US1634082A - Golf club - Google Patents

Description

June 28, 1927.V

c. RIGBY GOLF CLUB Filed DGO. 6. 1926 5 mi 6 g l l 3/ Patented June 28, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES RIGBY, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

GOLF CLUB.

.Application led December 6, 1926. Serial No. 152,853.

My invention relates` to golf clubs, and nas for its object the providing of novel means whereby the golf club may be taken apart for convenience in carrying the same, and whereby a single handle may be arranged to serve for a number of heads, and whereby handles of different lengths may be provided for a given head shaft.

It is the object of my invention to rovide the club with a joint in the length o the club, which when connected will secure the two sections in non-rotative and endwise relations without destroying the resiliency of the club.

A further object of my invention is to provide a tubular shaft for a club with fixed collars and plugs and means to assist in dissociating the two sections of the club.

My present invention is an improvement on the invention shown, described and claimed in my copending application for patent on improvements in golf clubs, filed in the United States Patent Office Cctober 7, 1926, Serial No. 140,139.

I have found that one of the important features of a golf club made in sections is that there be a positive lock between the sections to aid in -readily assembling the shaft sections and to prohibit relative turning between the shaft sections when the club is in use so as to maintain firmness of the club. In my improved club I forni the joint in such manner as to insure a non-rotative relation between the shaft sections, but which can be easily dissociated without the aid of tools. I further provide novel means for separating the sections of the club.

The invention will be further readily understood from the following description and claims, and from the drawings, in which latter:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved club of standard length.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the saine showing a short handle section.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, partly broken away, showing my preferred joint.

Fig. 4 is a cross section o f the same, taken in the plan".J of the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 isa side elevation of a modied form of my invention, partly broken away.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the same, taken in the plane o'f the line 6-6 of Fig. 5, partly broken away.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal axial section of a further modified form of the same, partly broken away.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal axial section of an additional modified form of the same, partly broken away; and,

Fig. 9 is a cross-section of the same, taken iii the plane of the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

I have shown my invention applied to a. club having a tubular steel shaft 21 provided with a head 22 and a handle 23. The shaft is divided at 24, forming an upper handle section 25 and a lower head section 26. In my preferred form, one of the sections, exemplified as the handle section 25, is provided with a plug 27 which is rigidly secured therein, as by brazing. The plug 27 has an extension 28, which forms a taperedshank.

The other section 26 of the shaft has a plug 29 fixed in its upper end, as by bein brazed therein. This plug has a tapered bore 30, arranged to receive the tapered shank 28.

The complemental walls of the tapered shank and tapered bore may be provided with a relief portion or portions for aiding in their readyassembly and release. Thus the tapered shank is provided with a ta er portion 31 at the body of the lug an a tapered outer end 32. Interme iate of the two tapered portions, the shank is undercut, as at 33.

A shoulder 34 is formed between the body portion of the plug 27 and the tapered extension. I provide the plug with positioning pins 35 located in the shoulder 34. The pins 35 are pressed into holes 36 in the plug.

The plug 29 has holes 38 about its upper end, positioned to receive the pins 35 for maintaining the shaft sections in .non-rotative relation when connected.

To the outer portion of the shaft section 25 I fix a collar 40, as by brazing, and to the shaft section 26 I tix a collar 41. A sleeve 42 having an inwardly extending iiange 43, forming a shoulder, is received over the collar 41, and has threaded connection 44 with the collar 40, for drawing the shaft sections toward one another, and thereby'causing a wedging fit between the tapered portions 31, 32 of the shank and the walls of the bore 30.

This joint being of substantially great length and of slight taper and otherwise of novel construction, permits a slight creeping between the complemental walls of the tapered shank and tapered bore, thecreeping being in opposite directions at opposite sides of said shank, for absorbing the whipping action of the head to prevent detrimental vibration at the handle at the impact between the head and the golf ball, but insuring suflicient rigidity between the sections of the tubular shaft of the club to insure accuracy and distance in the driving of the ball.

A knurled nut 45 is provided with an inwardly extending flange 46, forming a shoulder which coacts with the outer end of the lcollar 40 and has threaded connection 47 with the sleeve 42, and aids in drawing the collars toward one another, and locks the threaded parts together, The sleeve 42 is also knurled to permit easy turning of the same.

The tubular sections are preferably slightly spaced apart endwise by an annular space 48, when said sections are conne'eted,whieh aids in absorbing the whipping of the head section of the club. This space is located between the shoulder 34 of the upper section and the end of the lower shaft section. The pins 35 are also preferably spaced from the bottoms'of the holes 38.

The sections of the club are easily separated for knock-down relation of the club, and to aid in separating the sections I rovide a shoulder, shown as a collar 50, xed

to the tubular sect-ion 26 and spaced from the sleeve 42. To disconnect the sections the nut 45 is unthreaded and the sleeve 42 rotated. When the sleeve contacts the collar it will force the shaft sections to separate and thereby withdraw the' tapered shank 28 from the bore 30.

I have shown the taper shank 28 as exi tendin from the handle section and the tapere bore 30 as located in the head section of the golf-club, butit is obvious that the shank may extend from the head section and the tapered bore be located in the handle section. The sleeve 42 may be located about the handle section and the arrangements of the complemental fastening means and of the lockin means may be correspondingly reverse without departing from the spirit of my invention as embraced in the scope of the appended claims.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 5 and 6, I provide a cross pin positioned in the taper shank 31. The ends of the pin 55 are received in slots 56 in the upper end of the' lower shaft section for arresting relative rotation between-the shaft sections. 'The pins are preferably spaced from the bottom ofthe slots 56 when the shaft sections are assembled.

. In Fig. 7 I provide the end of the tapered shank 31 adjacent the body portion of the plug 27 with a square portion 60, which is received in a square recess 61 in the plug 29 for contact with the `complemental walls of said recess for arresting relative rotation between the shaft sections. The bottom wall of the recess is preferably spaced from the square portion when the parts are in assembled relation.

In the modification shown in Figs. 8 and 9 I provide one of the shaft sections, shown as the handle section, with lengthwise extending projections, shown as lugs 65 extending from the collar 40, which are arranged to be received incorresponding slots 66 in the proximate end of the other'shaft section, shown in the collarl 41. Engagement between the walls of the lugs and slots arrests relative rotation between the shaft sections. The outer ends of the lugs are preferably spaced from the bottoms of the slots when the parts are assembled'. l j

In my improved device a single handle section may serve a number of head sections, and handle sections of different lengths may be connected with a single head section. Thus a shorter handle section, exempliied at 70, may be connected with a head section, which is admirable, for instance, when putting.

The sections of my improved club may be readily disconnected for being conveniently received in a usual suit case or Gladstone bag, or for other convenient packing, making the` carrying of the usual golf bag unnecessary when traveling).e

Havin thus fully descri d my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A golf club comprising a handle scclion and a head section, means at the proximate ends of said sections securing said sections together comprisingatapered shank extending from one of said sections and received in a tapered bore in the other of said sections forming a wedge connectlon between said sections, means interposed between said sectionsv 'for arresting 'relative rotation between said sections, and a rotatable sleeve received over the adjacent ends of said sections, said sleeve and said sections provided with complemental means respectively for 4drawing said sections `together and for dissociating said tapered shank and the wall of said tapered bore by rotations of'said sleeve in opposite directions.

closing said space between said sections and clamping said sections together.

3. A golf club comprising a handle section and a head section, means at the proximate ends of said sections securing said sections together comprising a tapered shank extending from one of said sections and rc-J ceived in a tapered bore in the other of said sections forming a Wedge connection between said sectlons, means interposed between said sections for arresting relative ro' tation between said sections, asleeve received over the adjacent ends of said sections for drawing said sections together, and a colla on one of said sections complemental to sai sleeve for aiding in dissociating said tapered shank and the wall of said tapered bore when disconnecting said sections.

4., A golf club comprising a handle Section and a head section, means at the proximate'ends of said sections securing said sections together comprising a tapered shank extending from one of sald sections and received in a tapered bore in the otherl of Said sections formin a wedge connection betweenl said sectlons, and a sleeve received about the proximate ends of said sections, one of said sections and said sleeve provided with complemental threads for drawing ysaid sections toward. one another, and the other of said sections provided with a shoulder with which said sleeve `coacts when unthreading said threads to force said .sections signed my name.

, CHARLES RIGBY.

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