US2477438A - Adjustable head golf club - Google Patents

Description

July 26, 1949. R, D, BROUWER 2,477,438

ADJUSTABLE HEAD GOLF CLUB Filed June 23, 1945 5y {MMS} H/s ATTO NEY.

`Patented July 26, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE HEAD GOLF CLUB Rodger D. Brouwer, Bristol, Conn.

Application J une 23, 1945, Serial No. 601,189 l This invention relates to golf clubs and particularly to a universally adjustable golf club.

During the usual game of golf, it is customary for each golfer to employ as many as seven or more different golf clubs, and these clubs are so cumbersome that it is usual for each golfer to employ a caddie to carry them around the golf course. The principal differences between these various clubs resides in the different angular relations of the club heads to their respective shafts and in the different lengths of shafts.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved universally adjustable golf club of simple rigid construction and which may be quickly and easily adjusted to various predetermined positions corresponding to those of the presently used golf clubs as well as to various other positions.

Another object is to provide a universally adjustable golf club which is particularly adapted for playing a golf ball from locations that have heretofore been considered inaccessible.

A further object is to provide a universally adjustable golf club adaptable to all departments of the game of golf.

-A further object is to provide a universally adjustable golf club having a shaft which may be quickly and easily adjusted in accordance with the type of club to be used and in accordance with the reach of the golfer.

A still further object is to provide a universally adjustable golf club having the equivalent striking force of the usual driver, brassie and spoon, and having an improved striking force when adjusted to the various iron positions.

To these ends and also to improve generally upon devices of the character indicated, the invention consists in the various matters hereinafter described and claimed. The accompanying drawings illustrate my preferred form of invention which has proved very reliable and highly satisfactory. However, it is to be understood that the instrumentalities of which my invention consists may be variously arranged and constituted, and that my invention is not to be limited to the precise arrangement and organization of instrumentalities shown and described.

Figure 1 shows a fragmentary face elevation of my golf club;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary heel or rear elevation of the golf club;

Figure 3 is a developed view showing the indicating mechanism used when adjusting the angle of loftvof my golf club;

i Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view show- 4 Claims. (Cl. 273-79) 2 ing the mechanism for adjusting the angles of loft and lie;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective rear view of the club head adjusting mechanism;

Figure 7 is a View, partly in section, of the shaft; and

Figure 8 shows the expansion plug for adjusting the shaft.

Generally considered, my club head I0, which has a at striking face I2, is arranged for quick, easy, positive adjustment in a plurality of planes to various predetermined positions with respect to an adjustable shaft I 4 so that my golf club is universally adjustable to serve eiiiciently in all departments of the gameA of golf, and is also adjustable to easily play a golf ball from beneath low hanging branches and fromother positions heretofore considered normally inaccessible. A golfer, when using my universally adjustable club, becomes much more proficient at the game of golf in a short time since it is not necessary to become accustomed to clubs of different weight, sizes, and having different conditions of balance. The adjustable shaft I4 also facilitates shortening the club so that it may be conveniently carried in a suit case or with small hand luggage.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, the club head I0 is generally oval shaped in plan view and may be composed of a suitable hard wood or ofa fibrous material which may be molded. The mass of the head I0 is distributed behind the striking face I2 to aid the balance of the club and to produce over the entire face I2 a uniformly distributed zone of percussion which has a striking effect superior to that produced at the critically positioned sweet spot on the striking face of the usual golf irons and equivalent to that of the driver, brassie and spoon when my club is adjusted to these positions. A longitudinally curved sole plate I 6 protects the lower forward edge of the head Iii, and adds rigidity to the lower portion of the striking face I2. The head I0 has an underface I'S sloping upwardly and rearwardly from the sole plate with suiiicient angular relation to the plane of the striking face I2 to allow for a loft angle adjustment for playing a ball out of a deep sand trap.

An anchor plate 2D, provided with an outwardly projecting parti-cylindrical' wall 22, having an arcuate slot 23 therethrough, is rigidly secured, as by screws 24, to one end of the head IB, and the axis A-B of this parti-cylindrical portion is preferably disposed perpendieularly to the plane of the striking face I2. A threaded stud 3 21 extends through the slot 23 and has a transversely curved head 28 arranged to matingly seat against the inside of the parti-cylindrical Wall 22. A locking collar 30, slidably receiving the stud 27, has a concaved face 32 matingly engageable with the outside of the parti-cylindrical wall 22, and an annular set of radially extending similarly spaced generally V-shaped teeth 33 formed theA opposite end of this collar 33, are matingly engageable at desired angular positions with a corresponding set of teeth 34 formed in one end of an annular portion 35 on the lower end of a sleeve member 36 which constitutes the lower end of the adjustable shaft I4'. A bore 3i through the annular portion 35, and disposed centrally of the annular row of teeth 3A, slidably and rotatably receives the stud 2l.V Keyways, longitudinally cut through the collar 33 and opening onto the stud 21, slidably receive the opposite ends of a cross pin 38 radially projecting from the stud 21 to prevent relative` rotation between this collar and stud during adjustment of the golf club. A handlever 40, threaded on the outer Y end of 'the stud- 21 and provided with an operating arm terminating in Va convenient finger grip itl, may be tightenedL against a spring washer ft2 to a position lying upwardly along the back of the sleeve member-'3G for. positively clamping the members 20, 33 and 35 against relative movement and therebyl rigidlysecuring the club head lil in Vanyv pre'aoljusftedangular relation to the shaft le.

When the hand` lever 40 is loosened, the club head I9? may be turned about the aXs C-D of the stud A2 7`tol regulate thev angle of loft, this being the angle ofthestriking face l2 with respect to the Vger-xeral plane of the ground beneath the 'headi at theinstant of` ball impact.. Also, when this hand lever 4 3 is loosened the head le may be adjusted with respect to the shaft in the plane ofthe shaft laxis and the axis C-D since thev partir/cylindrical wall- 2'2 may be yfrictionally moved between the stud` head 28 and the collar face V3,2; about the axis'v A-B to regulate the angle ofY lieas shown in Figure l. These adjustments for the angles ofI loft" and lie may be made independents 6r sfnlllirieeslyasdesired. i preferably loosenl the'V hand/lever il only sufficiently to partially releasethe tension f the spring d2 so that the teeth'33 and- 34- may be snapped past each other to desired-'adjustment and the wall 22 will Ybe sufficiently gripped between the head 28 and thecollar 3D- so that the club head lil will remain at its preadjusted angles of loft and liewhile'the'hand lever Ilpeis again tightened.

VFor clarity, I'have illustrated indexing of my universally adjustable club'. to only seven different positions which include the types of clubs most frequently used, these club positions beingdesignate'd asA follows: W',- afclub for driving a spinning ball-'having a downward turning movement in awind D, driver, P, putter, B,brassie, S, spoon, A, approachfandvv Mj, mashie. However, many other club adjustments may also be obtained by adjustmentfof'the angles of lof-t and lie. The Y locking collar Bilfis bev'elled to provide an index Q5 lldlFigure 6) that` may be brought into desired selective'register with-indices D, l? or A on the wall 22A for adjustingv the angle of, lie of the club headl. Locating theindex lill-- at D produces thecorrect avngleff,- lie Yfortlie driver, brassie, spoon and wind halll club adjustments. The index 4A is Ypositioned at Pfor a putter and at A for a mashie or approaclfiI club. To procure the desired adjustmentsifor theY angles of loft for these variousclubs, these letters W, D, B, S, A

and M are successively stamped across the mating teeth 33 and 34 and in spaced relation about the coincident peripheries of the locking collar 33 and the annular portion 35. As shown in Figure 3, only one of these letters has its parts at each side of the mating teeth in registering alignment at the same time, and relative rotation of the members 30 and 35 to produce such registration results in the correct loft angle for the letter in registration. For example, with the letter S in register and the index llt at D, the club is adjusted as a spoon. The loft angle for a driver and a putter is the same. Hence, with a loft adjustment at D and with the index lili atV P, the club head and shaft relation are correct for a putter. preferably have the mating teeth 33 and 3d of suiliciently small size so that the loft angle adjustment will be through small increments to provide for club adjustments intermediate of those indicated. Also, the wall Z2 may. be adjusted between the head 253; and the collar Sil to provide an angle of lie sufficiently obtuse to drive a ball out from beneath a low branch, or if desired this. angle of lie may be adjusted sufficientlyin the opposite direction to play a ball from close to a golfers feet.

The tubular shaft I4' is adjustable for length to compensate for the, reach ofV different golfers and to provide a shortened shaft when the club is used as a putter. An: intermediate shaft portion 46 has a tapering lower end which may be hand wrung into tightly nested relation over the tapered upper end ofthe sleeve. member Si; and locked in position by a tapered pin All: detachably and transvf-:rsely extending through these nested members. A flexible wire secured to the tapered pin and to the shaft portion d6; prevents, loss of the pin when withdrawn. A, sleeve; llilg,V s ldably fitted for longitudinal adjustmentover the upper end of the intermediate shaft portion, is pro,- vided with a hand` grip 5,9, of leather or other suitable material, and is ClQSd at, its upper end by a cap 52. An expansible. plugv 53, secured against rotation within the upper endof the intermediate shaft portion 43,-, has an.v eccentric through bore 54, and a slotA 55,` extends from this bore to the plug periphery. A inciting,4 member 55, journalled inthe bore 5,13 and secured: in position by a cotter pin, hasV a radially extending arm l that holdsvv a spring 58 in frictional engagement with the,k interior wall: of the sleeve 'e e8. Turning of tlie,sl e ve y 4,8- onthe memberil frictionally actsthrough the,- spring 53v tol turn the locking member 55. withinthebore 54, Causing an expansion of the split plug 5.3 which expands the shaft portion @lj-b1A intol locked relatiQIjl,` with the sleeve ri to, securel thisA sleeve in its longitudinally preadjusted position, A flexible, Wire 60,secured at its upper end to thev cap 525,; extends,y through a bore Si in the-loclnngE member 5 5, and has at its lower endV an abutment which willl engage the locking member andpreventremoval of: the sleeve l3- from; theshaft` por-tion; 43.

A Clamp Si provided at the Split lower endi the sleeve i3 augmente the; locking device within the shaft portionl and;preventsthissleeve,from rocking inA locked, position. Igfz, desired, index marks, as P and D, may be provided onthe in- ;70 termediate shaft portion 45 fork registrationA with the lower end of the sleeve 48;., for c (mveniencegin adjusting the-lengthfithehrft: i4'- When. it is desired to compactlyftransportclub, the sleeve 43 is unlocked andj pushed@ along the inr 76 termediate shaft portion 46jv until the locking member 58 engages the' cap 52, and the pin 41 is withdrawn and the 'sleeve member 36 is slid upwardly within the intermediate shaft portion IB thereby greatly reducing the shaft length so that the club may be' easily packed with small hand luggage.

I claim: Y

1. In a universally adjustable golf club, a shaft, a head at the lower end of the shaft, an element mounted for rotatable'adjustment about an axis disposed transverselyA of said shaft, an arcuate face on said element and curved about an axis disposed transversely of said first mentioned axis, a member secured to the head and matingly seated for arcuate slidable movement against said arcuate face, and adjustable means for securing said member and saidelement and said shaft in preadjusted relations to each other.

2. In a universally adjustable golf club, a shaft, an annular set of laterally projecting teeth at the lower end of the shaft, a collar mounted for axial rotation with respect to said teeth and having a similar set of teeth for selective engagement with said rst mentioned teeth, a head secured to said collar for adjustment about an axis disposed transversely of the collar axis, and clamping means including a yieldable element allowing the sets of teeth to be snapped past each other to predetermined positions and for thereafter rigidly securing the head and collar in adjusted relation to each other and to said shaft.

3. In a universally adjustable golf club, a shaft, a head at the lower end of the shaft, an element mounted for rotatable adjustment about an axis intersecting the lower end of said shaft, indicating means for designating the adjusted position of said element, a partly cylindrical face on said element and curved about an axis perpendicular to said ilrst mentioned axis, a member secured to the head, said member having a partly cylindrical wall matingly seated for slidable adjustment on said face, indicating means for showing the adjusted position of said member, and means for securing said member and said element in their preadjusted positions.

4. In an adjustable golf club, a shaft, a head mounted for rotatable adjustment about an axis transversely extending through said shaft, an annular portion on said shaft, a cylindrical member rotatable with the head about said axis and having an end frictionally engageable with said annular portion, means to angularly adjust the head about another axis disposed transversely of said cylindrical member, indicating means showing the angular adjustment of the head with respect to said cylindrical member, said cylindrical member and said annular portion having coextensive peripheral faces, a plurality of spaced different indicia individually marked across the junction of said coextensive faces, each of said indicia having its two parts in cooperative register at a predetermined adjustment of said head, and only one of said indicia having its two parts in simultaneous register.

RODGER D. BROUWER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 651,920 Cushing June 19, 1900 727,086 Burnam May 5, 1903 1,137,457 Breitenbaugh Apr. 27, 1915 1,313,504 Rolfe Aug. 19, 1919 1,550,665 Barnes Aug. 25, 1925 1,594,850 Perkins Aug. 3, 1926 1,644,177 Collins Oct. 4, 1927 1,697,846 Anderson Jan. 8, 1929 2,027,452 Rusing Jan. 14, 1936 2,091,794 Pester Aug. 31, 1937 2,155,830 Howard Apr. 25, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 348,737 Great Britain May 21, 1931 496,514 Great Britain Dee. 1, 1938

Images