US1525137A - Golf club - Google Patents

Description

` Feb. 3, 1925.

c. L. LAwToN GOLF CLUB Filed March 20. 1922 Patented Feb. 3:1, 1925 UNITED 's'rATs CHABI-' L. LAWTON, OF HANCOCK, IVIICHIGAN.

GOLF CLUB.

Application filed March 20, 1922. Serial No. 545,033.

To all 'whom z't may concem Be it known that I, CHARLES L. LAWTON, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Hancock, in the county of Houghton and State of Michigan, have mvented a new and lmproved Golf Club, of which the following. is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of that type of golf clubs which are intended w for utting, that is for so propelling the ball tlhat it will roll along close to the ground and in a straight line because of oversp-in imparted to 'he ball by the club, and its object is to rovide a club of this character w which will 1mpart a maximum amount o-f overspin to the ball without reducing its travel by crowding it toward the ound. In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan of my improved golf club. Figs. 2 ao and 3 are side elevations thereof showing the club head in normal playing positions. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the club head.

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views. 2a Expert golf players are able to give to golf balls considerab'le overspin through the use of flat-face put-tem so that the balls will run a straight course and cling closely to the green. The club shown in the accomi panying drawing enables all players, whether skilled or unskilled, to give this peculiar motion to golf balls, after little practice, and it therefore assists all players in improving their score.

The club consists of a shaft 1 and' a head 2 provided with a shank or hosel 3 to re-- ceive the shaft. The Vertical angle between the head and the shaft will depend upon the ideas of the individual players. Th'e head may be of any desired metal or shape so long as the fronrt face 4 is convex. but the preferred type is cylindrical, 'and may extend down to a sligh't shoulder 5 which is at the front edge of the sole 6, although this shoulder may be omitted. The axis of the cylindrical face 4 is preferably parallel to the ground when the club is in 'normal playing position and the face curves back from about the middle line of the head.

The di'ameter of the cylinder of the front face is preferably aboutthe same -as that of the ball 7, and as the sole extends down below the continuation of the curvature of the face, the contact point 8 between the club and the ball is above the center of the point of contact with the ball. V

ball. The result is that the ballturns for- Ward fast-er than when struck with an ordinary straight or flat-faced putter, and should it strike a ho-rizontal twig, a pebble or small clod, it climbs over such obstruction instead of being deflected aside thereby. The amount of this overspin will depend upon the angle between the line 9 of contactand the horizontal line 10 and should not be unduly increased.

I prefer that the point of contact between the ball and the head 2 should be in the vertical line of the center of gravity of'the club and for that reason may place a mark 12 on the upper edge of the head. By curving the club away from the point of contact with the ball, I avoid crowding the ball toward the ground, which would result in checking its movement. The continuous curve for the face of the club permits thel angle between the shaft and the ground to vary between wide limits and the distanoe between [the bottom of the sole 6 and the ground to vary considerably.

The shank 3 or hosel is fi'attened at 14 so as to make it more flexible and is widened to overcome any tendency toward torsion. The overspin of the ball is increased by this flexibility of the hosel. The players can easily reduce the thickness of this fiattened portion 14 by filing it to suit the club to his individual taste. While this flattening of the hosel is especially valuble in the club shown in the drawing, straight or flat faced putters are also rendered more effective by 'providing them with this flexible hosel.

The roportions'and the several details of this clu) may be modified by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the following claims.

l claim:-

1. A golf club provided with a head having a cylindrical playing face and a sole, the axis of said face being substantially horizontal when the club is in normal playing position with its sole adjacent the ground and the center of gravity of the head when in such playing position being below the 2. A golf club provided with a head having a cylindrical playing face and a sole, the axis of said face being substatnially horizontal when the club is in normal playin position with its soleadjacent the groun the hosel of said head being fiattened adjacent the head and parallel to the axis of the head to render the head flexible.

3. A golf club provided With a head ha.v ing a. convex playing face curving upw'arclly and backwardly so as to strike the ball above the center When the club is held in normal playing position and having its center of gravity When in such playing position below 10 the point of contact with the ball, the curvature of the playingface of the. club extending downwardly back from the point of contact with the ball.

4. A golf club comprising a shaft and a head, said head being formed With a hosel to connect it to the shaft, said hosel being flattened adjacent the head and parallel to the bottom of the head to render it flexible.

CHARLES L. LAWTON.

Images