GB1587191A

GB1587191A - Grip-pressure indicating device

Info

Publication number: GB1587191A
Application number: GB34288/76A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Stewart E C
Current assignee: Stewart E C
Priority date: 1977-07-22
Filing date: 1977-07-22
Publication date: 1981-04-01

Description

(54) A GRIP-PRESSURE INDICATING DEVICE (71) I, ERIC CHARLES STEWART, a British subject of Frogmoor Cottage, Harefield Road, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire WD3 1 L2, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a grip pressure indicating device particularly applicable to the gripping of a handled implement in the playing of a sport, whether it be, for example, when practising or playing a stroke in which a ball, shuttle cock or like game object is struck, or when casting a finishing line.

According to the invention there is provided a grip pressure indicating device for indicating to the user of a handled implement in the playing of a sport the degree of gripping pressure being applied by the hand to the handle of the implement, said device comprising means adapted to receive the hand which grips the implement handle, means carried by said hand receiving means and responsive to the gripping pressure applied by the hand to the implement handle, and an indicator means carried by said hand receiving means and actuable by said pressure responsive means to indicate that gripping pressure, said indicator means being graduated to indicate an optimum pressure for gripping the implement handle and being visible to the user so that he may compare the gripping pressure he is applying with said graduated optimum pressure.

The invention also provides a grip pressure indicating device for improving the play of a golfer, comprising means adapted to receive the goifer's hand which grips the shaft of a golf club, pressure responsive means carried by said hand receiving means so as to lie between the palm of the golfer's hand and the golf club shaft and follow the direction of the golf club shaft when held correctly, and indicator means connected with said pressure responsive means for indicating the gripping pressure applied by the golfer's hand through said pressure responsive means to the golf club shaft, said indicator means being graduated to indicate an optimum pressure for gripping the golf club shaft and being visible to the golfer so that he can compare the pressure with which he is gripping the golf club shaft with the graduated optimum pressure, said pressure responsive means being designed so that the optimum gripping pressure will not be attained unless the golf club shaft is held correctly.

In order that the invention may be well understood there will now be described some embodiments thereof, given by way of example reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a glove incorporating a grip pressure indicating device embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a rear view of the same glove; Figure 3 is a developed view of the grip pressure indicating device in the same glove for indicating the amount of pressure applied to the implement being gripped; Figure 4 illustrates diagrammatically the operative connection from the pressure fluid column to the indicator of Figure 3; Figures 5 to 7 show further indicators; and Figures 8 and 9 depict a further alternative pressure indicating device as would be applied to a glove.

In a first embodiment of the invention, a glove 1 which could, as depicted in Figures 1 and 2, take a mitten-like form but which could just as well be fashioned to completely cover the hand 2, has either integral therewith or attached thereto a grip pressure indicating device, generally indicated by reference numeral 3, to indicate to the wearer the amount of gripping pressure applied by the hand prior to, throughout the stroke, throw or cast, and after the completion thereof.

The glove I is particularly intended for handling a golf club with which the degree of gripping pressure applied to the shaft reflects the natural hand-action which, in its turn, and in conjunction with how the shaft is held, critically affects how the club travels during its swing. The particular glove illustrated not only enables the applied gripping pressure to be reflected to the player but also assists in the promotion of the correct handling of the golf club shaft, as will appear.

The pressure indicating device 3 can take any suitable form providing that it includes a means operable to transmit the gripping pressure applied by the hand through the glove to the golf club shaft to an indicator visible to the wearer.

Whilst the glove 1is designed specifically for use with a golf club, it will be appreciated that it could equally as well be used, with or without such modification as may be necessary or desirable, with other sports equipment the handling of which affects the stroke, throw or cast being made. For example, such equipment could be a cricket bat, tennis racket or squash racket. For the purposes of the present disclosure, though, the glove will be described in relation to its use with a golf club, but it is to be clearly understood that the invention is not restricted to such an application.

The particular pressure indicating device 3 depicted in Figures 1 to 3, comprises a fluid (which may be a gaseous fluid such as air or, alternatively, a liquid) filled pressure pad which is generally indicated by reference numeral 4 and which has a bulbous section 5 which is fixed or integral with that region of the glove fitting on to the palm of the left hand. Within the bulbous section 5 is fashioned a fluid filled channel 6 (see Figure 3) which communicates via a narrower channel 7 formed in a strap section 8 leading, and again attached in any suitable manner, to the back of the hand. Yet again, integral with, or fixed to, the strap section 8 is an indicator dial 9, the pointer 10 of which is caused by to swing around the dial in response to a various fluid pressure in the fluid filled channel 7 being transmitted by any suitable mechanical means, such as a bellows and prong as illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, to a lever arm 11 which is rotationally fast with the pointer 10 and which is depicted in Figure 4. Such varying fluid pressure is, of course, obtained when the wearer of the glove grips the golf club shaft.

The dial 9 need not be graduated to give a measured indication of the actual pressure applied. Rather, the dial would be graduated to indicate the strength of the grip from say weak to very strong. In practice, it is anticipated that the dial might be graduated in numbers, say from 1 to 10, and that the optimum grip would be determined by a professional golfer. If the optimum resulted in the pinter attaining the graduation 10, then a good amateur might be expected to aim at a grip of, say, between graduations 5 and 8, it being expected that the grip of an amateur would be less than that of a seasoned professional golfer.

The design is such that the desired gripping pressure will not be obtained unless the club is held correctly since the pressure pad 4 extends diagonally downwards from the index finger across the palm so that it will only be fully compressed when it follows the correct, corresponding line which the club shaft should take the bulbous section 5 being shaped with two primary protuberances, one denoted by reference 12 and positioned under the index finger 13 and the other protuberance 14 at the opposite end of the bulbous section.

Moreover, the positioning of the dial 9 on the back of the hand has the effect, since the user would be instructed to view the dial prior to, thoughout the duration of, and after the completion of the stroke, that the player would tend to execute a correct swing since it would only be by so doing that he would maintain his hand in the attitude leading to the dial being visible at all times.

Instead of a fluid filled pressure pad, the pressure indicating device 3 could comprise a bellows or spring plate (not shown) which, when actuated by pressure, would operate an indicating plunger or lever to record the movements of the bellows or spring plate. The bellows or spring plate could be of a plastics or metallic material.

In the case of the particular pressure indicate ing device 3 illustrated, the fluid filled pressure pad 4 would desirably be of the same material as the rest of the glove. Normally, such material would be leather but a plastics material could be adopted. Obviously, whilst shown on a lefthand glove, the invention could just as well be applied to a right-hand glove.

As shown in Figure 5, an alternative dial pointer 21 of a dial 20 could have a spring 22 return. Moreover, the dial 20 could have a press stud fixing 23 to the glove.

Instead of a swinging pointer dial, there could be provided a numbered slide actuated by the pressure fluid column. Figures 6 and 7 illustrate two such arrangements, the former depicting a round window 24 and the latter a square window 25. Both could have press stud fixings 23 to the glove.

One further alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 8 and 9.

Referring first to Figure 8, that view corresponds to Figure 3. However, the fluid filled channels 6 and 7 in the bulbous section 5 and the strap section 8 respectively extend the entire width of the respective section rather than leaving pronounced margins at the edges of the sections as in the Figure 3 embodiment. The fluid in the channels in both those embodiments and, indeed, in all the described embodiments of the invention could be air at normal atmospheric pressure.

In the Figure 8 construction, a guided linearly movable plunger or piston in the form of a bellows 26 having its interior in communication with the channel 7 is utilized to transmit the varying air pressure in that channel to the dial pointer 10, the bellows expanding and contracting lengthwise as the gripping pressure upon the club shaft is applied and relaxed respectively and being mechanically connected to the pointer so that such linear movement of the bellows effects appropriate swinging move ment of the pointer.

A suitable mechanical connection would be that illustrated in Figure 9 in which a relatively rigid elongated element, which might be termed a prong 27, is affixed to or made integral with, in any appropriate fashion, the outer end of the bellows 26 and is guided for its linear travel within a sleeve 28. In this instance, the pointer 10 of the indicator dial 9 pivots about a fixed pivot point 29 and is integral with an arm 30 in the manner of a bell crank lever. The outer end of the prong 27 is in mechanical connection with the free end of the arm 30 such that outward movement of the prong (attendant upon the shaft being gripped) will turn the arm and the pointer 10 as one in a clockwise sense. The pointer is returned, upon retraction of the prong, by means of a pair of leaf spring elements 31 and 32, the first having its opposite ends 31a and 31b mechanically connected to the free end of the arm 30 and one end 32a of the second spring element respectively and the latter having its opposite end 32b anchored to a fixed stud 33 such that operative swinging movement of the arm 30 clockwise will distort the spring elements which thereby provide a resilient bias against such movement which acts to return the arm and the pointer when the hand pressure to the shaft is removed.

Yet another alternative pressure indicating device (not shown), intended for use with a glove, takes a form generally similar to that of Figures 8 and 9 but is fashioned as a band separate from the glove and extending around the hand with the two ends of the band closely spaced apart from one another and connected together by a short strap fastened to the band ends. One snap fastener on the band is provided on the base and centrally of the indicator dial, and the other snap fastener is on the free end of an extension of the material forming the free end of the fluid pressure pad and projecting around the hand from the palm to the back of the hand. The band is suitably detachably attached to the glove as by a "Velcro" (Registered Trade Mark) fastening.

It will be appreciated that the term "gripping pressure" used throughout this specification denotes the pressure which is applied through the fingers, in particular the index finger, through the primary protuberance 12 to the shaft and then through the remainder of the bulbous section 5 lying adjacent the palm of the hand, to the palm.

It will also be realized that a right handed golfer would use the left-hand glove depicted, it being in that case the pressure applied by the left hand which is all important. The opposite would apply to a left handed golfer who would then use a glove embodying the invention on his right hand. If wished, the glove of the invention could be worn on both hands but then the "non-operative" hand would have its pressure pad differently shaped from that shown to suit the grip applied by that hand.

Claims

WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A grip pressure indicating device for indicating to the user of a handled implement in the playing of a sport the degree of gripping pressure being applied by the hand to the handle of the implement, said device comprising means adapted to receive the hand which grips the implement handle, means carried by said hand receiving means and responsive to the gripping pressure applied by the hand to the implement handle, and an indicator means carried by said hand receiving means and actuable by said pressure responsive means to indicate that gripping pressure, said indicator means being graduated to indicate an optimum pressure for gripping the implement handle and being visible to the user so that he may compare the gripping pressure he is applying with said graduated optimum pressure.

2. A grip pressure indicating device for improving the play of a golfer, comprising means adapted to receive the golfer's hand which grips the shaft of a golf club, pressure responsive means carried by said hand receiving means so as to lie between the palm of the golfer's hand and the golf club and follow the direction of the golf club shaft when held correctly, and indicator means connected with said pressure responsive means for indicating the gripping pressure applied by the golfer's hand through said pressure responsive means to the golf club shaft, said indicator means being graduated to indicate an optimum pressure for gripping the golf club shaft and being visible to the golfer so that he can compare the pressure with which he is gripping the golf club shaft with the graduated optimum pressure, said pressure responsive means being designed so that the optimum gripping pressure will not be attained unless the golf club shaft is held correctly.

3. A grip pressure indicating device as claimed in Claim I or Claim 2, wherein said means adapted to be received by the hand is incorporated in, or adapted for attachment to, a glove.

4. A grip pressure indicating device as claimed in Claim 3, wherein said pressure responsive means extends diagonally across the palm of the glove with its uppermost region adjacent and below the index finger, and wherein said indicator means lies at that region of the glove to fit against the back of the hand.

5. A grip pressure indicating device as claimed in any of the preceding Claims, wherein said pressure responsive means is a bellows or spring plate.

6. A grip pressure indicating device as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein said pressure responsive means is a fluid filled pressure pad.

7. A grip pressure indicating device as claimed in Claim 6, wherein said fluid is a liquid.

8. A grip pressure indicating device as claimed ill Claim 6 wlicrcin said fluid is a gas.

9. A grip pressure indicating device as claimed in Claim 8, wherein said gas is air at nollllal atmospheric pressure.

10. A grip pressure indicating device as claimed in any of Claims 6 to 9, wherein said rc ,sule pad has protuberance at its opposite oiitls.

11. A grip pressure indicating device as clriimctl in any of Claims 6 to 10, wherein said pressure pad includes a channel filled with said fluid and extending either partially of, or sub stanti;llly the entire, width of said pressure I,a tl.

1 2. A grip pressure indicating device as claimed in Claim 11 , including a strap linking said pressure pad with said indicator means and having a channel therein for operatively communicatillg said fluid in said pressure pad channel with said indicator means.

13. A grip pressure indicating device as claimed in Claim 12, iiicluding a linearly movable plunger communicating with that end of the strap channel adjacent said indicator means and operable by said fluid upon said gripping pressure being applied to move a pointer of said indicator means in accordance with the magnitude of said gripping pressure.

14. A grip pressure indicating device as claimed in Claim 13, wherein said plunger comprises a bellows having its interior operatively exposed to said fluid so as to expand and contract lengthwise as said gripping pressure is applied and relaxed respectively, and wherein said bellows is mechanically connected to said pointer so that said linear movement of said bellows causes indicating movement of said pointer.

15. A grip pressure indicating device as claimed in Claim 14, wherein said pointer is pivotally mounted for swinging movement around a dial, and wherein the mechanical connection between said bellows and said pointer comprises an elongated element fast with said bellows and in contact with an arm integral with said pointer, and wherein leaf spring means return said pointer upon release of hand pressure upon the club.

16. Any of the grip pressure indicating devices substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.