AU2002244525B2 - Putter improvement - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to putters and in particular to a method of manufacture of putters and to putters per se.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION In one form of this invention, although this need not necessarily be the only or indeed the broadest form of this, there is proposed a putter head having a face to which an impact face comprised of copper is affixed, so as to completely cover said face.

In preference, the copper is commercially available copper bar useful for applications such as bus bars.

In preference, the plate is of substantially constant thickness through at least most of its body and this thickness is within the range of from one eighth to three eights of an inch thick.

In preference, the plate is secured to a body portion providing a remainder of the putter head and to which there is either attached or integrally formed, a shaft holding portion.

In preference, the face of the copper plate forming the impact face is scored with crossing grooves.

In preference, the alignment of a centre of gravity of the plate is approximately aligned so that an axial direction of the shaft will co-incide with the centre of gravity.

2 In preference, an impact face provided by the plate provides a planar surface which is planar to a higher degree of accuracy.

In preference, a remainder of the body of the putter is comprised of a metal other than copper.

In preference, there is provided a putter including a head of unitary construction to which there is adhered to a face thereof a plate comprised of copper.

It is currently known to manufacture putters by casting these from an appropriate non-corrosive material such as a zinc alloy.

The problem with conventional casting techniques is that it is very difficult and therefore expensive to provide an impact face which is planar to a higher degree of accuracy.

A discovery of this invention is that, commercially available copper bars are manufactured in large quantities for other applications but incidentally have very accurately aligned sides and, in particular, provide a planar surface which is planar to a very high degree of accuracy.

In the game of golf, when a putter is used to hit a golf ball, given the spherical shape of the golf ball, and the relatively light contact effected between a putter and that ball, the specific location of impact will have an effective influence upon the direction that the golf ball will then travel.

If this, even in a very slight form, is inaccurate, then there is substantial disadvantage caused to the person using the putter.

In other words, relatively minor imperfections and inaccuracies in connection with alignment of a front face and the degree of accuracy of the planar shape, can be important in the use of the putter.

Further, however, copper I have found provides a softer surface to effect impact against a golf ball than, for instance, a surface provided by a zinc alloy while still, to a very large extent, providing predictable resiliency.

Further, by adding the substantial weight of a bar of copper on the face of a putter head and providing that this bar has a thickness within the range as stated, namely of one eight to three eights of an inch, means that there is provided an internal resiliency which is found to be very beneficial when being used to hit a golf ball.

This then proposes a different solution than say including a soft plastic insert into the impact face of a putter which then will cause some energy absorption when being hit against a ball and perhaps, more seriously, greater difficulty in predicting a hitting result where the ball may not be exactly hit against a substantially exact middle of the putter.

If a plastic insert has a width of perhaps only an inch or an inch and a half, then a slight deviation with a somewhat lighter and differently balanced putter will give a different result.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be better understood when described with reference to an embodiment which shall be described with the assistance of drawings wherein: FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a putter according to the embodiment along the lines 1-1 as shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same embodiment as in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is an end view of the same embodiment as in FIGS. 1 and 2; FIG. 4 is a plan view of the putter head in plan; FIG. 5 is a side view in elevation and; FIG. 6 illustrates the putter when being used in conjunction with a golfer; FIG 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment in which the impact face is finished off with vertical slots and; FIG 8 is a further view of the second embodiment viewed in plan.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Referring in detail to the drawings, the putter head 1 is comprised of three parts, a body 2 which is cast from zinc alloy and includes a face portion 3 and rearwardly extending fins 4.

Extending from above the body 2 is a stem 5 to which a socket 6 is attached to which a golf shaft 7 is affixed.

Secured to a front of the body 2 is a plate 8 which copper and which has been cut from commercially supplied copper plate.

Such copper plate as is currently available, has been shown to exhibit a very high degree of accuracy of its relative planar surfaces and is, in particular, the broader surfaces.

In this embodiment, plate of the thickness of one quarter of an inch is selected and cut into a form that matches the perimeter of the face 3 of the body 2.

Such a plate 8 is then machined so as to have a plurality of score lines passing across its impact face and the plate is then adhered to the formerly cast body 2 by an appropriate fastening means, in this case epoxy resin.

By adding such a plate to the face of an existing putter head, has been found to provide significant advantages in the capture and accuracy obtainable from a putter.

This, it is believed, is assisted by the somewhat higher specific gravity of copper and to maintain the balance of the putter, the alignment of the copper plate is such that a centre of gravity of the plate portion approximately coincides with an axis of the shaft 7.

This is generally shown in FIG. 5 in which the axis is shown at 9 and an estimate of the centre of gravity of the plate is shown at 10, the closeness in this case is approximately one quarter of an inch and this is regarded as adequate in the application.

In each of the embodiments shown there is also a feature that a lowermost surface and a front lower edge is tapered by being rounded as is shown at 11.

This is to ensure that there is an absence of a sharp bottom edge which may otherwise catch a surface of a green when being used and also to effect a skid action if contact is made with the green rather than being caught. It is relevant that a hitting surface of the plate that offers a planar surface can therefore start above a lowermost edge and still provide an excellent result for a user.

Now referring to the second embodiment as shown in Figures 7 and 8 this shows a different face configuration where there is still the planar characteristic gained from using copper bar. The putter in this case is therefore the same with a body 12.

The body 12 is cast from zinc alloy and includes a front vertical portion 13 and rearwardly extending fins 14.

Extending from above the body 12 is a stem 15 to which a socket 16 is attached to which a golf shafti 7 is affixed.

Secured to a face of the body 12 is a plate 18 which copper and which has been cut from commercially supplied copper plate. The lowermost edge is rounded to assist in skidding the head when hitting the surface of a green.

Characteristic of the face in this case is the fact that there are a plurality of grooves 19 each spaced apart an equal distance and each aligned vertically when the head is in its normal putting position. The alignment of the grooves helps to effect engagement of a golf ball.

This then describes both a putter and, in particular, a modified putter head and a method of manufacture which have shown to be of significant advantage both in the manufacture of these devices and a putter that can be manufactured somewhat more economically than has been hitherto been the case given a selected high degree of accuracy of the front planar face.

Claims (1)

1. 1 A putter head which has an impact face which is a plate comprised of copper.

   2 A putter head as in claim 1 further characterized in that the plate extends fully across the impact face of a head.

   3 A putter head as in claim 1 further characterized in that the plate is of substantially constant thickness through at least most of its body and this thickness is within the range of from one eighth to three eights of an inch thick.

   4 A putter head as in claim 1 further characterized in that the plate is of substantially constant thickness through at least most of its body and this thickness is approximately 1/4 of an inch.

   5 A putter head as in claim 1 further characterized in that the plate is of substantially constant thickness of 1/4 of an inch throughout its body

   6 A putter head as in claim 1 further characterized in that the plate is secured to a body portion providing a remainder of the putter head and to which there is either attached or integrally formed, a shaft holding portion.

   7 A putter head as in claim 1 further characterized in that the face of the providing an impact surface is scored with crossing grooves.

   8 A putter head as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that the alignment of a centre of gravity of the plate is approximately aligned so that an axial direction of the shaft will substantially coincide with the said centre of gravity.

   9 A putter head as in claim 1 further characterized in that a front impact face provided by the plate provides a planar surface which is planar to a high degree of tolerance which is within the range of from plus or minus one thousandths of an inch. A putter head as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that the body of the putter is comprised of a metal other than copper in parts other than at a face.

   A putter including a head of unitary construction to which there is adhered to a front face a plate comprised of copper.

   A putter head as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that the copper is manufactured from commercially available copper bar where a front face is the face as originally provided by the copper bar.

   A putter head as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that a lowermost front edge is rounded.

   A putter head as in any one of the preceding claims further characterized in that a lowermost surface is of concave shape when viewed from a side.

   A putter having a head as in any one of the preceding claims.

   A putter head comprised of three parts, a body which is cast from zinc alloy and includes a front vertical portion and rearwardly extending fins and extending from above the body a stem to which a socket is attached to which a golf shaft is affixed, and secured to a front of the body is a plate which is copper having a substantially uniform thickness which is within the range of from 1/8 to 3/8 and which has been cut from commercially supplied copper plate.

   A putter substantially as described in the specification with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying illustrations.