US2451262A - Adjustable golf club - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 12, 1948. w. B. WATKINS ,2

ADJUSTABLE GOLF CLUB Filed April 4, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l m 7 u-JWH d 60 1 Oct. 12, 1948. w. B. WATKINS ADJUSTABLE GOLF CLUB 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April. 4, 1945 1 Maw.

. Inventor 7141/1'0/12 5 745M125.

Patented Oct. 12, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved golf club, and one of its objects is to provide a club with a head and means for adjusting the head to different angular relations to the shaft of the club, so that the club may be adapted for difierent driving strokes or plays, or adapted for use by a right or left handed person or player.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple and positive locking means between the head and the lower end of the shaft or handle ferrule whereby the head may be held in various adjustable positions, so that a single club may be used to do the work of many golf clubs.

Another object of the invention is to provide the blade of the head with a detachable and interchangeable weight.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in certain new and useful combinations, constructions, and arrangements of parts, clearly described in the following specification, and fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in vertical section, and

partly in side elevation, showing the improved adjusting means between the handle or shaft ferrule and the blade of the head.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, showing the index markings for adjusting the head to various striking positions.

Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional view, showing a detachable weight member coupled to the blade of the head.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a coupling pin.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the locking bolt.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the detachable weight member.

Fig. '7 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 'l-'l of Fig. 1, this looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the practical application of my invention, 5 designates a handle or shaft, on the lower end of which the ferrule 6 is mounted, in any approved manner.

The ferrule 6 is constructed with an integral cylindrical extension I, which is of smaller diameter than the sleeve or main part of ferrule which encloses the lower end of the shaft or handle. This extension 1 is formed with an internally screw threaded hole 8, which receives the upper end of the externally screw threaded shank 9 of the locking bolt ID.

The locking bolt i0 is considerably widerthan the screw threaded shank 9, and is constructed I of the blade with parallel side faces and with parallel edge faces, while the lower end of the bolt is rounded. This enlarged body portion l I of the locking bolt 15 formed with an elongated opening l2, located midway of the edges thereof, and the curved lower edge portion !2a of this opening is formed with a plurality of locking teeth 13. These teeth are disposed in concave circular are 0 semi-conical formation 'ad'ace 1 ends of the opening l2. J m Opposite The locking bolt ill is enclosed by the housing 54, which is provided with an axial passage to receive the bolt, and to allow a certain amount of longitudinal movement of the bolt in this pas sage or opening. This housing is formed with a plane inner face it, against which the inner end I? of the head is adapted to fit.

The blade I1 is provided with a stub shaft 48 which extends from the inner end thereof, and which has a cylindrical portion ita adjacent the inner end of the blade and another cylindrical portion Nib at the outer end of the shaft. The shaft is milled or reduced between the two portions lfia and Hib, to provide a narrower cylindrical portion 180, and conical portions 58d and file outwardly thereof. The intermediate cylindrical portion l8c and the conical portions ltd and We are formed with looking teeth 59 which are adapted to have locking engagement with the teeth E3 of the locking bolt Ill.

The cylindrical inner portion 811 of the stub shaft 98 has a snug bearing at 2c in the inner side wall E la of the housing M, and the outer cylindrical portion lab has a snug bearing at 25 on the side wall iii) of the housing i l.

The locking bolt I 63 is propelled in the opening or axial passage i5 of the housing it, by turning the handle or shaft and the ferrule 6. By turning the handle and ferrule, which is positively fitted on the handle or shaft, the screw threaded shank 9 is shifted longitudinally in the extension of the ferrule. When the locking bolt is in the position shown in Fig. l, the handle or shaft is turned so that the locking bolt is forced down wardly thus disengaging the locking teeth it of the stub shaft i8 from the locking teeth i3 of the locking bolt. To adjust the blade or head, it is merely turned to the desired angular position, and then locked by turn-ing the ferrule 55 until the teeth 53 engage the teeth IE on the stub shaft It. When this is done the inner end of the blade will be forced against the inner plane face of the relation and 3 of the locking bolt 'III are forced into locking engagement with the teeth I9 of the stub shaft N3, the blade I! will he rigidly locked in its adjusted position.

The housing I4 is provided with a series of index markings 22, which are located adjacent the normal position of the upper edge of the blade 11, and this blade is formed with a cooperating index mark 22a. When .the-iblade is adjusted theangle of adjustment may'lce determined by the graduae tion markings 22.

The housing 14 is prevented from turning on the ferrule 6, by means of the latch 23, which is pivoted to the housing at 23a, and adapted to engage a recess 23-!) formed in the extension of the ferrule 6.

A detachable weight 25 is provided for attachment to the rear side of the blade I1, andforthis purpose this weight 25 is formed with or provided with rigid dowel pins 26 and 21, located near the outer ends thereof, which are adapted to snugly engage the transverse openings 26a and 21a 'formeddn the blade H. The detachable weight '25 is also provided with acoupling pin or-screw 2.8, which is constructed with ahead 28a, and which is extended through the transverse and central opening 29 of the'face member 25, which opening is enlarged at its outer end to'receive the coil compression spring '30, which engages the mally-engages'th'e shoulder 286 of the weight 25.

The inner end of thepin'28 is provided'with a bayonetislot 32, which couples to a pin 32a. in a passage formed in itheblade f'l. -By tightening the pin on'theblade, the spring '30 is placed under compression,'thus increasing the pressure on the meeting faces of'theblade H andthe weight'25 The split ring 3! ,is'used 'to assemble the pin 28 in theweight and 'skeepit from being detached .trom the 'face member, so that it will always be in position.

It is-obviousthat various types of weights may be provided, :and each of :these coupled to the blade in the manner :described, to provide a-club leaving the proper balance to watch :the stroke to be employed.

It is understood that various changes in the details of construction, their combination and when-the handle shaft-is rotated relative to :the

internally screw threaded boss projecting axially from the ferrule, a housing rotatably mounted.

on the boss, a bolt slidable longitudinally in said housing, said bolt having a longitudinal elongated slot extending therethrough, the housing having an opening in one side wall communicating with V the slot in the bolt, a blade, a stud extending axially from one end of the blade, said stud entering the opening in the housing and extending the housing and a threaded shank on the bolt threadedlyengaged in the threaded boss whereby when the handle shaft is rotated relative to the :h-o'us'ingtheibolt will be moved to engage or disengage .the teeth thereon with those of the stud. 2. A golf club which includes a handle shaft, a ferrule on one end of said handle shaft, an

internally screw threaded boss, projecting "axially from'the ferrule, a housing rotatably mounted on the boss, a bolt slidable longitudinally in "said housing, said bolt having a longitudinal elongated slot extending therethrough, the housing having an opening in one sidewall-communicating with the slot in the bolt, a blade, a stud extending axially from one end of the blade, said stud entering the opening in the housing and extending through the slot in the bolt, "peripheral teeth on the stud, teeth on one end wall of the slot for' cooperation with the teeth on the stud in'holding the blade against turning movement relative to the housing and a threaded shank on the :bolt threadedly engagedin'the threaded 'boss whereby housing the bolt will be moved to engage-or disengage'the teeth thereon withthose :of the :stud and a latch 'releasably to lock the :shait iagainst turning-movement relative to the housing.

winner/r 13; WAEKINS. REFERENCES CITED V The following references are of recordin the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES V PATENTS "Number "Name 'Date 1,058,463 Pringle -'Apr.- 8, 1913 1,676,518 Boles July 10,1928 1,697,846 Anderson -Jan. 8, 1929 1,702,916 Novak Feb. 19, 11929 2,091,794 Pes'ter ;Aug.J-31, "1937 2,163,091 Held Junei20,1939 r 2,198,981 Sullivan Apr. 30,1940 2,225,930

Sexton Dec. 24,31940

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