US2045273A

US2045273A - Golf club joint

Info

Publication number: US2045273A
Application number: US706606A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arthur A Kraeuter
Original assignee: KROYDON CO Inc
Current assignee: KROYDON CO Inc
Priority date: 1928-12-28
Filing date: 1934-01-15
Publication date: 1936-06-23
Anticipated expiration: 1953-06-23

Description

June 23, 1936-. A. A. KRAEUTER GOLF CLUB JOINT Original Filed Dec. 29, 1928 FIGJ.

Illllililil!!! I!!! I lill ilfllflllll HHHHH MII'IlIIIIILIfli'Il/ INVENTQR Patented June 23, 1936 UNITED STATES GOLF CLUB JOINT Arthur A. Kraeuter, South Orange, N. J., assignor to The Kroydon (30., Inc., a corporation of New Jersey Original application December 29, 1928, Serial No. 328,927. Divided and this application January 15, 1934, Serial No. 706,606 V Claims.

This invention relates to golf clubs. It has particular application to clubs having metallic shafts which are continuously tapering and secured to a. metal head having an integral hosel,

5 but it may have other uses.

This application is a division of my prior application Serial No. 328,927, filed December 29, 1928.

It is an object of the invention to provide a golf club having all of the necessary resilience,

appearance and other characteristics of previously constructed clubs having wooden shafts, and yet retaining all of the desirable features obtainable with the use of metallic shafts Without the undesirable features of well-known wooden shafts which are likely to warp, check, crack and be susceptible of uneven flexibility and other undesirable features due to atmospheric conditions or from those beyond the control of the user. a

It is another object of the invention to provide a golf club having a head and hosel and provided with a sleeve or adapter portion for joining the hosel and shaft in such a way that no uneven joints result and the metallic shaft will be reenforced and have the necessary rigidity in the same manner as would be supplied by the customary wooden shaft.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction of club in which a hollow metal shaft, having a continuously and uninterrupted taper may be used.

A further object of the invention is to simplify the construction of a golf club in which is utilized a straight continuously tapering shaft.

Other and ancillary objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates the invention:

Fig. 1 shows a golf club, in side elevation, embodying the invention; and

Fig. 2 is an'enlarged axial sectional view, partly broken away, of the club shown in Fig. 1, and with the shaft somewhat removed from the head.

Referring particularly to the drawing, the golf club I is constructed with a tubular metal shaft 2, preferably of steel, fitting through an adapter or sleeve 3 and into the hosel 4 of the head 5.

These parts are rigidly secured together by means of a pin, rivet or other device 6. The general contour of this club is precisely the same as that of a previously used club having a wooden shaft or handle. However, the shaft 2 may be composed of tubular metal having a continuous taper arranged so that it may be easily constructed, either of seamed or seamless tubing.

The construction is more clearly shown in Fig. 2 wherein the shaft 2 is shown as a tubular element of continuously tapering contour being larger at its outer end and smaller at its inner end. This type of tubing readily adapts itself for construction by rolling a strip of sheet metal into the form of a tube so that the seam may be joined by welding or otherwise and a rigid tubl0 ing results.

The head 5 may be of the ordinary construction which is commonly utilized in connection with wooden shafts having an integral hosel portion 4 of outwardly flaring configuration. In

which fits a portion of the tubing a considerable distance from the end I of the adapter, the end r l of the adapter having a bevel or otherwise for '3 fitting the outer end of the hosel 4. The lower end of the hosel is provided with a hole 8 which will fit closely to the end of the shaft 2 so that the shaft may be supported at its end and also an appreciable distance away from the end. The 5 sleeve or adapter 3 may be arranged to fit tightly upon the shaft 2 or may be welded at 9 as indicated or may be sweated, brazed, welded or secured in any suitable way so as to form an integral and securely attached reenforcingportion. 30 The outer surface then may be finished or polished in any manner desired so as to give an appearance of a continuous solid shaft. It is often necessary when a welding operation is done to heat treat all of the parts adjacent the weld 3 v so as to prevent unnecessary weaknesses from stresses set up in the metal during the welding operation. This can readily be done with this arrangement without subjecting portions of the head to this heat, by heat treating the handle 0 as a whole together with the sleeve or adapter 3. When the parts are then properly treated and finished off they may be inserted within the hosel l of the head 5 and secured thereto in the customary manner, indicated by means of rivets 45 or otherwise. The inner-fitting portion of the adapter or sleeve 3 may be screw-threaded into the hosel 4 if desired, or otherwise secured by viding the necessary stiffness and also permitting flexibility corresponding to that produced by previously utilized wooden shafts. It also permits the use of a continuously tapered shaft which may be readily manufactured or carried in stock without machining or otherwise constructing complicated and difficult formations. The advantage of this construction lies in the fact that there are no uneven or abrupt joints where the shaft and the end of the hosel meet and that the re-enforcing of the shaft takes place in the necessary location so that continuously tapering shafts will have the desired resilient characteristics.

According to the construction shown, a standard form of golf club head previously used in connection with wooden shafts and carried in stock for that purpose may be used with shafts of steel and clubs of the desired characteristics and appearance be produced without complications. It is thus apparent that a simple and effective structure is provided for utilizing a metallic shaft in connection with a golf club and with which all of the characteristics of resiliency and otherwise of wooden shafts are retained without the difficulties encountered in the use of wooden shafts.

It will be observed that the exterior surface of the sleeve 3 is a curved concaved surface. The presence of this curvature causes the flexibility of the shaft to be graduated and distributed so as to give the desired flexibility and feel of the club, and this may be varied by varying the concaved curvature.

It will also be observed that the sleeve 3 is tapered both internally and externally throughout the greater portion of its length, the diameter of both the internal and external surfaces increasing as the hosel is approached, the end nearest the hosel being radially spaced from the shaft, and that the sleeve is of substantially uniform thickness throughout the greater portion of its length. This provides a light and readily manufactured and adjustable structure which forms a strut between the shaft and the hosel whereby the shaft is reenforced against tendency to move laterally at the point of engagement of the sleeve with the shaft whereby the desired resilience and feel of the shaft can be obtained. Also the sleeve serves to fill, to a greater or less degree, the angle between the end of the hosel and the shaft, whereby the smooth contour similar to that familiar in wooden shafted clubs is obtained.

The resilience and feel of the shaft can be varied by varying the position along the shaft of the point of reenforcement, namely the point of engagement of the sleeve 3 with the shaft, by varying the length of the sleeve or in other ways.

While the invention has been illustrated in what is considered its best application it may have other embodiments without departing from its spirit and is not therefore limited to the structure shown in the drawing.

What I claim is:

1. In a golf club, the combination with a metal head having a hosel, of a metal shaft secured in said hosel and a sleeve on said shaft having its lower end longitudinally spaced from the lower end of the shaft, said sl eve engaging said shaft outside said hosel and having its exterior and interior surfaces tapered whereby they increase in diameter as the hosel is approached, said sleeve being of larger interior diameter at its lower end than at its upper end and said sleeve at its lower and larger end and for a considerable portion of its length being radially spaced from said shaft.

2. In a golf club, the combination with a metal head having a hosel integral therewith, of a metal shaft secured in said hosel and a sleeve on said shaft having its lower end longitudinally spaced from the lower end of the shaft, said sleeve engaging said shaft outside said hosel and having its exterior and interior surfaces tapered where by they increase in diameter as the hosel is approached, said sleeve being of larger interior diameter at its lower end than at its upper end and said sleeve at its lower and larger end and for a considerable portion of its length being radially spaced from said shaft, said shaft being radially spaced from the metal of said hosel throughout the greater portion of its length.

3. In a golf club, the combination with a metal head having a hosel, of a metal shaft secured in said hosel and a sleeve on said shaft having its lower end longitudinally spaced from the lower end of the shaft, said sleeve engaging said shaft outside said hosel and having its exterior and interior surfaces tapered whereby they increase in diameter as the hosel is approached, said sleeve being of larger interior diameter at its lower end than at its upper end and said sleeve at its lower and larger end and for a considerable portion of its length being radially spaced from said shaft,

said sleeve being of substantially uniform thickness throughout the greater portion of its length.

4. In a golf club, the combination with a head having a hosel, of a metal shaft secured in said hosel and a sleeve on said shaft having its lower end longitudinally spaced from the lower end of the sha t, said sleeve engaging said shaft outside said hosel and having its exterior and interior surfaces tapered whereby they increase in diameter as the hosel is approached, said sleeve being of larger interior diameter at its lower end than at its upper end and said sleeve at its lower and larger end and for a considerable portion of its length being radially spaced from said shaft and said sleeve being in supporting engagement with said hosel wh reby to form a strut between said shaft and hosel to reenforce said shaft against lateral movement at the point of engagement of said sleeve with said shaft.

5. In a golf club, the combination with a metal head having a hosel, of a metal shaft secured in said hosel and a sleeve on said shaft having its lower end longitudinally spaced from the lower end of the shaft, said sleeve engaging said shaft outside said hosel and having its exterior and in- "a terior surfaces tapered whereby they increase in diameter as the hosel is approached, said sleeve being of larger interior diameter at its lower end than at its upper end and said sleeve at its lower and larger end and for a considerable portion of its length being radially spaced from said shaft, the exterior surface of said sleeve being concave.

ARTHUR A. KRAEUTER.