US2495444A

US2495444A - Adjustable golf club

Info

Publication number: US2495444A
Application number: US18346A
Authority: US
Inventors: Paul A Chamberlain; Navratil Clarence
Original assignee: WILLARD E ROMOSER
Current assignee: WILLARD E ROMOSER
Priority date: 1948-04-01
Filing date: 1948-04-01
Publication date: 1950-01-24
Anticipated expiration: 1967-01-24

Description

Jan. 24, 1950 P. A. CHAMBERLAIN EIAL 2,495,444

ADJUSTABLE GOLF CLUB I Filed April 1, 1948 .Paial CZ. CALL Clarence Nauraizll Patented Jan. '24, 1950 ADJUSTABLE GOLF CLUB Paul A. Chamberlain, Chicago, and Clarence Navratil, Elmwood Park, Ill., assignors to Willard E. Romoser, Benton Harbor, Mich.

Application April 1, 1948; Serial No. 18,346

3 Claims. (Cl. 273-79) This invention relates to an adjustable golf club.

It is well known among golfers that the quality of play of the game may be improved, by those having ordinary proficiency thereat, by a variety of clubs, each for a slightly different purpose or lay of the ball, and commonly including as many as ten different clubs of what is known as irons, from No. l or driving iron to a No. 9 or niblick, and even to putter, which may be referred to as a No. 10, each having a different angulation of the club head or blade with respect to the shaft. The provision of such a large number of relatively heavy iron clubs is expensive and requires a large and heavy bag for carrying purposes, which again may dictate the use of a wheeled vehicle for its transportation around the course.

Attempts have been made to provide an adjustable blade golf club in the past, but they have been found unsatisfactory for many reasons, one of the chief of which has been that the blade securing means has tended to wear and for this and other reasons the blade would not maintain its adjusted position but would become loose frequently in the course of a stroke, with disastrous results to the latter.

The present invention aims to provide an improved club of this type which may be accurately and economically manufactured in large quantities at a minimum cost, having a minimum number of parts, and which will remain securely in adjusted position by reason of novel locking means, wear in the latter being automatically compensated for and taken up, while at the same time the blade may be readily and positively loosened when desired, provision, furthermore, being made for automatic adjustment of the angle of the shaft with respect to the lower edge of the blade face coincident with variations in the angle of the blade face with respect to the shaft.

These and other objects and advantages will be understood by reference to the following description, taken together with the accompanying drawings, of an illustrative embodiment of the invention; and inwhich drawings- Figure 1 is an elevational view, parts being shown in section for clearness of description, and the upper end of the shaft being discontinued to save space, of an adjustable golf club following the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top or plan view of the structure of Fig. 1; a

Figure 3 is a view similar to Fig. l but showing a different angular position of the blade with respect to the shaft; 1

Figure 4 is a top or plan view of the parts shown as in elevation in Fig. 3: I

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to the section in Fig. 1 but showing the parts in an alternative position;-

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the shaft and blade showing cooperative indicia thereon for indicating various different adjustments; Figure 7 is a view of the preferred form of tool for loosening and tightening the blade; and

Figure 8 is a reduced end view of a portion of the shaft where attached to the blade.

Referring in detail to the illustrative construction shown in the drawings, the numeral II indicates a golf club head or blade for 'so-called iron club, having the conventional face 12. As best seen in Fig. 2 the blade is built up or thick ened as at l3 back of its lower edge 14 to give weight and balance thereat. I I

In accordance with the present invention, the rear face of the blade is bossed as at l5 at its end adjacent the club shaft l6 and the boss I5 is reamed as at I! to provide a conoidal recess in the boss, this recess being further continued inwardly of the blade as a threaded screw-hole IS.

The club shaft l6 has a hub portion 19 at its lower end which has a lateral conoidal stud or hub extension 20, the latter being snugly received in the conoidal recess "of the blade. Means for clamping the blade onto said hub portion 20 of the shaft hub are here provided such as the screw 2| which passes freely through a perforation 22 running axially through the hub l9 and hub extension 20. The outer end of this perforation 22 is shown counterbored as at 23 and the screw bolt or screw 2| has a cylindrical head 24 which is rotatable in this counterbore bringing-the outer end of the screw head 24 substantially flush with the outer face of the hub IS. The inner end of the screw 2! is threaded as at '25 to mate with the threads of the threaded screw-hole 18 of the blade recess. 1 Y

' At the end of the screw 2| opposite' its head 22 and adjacent the inner end of the hub conoidal extension 20 the screw is provided with a-periphera] groove 26 in which is received an abutment collar 21. In this-instance the collar 2l'is of round cross section to'mate with the arcuate groove 26 and is in the form of a resilient splitring which may be snappedinto the groove 26 after the screw 21 is inserted; in the'perforation 22 of the-shaft hub. 'Adj'acent the collar 2'! the hub perforation 22 is counterbored slightly as at 28 to receive the collar 21 in an alternative 3 position of the parts for a purpose later pointed out.

The screw 2| is advantageously of the so-called Allen type having the polygonal socket 29 in its head 2 which socket receives the bent end 3i] of a so-called Allen or polygonal-type wrench 3|. The wrench 3i desirably has a bulbous-shape handle 32 thereon which conveniently fits the palm of the players hand for enhanced comfort and leverage in the application thereof.

When it is desired to clamp the blade H and shaft l6 together at a given angle for the face of the blade with respect to the shaft, as shown in Figure l the wrench 3! may have its bent end 30 applied to the screw 2! and the screw rotated in a clockwise direction (looking in a direction facing the end of the screw socket 29) which draws the blade toward the shaft and wedges the shaft hub extension 25 in the blade conoidal recess ll. The mating walls of the conoidal recess H and conoidal extension 2e define an included angle for a conoid of the order of 20 degrees or less. By included angle is meant the angle described at the intersection of projections of lines drawn parallel with the conical surface at two diametrically opposite points thereon. Angles of this order have been found to give the best results in locking the blade and shaft, since a maximum of wedging action is obtained combined with a minimum of travel of the blade on the hub as between the unlocked or rotative position of the blade on the shaft and the locked or non-rotative position. Angles of greater than say 30 degrees We have found do not hold well enough and angles of less than say 15 degrees are troublesome to release. Hence, advantageously relatively little actuation of the wrench when applied to the screw 2! is necessary to lock or unlock the blade. At the same time considerable leverage may be exerted which will lock the blade and shaft securely together against accidental dislodgement. Furthermore, the construction just described is such as to compensate for wear or tolerances in manufacturing dimensions of the parts by reason of the substantial area of contact of the blade and shaft and the optimum of wedging action therebetween while at the same time the blade is readily and easily rotated on the shaft hub to adjust it to varying angular positions for the face of the blade with respect to the shaft when such adjustment is desired, as for example when the player proceeds from one lay of the ball to another different lay, in progress along the course.

When it is desired to loosen the blade for adjustment as referred to, the wrench 3| (which may in the meantime be carried in the pocket of the player) is applied to the screw 2i with the bent end 30 of the wrench inserted in the polygonal socket 29 of the screw head, and, by means of the wrench, the screw rotated in a counterclockwise direction. As best seen in Fig. 5, if the blade should stick on the hub, the collar 21 which abuts the inner end of the hub extension at will force the latter outwardly of the recess ll in the blade as the screw is turned in a direction tending to force the blade and hub apart. When the collar 21 comes into action for this purpose and relative axial movement consequently occurs beto hold the collar in the groove 26 of the screw and prevent radial expansion of the collar, which, being in the form of a split ring as shown, might otherwise be forced out of the groove 26. Thus the collar is employed as an abutment to force axial movement of the hub concurrently with axial movement of the screw with respect to the blade to separate the blade and hub sufficiently to permit rotative movement of the blade on the hub for selective angular adjustment of the blade. It also prevents accidental separation of the shaft and screw.

As shown in Fig. 6 the hub l9 adjacent the outer end of the conoidal extension 28 thereof may conveniently carry indicia such as a series of numbered lines indicated at 3A, arranged on the arcuate face of the hub concentric with the axis thereof and extending in the direction of the latter, with which is adapted to register a line or arrow 35 on the back 36 of the blade ll, the arrow 35 being conveniently located on the blade boss it.

In the position of the blade with respect to the shaft shown in Figs. 1 and 2, it may be assumed that the blade face !2 and shaft [5 are exactly parallel. This would be a position for the blade not used in actual play. If, now, the club be desired to be used as a putter (or what is here called a No. 10 iron) the blade may be first loosened as already described and then rotated so as to bring the arrow 35 on the blade into register with the line numbered Iii of the indicia lines 34, as illustrated in Fig. 6 and the blade then locked in that position as described. The parts are constructed so that blade face then occupies an angle with respect to the shaft of 5 degrees. Similarly, if the club be desired to be used as a driving iron or No. 1 iron, the blade may be loosened and the arrow 35 brought into register with the line numbered i of the indicia lines 34. The parts are constructed so that here the face E2 of the blade would be at an angle of 15 degrees with respect to the shaft. The remaining differential adjustments of angle for the blade are increments of approximately 5 degrees apart up to and including the adjustment for a No. 9 iron, i. e., position No. 2 is for midiron, No. 3 for mid mashie, No. 4 for mashie iron, No. 5 for mashie, No. 6 for mashie niblick, No. '7 for pitcher, and No. 8 for itching niblick.

In the relative positions of the blade and shaft shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings which might be for use of the club, say, as a niblick or No. 9 iron, and proportionately in intermediate positions for use of the club as a mashie or the like, provision is made by the present invention for automatic adjustment of the angle of the shaft with respect to the lower edge 54 of the blade face concurrently with selective adjustment of the angle of the blade face with respect to the shaft. To accomplish this, as here shown, the axis of the blade recess including the conoidal recess I7 and the screw-hole extension i 8 is on an angle to the face of the blade and coincident with a line which would intersect the plane of the blade face. As shown in Fig. 2, this line, indicated by the numeral 31, is at an angle x with respect to the blade face and which angle is of the order of about 5 degrees. Thus as the blade is rotated to various adjusted positions from, say, the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 4, where the club serves for example as a niblick, the angle of the shaft IS with respect to the lower edge Hi of the blade is increased slightly to accommodate itself to the more inclined position of the blade as shown in Fig. 3, and affording a shorter distance from the ground level to the grip of the shaft (in the drawings the grip is omitted to save space). In other words, the angle y (Fig. 3 between the edge [4 and the shaft I6 is slightly greater in Fig. 3, than it is,- say, in Fig. 1 where the face of the blade is parallel with the shaft.

As best seen in Fig. 8, the center line of the shaft indicated at 16a is slightly off center to the center I9a of the hub I9 thus placing the shaft slightly eccentric to the hub and slightly forward of a line parallel to the shaft intersecting the hub center. This desirably serves to improve the balance of the club and the relationship of the shaft and blade in all of the adjusted positions of the latter.

The wrench handle 32 may have a hole 38 therein by which it may be tied to a golf bag if desired.

The shaft and blade may be made of suitable steel for the purpose, having the desired strength and modulus of elasticity, for example sufficiently high to prevent relaxing of the mating parts and avoiding any substantial change of the club setting. Non-galling steels such as Carpenter stainless steel No. 5 are here preferred for the parts. Both parts after machining are desirably quenched in oil from 1825 degrees F. and the shaft tempered by drawing at 400 F. and the blade at 800 F. Hence the shaft is harder than the blade and this dissimilarity minimizes tendency to gall or seize which might otherwise cause sticking of the parts when the screw is released. Moreover, the shaft being harder avoids tendency of the shankv portion under the head of the screw to close in on the screw when the latter is tightened.

As here constructed and arranged, the female component of the hub and recess arrangement is in the head or blade of the club, thus minimizing the size of the shaft hub portion and keeping the weight toward the center of percussion of they head as is desirable for good balance and club action. Furthermore, the smooth conoids of the interengagingparts not only permitinfinite variations but avoid fixed settings (as by teeth or the like (which would be subject to wear and dislodgement.

It is to be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to details of construction shown for purposes of illustration and that such changes may be made in embodiments thereof as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the invention.

The invention having been described, what is here claimed is:

1. An adjustable golf club, comprising, in combination, a blade, a shaft therefor, a conoidal recess in the blade, a conoidal hub on the shaft selectively received in said recess, a screw passing through said hub and said recess and threadedly received ina threaded extension of said recess for clamping the hub and blade together, and a collar on said screw adjacent the inner end of said hub arranged to abut the hub when the screw is released to free the hub from the recess.

2. An adjustable golf club comprising in combination, a blade and a separable shaft therefor, a substantially smooth surfaced conoidal recess in the. blade, a substantially smooth surfaced conoidal hub carried by the shaft snugly received in said recess, the conoid defined thereby having an included angle of substantially twenty degrees, and a screw passing through said hub and recess and threadedly received in an inner extension of said recess, and interengaging abutment means on the screw and hub to cause the screw when released to free the hub from the recess, said hub having a counterbore receiving the screw head rotatab-ly and substantially flush with the adjacent outer face of the hub.

3. An adjustablegolf club comprising in combination, a blade and a separable shaft therefor, a conoidal recess in the blade, a conoidal hub carried by the shaft snugly received in said recess, a screw passing through said hub and recess and threadedly received in an extension of said recess, and a collar on said screw adjacent the inner end of said recess arranged to abut the hub when the screw is released to free the hub from the recess, wherein there is a counterbore in the inner end of said hub for receiving the collar in the last mentioned position of the parts to cause the hub to grip the collar.

PAUL A. CHAMBERLAIN. CLARENCE NAVRATIL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date I 776,368 Urguhart et al Nov. 29, 1904 1,058,463 Pringle Apr. 8, 1913 1,135,621 Roberts et al Apr. 13, 1915 1,179,060 Williamson Apr. 11, 1916 1,578,311 Grossett Mar. 20, 1926 1,713,158 Anderson May 14, 1929 2,217,338 Fuller Oct. 8, 1940 2,254,528 Hoare Sept. 2, 1941 2,329,313 Winter Sept. 14, 1943