Patent Publication Number: US-8967395-B1

Title: Golf club shaft clamp

Description:
This invention relates to a golf club clamp, and, more particularly, to a dual position spaced-apart clamp suitable for clamping a frequently used golf club in close spatial relation to a golf cart canopy support, golf bag, or the like. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Aids and accessories for golfers are quite numerous. Applicant&#39;s own copending application U.S. Ser. No. 13/287,010 for “Portable Golf Car Accessory Organizer,” has won award for being the golf accessory of the year 2012 by one specialty trade association. 
     Building upon applicant&#39;s prior success and the realization that golfers often have favorite, most used, clubs, especially putters, applicant has recognized a need for providing easy and quick user access to such favored clubs. Prior existing apparatus for mounting individual golf clubs for both display in stores and use on the golf course can be found at U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,056,736; 6,224,438; and 8,117,077. The golf club holders disclosed above provide for securing the head of a golf club to the holder. As such, such holders or clamps are sized to fit clubs with larger heads, such as woods, with the ability to fit irons thereon being a secondary consideration. Generally, apparatus that clamps to a golf club shaft are small portable items for analyzing one&#39;s swing, or the like. 
     A need has developed for an apparatus for mounting an often-used golf club, whether it be a wood, iron or putter, in an easily-accessible relatively fixed position whether on a golf car, golf cart or golf bag. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention resides in a golf club shaft holder comprising a generally sling shot shape base including a central post portion and a cross portion extending perpendicularly from one end of said post portion centrally thereon. A spatially related pair of resilient generally C-shape retainers are mounted in aligned relation adjacent the respective opposed ends of the cross portion, and each said C-shape retainer includes a resilient distal opening. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention may best be understood from the following detailed description of currently preferred embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a three-quarter top perspective view of a golf club shaft mounting assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of the golf club shaft holding assembly shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an end elevational view of the golf club shaft clamp shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a back elevational view of the golf club shaft clamp shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom plan view of the golf club shaft clamp shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The Adjustable Base Clamp Member 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the golf club shaft holder assembly, generally indicated at  10 , includes a base clamp member, generally indicated at  11 , and a sling shot shape or generally U-shape shaft holder member having a central post depending centrally therefrom, generally at  12 . The adjustable clamp member  11  is made up of a generally rectangular hollow post mounting portion  13 , an upwardly open claw shape portion  14 , and a hollow reverse claw slidable mounting portion  15 . Clamp member  11  is, in the preferred embodiment, 3¾ inches in length, 1¼ inch in width, and 2 inches in height. 
     A reverse claw member, generally indicated at  16 , includes a generally rectangular base  17  and a distal downwardly open claw shape portion  18 . An elongate threaded screw type fastener generally indicated at  20 , includes, in this preferred embodiment a triangulated thumb screw portion  21 , an elongate threaded 3/16 inch rod  22  and a threaded nut  23 . 
     The fastener  20  extends through the hollow reverse claw mounting portion  15  of the base clamp member  11  by passing through an aperture  24  in the adjustable base clamp member reverse claw mounting portion  16 , thereafter and through the hollow interior of that portion, through a hollow interior of the reverse claw rectangular base  17  and thence through a second aperture  25  adjacent the top of the reverse claw mounting portion  17 . 
     With the threaded nut  23  nested in the top of the reverse claw so that it cannot turn, twisting the thumbscrew  21  of the adjustable elongate fastener  20  moves the reverse claw  16  vertically up and down to open or close the combination of the distal claw portion  14  and the complementary shaped reverse claw portion  18  to allow the adjustable base clamp member  11  to be selectably releaseably mounted to any one of a plurality of external members (not shown) that may include a vertical canopy post on a golf car, vertical spine on a golf club cart, or a vertical portion of a golf bag, or the like. 
     The reverse claw member  16  is, in the preferred embodiment, a 1 inch×1 inch base 1  3 / 16  high with the reverse claw being 1  7 / 8  inch high overall and 2 3/16 inch in overall length. Each claw portion being 1 3/16 inch in length. 
     It should be noted that the preferred position for the adjustable base clamp member  11  is with the complementary claw members positioned horizontally so that the hollow inner complementary claw portions thereof grasp a vertical support member, such as a post supporting the canopy over the top of a golf car (not shown). For reasons that will be discussed in greater detail below, it should also be noted that this adjustable base clamp member  11  is fully described in my copending application Ser. No. 13/287,010. 
     The Golf Club Shaft Holder 
     The golf club shaft holder  12  may be considered a generally sling shot shape or Y-shape member or a generally C or U shape member  28  having a central post  27  depending from the bight portion of that C or U shape member. Holder  12  is 5 7/16 inches in length and 6 7/16 inches in total height. A shaft holder is deemed to be simpler to make and more versatile than prior known club head holders. 
     The sling shot shape shaft holder, generally indicated at  12 , includes a generally rectangular central post  27  ( 15/16× 15/16 inch in cross section and 3 7/16 inches in length) whose distal end fits in the generally hollow rectangular post mounting portion  13  of adjustable base clamp member  11  and is retained therein by screw  40 . Extending from the top of central post  27  and positioned generally perpendicular thereto, is a cross member  28  that has opposed distal ends  29  and  30  and is 5/16 inches in length by ¾ inch thick. A preferred material is aluminum or plastic. 
     Each of the opposed distal ends  29  and  30  of cross member  28  includes a raised or pedestal portion  29   a ,  30   a , respectively, that is raised with each respective inner curved wall  29   b ,  30   b , defining a central bight portion  31  providing a space for a user&#39;s fingers to be positioned therethrough when grasping a golf club shaft (not shown) mounted parallel to the cross member, as will be described in more detail below. 
     On the top of each of the opposed pedestal portions  29   a ,  30   a , is mounted a C shape resilient clip member  33 ,  34 , respectively. These resilient clip members  33 ,  34 , shown most clearly in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  4 , are preferably made of spring steel, plastic or the like, and have resilient arms,  33   a ,  33   b  and  34   a ,  34   b , respectively, sized to selectably releasably retain therebetween the shaft of a desired golf club (not shown). On the preferred embodiment, each C shape clip is ½ inch in height, ¾ inch in length and its opposed arms define a ⅜ inch void therebetween at their widest, coming together to 3/16 inch at their narrowest spatial relation and flaring outwardly to ⅜ inch between the distal ends of the respective arms. 
     Each of the C shape retainers includes a generally flat ¾ inch by ¾ inch base  33   c ,  34   c , respectively, extending from the bight portion of each of the clips. In order to protect the assembly, a pair of opposed, generally Y-shape shield members  36 ,  37 , respectively, are attached to the distal ends  29  and  30  of the cross member  28 . The shields each include a base  36   a ,  37   a  and a pair of spaced apart wings  36   b ,  36   c ,  37   b ,  37   c , respectively, the bight portion thereof between each respective pair of wings at ½ inch apart being sized to accept a golf club shaft positioned therethrough. Each bight portion space is aligned with the hollow interior of each of the C-shape clips  33 ,  34 . The shields protect the C-shape clips and prevent damage to the cross member  28  portion of the golf club shaft holder assembly  10 . 
     With the adjustable base clamp member mounted on a desired golf car canopy support, the spine of a golf bag cart or a suitable portion of a golf bag, the cross member  28  is preferably positioned generally vertically so as to provide for convenient acceptance and selectable retention of a desired frequently used golf club with its shaft retained in the C-shape clip members for ease of mountability and removability therefrom. 
     While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention. It is the intent of the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.