US2847219A - Adjustable golf club - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 12, 1958 J. D. SHOEMAKER ET AL ADJUSTABLE GOLF CLUB Filed Aug. '7, 1957 28 5' INVENTORS Z6 Z7 S7;oem'a km 20 W12}? ikZ i ATTORNEYS United States Patent 50 ADJUSTABLE GOLF CLUB John D. Shoemaker and Walter R. Rikli, Pontiac, Mich.

Application August 7, 1957, Serial No. 676,831

3 Claims. (Cl. 273-79) The present invention relates to adjustable golf clubs, and is a continuation-in-part of our copending application, Serial No. 578,802, filed April 17, 1956, and entitled Adjustable Golf Club.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a golf club having an adjustable head pivotally mounted thereon and locked against pivotal action by a plurality of wedging surfaces.

Another object of the invention is to provide a golf club having a head adjustable throughout a plurality of angles to permit the club to be used under virtually any conditions encountered.

A further object of the invention is to provide a golf club having an angularly adjustable head which can be readily adjusted by the player on the golf course using a simple Allen wrench.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a golf club of the class described above which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple to use and adjust, and which is durable in service.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the invention.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary grossly enlarged vertical cross-section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-section taken along the line 44 of Figure 1, lookingin the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary end elevation of the clampl ing wedge ring.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral indicates generally a golf club head incorporating the invention.

Thegolf club head 10 is provided with an angularly extending shank 11 having asocket 12 formed therein. A shaft (not shown) is adapted to be positioned in thesocket 12 and secured therein by means of a securing pin (not shown) passing through atransverse bore 13 in the shank 11.

The lower end of the shank 11 is offset at an angle to the axis of the shank 11 as at 14 terminating in atapered boss 15. Ashoulder 16 extends about theofiset portion 14 at the base of theboss 15, as is best illustrated in Figure 3. A bore 17 extends axially of theboss 15, and a somewhatlarger bore 18 extends through theoffset portion 14 in axial alignment with the bore 17 and communicating therewith. Thebores 17 and 18 form ashoulder 19 at their juncture, as illustrated in Figure 3.

A ballstriking member 20 extends laterally from the shank 11 and is provided with a ballstriking face 21 on one side thereof and reinforcingribs 22 on the other side thereof. The ballstriking portion 20 is provided with an inwardlytapered socket 23 opening through the shank end of the ballstriking portion 20.

Acylindrical bore 24 extends from the inner end of "ice the inwardlytapered socket 23 into the ball striking portion 20 in axial alignment with thetapered socket 23. The inner end of thecylindrical bore 24 is provided with an inwardly convergingannular wall 25 terminating in a threadedbore 26.

Anannular ring 27 has atapered side edge 28 and a reverselytapered side edge 29 arranged thereon. Thering 27 engages in thecylindrical bore 24 with thetapered side 29 thereof in at least partial engagement with theconverging wall 25.

The inner terminal end of thetapered boss 15 is provided with an internallytapered end wall 30 which engages thetapered side edge 28 of thering 27. Abolt 31 having a threadedportion 32 formed thereon extends through the bore 17, thering 27, and is threadedly engaged in thethreaded bore 26 to secure theball striking portion 20 to the shank 11. Thebolt 31 is provided with ahead 33 which is snugly received within thebore 18 of the shank 11 and engages against theshoulder 19 in securing theball striking portion 20 to the shank 11. Thehead 33 of the 'bolt 31 is socketed for operation by an Allen wrench of conventional construction.

The ballstriking portion 20 is provided adjacent the shank 11 with indicia markings 34 and indicia index lines 35, and theofiset portion 14 of the shank 11 is provided with an indicator line 36 which is adapted to cooperate with the indicia index lines 35 and the indicia 34 to indicate the angular position of the ballstriking portion 20 with relation to the shank 11. The provision of the index lines 35 and indicator line 36 permits theball striking portion 20 to be adjusted to a predetermined point for predetermined conditions whenever desired.

In the use and operation of the invention, the ballstriking portion 20 is adjusted angularly with relation to the shank 11 by first loosening thebolt 31 and then rotating theball striking portion 20 on thetapered boss 15 until the desired angular adjustment is achieved. Thebolt 31 is then tightened, forcing thetapered boss 15 into thetapered socket 23 and compressing thering 27 between thetapered walls 25 and 30 to lock theball striking portion 20 rigidly in adjusted position with respect to the shank 11.

Thetapered edges 28, 29 on the sides of thering 27 are serrated as at 37 to increase the frictional contact between thering 27 and the adjacent portions of theball striking portion 20 and shank 11.

It should be noted that thering 27 is formed of hardened steel and that theball striking portion 20 is spaced from theshoulder 16 so as to permit the shank 11 to be completely tightened into theball striking portion 20 without being limited by theshoulder 16.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An angularly adjustable golf club head comprising a shank, an oifset extension formed on one end of said shank, a tapered boss projecting from said offset extension, s-aid boss and said offset extension having a shouldered bore extending therethrough, an inwardly tapered annular end wall formed on the outer end of said tapered boss, a ball striking portion, said ball striking portion having a tapered socket formed therein engaging said tapered boss, said tapered socket having a cylindrical bore extending inwardly therefrom, an inwardly tapered annular end wall formed on said ball striking portion at the inner end of said cylindrical bore, said ball striking portion having a threaded bore extending axially inwardly from said cylindrical bore, an annular ring having oppositely tapering side edges positioned in said cylindrical bore with the tapered side edges thereof engaging the striking portion is provided with angle indicating indicia, and-said offset portion of said shank is provided with cooperating indication means.

References Cited in the file of this natent UNITED STATES PATENTS Perkins Aug. 3, 1926 Chamberlain et al Jan. 24, 1950

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