US1864513A - Fabricated golf club head - Google Patents

Description

June 28, 1932 BALCH 1,864,513

FABRICATED GOLF CLUB HEAD Filed April 2Q. 1929 gnu: for

fill 50 11012,

dttoznu i Patented Jane 28, 1932 JACK H. BALOH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS FABRICATED GOLF CLUB HEAD Application filed Apri1 20,

This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of golf club heads and particularly, to the manufacture of those types.

or designs of club heads whoseconstructions have been heretofore efi'ected' with'wood. persimmon wood especiallysuch for exa1nple, as clubs identified in the'parlance of the game as drivers, brassies and spoons, the

invention having for its principal de'siderata,

to provide a fabricated club head, which, when constructed in accordance with the hereinafter more specifically disclosed teachings to the trade, will possess strength, rigidity and durability much greater than the 'now prevalent wooden club heads and also,

will approximate in weight, club heads constructed of persimmon or like generally used woods.

It is an equally important object of the invention to provide a fabricated golf club head, wherein the sheets or plys of material utilized in constructing the same, are so relatively arranged as to facilitate the correct shaping of the head and also, to impart a 15 maximum of strength anddurability to a finished product, permitting the forming of the shaft receiving neck integral with, the head andin a manner to ensure a practical degree of rigidity therebetween. d

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereiriaften- In order that the invention and its mode of operation may be readily understood by persons skilled in the art, I have in the acoompanying illustrativedrawing, and in thedetailed followi'ngdescription based thereon, set out several possible embodiments 'of the same.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinalsection through a fabricated golf club head constructed in accordance with the invention,

' head, of. course, is selected according to the showing the same prior to vulcanization of the layers or plys of fabric together;

Figure 2' is a similar. section showing the golf club headsubsequent to vulcanization of the layers or plys of fabric together and illustrating the attachment of a sole'or wear compensating plate to the sole portion of '1929. Serial No. 356,673.

the club as well asa means for lessening the weight of the completed product that it will approximate the weight of light wood clubs;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a finished club head, constructed in accordance with the invention, and

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the completed club head, showing the formation and the mode of attachment of the sole or wear compensating plate to the sole portion of the 3 club. c

Having more particular; reference to the drawing, in connection with which like characters ofreference will designate corresponding parts; throughout, the improved 05 golf head is preferably fabricated from layers or plys of canvas duck or other approved fabric, as is generally shown in the Figure 1, these layers or plys of fabric being arranged in superimposed relation with respectto each other, whereby to effect a building up of the club head construction; certain of these plys of fabric being in lengths such as will permit them to extend from the toe portion of thew club throughout the club head neck and to "5 the extreme free end thereof, While others of these layers or plys of fabric are in lengths such as will permit them to extend from the toeportion of the club head to the base of the shaft receiving neck. The various layers or plys of fabric employed in the fabricating of the golf club head are preferably of widthscorresponding to the desired width of a club head to be constructed therefrom, though in this connection, it is to be understood, that the layers or plys of fabric may be of different widths andthat any number of the same may be employed to effect the constructing of 'a'golf club headof a certain'predetermined 'width, such as conditions or preference may dictate. v i

The canvas duck or other fabric utilized in the construction of my improved golf club weight and characterof fabric best suited for these particular purposes and such sheets or bodies of fabric, in the process of construction of: the improved golf club head, are first thoroughly impregnated with a bakelite varnish or similar resin, whereupon the so impregnated fabric bodies are cut into strips of proper length and then placed aside for a time to permit of their drying.

, The dried bakelite varnish or resin impregnated strips of fabric are then punched or cut into pieces of the required size and shape. Certain of these punched or cut pieces of the treated fabric are of lengthssuch as will permit them to extend from the toe portion of the club head to the free extremity of the shaft receiving neck, these pieces being generally indicated for convenience, at this time, by the numeral 1. Others of the cut or punched pieces of treated and dried fabric are of lengths such as will permit them to extend from the toe portion of the club head to the base portion of the shaft receiving neck and these shorter lengths of treated fabric are indicated for convenience, at this time, by the numeral 2.

The golf club head construction is started with the laying of the longer pieces of treated fabric indicated by the numeral 1 into the separated halves of an appropriate mold, whereupon shorter pieces of the treated fabric, such as indicated by the numeral 2, are

superimposed upon the longer pieces 1.

Longer pieces of the treated fabric, such as indicated by the numeral 1 are then laid over theuppermost shorter pieces 2 and this method of alternate laying of long and short pieces of treated fabric, 1 and 2 respectively, is continued until the separated mold halves have been supplied with superimposed layers of fabric representing the required thickness or depth of a golf club head to be molded there- \Vith the alternate building up of the long and short pieces of treated fabric 1 and 2, in the sections of the golf club head mold employed, said mold sections are jointed, that is, the upper half of the mold is joined to the lower half thereof and at this time, the fabricated construction within the mold is subjected to a pressure of approximately three thousand pounds to the square inch and at the same time the mold is brought to that temperature necessary to effect a vulcanization of the plastic composition treated pieces 1 and 2 contained therein. While under the pressure indicated above, the fabricated construction within the mold is baked or cured for a period of from three to four hours,

after which the heating "of the mold is dis-' continued and the vulcanized product in form of the fabricated golf club head, then removed from the mold in complete form.

Inthis connection, it will be understood thatthe normally upper and lower sides of the completed and removed golf club head are faced with the longer pieces of fabric, hereinbefore identified by the numeral 1, thus giving a continuity of surface to the exposed faces or sides of the construction. By reason of the alternate laying or positioning of the shorter pieces of treated fabric 2, it will be understood that the greater width or depth of the body portion 3 of the golf club head struction to pressure within the vulcanizing mold. At the same time, it will be under-,

stood and appreciated by workers skilled in this particular art, that the shaft receiving neck at will be integral With the body portion 3 of the club head and consequently upon this, that a maximum degree of rigidity will be effected as between these two particular elements, therefore, assuring effectual usage of a completed club head.

With the molding of the'ifabricated club head, the shaftv receiving neck 4 may, of course, be formed with an: opening of proper length and diameter for receiving the club shaft; this being effected by drilling or by similar ways and means, well known in the art. t e

In order that the weight of the molded club head may approximate the weight of the lighter woocl clubs, I have found it practical, under such conditions, to hollow-out a portion of the body 3 in. the fashion as is indicated by the numeral 4. This hollowing out of the golf club head body is effected from the normally lower side or heel portion of the same to, preferably within one-eighth of an inch from the normally upper side of said body, or. if not this,'then to such extent as will bring the weight of the club to approximately the same weight as a golfclub head constructed from persimmon Wood, which, as will be well understood, is generally used in this particular art at the present time.

A sole or wear compensating plate, preferably formed of. aluminum, and generally indicated by the numeral 5, is provided the construction and is adapted to be set in flush with the normally lower side or sole portion of the body 3 of the club head, as is well shown in the Figure 2, adjacent portions of the'normally lower or sole side of the club being cut away to effect this flush in-setting of the plate. Screwsor other suitable fastening devices, generally indicated by the numeral 6, are passed through appropriately arranged-openings formed'in portions of the wear compensating plate 5 into engagement [with adjacent portions of the body3 and obviously, serve as means to effect a firm and positive securing of the plate to the head. Likewise, it will,;of course, be understood that the opposite end portions ofthis wear cormpensating'or sole plate 5 are formed to correspond to the shape or curvature of the adjacent receiving portions of the opposite sides of the club head, as is shown in the Figure l.

Under certain conditions, it may be desirable that the wear compensating plate 5 shall be of solid construction, so that when it is engaged fiushly in the sole 5 of the club head body 3, it will serve as an effectual plate closure for the hollowed out portion of the body, hence, preventing the possibility of dirt or other foreign accumulations therein with the resultant unbalancing of the club head.

It will be understood that golf club heads of those particular types known in the parlance of the game as drivers, brassies and spoons,

gered in the jointures between the fabric pieces constituting the same, with relation to the jointures of the adjacent superimposed layer. Likewise, it is to be understood that according to the thickness or depth of the body portion of a club head fabricated in accordance with the invention, the number of shorter treated pieces 2 may be increased or decreased, such as conditions or preference may dictate and similarly, the number of the longer pieces of treated fabric indicated herein by the numeral 1-may be either increased or decreased to meet the particular requirements of construction. I

Manifestly, the construction shown is capable of considerable modification, and such modification as is within the'scope of my claims I consider within the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A golf club head comprising a body and a shaft receiving neck composed of superimposed layers of fabric impregnated with a plastic composition and vulcanized together, certain of said layers of fabric being of lengths to extend from the toe of the body to the free end of the neck and being curved transversely of themselves adjacent the heel of the body whereby to constitute said neck as an integral portion of the body, and the others of said layers being alternately arranged with respect to the first mentioned layers and being of lengths to extend from the toe to the heel of the body, said neck being formed for connection with a club shaft. 2. A glof club head comprising a body hav-- ing a shaft receiving neck extended therefrom, said body and neck being composed of superimposed layers of mesh material, said layers of material being arranged in relative overlapping relationship and certain of the same extending from the toe of the body to the outer end of said neck, said layers of material being impregnated with a plastic'matter-and vulcanized together. i

3. A golf club head comprising a body and a shaft receiving neck extended therefrom the body and neck being composed of relatively superimposed layers of fabric, certain of which are formed in lengths extending from the toe of thebody to approximately the base of the neck, others of said layers of fabrlic ging formed in lengths extending from t ie t neck, the different lengths of fabric layers being disposed alternately in their superimposed relation and all of said layers being transversely curved upon themselves adjacent the basal portion of the neck to afford the same with a substantially cross sectionally circular shape, and the layers of fabric being impregnated with a plastic matter and vulcanized together.

4. A golf club head comprising a body and a shaft receiving neck composed of relatively superimposed layers of fabric, the lengths of said layers of fabric being different and some thereof extending throughout the length of said body and for a distance into said neck and others thereof extending throughout the complete lengths of said body and said neck, said layers of fabric being impregnated with aplastic matter and vulcanized together, and the body being brought to required weight by cutting away an intermediate portion of'the same fgom the normally lowered side thereof.

5.- A golf club head comprising a body and.

shaft receiving neck, said body and neck being composed of a plurality of relatively overlying pieces, of mesh material, the neck being formed upon one portion ofthe body byextending certain of the pieces of material therefrom, and said pieces of mesh material being impregnated with a plastic matter and vulcanized together to provide a hard, substantially .-rigid and non-warping device throughout its area.

7 A. golf club head comprising a body and i a shaft receiving neck extended from a portion thereof, the body and neck being composed of relatively overlying pieces of fabric, portions of certain of the pieces of fabric being transversely curved upon themselves in proximity to the basal portion of the neck to 5 afford the same a substantially cross sectionally circular shape and the pieces of fabric being impregnated with a plastic matter and vulcanized together.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JACK H. BALCH.

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