US1620118A - Golf club - Google Patents

Description

March 8, 1927. 1,620,118

G. W. MATTERN GOLF CLUB Filed May 15, 1922 GEORGE MATTERN, OF DAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO 'IHE CRA'WFORD, MCGREGOR AND CAREY COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION 07*? OHIO.

soar CLUB.

Application filed. May 15, 1922. Serial No. 566,931.

My invention relates to golf clubs and more particularly to clubs provided with metallic or other non-wood handle shafts.

The purpose of the invention is to afford to such handle shafts of metal, composition or other shafts employed as substitutes for the standard wooden shafts, the peculiar characteristics, reactions and feel inherent in the natural wood shafts.

Golf club shafts of tapered metallic tubing are at the present time coming into use as substitutes of the natural Wooden shafts usually constructed from seasoned hickory. Such metallic tubular shaft possess certain desirable characteristics being non-breakable and being substantially unaffected by climatic, temperature and humidity conditions.

While such metallic shaft-s possess a reasonable degree of flexibility or bendingmoment, they are to a very great degree,.if not entirely, unresponsive to torsional strains. In this they differ very materially from 'the natural wood'shafts. They also have the characteristics of transmitting to the play ers hand excessive vibration, which by re-' action upon the nerves frequently causes numbness or in'the absence of numbness, effects a disagreeable sensation. This tendency to conduct excessive vibration together with the unresponsiveness to torsional strain, subjects the players vwrists to abnormal stresses and strains, which results in undue .fatigue, and interferes with the players stroke. Moreover, the rigidity of such metallic shafts induces an inharmonious action of the club as a whole, destroys the balance of the club, and eliminates the characteristic feel which the skilled player prefers to experience and which to a great extent determines the quality-of his playing.

When such tubular metallic shafts were first adopted for golf clubs, it was thought that responsiveness to torsional strain in the wooden shafts was objectionable and it was soughtto overcome this objection by the introduction of the tubular steel shaft. Howing the use of metallic or other artificial shafts as substitutes for the natural Wood shafts in official games and tournaments.

In the present instance the desirable char acteristics of the tubular metallic golf club shafts are retained, and its undesirable features overcome by combining with the metallic shaft a second non-metallic section, which will be amply responsive to torsional strain and which will absorb or dampen excessive vibration. v

will thus be seen that theinvention pertalns to a golf club, whether a driver, a brassie, a mid-iron, a putter or other form of golf club, provided with a wood substitute shaft preferably though not necessarily of tubular form, but which is responsive to torsional strain and of comparatively low vibration conductivity. i I

While the preferred construction is that of a temperedtubular steel section, it will be understood that other material of nonwooden character may be employed so long as the finished shaft possesses the characteristics of responsiveness to torsional strain. In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a general view of a golf club in which the present invention has been embodied. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of a portion of agolf club handle shaft showing the interconnection and relation of the metallic and. non-metallic sections. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing relative modification of proportion of the respective metallic and nonmetallic sections, whereby varying degrees ment of the grain'in a wooden handle section in relation with the line of impact or striking face of the club head, to likewise vary. the torsional response of the head. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a portion of a tubular shaft packed or filled to control vibration and the bending moment.

Like parts are indicated by similarcharacters of reference throughout the several views.

In,the accompanying drawings, 1 is the golf club head,.2the handle shaft and 3 the hand grip. In this instance, the club shown in a driver or a brassie. lit is to be understood, however, that the invention is equallyapplicable to clubs of other types. In the present instance, the head 1, is usually and this substitute section may extend within the handle grip. Connected to the wood substitute section, whether of metalliccharaeter or of other suitable material is a handle section 5, preferably of wood, but which may be of material having similar inherent resiliency, responsiveness to torsional stress and the'quality of absorbing or dampening to some extent, excessive vibration. While various modes of attaching the shaft section 4 with the wood substitute section 3, may be employed, the referred form is to reduce the extremity o the handle section to an extended tenon thereon, which will be driven tightly within the open end of the tubular section 4. The relative proportions of the wooden substitute or metallic section 4v and the handle section 5, will determine the inherent characteristics of the resultant handle shaft. By making the wooden handle sec tion 5 of greater or less length, the degree of responsiveness to torsional strain andto vibration may be varied, to meet the requirements and preference of different players. Likewise these may be varied to some extent by varying the length of the tenon 6, and the distance to. which it extends within the tubular portion l. As a further modification tovary the inherent vibratory characteristics and bending moment of the handle shaft, the tubular section may be completely filled by extending the tenon 6 therethrough, or it may be packed or filled throughout with material of more or less density, according to the characteristics desired to be produced. Such a filled-tubular shaft section is shown at 7, Fig. 5.

The wrapping of the handle grip may be confined entirely to the. handle section 5, or it may be extended therebeyond onto the wood substitute section-.4, depending upon the relative length of the respective sections. The sections may be interconnected by.any suitableme ans as for instance by pinning,

' by means of screw threads. or merely b a tight driving fit of the handle section wit in the tubular section. However, cement is preferably though not necessarily, applied to the tenon before driving it into the tubular section. 4

. Not only will the composite handle shaft: thus produced, imitate with great slmilarity the inherent characteristics ofa natural wood handle shaft, be responsive to torsional strain, or stress and absorbent of excessive vibration, but it will also obviate breakage of the club head to .which-a golf club fitted with the usual form of steel or other metallic shaft are subject. The resistance of the metallic shaft as commonly employed to torsional stress subjects the head to excessive strain and many clubs are broken,by the neck of the head 1 being fractured or split, due to the unresponsiveness of the shaft to the impact with the ball.

While it is true that an all metallic shaft possessing torsional resistance may enable a player to drive somewhat more accurately, and obviate slicing, such advantage is due solely to the mechanical qualities of the club, and gives the player an advantage which -.is not recognized as being spo-rtsman-likej The wooden handle shafts being thetraditional and standard golf. club handle shaft is reproduced in all of its desirable characteristics by the artificial substitute heretofore described. a

Hickory wood of the proper quality for handle shafts is becoming qulte scarce. Onl a small portion of the hickory growth, tha .is the middle-zone portion is suitable for making golf club shafts. The sap wood, although possessing considerable strength, is elastic and being quite supple cannot he satisfactorily employed and hence there is a great'deal of waste. While this wood is not suitable for making the entire shaft, where it must be reduced to comparatively small diameter, it may nevertheless be satisfactorily employed in the present construction. I

In the present .mstance, it is employed in ieces Of'lDlIlCh larger; diameter and theooseness of the fiber or lack of density, which renders it objectionable for the entire shaft makes it especially desirable for the present purpose, wherein-the response to torsional strain is .to be found primarily in the wood handle section. This soft wood or coarse grained material unsuited for the I main portion of the shaft, also serves well as an absorber of vibration.

' The entire handleshaftma'y be made of this soft wood or coarse grain hickory, .or even other woods wholly unsuitable for golf club shafts may be employed, if encased in a length of reinforcing tubing, as shown in Fig. 5. While this casing or reinforcement tubing is preferably metallic, it might be fiber, composition or even paper. In .the event that the handle tenon 6' does not extend entirely through the tubular section 41 as'shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the tubular section may be packed or filled with suitable mate-.

rial to control the vibration and also the whip or bending moment. This packing or filling material may be of various forms. Ground cork, asbestos, fiber or other material pressed into thetube under varying dey,

grees of pressure or composition, Wax or other material of diiferent'de nsities may be employed in a tube to regulate the vibratory characteristics, and degree of Whip. By reinforcing the tubular section by either the wooden insert or by filling it with materials as aforementioned, the thickness or gage of the material employed for the tube may be materially decreased thereby not only reducing weight of the shaft, but also economizing the cost of manufacture.

The responsiveness of the handle shaft to strains and stress may be further regulated by using care with regard to the relation of the gram or growth circles of the wooden handle section, with the line of the impact. 1n Fig. l of the drawing, which shows. an end view of the golf club shaft, the grain or growth circles are shown substantially in line with the line of impact. The general direction of these variations, of the wood being indicated by the line aa.' By turning the wood handle section through a quarter rotation so that the growth circles or markings of the grain agree substantially with the line 6-?) a different effect is attained. Between these extremitiesvarious intermediate effects may be had by turning the grain or course circles to various angles in relation with the line of impact, as for instance as indicated by theline c-c.

By the various means heretofore described, a wide range of variation or modification of characteristics may be had in close imitation of effects produced by the usual and traditional all hickory shaft. I

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprises the preferred form of several modes of putting the invention into effect and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

.Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Agolf club including a head portion, a tubular flexible non fibrous shaft and a fibrous handle section forming a continuation of said shaft formed independent of specified.

and subsequently attached to said head portion and capable of limited twisting action. 2. A golf club provided with a shaft of metallic tubing and a Wooden hand-1e section connected to and extending beyond said shaft. v

3. A golf club provided with a tubular metallic shaft and 'a handle extension of v ditional to said metallic section whereby said club is rendered responsive to torsional strains irrespective of the torsional response of the tubular section, substantially as 5. A golf'club, including a tubular flexible shaft section highly resistant to torsional strains, to which the club head'is attached,

and a continuing section of characteris tic-ally different material responsive to torsional strains upon the shaft, independent of the response of the tubular section, and a handle grip carried by the last mentioned section.

6. A golf club provided with a shaftineluding a tubular section'highly resistant to torsional strain joined to the head of the club and a handle grip section responsive to such torsional strain said-sections being metallic shaft whereby the club will be re-- sponsive to torsionalstrain's.

. 8. A golf club, a head portionand an independently formed tubular metallic'shaft joined to the club h-ead and a non-metallic section joined to such metallic shaft for intercepting the vibrations of said shaft before reaching the jplayershands;

9. A golf club, a head portion and an independently formed tubular metallic shaft or the like joined to the club headand a non-metallic sectionv joined to and projecting axially beyond 'fthemetallic shaft for dampening 'the vibrations induced ;in said,

metallic shaft. I p

10. A golf clubfa head portion and an independently formed'tubular metallic shaft.

or the like joined to the club head andv a handle section of resilientlnaterial joined to f v said shaftextending therebeyo'nd; and 'formmg a continuationthereof adaptedto render the club responsive to torsional strains,

11. A golf club handle shaft comprisinga a tapered tubular metallic section- I and wooden handle section. fixedly connected to one end of the tubular section. the'said;

wooden handle section 'forming a continuation of the tubular metallic section and extending beyond the terminal of the metallic section in axial alinement therewith 12. A golf club handle shaft, comprising a tubular metallic section, a handle grip spaced away from the extremity of the metallic section and a longitudinally disposed wooden section, interconnecting the grip and tubular metallic section in lineal 10 continuation ofboth the handle grip and metallic sections and serving to couple said longitudinally spaced portions one to the other. t;

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set 15 my hand this 9th day of May A. D. 1922.

GEORGE WLMATTERN.

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