking surface.

2. The golf club of claim 1 wherein said first mentioned acute angle is about 40 degrees, and said last-mentioned acute angle is about 15 degrees.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,820,638 1/ 1958 Morrison 273 X 3,037,770 6/1962 Palmer 273--80 3,077,350 2/1963 Koorland 27380 X 3,081,087 3/1963 Redd 273-80 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

P. E. SHAPIRO, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

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