US976176A - Golf-club. - Google Patents

Description

M. W. HOLLINGSWORTH.

GOLF CLUB.

APPLIOATION FILED Patented N0v.22, 1910.

BEPT.14, 1909.

WITNESSES:

AWTORIVEKS.

MERRILL W. HOLLINGSWORTH, 01E $ANTA BARA, CALIFORNIA.

GOLF-CLUB.

stairs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. as, rare.

Application filed September 14, 1909. Serial No. 517,556.

7 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, MERRILL W. HOL- LINGSWORTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Santa Barbara, county of Santa Barbara, and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Golf-Clubs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to so construct a golf club that the accuracy. with which the ballis hit by the club may be measured by means of indicating mechanism preferably of an audible character.

Tn striking a ball with a club,'it is of the utmost importance that the blow be delivered approximately upon the center;- of the face of the club, this being a factor that, associated with the force of the blow, determines distance of flight, and associated with the direction in which the club is swung toward the ball, determines the direction of flight. With the-ordinary golf club, when an error in delivery-is made, as evidenced by the flight of the ball being too far or not far enough or too high or too low or to the right or to the left of the proper direction, the cause of the error cannot usually be determined.

My invention consists of means whereby the success or failure of the attempt to hit tt club, being movable therein in the direction the ball at an approximately central point or spot on the face of a club will be signaled or registered, thereby enabling the player to determine, with more certainty than heretofore, the cause of a faulty drive.

While the signaling or registration of a blow may be either of a visible or of an audible nature, I prefer that embodiment of my invention wherein a center blow will actuate mechanism for exploding a cartridge, while a blow off center will fail to produce an explosion. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional view of the striking end of a golf club embodying my invention in its preferred form. Fig. 2 1s a similar view of a modification.

a indicates the drivin end or head of a golf club and b the drivlng face thereof.

0 is a cup formed by a recess sunk in the center of the driving face of the club.

dis a rod or firing pin having a head 6 that fits within the cup 0. The shank of the pin extends into a sultable hole in the golf of the length of the pin, and is threaded at ts opposite end toreceive a nut f. A recess is formed within the head of the club for the reception of the nut f and of a fixed cup g. A coil spring h surrounds the pin and is seated in the cup 9- and is confined between the cup and the nut f.

z is a plate acting as a stop for nut f and as a breech block for the cartridge hereinafter mentioned. The plate is confined between the rear fiat face of the main part ofthe club head and a removable section or cap is. The part is has a socket within which fits a threaded barrel or holder m. Within the barrel m is placed a cartridge n. The barrel m carrying the cartridge n is threaded into the socket in therear of the head of the club until the cartridge engages the point of the firing pin d and pushes it until the head 6 of the firing pin is flush with the driving face of the club and the nut f has been retracted from the plate 6.

When a ball is hit fairly at an approximately central point or spot in the face of the club, the firing pin (1? will be driven inwardly against the cartridge 91. and explode it. If the ball is not struck squarely the firing pin will move in the opposite direction to the extent permitted by the spring 72, and cup 9. f d

In Fig. 2 is shown a modification in which in place of employing a cartridge as'an indicating device, a disk 0 of stifi pa or or other readily puncturable material is used.v A squarely delivered blow will cause the firing pin to puncture the paper, while a blow 0 center will not have that efiect.

While the invention is more particularly intended for registering the accuracy of blows, and while the embodiment of the invention comprising explosive producing means is preferable for this purpose, it will also be understood that such embodiment of my invention is useful for other purposes even though. it were modified so as not to accomplish the chief object of nay-invention. For example, the explosion will attract the attention of the caddy, who may-be'out of sight over a hill.

While the invention is not limited to golf clubs it will doubtless find its most useful application to that form of club. Nor is it intended'to apply the invention to a club or paddle of any kind but preferably to such clubs as are provided with a substantially flat face presenting a plane surface of considerable area as distinguished from a club like a base ball bat on which there iso'nly a' singledine of possiblecontact polnts m a g ven plane.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is':--

1. A golf clubh'aving a head presenting a recessed, but otherwise substantially flat,

driving face and comprising indicator actuating mechanism within the interior -of the 1 .club. composed of a pin head extending within said recess and presentin a face forming part of the d-riVin face 0 the club and a I pin'shank within 't e club beneath said recess, said pin being movableunder the impact of a blow delivered upon its head, and

- an indicating device and a hold r therefor adapted to be adjusted to move said pin outwardly until said head is flush with the flat drlving face of the club.

' 2. A golf club having ahead presenting a recessed, but otherwise substantially fiat,

driving face andcomp'rising indicator actuating mechanism within the interior of the club composed of a pin head extending with- "in said recess and presentin a face forming part of the driving face 0 the club and a pin shank within the club beneath said reand an indicating device and a holder therefor adapted to be ad uSted to move said pin outwardly until said head is flush with the flat -driving face of the club.

3. A golf club presenting a driving face and comprising indicator actuating mecha- .nism extending wlthin the interior of the club composed of a part presenting aface forming a portion of the said driving face and movable within the club under the impact of a blow delivered upon its said face, a removable holder inserted within the elub from its opposite face and adapted to carry an indicatin device in position to be acted upon by. sai movable part, and a stop plate adapted to limit the movement of the pin in the direction of impact. 7

4. A golf club comprising a-recessedhead, a pin movable across the head, ahead 'on the pin extending Within said recess, a nut threaded on the pin, a fixed cap through which said pin extends, a spring confined between said ca mg device in position to be acted upon by said pin extends, adapted to engage the'nut and nut, a removable. holder inserted wlthin the club from its opposite face, and adapted to carry anindicatand thereby limit the movement of the pin in the direction of impact.

In testlmony 'of which invention; I have hereunto set my hand, at Santa Barbara, on

this 28th day of August, 1909;

MERRILL W. HOLLINGSWORTH.-

Witn'esses:

LEWIS G; DREYFUS,

Dem: CULLEY.

u so said pin, and a stop plate, through which

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