US1697846A

US1697846A - Universal golf club

Info

Publication number: US1697846A
Application number: US195049A
Authority: US
Inventors: David W Anderson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1927-05-28
Filing date: 1927-05-28
Publication date: 1929-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 1946-01-08

Description

Jan. s, 1929. Y A 1,697,846

D. W. ANDERSON l UNIVERSAL GOLF CLUB Filed Ma 28, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v m FI .CL-

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- D. w. ANDERSGN UNIVERSAL GOLFl CLUB Filed May 28,A 1927 2 sheets-sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 8, 1.929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

UNIVERSAL Application filed May 28,

The object of this invention is to enable one golf club to do the work of a whole bag of clubs. To that end, this club is formed of adjustable parts adapting the one club to perform the functions of a plurality of clubs as heretofore made and used. Therefore, the one, club will serve as the driver, the cleek, the midiron, the mashie, and the niblick. In other words, the one clubv will do the work of a bag of different clubs, as its parts are adapted to change the form of the club to be 4 similar to the form of any or all of the clubs heretofore in use.

One feature of the invention consists in connecting the handle and head of the club with a ball and socket joint connection which permits adjustment of the loft o-f the hea and of the lie thereof.

Another feature of the invention consists in means for adjusting the length of the club.

Another feature' of the invention consists in providing the head with a series of sub stantially horizontal ribs with intervening slotsor by perforations, through the head for the free passage of air for the purpose indicated, an-d this also will prevent the atmospheric disturbances 4of the lie 0f the ball whidch is common with clubs as heretofore use The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawing and the following description and claims:

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a'golf club with the head in elevation and the 'handle and .its connectionY with the head in central longitudinal section, the club being broken away between its ends as indicated,

i and showing the club substantially adjusted in its form to serve as a driver. Fig. l2 is a substantially similar figure of the same club adjustedto a different form substantially as desired to serve as a midiron. Fig. 3 is a substantially similar figure, showing the adjustment of the same club to serve as a niblick. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the head and the shank thereof as shown in Fig. 1, the other parts of the club being removed. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the shank of the head and the lower part of the handle slightly separated to show the relative inclinations of the two adjacent ends thereof. Fig. 6 is a cross section on the line 6--6 of Fig. 1, showing the parts of the handle in position for being moved for the longitudinal adjustment of the handle. Fig. 7 is the same as Fig. 6 with the GOLF CLUB.

1927. Serial No. 195,049.

parts in position when the handle is locked into position after adjustment. Fig. 8 is a central vertical section of the outer sleeve of the upper part of the handle and an elevation of a portion of the inner tube of the handle, the same being broken away at the top and bottom thereof.

A golf club consists essentially of the handle, the head, and the connection between the headand the handle. In this invention these three parts are capable of adjustment to produce all varieties of forms of the usual plurality of golfclubs. This is accomplished by adjusting the loft of the head with relation to the handle, adjusting the lie-angle of the head` with relation to the handle, and adjusting the length of the handle. The character of the construction and the nature of these adjustments will more fully appear in the following explanation.

In the drawings there is shown a golf club head 1Q of usual form with a peculiar shank 11 integral therewith and adapted to be secured to the lower member 12 of the handle. The shank 11 is hollow and the lower portion internally threaded to receive a plug or dust cap 13. The upper portion 111 of the shank 11 is heini-spherical with a central opening 14 in the upper end thereof. The lower tubular member 12 of the handle has a spherically-disposed socket at its lower end adapted to it on said spherical top'of the shank 11, as shown in Fig. 1, and it is held thereon by a connecting rod 15 having a hemi-spherical ball 16 on the lower end, fitting in the upper portion of the shank of the head of the club.; thus providing a ball and socket connection between] the shank l1 and the lower tubular member 12 and the upper portion of said rod 15 is provided with left-hand threads 17 which. screw into the main metal tubular member 18 of the handle. This tube 1.8 eX- tends for almost thel entire length of the handle and its lower end is conical and tapers so as to have a wedge fit in the flaring upper end ofthe handle member 12, as seen in Fig. 1.

It is apparent that when the rod 15 is tightened by turning the handle tube 18, it will be drawn down tightly into the lower 4handle member 12 andthe ball 16 on the lower end of the connecting rod 15 will be drawn up tightly in the upper part of the shaft 11 of thehead so as to make a very firm, strong union between the head and the handle of the club.

The union betweenthe head and the handle of the club is Vfurther eatly strengthened by the serrations 20 on t e shankl ofthe head 10 \and serrations 721 on the lowerl end of the 5 member 12 of the handle, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, whereby in any adj ustedl position ofsaid parts, the serrations of said two members will lnterengage and lock and prevent any torsional displacement of either the head' or l0 the handle relative to each other.' The serrations on the shank 11 of the head of the club surround the hemi-spherical portion thereof, as seen in Fig. 1, but an important feature thereof consists in the inclination of l15 theseries of serrations 2O with relation to a A between the handle and the 'head is modied v byturning the handle on the shank of the head, the corresponding modificationof. the loftof the head will be produced. Therefore, these two adjustments occur simultaneously and relatively. That'is, as the lie-angle increases, the loft of the head of the club increases and as 'the lie-angle of the` club decreases, the loft of the head diminishes.

This variation is substantially the same as is found in different clubsin a golf bag and is illustrated in the drawings in Figs.. 1, 2 and-3.

Thus, in Fig. 1, the club has substantially the same form as a driver, or as an iron club when vused as a driver. Fig. 2 shows the club lin the form substantially of a midiron and Fig. 3

' substantially that of a niblick. The drawings are v'not absolutelyaccurate reproductionsof the forms of the clubs, but are sulicient to illustrate the principle of construction and adjustment of' this club and of the form-fof the variations referred to. Also, the

connection between theshank 11 and the tubular member 12 of the handle may be a balll and socket connection without serrations 20 and A21, thus allowing a greater vari'et of angular adjustments of thel lie-.angle o the head with respect to the handle and the loftangle of the head with respect to the handle, which adjustments-'will neither be arbitrary nor simultaneous with referenceA to each otherbut will be entirely at the wish of the .f operator.f A In order to enable the relativeadjustment 1 vvof the lower end ofthe handle and the rounded top of the shank 11- of the head, the slot 14 has -a reater diameter than the rod 15, substantia ly as shown in Fig. 1. The cong5 necting rod 15 has a pin or key 25 in it which Ywhat may be termed the han loosely projects into a short longitudinal slot 26 in the lower member 12 ofthe handle so as to cause the part'12 and the tube 18 of the' handle to turn together in tightening them and keep them together during the manipulation vof the club` while adjusting it. .A

chamber 27 in the member'12 of the handlev surrounds the connecting rod .l5 and is sufficient to hold a spiral spring 28 that rests therein and'atvts upper end engages vthe lower end of the tube 18 of the handle and at its lower end rests on shoulders 29 in the tudinal adjustment of the handle is necessary and it cooperates with the other adjustments in order to produce the variety of formscf the club specified'. The invention is not limited 'to any particular construction o e handle for longitudinally aad' Stin 1t but. lnovel and satisfactor 'fdl g means radjustment are herein shown. he laintube 18 of the handle is surrounded in its u pper portion by l'e tu e 30, as it is grasped by` the hand and should be wrapped with leather asis common in' golf clubs. This wrapping is not shown for the sake of clearness of \the remaining construction. The upper part of the inner main tube 18 has a vertical series of indentations made therein at 31 which is accomplished by stamping inward a series of tongues 32, as seen in Figs. 6 and 7. This leaves a vertical space between the ends of the tongues 32 and the opposite edge of the slot 31. Into this slot projects one or more teeth 33 connected with the outer handle tube 30. These teeth may be formed as shown in Fig. 1, by stamping them in one strip of metal34 and countersinking it in a corresponding slot in the inner wall of the tube 30. By turning the handle tube 30'on the tube 18 to the posltions shown in Fig.- 6, the handle tube 30 can be raised or. lowered as desired, and when adjusted to the desired po'sition,'the handle tube 30 is turned on the tube 18 to the position shown in Fig. 7, where the teeth 33 wedge against the tongues V32 and lock said two handle members firmly together. In this way the length of the handle can be adjustedv to suit the lie-angle and the loft of the head.

The head of the club 10 is provided with a plurality of parallel slotted perforations 40 extending through the head and forming between them a corresponding series of ribs 41. These ribs perform the same function as the ribsin the Ordinar ribbed head of a golf club, but the slotte perforations are for the purpose of reducin the resistance of the air to the vmovement ol the head of the club and also toreduce the movement of the air by the head of the golf club in driving. From this l shown in Fig. 1.

The invention is not limited Yto any particular form of these perforations through the head of the club for any perforations would to some extent perform the functions specified, but it is considered desirable to provide the ribs 41 and the longitudinal slotted perforations 4l) between them, as shown, as 4the ribs are desirable to prevent the slippage of the ball on the club.

The threads 17 of the connecting rod 15 and the connection between the handle member 30 and the tube 18 are such that the strain on the head 10 resulting from the stroke of the ball or striking the earth during the stroke, tends to tighten both of said connections. .Thus the threads 17 are lefthand threads in a right-hand club, and the tongues 32 in the tube 18, as seen in`Fig.`7.'

are on the right-hand side of' the pins or projections 33 secured to the handle sleeve 30. In a left-hand club, the reverse construction would be employed.

From the foregoing, it is seen that a player can with this single club do substantially the complete play or Work that is performed with a bag full of clubs and the alterations or adjustments can be very quickly effected and without any tools. Thus if the player were to drive with the club in the position shown in Fig. 1 and wanted' to use a midiron, he would adjust the club by changing it to vthe form shown in Fig. 2 by giving the handle a slight turn so as to loosenit an change the adjustment with relation to the shank of the head of the club, and then a reverse turn of the handle tighten it, and a slight movement of the handle tube 30 and then a slight longitudinal movement thereof and then a return turning movement of the same, will adjust the length of the handle. Thus the handle can be modified from the length of a driver handle to the length of a putter handle almost instantly. These adjustments would ordinarily be done while walking and approaching each ball and need not delay the game. This not only gets rid of a bag of clubs, but gets rid of a caddie.

The invention claimed is:

1. A golf club including a head having a shank, a handle, and a ball and socket connection between the head shank and the handle permitting their angular adjustment, the adjacent surfaces of said two members being serrated for engaging each other and said serrated surfaces being inclined to the aXis of the handle, whereby when the head or the handle may be turned relativeto each other, the lie-angle and the loft of the `Lhead will be simultaneously and correspondmgly varied.

2. A golf club substantially as described in claim 1, said serrated surfaces being inclined upward towards a position at the rear of the top line of the head, whereby the lie-angle and loft will be correspondingly reduced or increased in the adjustments of the connection between said handle and the head.

3. A golfclub including a head having an integral shank Withl an upper hemispherical shell having an upper central opening and a series of radial serrations surrounding the lower part of said shell, a handle provided at its lower end with a socket to receive said shell, a series of serrations at the lower end of the handle engaging the serrations surrounding the shell, a connecting rod eX- tending through the opening of said shell and having a ball on its lower end fitting in the shell, and means for adjustably securing said rod in the handle, whereby the head and handle can be adjustably secured together.

.4. A golf club including a head having an integral shank' with an upward hemi-spherical shell having' an upper central opening and a series of radial serrations surrounding the lower part of said shell, a handle having a lower member provided with a socket at its lower end to receive said shell on the shank of the head, a series 'of serrations at the lower yend of the handle for engaging the serrations on the head of the shank, a handle tube with its lower end in wedging engagement with the lovver/l member of the handle, a connecting rod extending through said Vshell on the shank of the head and said handle member, and a ball on the lower end d of said rod fitting in said shell and with fthe upper end in threaded engagement with the handle tube, whereby the head and handle can be adjustably secured together.

5. A golf club substantially as described in claim 3, with the opening in the top of said shell head being larger than the connecting rodbetween said shell and handle. I i

6. A golf club substantially as described in claim 8, with a spring between said two members of the handle for lightly holding the serrated surfaces in engagement during said adjustment. 7 A golf club substantially as described 1n claim 3, with the upper end of the lower member of the handleflaring and the lower end of said handle tube tapering to lit and Wedge therein when the parts are adjusted.

8. A golf club having a handle including a main handle tube, ahandle sleeve loosely surrounding the upper'portion of said tube, the upper part of said handle ftube'having a vertical row4 of tongues stamped inward. and a key secured to and extending from said handle sleeve and adapted to enter any one of the grooves formed by stamping in said tongues, whereby the length of the handle may be vertically adjusted and held in adj usted position by turning one of said handle members with reference to the other.

9. A golf club having ahandle substan, tially as set forth in claim 8, the upper part of said handle tube having a vertical row of tongues stamped inward, and a. key secured to and extending from said handle sleeve and adapted to enter any one of the grooves formed by stamping in said tongues, whereby the length of the handle may be vertically adjusted and held in adjustable position by turning one of said handle membersl with reference to-the other, the relation of the tongues and key being such that the eonnecf tion between the two handle members will tighten as aresult of the tendency of the head to turn during a stroke.

10. A golf club including a head having a shank, a handle, a ball and socket connection between the head shank and the handle permitting their angular adjustment, the adjacent surfaces of said two members being serrated for engaging each other, and the ball and socket connection adapted to draw the handleand head shank tightly together whereby they Will be located in adjusted position. y

In-Witness whereof, I have hereunto alixed my signature.

DAVID lV. ANDE )tb`()N.