Golf putter with sighting device

A continuous-length, high-strength wire is formed to enclose a space above a golf ball adjacent the front face of a golf putter. The wire is further formed to provide a pair of legs at right angles to the enclosed space and these legs are permanently mounted in a pair of corresponding holes in a top surface mounting ridge on the golf putter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention relates to golf putters. More particularly, it refers to a 
sighting device mounted over the front face of a golf putter. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
The bane of the golf professional and weekend "duffers" is the putting 
stroke. The number of different putting strokes is only exceeded by the 
variety of putters employed by golfers. These putters have a variety of 
features which have been added to the standard blade type putter to try to 
improve accuracy of the putt. One added feature on many putters is a 
sighting device. 
Sighting devices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,292,928; 3,529,830, and 
3,698,093 together with U.S. Pat. No. Des. 188,677. Unfortunately, the 
single bar sight shown in these references can be easily misaligned on a 
golf ball and the resultant putt is errantly directed. 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,503,506; 3,667,761; 3,866,922; 3,917,277; 4,291,883, 
4,527,799; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 150,497; describe various devices on the 
back surface of a golf putter to assist alignment. These devices require 
the golfer's eye to move from back to front over the putter head. This 
also causes errantly directed putts. 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,670,209; 4,002,343, and 4,306,721 describe adjustable 
devices that align over the golf ball on the front face of the putter. 
Unfortunately devices of this type can come loose or can be improperly 
mounted by the golfer resulting in improper alignment of the ball. A 
sighting device is needed which will provide for precise alignment of a 
golf ball along the preferred line of roll. Such a device needs to be 
permanently mounted on the putter to prevent improper mounting by the 
golfer. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
I have discovered a sighting device for a golf putter that is not subject 
to the problems of the prior art and assists the golfer in lining up his 
sight to determining the correct position on the golf putter face to 
stroke the ball. My device is formed from a continuous length of high 
tensile strength rust resistant wire. The wire is formed to present a 
shaped space above the golf ball with a point of the wire distal from the 
front surface of the putter. The wire is further formed to present a pair 
of legs at right angles to the plane of the shaped space and the legs are 
imbedded in a corresponding pair of holes in a top mounting ridge on the 
putter. My device allows the golfer to use the sighting device to 
determine the correct line of sight along the putting surface and find the 
exact position on the putter to stroke the ball.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
My sighting device 10 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 is made from a 
continuous-length wire having high a tensile strength and being resistant 
to rusting. In the alternative it is possible to make the sighting device 
10 out of a high strength plastic material and for purposes of this 
specification wire also includes continuous-length, stiff plastic strand. 
The sighting device 10 is made by forming the wire into a diamond-shaped 
12 configuration or alternatively a spade-shaped 14 or pie-shaped 16 
configuration. Each of these configurations enclose a space 18 through 
which the golfer looks down upon the golf ball 22 as shown in FIG. 1. The 
diameter of the space can vary but should not exceed the diameter of the 
golf ball. Each of the spaces 18 end in a point 20 which indicates the 
direction of the line-of-sight for the ball. The open space 18 above the 
ball 22 permits the golfer to look down over the ball and properly align 
it with the front surface of the putter. 
The sighting device 10 also has a pair of legs 24 and 26 mounted integral 
with the putter head 36 through a pair of holes 30 and 32 on a mounting 
ridge 34 located on the top surface of the putter head 36. The holes 30 
and 32 are drilled into mounting ridge 34 on either side of the exact 
point on the golf putter face 38 which strikes the golf ball 22 for a 
proper stroke. 
The legs 24 and 26 are at right angles to the plane of the diamond 12, 
spade 14, or pie-shaped 16 configuration. A small amount of epoxy can be 
placed in holes 30 and 32 in mounting ridge 34 prior to inserting legs 24 
and 26 into holes 30 and 32. The epoxy, when hardened, permanently mounts 
legs 24 and 26 into the club head 36 to make the sighting device 10 
integral with the club head 36. 
The exact weight and shape of the club head 36 is not critical as long as 
the face 38 of the club head 36 is flat and presents a surface capable of 
striking a golf ball. My device can be used on any type club head such as 
this. 
The sighting device can be made from a high-strength aluminum alloy or a 
galvanized steel of the same type which are frequently used to make nails 
or other fasteners. As stated above, high-strength plastic materials can 
be formed to have the same configuration as shown above. However, it is 
important that the material used be of sufficient strength so that a right 
angle is maintained between the legs 24 and 26 and the plane of the formed 
space 12, 14, or 16. 
Other shapes of the sighting device can be employed which ar equivalent to 
the shapes shown in my invention and such shapes do not depart from the 
scope of my invention.