Golf club head

[0001] THIS INVENTION concerns golf club heads and particularly, but not exclusively, putter club heads.

[0002] Putters tend to attract experimentation in the use of different materials. If the club head is to impart a different feel when hitting a golf ball, a material, which is more elastic than the metal which is the chief constituent of known putter heads, is required. It is possible to provide this softer material as an insert but the provision of insufficient volume of the insert material to change the feel, means that a compensating quantity of metal must be used to provide reasonable mass.

[0003] Some golfers prefer to personalise their clubs but the construction of clubs usually confines distinctive markings to surface embellishments, logos or labels. If these are applied to the club head, wear tends to eventually obscure them.

[0004] An object of the present invention is to alleviate or to reduce to a certain level one or more of the above prior art disadvantages.

[0005] In one aspect of the invention, we provide a golf putter having a composite club head wherein at least the mid-section of which is composed of multiple side by side laminations directed substantially transversely to the club face, the laminations creating a banding pattern which permits identification.

[0006] The laminations may be of equal or unequal thickness, opacity, density and cross-sections. The laminations may be made of substantially water impervious sheet material. Ceramic is acceptable but softer materials which can be shaped by workshop processes are preferred. Rubber and rubberlike polymers, for example, polyurethane are useful. Harder polymers such as methacrylates and polycarbonate are preferred giving a lively, elastic feel to the stroke.

[0007] The parts of the club head which are separated by the laminations and add mass but do not contact the ball, may be made of metal. Wood or polymer with metal inserts are acceptable but metal is preferred to give the club head suitable mass.

[0008] The laminations may be joined together by a clamping tie passing through the laminations, extending between the ends of the club. The rod may seem to simply enter threaded blind bores in the ends, clamping the laminations between the ends by screw pressure. The ends may be contoured so as to impose C-shape or S-shape on the laminations. The laminations may be coloured in at least the marginal surface zone so that the colour seems to be uniform through the thickness of the club head. This permits dents and scratches to be buffed away. In addition to clamping it is preferable to secure the laminations face to face by adhesive.

[0009] Thus distinctive appearances may be imparted by selection of colours or opacities. Decorative inserts or inlays of contrasting appearance may be incorporated into the laminated mid-section, for example, monograms. The ends may be plated or given suitable surface finishes. The laminations may be varied in composition in order to create a “sweet spot” in the centre of the laminated section. The club head may be connected to the putter shaft by a crank. The crank may be threaded at both ends.

[0010] In a variant aspect the invention provides a composite club head in two or more parts comprising one or more metal parts and a mid-section which is a block of solid, elastic, polymeric material. Preferably the head comprises a mount and cap made of the same material, preferably metal, to give the required mass and a centre part made of polymer the parts being screwed together on a rod which joins all three.

[0011] In a method aspect the putter club head is made by nipping a row of laminations between a pair of parts which define the ends of the club head and adhering the assembly into a composite head.

[0012] The parts may be mutually connected by a tie upon which the laminations are threadable and the tie is used to compress the laminations. The laminations may be shaped or finished to give the club head its final desired shape.

[0019] Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a mount 2 is a brass forging with a flat face 4. The flat face has a blind threaded bore 6. A like threaded bore 8 is located in the mount 2 for receiving a stainless steel crank 10 (see FIG. 5). A stainless steel rod 12 with threaded ends carries a series of side by side square or D-shaped laminations 14, being 35×50 mm sheets of polyurethane each 3 mm thick. The sheets are adhered with epoxy adhesive.

[0020] The cap or toe section 16 has a blind bore 18 to receive the end of the rod. The cap and mount are screwed together to compress the aligned laminations which present a uniform flat face 20 to the golf ball.

[0021] Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 the laminations are of different colours and are arranged in bands of colour to give a distinctive combination of green and yellow bands representing the sporting colours of Australia. The laminations are coated on the contiguous faces with epoxy adhesive and threaded onto the rod. The mount and cap are screwed onto the ends of the rod and the front edges of the laminations are placed in register to form the putter face. The laminations are compressed to give a seamless surface. The curved surface of the laminations are sanded to mate with the cap and mount. The head is transferred to a plating bath. The crank 10 is screwed into the mount and the shaft is added.

[0022] In another version shown in FIG. 5, the laminations are substituted by a solid block 24 made from a die. The block has an integral bore for the rod and a chased area 26 for an inlay 28 such as a corporate logo.

[0023] In yet another version, the laminated portion is made by pouring a layer of a coloured liquid acrylic polymer mix and hardening the mix with UV light before adding a layer of contrasting colour and repeating the operation until a hard striped block is obtained. This method makes bands which are horizontal inclined rather than vertical.

[0024] In this specification transparent and translucent laminations exert the same effect as coloured ones and are equivalent.

[0025] In a further example the polymer mix is colourless but contains a photo-activated dye which is selectively exposed to light in order to create a banded effect. A variation of the latter construction is a mid-section block covered by a mask with coloured bands which simulates a laminated centre section. This is in turn protected by a transparent sheath.

[0026] These methods are considered equivalent because they too reproduce the distinctive appearance rendered possible by the separate laminations.

[0027] Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative example of the present invention many variations and modifications thereto will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the broad ambit and scope of the invention as set out in the appended claims.