US1626967A - Golf-club shaft - Google Patents

Description

Aways.

W. F. REACH GOLF CLUB SHAFT Filed Jan. 24V 1927 May 3, 1927.

Patented May 3, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM I'. BEACH, 0l' SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASBIGNOB TO A. G. SPALD- ING & BROS., OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION F NEW JERSEY.

GOLF-CLUB SHAFT.

Application led January 24, 1927. Serial No. 183,187.

My present invention relates to improvements in golf clubs and more particularly to the hand grip portion of the shafts thereof.

For many years golf club shafts have been made mainly of wood (specifically hickory) but. the increasing scarcity has built up a demand for a satisfactory substitute, and up to the present time the tubular steel shaft is the only thing which apparently meets the need.

Such steel shafts havek been open to the objection that they. are practically rigid against any torsional movement.

In a club with a hickory shaft the capacity of the shaft for torsional movement causes it to absorb the shock of the blow or impact of the ball and produces a sweet feel, which is absent in the steel shaft.

Attempts have been made to avoid this objection by providing the steel shafts with a relatively soft sleeve or hand grip portion but this has not proved satisfactory, as it is not firm enough under the hand to promote good play.- l

The present invention aims to provide a golf )club having a metal shaft provided with a hand grip portion free from such defects and the invention comprises such a shaft having a hand grip sleeve of relatively firm material united to the shaft by an interposed member of elastic material having an inherent quality of returning to initial condition after distortion. v

In the drawings v Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the hand grip ortion of me shaft, the balance of the sha t being omitted.

Fig. 2 shows a cross sectional view of the grip with a modified form of the interposed uniting member, and also a longitudinal sectional view of said modified form.

Fig. 3 shows b views similar to Fig. 2 another form of t e invention.

Fig. 4 shows a cross sectional view of a longitudinall grooved shaft and a form of grip adapte thereto, and thisAigure also includes a longitudinal sectional view of the grilp and shaft.

n this drawing, referring to Fig. 1, the numeral 1 designates the shaft of tubular steel, representative of the customary type of steel shaft for both wood and iron clubs. This is surrounded, at the upper end or hand grasp portion, by a member 2 of elastic outer sleeve 3 of firm material to be grasped l by the golfer.

The elastic member 2 is rnily united both to the shaft and'to the outer sleeve. I have found that by making the interposed member of relatively soft rubber and the outer sleeve of a firm material such as steel or an aluminum alloy, to both of which the rubber 1s unlted, say by vulcanization, an extremely satlsfactory club is produced, as `the outer sleeve offers a firm grip for the hands while the inner member has a capacity for torsional distortion and a permanently inherent quality of returning to initial or normal p0- sition. This gives the elastic torsional or cushioning effect of the hickory shaft -witliout sacrificing any of the advantages of the steel shaft. Another advantage is that by varying the thickness of the rubber member or by varying the degree of softness thereof, correspondingly varying amounts 'of torsional elastically ma be secured.

The torsional mem er shown in Fig. 1 and described above is in the form of a continuous circular member or sleeve in cross section. This member, however, may assume other forms within the scope of my invention. For instance, in Fig. 2 the interposed rubber member may be in the form of a sleeve circular in lcross section and having integral therewith a series of spaced apart ribs or strips 2a extending lengthwise of the sleeve and shaft. This member is moulded In Fig. 3 the interposed torsional member is shown in the form of separate strips of rubber 2b spaced apart and extending longitudinally of the grip.

In Fig. 4 the interposed torsional member is in the form of rubber strips 2 circular in cross section and seated in grooves 1b of the shaft 1.

In Fi 3 and 4 the torsional member is camente on.

Reverting to Fig. 2 the procedure may be to mold the rubber directly to the shaft, usin in connection with this a cement that wil insure good adhesion between the rubber and said shaft.

The outer surface of this rubber sleeve may then be butfed and cemented to the outer metallic sleeve with a rubber cement.

A modification of the above may be per- I claim is:

l. A metallic golf club' shaft having an encircling hand grip sleeve of relatively rm material united to the shaft by an interposed member of torsionally distortable material having an inherent quality of returning to normal position after distortion.

Q. The article of claim 1 in which the i' intermediate member is of rubber.

3. The article of claim 1 in which the outer sleeve is also of metal and the intermediate member of rubber adherent to the shaft and outer sleeve.

4. The article of claim 1 in which the interposed member provides spaced apart portions extending longitudinally of the shaft and sleeve.

5. The article of claim l in which the interposed member is made up of spaced apart separate portions extending length- Wise of the shaft.

6. The article of claim 1 in which the shaft is provided with longitudinal grooves and the interposed member consists of portions spaced apart and located in said grooves, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM F, REACH.

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