US3421765A

US3421765A - Golf club

Info

Publication number: US3421765A
Application number: US568232A
Authority: US
Inventors: John Wright Martin Scott
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1966-07-27
Filing date: 1966-07-27
Publication date: 1969-01-14
Anticipated expiration: 1986-01-14
Also published as: GB1126607A

Description

J. w. M. scor'r Jan. 14, 1969 GOLF CLUB Sheet Filed July 27, 1966 INVENTOR.

JOHN W. M. SCOTT ATTORNEYS 1 969 .1. w. M. SCOTT GOLF CLUB Sheet Filed July 27, 1966 w m msh M T. R N

w Q m. m m M JOH BY gi m v QE

J 6% owm United States Patent 3,421,765 GOLF CLUB John Wright Martin Scott, The Hill, Gordon, Ga. 31031 Filed July 27, 1966, Ser. No. 568,232 U.S. Cl. 273-163 1 Claim Int. Cl. A63b 53/00 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A golf club including a sighting apparatus for aligning the face of the golf club with a golf ball and the flag stick used on the putting green of a golf course. The sighting apparatus includes a housing positioned at the toe of the club head, and a mirror support arm extending from the housing over the upper surface of the club head. 'lhe support arm is pivotal about its own longitudinal axis, and about an axis extending at a right angle to the face of the club head. A il'lllI'l'OI is connected to the mirror support arm, and the mirror support arm is adjusted to position the mirror at an angle so that the player can sight through the mirror from above the club head and align the club head with the golf ball and the flag stick.

In the game of golf, the golf ball must be directed across a relatively smooth grassy area, commonly called the putting green, until it comes to rest in the hole. The putting green is a smooth, relatively flat, closely cut grassy area surrounding the hole that normally enables an accurately hit golf ball to travel in a substantially straight path. While the green is usually conditioned to alford the golfer an optimum surface over which to putt, the major short-coming of most golfers on the green is usually not the green itself but the golfers ineptness at stroking the ball towards the hole with the putter.

For the duifer or inexperienced golfer, and also for the experienced and professional golfer, one of the major difiiculties of putting a golf ball is in placing the face of the putter exactly at right angles, both horizontally and vertically, to the line extending between the golf ball and the hole at the moment of impact of the club with the ball. Placement of the putter adjacent to the ball in this manner is especially difficult when the ball rests even a reasonably short distance from the hole since the golfer is usually unable to see the ball, club head and hole (or flagstick used to indicate the position of the hole) at the same time.

Accordingly, this invention comprises a putter that enables the golfer to view the putter, golf ball, and a hole or fiagstick simultaneously. The invention includes a mirror or other reflective surface, attached to the head of the golf club in such a manner that, when the player places the club in position to putt the golf ball, the lITllITOl',Wlll reflect an image of any object in the area in front of the face of the golf club, both horizontally and vertically in front of the face of the golf club so that the object can be seen by the golfer in his normal stance above the golf club. The mirror is constructed so that it is adjustable, first, about a horizontal axis extending in a direction at a right angle to the face of the head of the practice golf club, and about a second axis disposed at a right angle with respect to the first axis and movable in a vertical plane disposed parallel to the plane of the face of the golf club thus enabling the golfer to adjust the mirror and the image it reflects to suit his individual stance with reference to his preferred position with the ball when using the golf club.

An object of this invention is to provide apparatus for reflecting the area ahead of the face of a golf club and any vertically extending object in that area which may be directly in front of the face of a practice golf club.

Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus for reflecting the area ahead of the face of the head of a golf club in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the face of the golf club.

Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus to enable one to direct the movement of a round object over a surface wherein a vertical object indicating the destination of the round object can be viewed both before and during that moment of impact when the round object is impelled and starts to roll and travel to that destination.

Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus for directing the movement of a round object over a surface wherein the destination of the object can be viewed when impelling the object.

Another object of this invention is to provide a golf club for teaching golfers how to putt, the golf club being simple in construction, expedient in use, and well designed to meet the economics of manufacture.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the sighting apparatus and a golf club, showing the sighting apparatus connected to the head of a putter;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view, with parts broken away, of the sighting apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of a green of a golf course, showing the hole, flagstick, ball and the head of a golf club embodying the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a back elevational view of the practice golf club.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows a golf club putter 10 having a shank 11, club head 12 and club head face 14. The shank 11 extends from the club head 12 in a direction so that when the club head 12 rests on the ground the shank will extend generally upwardly from the club head. The club head 12 has an upper surface 15 and lower surface 16. The upper surface and lower surface are rounded at the end of the club head away from the shank 11 to form a toe 18, and the lower surface 16 is rounded at its end near the shank 11 to form a heel 19.

Sighting apparatus 20 is attached to the upper surface 15 of the club head 12. The sighting apparatus 20 includes a connecting arm 21, an adjusting housing 22, and a re fleeting member 24. The connecting arm 21 defines a pair of spaced apertures 23 (FIG. 2) through which screws 25 extend; the screws 25 being threaded into the threaded apertures 26 defined in the upper surface 15 of the club head 12. The connecting arm 21 is integrally connected to the housing 22.

The adjusting housing 22 includes a front wall 28 and a rear wall 29 disposed parallel to each other and joined together by bottom wall 30. The front wall 28 is disposed generally parallel to the face 14 of the club head 12, while the bottom wall 30 is arranged to be disposed generally parallel to the bottom surface 16 of the club head. Referring now to FIG. 2, the end of the housing 22 disposed adjacent to the club head 12 includes end wall 31 which extends vertically from the bottom wall 30, and the end of the housing 22 disposed remote from the club head 12 includes end wall 32. Thus, it can be seen that the front wall 28, rear wall 29, bottom wall 30 and end walls 31 and 32 define an open ended adjusting housing 22, the upper area of the housing remaining open.

The front wall 28 and rear wall 29 define aligned apertures (not shown) through which a threaded screw 34 extends. A nut 35 is threaded on the screw 34 to firmly position it in the apertures. A U-shaped swivel 36 is positioned between the walls 28 and 29 of the housing, the legs of the U being disposed adjacent to the walls. The legs of the U-shaped swivel 36 define aligned apertures, similar to the apertures of the walls 28 and 29, and the screw 34 is inserted therethrough. A cylindrical sleeve 38 of a size defining an opening slightly larger than the screw 34 is positioned in alignment with the apertures of the U-shaped swivel 36, around the screw 34. Thus, the screw 34 extends through the apertures (not shown) of the walls 28 and 29 of the housing 22, through the apertures of the legs of the U-shaped swivel 36, and through the cylindrical sleeve 38. With this arrangement, when the nut 35 is tightened down on the screw 34, the Walls 28 and 29 of the housing 22 will be urged together so as to urge the legs of the U-shaped swivel 36 together, against the ends of the cylindrical sleeve 38, thereby maintaining these elements in fixed relationship with respect to each other.

A positioning block 39 is attached to the base 40 of U-shaped swivel 36 by means of cap screw 41 extending through the base 40 into a threaded aperture 42 of the block 39. The positioning block 39 is rectangular in shape, and defines a through bore 44 extending in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the screw 34. A threaded aperture 45 extends from the upper surface of the positioning block 39 to the through bore 44, and a set screw 46 is received therein.

As shown in FIG. 1, the sighting apparatus 20 includes a support structure 48 positioned above the club head 12. The support structure 48 includes a fiat base plate 49, inwardly turned side tabs 50 and 51 and inwardly turned bottom tab 52. The

tabs

50, 51 and 52 cooperate to retain a mirror 54, or other reflective surface against the surface of the flat base plate 49. The upper edge of the base plate 49 slopes upwardly from each side of the base plate to form a centrally located protrusion 56. The mirror 54 is similarly shaped, also including a protrusion 58. Of course, the mirror 54 is slightly smaller in every dimension than the area defined between the side tabs 50 and 51 and between the bottom tab 52 and the upper edge 55 of the base plate 49.

The base plate 49 is supported on support arm which extends from the portion of the base plate adjacent to the bottom tab 52, outwardly from the base plate in a direction generally coextensive with the edge thereof adjacent to the bottom tab 52, away from the shank 11 of the putter 10. The support arm 60 is received in the through bore 44 of the positioning block 39, and retained therein 'by set screw 46. The support arm 60 is round, in cross section, so that it can be pivoted in the through bore 44 to any desired position.

The front wall 28 and rear wall 29 of the adjusting housing 22 each have an arcuate

upper edge

61 and 62, respectively; the center of the arc of each

edge

61 and 62 being coincident with the center of the screw 34. The walls 28 and 29 are calibrated near their arcuate upper edges with bench marks radiating outwardly from the axis of the screw 34. With this arrangement, the position of the set screw 46 or positioning block 39 with respect to the walls 28 or 29 can be easily determined by aligning these elements with the bench marks of the walls.

The U-shaped swivel 36 of the adjusting housing 22 includes an extension 64 (FIG. 2) extending from one of its legs towards the end wall 31 and supports, in turn, a calibrating quadrant 65 extending upwardly from the adjusting housing 22 and disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular and at right angles to the support arm 60 of the mirror 54. The arcuate upper edge 66 of the calibrating quadrant 65 includes a series of bench marks radiating outwardly from an axis coincident with the axis of the support arm 60 of the sighting apparatus 20, With this construction, when the support arm 60 of the sighting apparatus 20 is allowed to pivot in the through bore 44 of the positioning block 39, the position of the sighting apparatus with respect to the club head 12 can be easily determined by aligning the base plate 49, tab 51, or mirror 5'4 with the bench marks 66 of the calibrating quadrant 65.

FIG. 4 shows a more compact form of the invention wherein the extension 64a of the 'U-shaped swivel 36a is foreshortened and the portion of the adjusting housing 22a adjacent the club head 12a is also fores'hortened a corresponding distance so that the screw 34a is positioned closer to the club head 12a. Of course, the arcuate upper edge 61a of the front wall 28a of the adjusting housing 22a terminates at a point disposed closer to the club head 1211. Since the arcuate upper edge 62a of the rear Wall 29a would also terminate closer to the club head 12a, thereby limiting the movement of the calibrating quadrant 65a in its pivotal movement about the screw 34a, the arcuate upper edge 62a is foreshortened, as indicated in FlG. 4 to allow the calibrating quadrant 65a freedom of movement over an arc of approximately 45. Of course, the arcuate upper edge 61a of the front wall 28a is calibrated, as previously described, to aid the player in positioning the sighting apparatus. Thus, FIG. 4 shows a more compact version of the invention which is somewhat lighter in weight than the previously described invention.

Operation When the golfer desires to putt a golf ball over the surface of a green, toward the hole or flagstick used to indicate the hole, he places the club adjacent to the ball in the usual manner so that the face 14 of the club head 12 extends in a plane generally disposed at right angles in both a horizontal and vertical direction to the line be tween the ball and the hole or fiagstick. The golfer then looks at the image reflected in the mirror 54 to see if the face of the club is properly aligned with the ball. If the golfer sees the image of the flagstick bisecting the surface of the mirror 54 so that the image of the flagstick extends into the protrusion 58 of the mirror 54, he can rest assured that the face of the club is properly aligned.

Since the shank 11 of some golf clubs extends from the club head 12 at an angle different from that shown in the drawing, it is possible that the golfer may prefer to locate and practice putting the ball at a greater or less distance from his feet and in a position difierent from the one it might have occupied when utilizing a club as shown in the drawing. Accordingly, in such a case it may be necessary to adjust the mirror 54 about the axis extending through the screw 34 so the golfer will be able to use his normal stance when putting. Accordingly, the nut 35 can be loosened from the screw 34 and the sighting apparatus 20 pivoted about the screw 34. When the sighting apparatus is properly repositioned as indicated and defined by bench marks disposed about the arcuate

upper edges

61 and 62 of the walls 28 and 29, respectively, of the housing 22, the nut 35 can be tightened on the screw 34 to secure the sighting apparatus in its new position, which will be so selected as to show the vertical fiagstick as an image in the mirror, when the golf club is in the proper putting position. Again, on another occasion, it might be preferred to practice putting the ball located at a greater or less distance from the fiagstick at which time it will be desirable to change the angle of the sighting apparatus 20 about the axis of the support arm 60 so that the golfer may continue to see the vertical flagstick as an image in the mirror. Accordingly, the set screw 46 can be loosened, the sighting apparatus 20 pivoted in the through bore 44 to a new position, indicated and defined by bench marks 66 of the calibrating quadrant 65, Since the sighting apparatus 20 pivots about two axes but is stationary and cannot rotate around a vertical axis, which is the axis perpendicular to the plane of the upper surface 15 of the club head 12, the sighting apparatus 20 will always be maintained in directional alignment with the face of the club head. Thus, the sighting apparatus 20 can be adjusted at will about its two remaining axes without fear of improperly aligning the reflective surface or mirror 54 with the direction along which it is desired to stroke the golf ball.

In using the sighting apparatus in con-junction with the putter -10, the golfer can experiment with several golf stances to attain the most comfortable and desirable stance without fear of misaligning the face 14 of the club head. For instance, if the golfer desires to stand erect with his head positioned to the heel side of the club head, the sighting apparatus 20 can be pivoted about the axis extending through the screw 34 to accommodate this position. Furthermore, if the golfer desires to stand slightly behind the ball so that his head is positioned slightly behind the face 14 of the club head, he may desire to pivot the support arm 60 and sighting apparatus 20 in the through bore 44 of the positioning block 39 to accommodate his new position. Of course, in changing the position of the sighting apparatus 20 in either manner, accurate adjustment can be attained and any former positions can be redefined and duplicated and resumed again and again by aligning the sighting apparatus 20 with the bench marks of the calibrating quadrant 65 with the help of the set screw 46 or positioning block 39 with the bench marks of the walls 28 and 29 of the adjusting housing 22 with the help of nut 35.

The golfer can watch the image reflected in the mirror 54 of the sighting apparatus 20 when swinging the putter so as to determine if his putter is maintained in proper alignment throughout the entire length of his stroke and during all the backward and the forward movement of that stroke. Thus, in this manner, inadvertent twisting of the putter in the hands of the golfter during his putting stroke can be avoided and a true putting stroke can be repeated, time after time.

Referring now to FIG. 3, it can be seen that when the face 14 of the club head 12 is placed behind a ball 70 the mirror 54 will reflect or show the image 71 of the vertical flagstick 72 in the hole 74 of the putting green. Ifthe face 14 of the putter 12 is not disposed at right angles to the line between the flagstick 72 and the ball 70, the image 71 of the flagstick 72 will appear to slant across the face of the mirror 54. In this manner, the golfer will receive indication that the "face of the putter is not in perfect alignment with the ball 70 and hole 74. If the golfer pivots the face of the putter until it is exactly at right angles to the line between the flagsick and the ball, the image 71 of the flagstick 72 will bisect the mirror 54 and extend through the protrusion 58 of the mirror. Thus, the golfer will have assurance that the club head is correctly aligned, or in the language of the player, is correctly lined up.

After the golfer becomes accustomed to using the putter 10 in this manner, he may be able to utilize the sighting apparatus to play a rolling or sloping green where the ball will not be expected to travel in a straight path across the surface of the green. If the green slopes or angles downwardly toward the right side of the hole, as from the bottom of FIG. 3 toward the hole, the sighting apparatus 20 and the club head 12 can be purposely misaligned so that the face 14 of the club head is disposed at the angle shown so that the club will stroke the ball to the higher side of the hole. Of course, the golfer receives indication of the purposely misaligned club head by the image 71 of the flagstick 72 being angled across the face of the mirror 54. Furthermore, after a substantial amount of practice, the golfer can anticipate the precise angle that his golf club is to be misaligned so that the club and sighting apparatus can be accurately utilized in this manner.

While the connecting arm 21 has been disclosed as extending from the housing 22 in such a manner as being adapted to be connected to the upper surface 15 of the club head 12, it may be desirable to attach the sighting apparatus to a putter that has its shank 11 extending from the center of the upper surface of the club head. Of course, in this instance the connecting arm 21 would have to be foreshortened to some extent so that it would not interfere with the shank. As an alternate arrangement, the sighting apparatus can be constructed with the connecting arm extending from the rear wall 29 of the housing 22 so that it can be connected to the rear surface of the putter. In either arrangement, or in any similar arrangement, the device would operate in the manner as disclosed.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many variations may be made in the embodiments chosen for the purpose of illustrating the present invention without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claim.

What is claimed as invention is:

1. The combination of a golf club and a sighting device, said golf club comprising a shank and a club head including a flat front surface, a back surface, upper and lower surfaces, a heel surface adjacent said shank and a toe surface positioned away from said shank, said sighting device including a housing positioned adjacent said toe surface, an elongated connecting arm extending horizontally from said housing toward said shank and connected to the upper surface of said club head to support said housing, an elongated mirror support arm extending from said housing to a position above and adjacent the upper surface of said club head, said housing including therein means for adjustably rotating said mirror support arm about its longitudinal axis and about an axis generally normal to the longitudinal axis of said mirror support arm, and a mirror connected to said support arm.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1949 Paisley 273-163 1/1964 Rohr 273-194 X US. Cl. X.R.