Abstract:
A golf putter head adapted for attachment to a club shaft is provided with a face member having a strike face and a cylindrical back cavity, and a body member configured to fit and rotate within the back cavity. Selective rotation of the body member within the back cavity sets a loft of the putter head. The weighting of the putter is adjusted by securing a weight member to the body member.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The invention relates to an adjustable golf club construction. More particularly, the invention is related to a putter with adjustable loft and weighting.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The design of putters is typically viewed as a pursuit of an aesthetically pleasing club that promotes a golfer&#39;s confidence in his or her stroke. As such, many putters have been designed irrespective of the mechanics inherent in the putting swing. Furthermore, many putters lack a design that accounts for an individual golfer&#39;s characteristics and characteristic playing style (i.e., stance, grip, etc.).  
           [0003]    The lack of attention to technical details in many putter designs results in clubs that are not aimed or balanced properly. Such technical considerations, for example, include heel and toe weight distribution, location of the putter head&#39;s center of gravity or “sweet spot,” putter length, shaft flexibility, grip, head weight and total club weight, loft, and lie. Because the USGA Rules of Golf permit significant latitude in the design of putters, i.e., the shaft, neck or socket of a putter may be fixed at any point in the head, many putter designs are possible. And, because significant deviation in the intended path of a putt can be experienced for even slightly off-center hits, careful attention to these design factors can result in a putter that is more likely to perform well in use. Moreover, an adjustable putter design may permit the variation of one or more of the aforementioned design considerations to more closely suit the needs of a given user.  
           [0004]    Various adjustable club constructions are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,305,270 to Nilson discloses a golf club with a hosel that has an extension on which the head is slidably and pivotally mounted. The extension is embedded in a shallow depression in the back of the head and runs substantially the entire length of the head. The head further includes lugs with inner serrated portions, and when a desired angle has been selected for the face, serrated portions on the extension are engaged with the lugs to lock the position.  
           [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,180 to Guenther discloses a golf club having a reversible head for use either as a putter or chipper, and for use by either a left handed or right handed player. In operation, the head is rotatable by 180° on a pin to present either a chipper face or putter face. A lever with side cam surfaces permits releasable locking of the head in position.  
           [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,739 to Thompson discloses an adjustable golf putter with a body and a separate putter face that is initially adjustable relative to the body prior to permanent securement. The putter includes an elongated tapered body having a plane of symmetry extending in the direction of the putting motion. The face is rotatably mounted on the head about a pin, and a pair of screws secure the face to prevent rotation. A bubble level is also recessed in the putter face. If the putter face is not level, the golfer loosens the screws, pivots the putter face about the pin to adjust the angle between the upper surface of the putter face and the shaft, and when the bubble level indicates level for the preferred putting stance of the golfer, the screws are tightened. The weight of the putter head is adjustable by disposing cylindrical weight inserts in a bore in the body located behind and perpendicular to the face.  
           [0007]    In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,572 to Coleman discloses a golf club with a hollow main body, thereby providing a chamber into which liquid or granular weighting material may be placed. The main body is preferably spherical, and a movable, disc-shaped face portion is provided on its rear with a portion that is contoured to complement the spherical shape of the body. A clamping member and retaining bolt are provided; loosening the bolt permits the club face portion to be repositioned through an arc of 360°, while tightening the bolt fixes the face portion in the desired position.  
           [0008]    Despite these developments, there exists a need for an improved putter construction. In particular, there is a need for an improved putter with adjustable loft and weighting.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    The present invention is related to a golf putter head adapted for attachment to a club shaft. The head includes a face member having a strike face and a cylindrical back cavity, and a body member configured to fit and rotate in at least one plane or direction within the back cavity. Selective rotation of the body member within the back cavity sets a loft of the putter head. In one embodiment, a weight member is coupled to the body member, and is symmetrically disposed about a longitudinal center of the body member. The weight member may have a generally arcuate shape and may be disposed on the back portion of the body member.  
           [0010]    The back cavity of the face member may include two recessed wing portions and a recessed generally cylindrical portion disposed therebetween, while the body member may include a front portion with a generally cylindrical projecting portion and a cylindrical passage extending parallel therethrough. The front portion of the body member further includes opposing sections separated by a slit that extends along the length of the cylindrical passage, the opposing sections being connected by a threaded hole. Threadable engagement of a fastener in the threaded hole changes the separation of the opposing sections.  
           [0011]    A generally cylindrical insert is configured and dimensioned to be received within the cylindrical passage of the body-member, with the insert further including a base portion configured to be received in fixed orientation within the wing portions.  
           [0012]    The body member may be generally rectangular and have a side flange with a bore therein, the bore being configured and dimensioned to receive the shaft. The body member also may include a front portion, a back portion, and a pair of sides, the sides each having a lower edge with at least two edge portions that are crooked with respect to each other at an angle of between about 0° and about 30°.  
           [0013]    The present invention is further related to a golf putter head adapted for attachment to a club shaft. The putter head includes a face member having a strike face and a back cavity, the back cavity including at least one keyway portion, and a body member configured to fit and rotate in at least one plane or direction within the back cavity, the body member including a passage therein. In addition, the putter head includes an insert configured to fit and rotate in at least one plane or direction within the passage, the insert including at least one keyed portion. When the keyed portion is disposed in the keyway portion, selective rotation of the body member about the insert sets a loft of the putter head. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    Preferred features of the present invention are disclosed in the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, and wherein:  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 shows a top view of a putter head according to the present invention with back weighting;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 shows a back view of a face member for a putter head according to the present invention with a cavity therein;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 shows a cross-section of the face member of FIG. 2 taken along line III-III;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 4 shows a cross-section of the face member of FIG. 2 taken along line IV-IV;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 5 shows a bottom, perspective view of an insert member for a putter head according to the present invention;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 6 shows a top, perspective view of the insert member of FIG. 5;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 7 shows a side view of the insert member of FIG. 5;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 8 shows a top view of a body member for a putter head according to the present invention;  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 9 shows a side view of the body member of FIG. 8;  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 10 shows a partial perspective view of the body member according to the present invention with an insert member housed therein. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0025]    Referring to FIGS.  1 - 10 , the putter construction according to the present development is shown. Putter head  20  includes a face member  22 , a body member  24 , and a back weight member  26 , each of which are secured together as will be discussed. A shaft bore  28  is provided for attachment of putter head  20  to a club shaft.  
         [0026]    As shown in FIGS.  2 - 4 , face member  22  has a generally flat ball-striking front portion  30  and a back portion  32 . A recessed region or back cavity  34  is formed in back portion  32 , and preferably has a generally cylindrical contour. A pair of recessed wing portions  36  are formed at opposite ends of back cavity  34 , creating a keyway that preferably has a depth less than the maximum depth of back cavity  34 . A hole  40  is formed in each wing portion  36  for receiving a threaded fastener. Preferably, back cavity  34  is substantially symmetric about line ALI, which is also generally parallel to the ground.  
         [0027]    Turning to FIGS.  5 - 6 , in one embodiment of the present invention, an insert  42  is provided for coupling body member  24  to face member  22 . Insert  42  includes a central, generally cylindrical projecting portion  44 , along with a base portion  46  which creates a keyed portion that is adapted to be received within wing portions  36  of back cavity  34  of face member  22 . A generally cylindrical, tapered portion  45  is also provided, and serves as a further keyed region for aiding in insertion of insert member  42  into body member  24 . More particularly, the overall longitudinal geometry of insert  42  is cylindrical, such that it can rotate in at least one plane or direction within body member  24  as will be described shortly. Base portion  46  includes a pair of holes  50 , which preferably include recessed portions  51  so that the head of a screw or other fastener may be recessed therein.  
         [0028]    The loft of the putter is defined as the angle of the face and a line perpendicular to the sole line measured to a point that is half of the distance of the face height and located on the center of the face. In order to provide adjustment of the loft, the angle of body member  24  related to face member  22  is adjusted by rotation within cylindrical back cavity  34  of face member  22 . With an insert member  42  disposed in body member  24 , and with base portion  46  disposed within wing portions  36 , the loft may be changed to a suitable amount.  
         [0029]    More particularly, with reference to FIGS.  8 - 10 , body member  24  is generally rectangular and hollow, and includes cylindrical front portion  52 , back portion  54 , and side portions  56 ,  58 . Front portion  52  receives an insert member  42  in cylindrical passage  53 . Front portion  52  further includes a slit  55  extending along the length of cylindrical passage  53 , and thus providing a loose fit of insert member  42  when placed in cylindrical passage  53 , which runs parallel to line ALI when front portion  52  contacts back cavity  34 . During setting of the desired loft, body member  24 , with an insert member  42  housed in passage  53 , is loosely coupled to face member  22 . With the insert member  42  resting in wing portions  36 , the body member  24  may be rotated with respect to face member  22 ; the body member rotates about insert member  42 , which is fixed in location and angle with respect to face member  22 . When a desired loft has been set, the insert member  42  may be tightly coupled to face member  22  using screws or other fasteners, which extend through holes  50 ,  40  in insert member  42  and face member  22 , respectively. In addition, the rotation of body member  24  with respect to insert member  42  may be arrested through the use of a threaded fastener that extends through threaded hole  57  and connects opposing portions of front portion  52  separated by slit  55 . When the fastener is tightened, the separation between these portions may be decreased such that the gap provided by slit  55  is closed. In turn, the diameter of passage  53  is slightly decreased, locking insert member  42  in place.  
         [0030]    A side flange  66  is provided on a side  56 ,  58 , depending on whether the golfer is right-handed or left-handed. A shaft bore  28  for receiving a club shaft extends at least partway through flange  66 , which is oriented at an angle a with respect to a flat edge  68  of body member  24 . Preferably, angle a is between about 5° and about 85°. The desired loft may be set by rotating body member  24  with respect to face member  22 .  
         [0031]    As shown in FIG. 9, edge  68  is disposed opposite an edge  78  of body member  24 . Edge  78  includes straight potions  80 ,  82  which are crooked with respect to each other. Preferably, straight potions  80 ,  82  are disposed at an angle β between about 0° and about 30°.  
         [0032]    Body member  24  also includes bores  70  through side walls  56 ,  58 . Weight removed from side walls  56 ,  58  due to the presence of bores  70  may be redistributed in putter head  20 , such as with back weight member  26  as shown in FIG. 1. Further to this end, a hole  72  is provided in back portion  54  of body member  24  so that back weight member  26  with a similarly disposed hole  74  may be secured thereto, as with a fastener such as a screw. More than one hole  74  may be provided so that several fasteners may be used. Preferably, back weight member  26  is generally arcuate in shape, and is symmetrically disposed with respect to line CEN along the longitudinal center of body member  24 . Back weight member  26  may farther include a central recessed region, so as to conform to the geometry of body member  24 .  
         [0033]    While various descriptions of the present invention are described above, it should be understood that the various features can be used singly or in any combination thereof. Therefore, this invention is not to be limited to only the specifically preferred embodiments depicted herein.  
         [0034]    Further, it should be understood that variations and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. For example, in an alternate embodiment, the mating portions of face member  22  and body member  24  may include a series of facets along a generally cylindrical shape, instead of smooth cylindrical surfaces. Such facets may provided a more positive engagement of the components during fitting. In addition, in another embodiment, body member  24  may be secured to face member  22  without an insert member  42 . Front portion  52  of body member  24  may be provided with projections that mate with wing portions  36  in face member  22 . Accordingly, all expedient modifications readily attainable by one versed in the art from the disclosure set forth herein that are within the scope and spirit of the present invention are to be included as further embodiments of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is accordingly defined as set forth in the appended claims.