US3170690A - Golf club with handle sections pivotally connected on a horizontal axis - Google Patents

Description

Feb 3, 1965 c. D. GORANSON ETAL 3, 7

GOLF CLUB WITH HANDLE SECTIONS PIVOTALL CONNECTED ON A HORIZONTAL AXIS Filed Nov. 28, 1962 United States Patent GGLF CLUB WITH HANDLE SECTIONS PIVOT- ALLY CONNECTED ON A HORIZONTAL AXIS Charles I). Goranson, 4513 N. Rockwell ,Ave., and Edward A. Hennigan, 2316 Sunnyside-.Ave., both of Chicago, Ill.

Filed Nov. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 240,688 3 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-77) ball and revcrsely along a path ofdesired movement of i the ball. e i

The primary object of the present invention is to construct a golf club of the above type in a novel manner to enable unskilled as well as skilled'golfers to control more precisely the movement of the club head into engagement with the. ball and thereby insure movement of the vball along the desired path previously selected by the golfer.

Another object is to construct the handle of the club in a novel manner permitting the golfer to constrain the movement of the club head easily to swing with a true pendulum motion in a vertical plane including the desired path of ball movement. I A more detailed object is to divide the handle into two sections which are pivotally connected together in a novel manner to insure that, when one section is held stationarily with the head of the club disposed generally horizontally, the club head is swingable with the other handle section only as a pendulum in a vertical plane.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be come apparentfrom the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of -a golf club embodying the novel features of the present invention.

FIGJZ is a fragmentary front elevational view of the handle of the club.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational' view of the club handle. I a

FIG. 4 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view of the handle sections and their pivotal connection.

The present invention is shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration embodied in a golf club 8 of the type intended to be used on the putting green or in relatively short approach shots to the green. In the use of club of this type which includes putters used on the green and other clubs such as wedges used for chipping or pitching shots directed toward the green from positions short distances off of the green, the golfergrasps ahandle 9 the upper end of the shaft 10 and normally swings the club head 11 on the lower end of the shaft in a pendulum motion first away from the ball 12 and through a short are as indicated by an arrow 13 in FIG. 1 in'the opposite direction from the desired travel of the ball, then downice in which the head 11 has a fiat lower bottom oredge surface 11a disposed at a predetermined obtuse included angle with respect to theaxis 10a of the shaft 10 so that, when the flat lower bottom edge is disposed in its normal horizontal position at the time of striking the ball, the shaft and itsaxis 10a are inclined away from the vertical. The angle of such inclination of theaxis 10a of the shaft is predetermined and is indicated at x in FIG. 3 where the vertical is indicated by a dot-dash line 1917. This same relationship usually exists in the case of clubs used for pitching and chipping shots.

In accordance with the present invention, thehandle 9 on the upper end of the club shaft 10 is constructed in a v novel manner to increase the control of the player over the movement of the club head 11 so as to make it possible even for unskilled players to move the 'head along a straight line of desired movement of the ball 12 andv maintain the head normal to such line at the time of engagement with the hall. For this purpose, the handle;

is divided into twosections 17 and 18. One of these,

' a lower section, is secured to the shaft to form an extenthe player. To achieve a true pendulum action with the club head constrained to move only in a vertical plane ineluding the straight line of desired movement ofthe ball,

the pivotal axis of the sections is disposed horizontally when the club head is striking the ball andthe head and shaft are positioned properly to propel the ball along the desired path. Where theflat bottoms 11a of the club head is horizontal under these conditions as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the head bottom and the pivotal axis' of the handle sections parallel each other.

As noted above and shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 of the drawings, theflat bottom 11a of the head 11 is disposed at an obtuse included angle with respect to the axis of the shaft 10 so that, when the head is ina horizonal position to strike a ball properly, the shaft is inclined away from the vertical and toward the player at the angle x. The pivotal axis of thehandle sections 17 and 18 for such a club is disposed at the same angle with respect to the shaft axis as the bottom of the head so as to be parallel to the head bottom, the parallel pivotal axis and the head bottom being inclined with respect to a normal to the shaft axis at a predetermined angle y (FIG. 3)

V which is equal to the angle x of inclination of the head watdly along the same are as indicated by anotherarrow 14 in FIG. 1 and into contact with the ball, and finally through the previous position of the ball in a followthrough motion in the same direction, the ball being propelled toward the cup 15 along an arrowed line indicated at 16. The club head is elongated transversely of the shaft of the club and, in order to propel the ball accurately along the desired path should remain perpendicular to the path as well as moving along the path at the time the head strikes the ball.

The putter, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3', ofthe type.

axis away from the vertical 19b. 7 u v In the present instance, the pivotal connection defining such axis is formed by bifurcatedlower end portions 19 of the upper handle section with spaced parts straddling anupwardlyprojecting tongue portion 20 on the lower section, alined apertures 22 and 23 in the three portions tion and are spaced apart a distance only slightly greziter than the thickness of the tongue to define a slot as shown in FIG. 4 to receive the tongue and permit relative turning of the two sections. To illustrate the inclination of the .opposedw'alls 19a with respect to the shaft axis 1061, thevertical line 19b inFIG. 3 is an imaginary extension-of one ofthe walls. Clearance for such swinging f is provided by rounding the lower end portion of the bifurcated parts of the upper section and the upper end of the tongue While they may take various forms, the handle sections in'this instance are formed of solid metal of tapering conical exterior and a reduced lower end por- Patented Feb. 23, 1965;

tion of the lower section telescopes within the upper tubular end portion of the shaft and is secured thereto in a suitable manner as by a press fit or brazing.

In the use of the improved golf club 8, the golfer first selects a desiredstraight linepath 16 of movement of' the ball 12 and places the club-head 11 behind the ball with the longitudinal axis of the head disposed horizontally and normal to the ball path and with thehandle sections 17 and 18 and the shaft 10 alined in a vertical plane. The pivotal axis of the handle sections then will be disposed horizontally. The golfer then places one hand on the upper hand section and, while holding-the club high enough that the head clears the ground, grasps the lower handle section in his other hand and swings that section and the head relative to the stationaryupper section. In this movement and with the upper section remaining stationary and the pivotal axis remaining horizontal, the head swings in a vertical plane and witha true pendulum action and, at the time of striking the ball, is in the same position initially selected by the golfer before the start of the swing. Assuming that position were selected properly, the ball will follow the desired path toward the cup with great accuracy.

It will be apparent that, with the improved pivoted handle construction, the golfer determines the direction of the ball with the hand on theupper section 18 and the distance with the other hand on the lower section 17. The pivotal connection enabling the golfer to insure movement of the ball along the selected line simply by holding the upper hand section stationary, only a single factor of distance requires movement of any parts of the players body. Being concerned only with one such factor, even an unskilled player is able to direct the ball consistently with great accuracy.

I i We claim:

A golf club having an elongated straight shaft and an elongated head secured to the lower end of said shaft and having a fiat bottom surface extending transversely of the shaft at a predetermined angle inclined from a normal to the shaft, said shaft being inclined away from the vertical at said angle when said flat bottom surface is in a horizontal plane, a handle comprising a first straight section secured to the other end of said shaft to form an extension thereof, a second section adapted to be grasped and held stationarily by the user, anda pivotal connection joining said sections together to swing in opposite directions through positions of alignment and about an axis extending transversely of the first section and the shaft at References Cited the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,497,237 2/50 Reineking 273-193 2,694,587 11/54 Bullough 287-99 3,033,575 5/62 Hause 273-193 FOREIGN PATENTS 26,154 1901 Great Britain.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

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