Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
BACKGROUND OE' THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to golf clubs, and
more particularly concerns improvements in heads having a
bottom keel configuration.
When impact loads are transmitted to such metallic sole
plates, the loads are typically transmitted to the wooden heads
at point~ adjacent the plates Where head laminations extend
parallel to the plate, the load is transmltted to the few
lamination~ adjacent the edge3 of the plate, and a tendency to
de~tructive delamination can occur, particularly when a
relatively immovable ob~ect ~uch a~ a concealed rock is
lnadvertently ~truck. This problem is aggravated in that type
of club di~closed in U S Patent 3,761,095, wherein the sole
plate carrie~ a downwardly projecting keel which is more likely
to ~trike ob~ects concealed in the turf or ground. The
attachmsnt of such ~ole plates to the laminations as by ~crew~
i~ not an answer to the problem, ~ince the edge~ of the threads
form cracks in or between the lamination~, encouraging
delamination.
Al~o, the direct impact of a keel forward face with
hard turf or ground ~urfaces during a golf swing tends to 810W
down the swing and result in less forward driving impact to the
golf ball. This i5 true for golf irons as well as woods, and
also for metal shell wood and iron lead~,
UMMARY OF THe INVENTION
It is a major ob~ect o~ the invention to provide an
improved keel ~imple construction which will obviate the
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problems described above. sasically, the keel is constructed to
have a forwardmost surface sloping upwardly and forwardly from
the bottom of the keel, to intersect the head front face at a
lateral linear location substantially above the bottom level of
the keel, whereby the keel sloping surface on striking the
ground during a golf swing will transfer some force upwardly
toward the head, tending to compress the laminations.
Further, the head may also have auxiliary upwardly and
forwardly sloped surfaces laterally of the uppermost extent of
the keel sloped surface, and which auxiliary surfaces
intereect the head front face along lateral lines wbich are
lateral continuatlon~ of the linear intersection of the keel
eloped eurface with the front face, whereby extended
"81edding" effect i~ achieved. Such effect is optimized when
the line of intersection is between about 1/6 and 1/3 the
height of the head as measured upwardly from the bottom of the
I keel and toward the uppermost extent of the front face; and
when the keel ~loping eurface extende at an angle between 40
and 50 relative to the head bottom eurface that liee
horlzontally, preventing delamination as referred to.
Theee ae well as other object~ and advantages of the
lnvention, a~ well a~ the detail~ of an illustrative
embodiment, will be more fully underetood from the following
deecription and drawings, in which:
DR~WING DESCRIPTION
Fig, 1 is a front elevation showing use of a golf club
incorporating the invention~
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Fig. 2 is a frontal elevation showing a golf club
~wood" head that incorporates the invention;
Fig. 3 i8 a bottom plan view on lines 3-3 of Fig. 2;
Pig. 4 is an elevation taken in section on lines 4-4 of
5 - Eig. 3; and Fig. 4a is a section on lines 4a-4a of Fig. 3;
Fig. 5 ls a section taken in elevation on lines 5-5 of
Pig 3~
Fig~ 6 i~ a bottom plan view like Fig. 3 but with the
in~ert plate re~oved~
Fig. 7 is a bottom plan vlew o the in~ert plate in as
moldoa conditlon i.e. before tri~ming~
Pig. B i~ an end elevatlon on lines 8-8 of Fig. 7~
Fig 9 i8 a ~ide elevation on lines 9-9 of Flg. 7;
Pig. 10 i~ a view like Pig. 4 but showing a metal
~wood~ head incorporating the inventiont
Plg. 11 i~ a fragmentary section taken on line~ 11-11
9~ Pig 10~
Fig 12 i~ a section taken through an ~iron~ head
incorporating the inventlon~ and
Pig. 13 i~ a fragmentary ~ection on line~ 13-13 of Fig.
12.
DETAII.ED DESCRIPTION
Referring now to the drawings and particularly to
Fig 1 a golf ¢lub head embodying the present invention is
generally indicated at 10 and i8 ~hown secured to a shaft 11.
~he latter ha~ a conventional grip 12 to form an improved golf
club 13 The club 13 is ~hown in hands of a golfer 14 just as
the head 10 is about to engage the ball. As best seen in
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Fig. 2, the golf club head lo generally includes an upwardly
extending 6haft receiving hosel 15, a body 16, and a sole plate 25.
The golf club head 10 is shown as being a ~wood~, with
the wooden body 16 having front face 17. The latter may be o
any conventional incline to the vertical, as indicated by anglec~_
in F~g. 4, The front face 17 has a centrally located cutout 18
J for a trapezoidal panel 35. The body 16 is bulged (i.e.
letwardly convex in Fig . 6) at 19 behind
the ront ~ace 17 ao 1~ conventional for a wood. The body 16
al~o has a lower ~urface 20 with a cutout 21 for receiv~ng the
~olc plate 25. The cutout 21 follow~ the shape of the sole
plate 25 to be fitted therein, and has ~entrally located,
oppo~ed poninsulas 22 to locate the ~ole plate 25 with respect
to the body 16. The sole plate may con~ist, for example of
~ ~ 15 ca~t metal ~uch a~ zinc or zinc aluminum alloy.
c A~ be~t ~een ln Pig~, 2 and 3, the ~ole plate 25 i5
i uh~ped to mate with ¢utout 21 in the lower ~urface 20 of the
¦ body 16, The ol- plate 25 h~ a ~hallow V-~haped front face
~ 26 ~as ~een between lines 31 and 60, in Fig. 2)
! 20 whi¢h, when the eole plate 25 iB located in the cutout 21,
provl4e~ an exten~ion at 26a of the i'ront face 17 of the body 16
above a line of intersection 60 of extension 26_ w~th a
rearwardly and downwardly sloping front ~urface 61. The front
~loping front fsce 61 iB relatively wide and the 601e plate 25
extends rearwardly therefrom to narrow into a waist 27 before
~proading again at the rear ond portion 28. The wai~t 27 mate~
wlth the centrally loc~ted opposed body penin~ula~ 22 to locate
the uole plate 25 with re~pect to the body 16, The ~ole plate
25 1~ secured within the cutout 21 in the lower ~urface 20 of
the body 16 by a bonding agent ~uch a~ epoxy to bond the ~ole
plate 25 and the body 16 together.
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As seen in Fig. 2, the sole plate 25 has a lower
surface 29 from which a longitudinally rearwardly and forwardly
elongated keel 30 protrudes downwardly. In Fig. 3, the
longitudinal keel 30 ex~ends generally centrally from the front
face 26 and from sloping surface 61 rearwardly along a line
corresponding to the path of swing of the front face of the
golf club head 10. Note that rearward and downward (or upward
and forward) sloping surface 61 has a middle portion 61_ defined
by the keel forwardmost extent, as well as side portions 61b
which extend laterally beyond the keel forward surface 61_. The
keel 30, being lowermost, typically contacts the ground before
the ball 100 i8 struck to space the major portion 29 of the
lower surface of the plate 25 and lower surface 20 of the body
16 from the ground. In particular the keel "sled" surface 61_
may impact the ground at an angle to minimize resistance to
forward travel of the head, and also to transfer impact force
upwardly and rearwardly toward the head laminations, to
minlmize any tendency toward delamination, on impact. Also,
~urface portions 61b, being rearward and downwardly sloped,
enhance the8e effect~.
~n the preferred embod~ment, keel 30 has downwardly
con¢ave oldes 31. (See Fig. 2). The concave side~ 31 blend
smoothly with the downwardly convex keel 30 and the major
portion 29 of the lower surface of plate 25 and they merge with
sloped surfaces 61_ and 61b. They, and the sloped surfaces,
tend to set up a favorable air flow over the lower surfaces 29
and 30 of the club head 10 as the club 13 i8 swung through the
air~ ~urther, a~ the head 10 pa~es through the air, the keel
30 ~plits the air ahead of the club head 10 and the concave
~ides 31 direct the air outwardly as it passes over the lower
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surÇaces 29 and 20. This pattern of air flow tends to separate
and bend the grass as the head 10 approaches the ball (see Fig.
1) rather than crush the grass as the conventional flat
bottomed head does.
The golf club head 10 is completed by the insertion of
the trapezoidal panel 35 in the cutout 18 on the front face 17
of the body 16. The panel 35 typically consists of a hard
plastic material which can engage a ball repeatedly without
becoming dented or worn as the wood of the body 16 would
otherwise become if such a panel 35 were not provided, A
suitable bonding agent such as an epoxide may be employed to
bond the rear wall 35a, sides 35b and bottom 35_ of the insert
to corresponding surfaces of the body and of the sole plate 25.
As shown in Fig. 4, the body 16 is typically defined by
a vertical 5tack of generally horizontal and paralLel
laminations 16_ consisting of wooden sheets bonded together at
their interfaces. As an example, there may be between 17 and
19 such laminations per inch in the direction of arrows 40 in
Fig. 4. The strength of the club head, to resist impact of the
ball, i~ thereby enhanced. However, the rather shallow
thlckne~s of the sole plate, in the direction of arrows 40,
causes ~tress concentration at the lowermost laminations 16a,
i.e. those below the level of the upper surface 25d of the plate
25, since at times the full impact load o~ the club head
against a concealed rock or other object is transmitted from
the sole plate to such lowermost laminations.
The sole plate typically carries or defines at least
one stud and preferably multiple 6tuds, or holders, integral
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with the plate and projecting upwardly from the plate upper
side 25d into a corresponding opening or openings extending
upwardly in the head from the cutout or recess 21. As shown in
the drawings, multiple studs or holders 41-44 are shown
projecting within and closely fitting corresponding drilled
openings 41a-44a with vertical dimensions exceeding the combined
thicknesses of at least two of the laminations through which
the studs project. For best results, the studs project through
at least about 10 laminations. Adhesive bonding material such
a~ epoxide re5in is employed as at 46 between the studs and the
walls of the openings receiving them, to rigidly bond the studs
to the lamination~, whereby loading is transmitted to multiple
lamination~ above the rece~ or cutout 21 in response to heavy
impact loading, Such loading i5; however, directed upwardly
and rearwardly by sloping surfaces 61_ and 61b, and toward the
laminations, to "compact" them rather than pull them apart.
Destructive delamination is thereby avoided since the load is
sufficiently di8tributed and directed toward the laminations as
to avoid it.
Fig. 3 shows that studs 41 ad 43 are located at one
side of a vertical plane 47 which bisects the keel 30, and
~tude 42 and 44 at the opposite side of the plane. Plane 47
extends forwardly and rearwardly and through the crest of the
keel. Also, studs 43 and 44 are located forwardly of the
peninsulas 22, and studs 41 and 42 rearwardly of the latter.
Such spacing distributes the load over the club head, in
balanced relation relative to the head and the sole plate.
Plate side p4ckets 22a receive such peninsulas.
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Fig. 6 illustrates the provision of two additional
openings 48 and 49 projecting in the body 16 upwardly and
forwardly, as well as laterally away from plane 47, at angles
from vertical, and at opposite sides of the plane 47. Such
openings intersect the bottom surface of recess or cutout 21,
and are of larger diameter than the e~ual diameters of the
~tuds, the latter being about 1/8 inch, for example. Concealed
weight~ 50 and 51 are or may be fitted in the recesses, which
~re typically loc~ted rearwardly of a lateral uprlght plane 53
bl~ecting the penlnsula~ 22, 8~ i6 clear from Flgs. 3 and 4.
Thc w~ight~ are typically bonded ln position, in their
a~ociated openlngs. Pigs. 2 and 3 show the outline 54 of an
additlonal cylindrical opening to receive welghtlng materlal,
and whlch extend~ rearwardly lnto the body 16 a~ove the keel
~nd rom a position intersecting the cutout 18. Plane 47
bi~ects openlng 54.
Flg~, 7-9 ~how the ~ole pl~te ln as-c~st condition,
wlth ear~ 56 and 57 which are later partially cut-aw~y or
trlmm-d to ~atch the Contour of the woodon body 16, during
a~embly. Al~o, plate portlon 5B ls trlmmed during such
a~sembly. A central, elongated reces~ 59 is formed, for
ca~ting purposes, asvia ~ duct 60 in that recess. The recess
inter~ects the concave upper ~urface 66 of the sole-plate, as
~hown. The ~ymmetric con~truction i~ ~uch that the Figs. 7-9
Jole plate may be u~ed on either lo~t or right handed club
heads,
The studs 41-44 are ~mooth surfaced, as are their
receiving openings 41a-44a, to prevent formation of cracks in or
between the laminations,which would encourage delamination.
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Openings 48 and 49 are located rearwardly of a lateral
upright plane through the peninsulas 22, but forwardly of
openings 43a and 44a, ~o as not to interface with the latter.
It will be noted that the sloped auxiliary surfaces 61b
~ntersect the head front face along lines 60b which are lateral
cont~nuations of the llnear lntersection 60a of the keel sloped
~urface 61 w$th the front face 17. ~hat l~ne of inter5ection
extend~ lat-rally along at lea~t about half the h-ad front face
lateral dlmension, and lt ~5 located between about 1/8 and 1/4
thc he1ght o the head as measured upwardly from the bottom of
the keel and toward the uppermost extent of the front face.
rurther, keol ~lop~ng ~urface 61 extends at an angle ~ between
about 40 and 50 relative to the head bottom surface,
as at 30a in Fig. 4 that lles horlzontally. Note also that
~loped ~urface 61 i~ below the sweet ~pot, generally
indicated at 72, in Fig. 2, i.e. the preferred and centered
ball strlking sur~ace, generally circular,
horlzontally. Note ~l~o thnt ~loped eurface 61 1- b-low the
~weet ~pot, generally ind~cated at 72, in Pig. 2, i.e. the
preferred and centered ball striking surface, generally clrcula~.
The keel concave opposite sides 31 intersect the
auxiliary sloplng surfaces 61b along lines of intersection 73
~nd 74. 8ur~ces 61~ curve laterally, rearwardly and
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upwardly away from 61a, while also sloping downwardly and
rearwardly toward lines 73 and 74. Lines 73 and 74 define a
rearwardly convex bulge at the bottom of the keel in Fig. 3,
whereby the sloping surface 61a has greater height than the
S height dimeneion of sloping sur~aces 61b.
Accordlngly, force of lmpact wlth the ground ls transmltted
upwardly and rearwardly, toward the lamlnstions, tending to
co~pact them, not "delaminate~ them as by ~hear. Also, such
~loplng a~si~t6 forwara travel of the head despite keel impact
with the turf or ground.
Figs. 10 and 11 ~how application of the invontion to a
~met~l wood~ h~ad 80, comprl~ing a thin metal ~such a~ steel)
~hell 81, having a central hollow whlch may be filled with
pl~tic materlal, a8 at 82. A relnforcement ~trut 83 may be
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located to extend integrally from the rear of front wall 84 to
the rear wall 85, at corner 86. The keel 130 corresponds in
shape with keel 30, and sloping front surface 161 as well as
sloping auxiliary surfaces 161b correspond to above described
sloping surfaces 61 and 61b. See also line of intersections
160_ and 160b corresponding to line 60a and 60b.
Figs. 12 and 13 show the invention extended to a
golfing iron 280, having head 281 with front face 217, keel 230,
keel front wall 261 that slopes downwardly and rearwardly from
l~ne of intersection 260a with front ~ace 261; and auxiliary
~loping surfaces 261.b ~corresponding to surfaces 61b) at
laterally opposite sides of surface 261 and forming
continuation~ of surface 261. The line 260a has lateral
continuations at 260b, liké continuations 60b.
