Abstract:
The patent illustrates an apparatus for radially expanding an elastic handgrip on its axis of elongation to allow easier introduction of a shaft to the elastic handgrip by an open end of the grip. The main body of the apparatus provides support for the shaft and fixes the position of grip end expansion wedge. A tail stock section provides a cup for receiving an end of the grip and positioning the grip to introduce a ventilation probe to the grip. An alignment laser is built into the tail stock for aligning a golf club shaft. The tail stock and main body are separable to allow different sizes of grips to be readily handled.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to golf club assembly and maintenance and, more particularly, to an apparatus for fitting a handgrip over and onto the free end of a golf club shaft. 
     A golf club has a shaft with a club head at one end and a handgrip at the opposite free end of the shaft. The shaft is a straight, elongated rod or tube fabricated from a suitable material. Contemporary shafts are typically made from an aluminum alloy or a graphite composite. The typical handgrip is a hollow tube open at one end and usually substantially closed at the other end except for a small vent. The handgrip is usually made from an elastomeric material which can be stretched, with some difficulty, over the free end of the shaft for installation onto the shaft. The vent allows air to escape from the handgrip during fitting and aligning of the grip on the shaft. 
     With use, a golf club&#39;s handgrip deteriorates and must be replaced, from time to time, during the useful life of the club. Fitting a new handgrip as a replacement grip on an old club involves stripping the old grip from the free end of the club shaft, cleaning the shaft of an adhesive used to bind grips to the shaft, preparing the shaft to receive a new grip and then fitting the new grip over the free end of the shaft. Preparing the shaft for a new grip may involve application of fresh adhesive to the shaft, which sometimes includes wrapping the shaft with double sided tape. The new handgrip then must be pulled down onto the shaft, or the shaft end inserted into the grip. 
     The handgrip itself is usually made so that in a unstretched condition it has a slightly smaller interior diameter than the outside diameter of the shaft end it is to be fitted to. This necessitates stretching the grip to fit the grip onto a shaft. If tape has been wound on the shaft, pulling the grip down over the shaft can result in localized contact between the interior of the grip and the tape and in pulling the tape apart in areas where the winds of the tape overlap. This can result in the wind of the tape becoming locally stretched or bunched up, producing a feeling in users of the club of an uneven grip. The presence of wound tape on a shaft exaggerates the problem of evenly fitting new handgrip to a shaft so that the grip exhibits a good feel to the user and is highly stable in its position. 
     Numerous patents have been issued directed to the problem of fitting grips to golf club shafts. Several references have dealt with methods of using air pressure, either as a vacuum applied around the exterior of the grip or as over pressure inside the grip, to expand the grip sufficiently to allow it to be easily slipped over the free end of a shaft. The air pressure can then be released to allow the grip to contract around the shaft. In general, the objectives are to provide quick, secure and accurate positioning of grips to clubs. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,706 to Cresse et al., illustrates one use of compressed air to inflate and thereby swell a handgrip allowing shaft and grip to be easily mated. Cresse et al., observes that the closed end of a handgrip typically has a small orifice. Where no orifice exists, the grip can be easily pierced to provide one. Cresse et al. supply a support body which has a nipple insertable through the orifice from outside of the grip. Air under pressure is introduced to the inside of the grip through the nipple after first introducing the shaft sufficiently to seal the interior of the grip. 
     SUMMARY 
     An object of the invention is to provide a mechanically simple handgrip fitting and aligning apparatus usable on a work bench. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which eases insertion of golf club shafts into handgrips. 
     The invention provides an apparatus for radially expanding an elastic handgrip on its axis of elongation to allow easier introduction of a shaft to the elastic handgrip by an open end of the shaft. The apparatus has two principal sections including a main body which provides a central plenum which cradles a grip being installed on a shaft. A second section is a tail stock section having a cup disposed to receive one end of the elastic handgrip. The main body and the tail stock section align on one another end to end, but are not directly connected to one another, allowing the spacing between the sections to be adjusted for different sized grips. A ventilation probe extends from the center of the cup in the tail stock section forward for introduction to the grip. A laser sighting aid is installed in the tail stock section. A grip end wedge tool fits around a shaft and is positionable in the main body near the end opposite to the end proximate to the tail stock section. 
     Further provided are a source of compressed air and an attachment between the source of compressed air and the ventilation probe for delivering air under pressure to an interior of an elastic handgrip under the control of the user. 
     Additional effects, features and advantages will be apparent in the written description that follows. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view a golf club having an elastic hand grip. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a table top grip installation station. 
     FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the table top grip installation station with an extensible support retracted. 
     FIG. 4 is still another perspective view of the table top grip installation station with a cover lid lifted to expose a central grip retaining plenum. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the main body with lid and wedge tool removed. 
     FIGS. 6A-B illustrate the lid in perspective and cross section. 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a grip end wedge expander tool. 
     FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of the tail stock section of the station. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, and with reference to the manner of using the invention to apply a hand grip to a shaft, particularly the shaft of a golf club, is explained. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golf club  10  having a straight shaft  12 . An elastic hand grip  14  is fitted over one end of shaft  14 . A club head  16  is attached to the opposite end of the shaft  12  from the elastic hand grip  14 . Hand grip  14  is subject to wear with use, and the consequent need for replacement. Additionally, owners of clubs may wish to shorten the shafts of clubs from older sets for children, with the need to remove and replace a handgrip  14 . 
     Typically, handgrips have been removed and replaced professionally. An adhesive, used to bond the handgrip  14  to the end of shaft  12 , is applied to a clean shaft and the handgrip  14  is fitted over the shaft end. Various vacuum or pressurization systems have been proposed to expand temporarily the handgrip  14  to ease its fit over the end of the shaft  12 . In any system, after an old grip has been removed, the shaft must be cleaned of any old material. If a shaft  12  is to be shortened, the freshly cut end of the shaft should be carefully deburred and squared with the shaft  12  center line  17 . If the handgrip has a preferred rotational alignment, the shaft  12  should be marked to indicate this before use of the invention to fit a new hand grip  14 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, a table top golf club grip installation station  18  in accord with a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated. Installation station  18  comprises a main body or cradle section and a tail stock section  22 . Main body section and tail stock section  22  are illustrated aligned end to end along a seam  23 . Main body section further comprises an extensible support  26  for support a golf club shaft the grip end of which has been positioned in the main body section. Extensible support  26  extends from the end of main body opposite to the end proximate to seam  23 . Extending downwardly from the same end of the main body  20  opposite to seam  23  is a bracket  28  shaped to fit against a table edge for bracing the main body section. Most of the top of main body section is formed by a cover lid  30 . Extending forward from main body aligned with extensible support  26  is a cylindrical grip end expansion tool  36 , which is captured by the lid in and against the main body  20 . Flare ends  19  extend latitudinally to either side of the main body at the muzzle end thereof. Flare ends  19  provide a brace point to position a hand or thumb to brace the main body as a shaft is forced into the muzzle opening  21  of expansion to n air pressure regulator  24  is attached to the back of tail stock section  22 . Tail stock section  22  provides for expansive ventilation of a grip as explained below. 
     A slit  32  in one face of the tail stock section  22  is directed toward the main body and provides for passage of an alignment line from a laser beam projector (not shown) behind slit  32 . A battery for powering the laser beam projector is installed under lid  34 . Tail stock section  22  slides on extensible support  38  which extends from a back face of the tail stock section. A switch is provided for turning on the laser. The laser beam projector (not shown) includes lens to spread the beam to a line with which clubs are aligned. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates varying the relative positioning of tail stock section  22  and main body section with respect to one another to handle grips of varying size. Visible in the now exposed end of tail stock section facing the complementary end of main body is a grip receiving cup  40  opened toward the main body. A ventilation probe  42  is centrally disposed in cup  40 , positioned and oriented so that when tail stock section  22  and main body section are aligned and appropriately spaced, a grip positioned in the main body is introduced by its closed end to probe  42 , which should be coaxial with the centerline of the shaft of a club. Probe  42  is provided to penetrate grip ends to provide an air channel into a grip which has been fitted around, but not finally positioned on, a shaft&#39;s end. The other end of the shaft, including the portion outside of a grip, will extend from wedge tool  36 . Main body section has a length selected to substantially contain a grip. Support  26  is illustrated retracted into main body section  20 . 
     FIG. 4 illustrates the location of a central cradle or plenum for a grip inside main body section  20 . A recess formed by an indented hemi-cylindrical surface  52  in the upper surface of the main body section provides a supporting base for a grip laid into the recess. Hinged lid may be closed on surface  52  to form a cylindrical enclosure between surface  52  and a second hemicylindrical surface  44  which is open at its end proximate to cup  40  and is partially closed at its opposite end by wedge tool  36 , which has a muzzle end  21  through which a club shaft may pass. Lid further includes an end section  46  which includes a slot  72  sized and positioned to engage a plurality of flanges  50  extending radially outwardly from tool  36 . Flanges  50  also fit into a slot  48  cutting into the upper surface of main body section  20 . 
     Referring to FIG. 5, where tool  36  has been removed, slot  48  may be seen to extend from side to side of a recess  60 . The combination of slots  48  and  72  form a hollow disc for capturing flanges  50 . 
     FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate lid in greater detail. A handle  74  extends to one side from a central, half cylinder section  76 . The profile of arcuate interior surface  44  of half cylinder section  76  may be seen in section in FIG. 6B. A half ring section  46  terminates one end of half cylinder section  76  to provide for retaining slot  72  for the flanges  50  depending from wedge tool  36 . 
     FIG. 7 illustrates grip end expansion tool  36  in greater detail. Tool  36  is based in a ring  80  which defines a central opening and muzzle end  21 . Extending from ring  80 , substantially parallel to the central axis of muzzle  21  are a plurality of spaced teeth  82  which maybe compressed toward one another at the ends distal to ring  80  for insertion to the open end of a grip. Extending radially outwardly from each tooth  82  is a flange section  50 . Once tool  36  is inserted into a grip, the free end of a club shaft may be introduced to the grip from muzzle end  21 . 
     FIG. 8 schematically illustrates tail stock end  22 . Cup  40  receives a grip  14  along its closed end, guiding the grip into engagement with ventilation probe  42 , which penetrates a small hole  43  in the top center section of the grip. Air passes into grip  14  from probe  42  from a compressor  97 , which communicates with probe  42  by air pressure regulator  24 , a foot-controlled valve  99 , and a conduit  91  through tail stock section  22 . Mounted above probe  42 , but aligned on the axis thereof is a laser emitter  95  and beam shaping optics  96  which vertically spreads an emitted beam to project a line on a target. Laser emitter  95  and the beam shaping optics  96  provide means for aligning a club. The switch  35 , battery  103  and drive circuitry  101  for laser emitter  95  are conventional. 
     The invention provides a mechanically simple handgrip fitting and aligning station usable on a work bench. The invention eases insertion of golf club shafts into handgrips for fitting and alignment. 
     While the invention is shown in only one of its forms, it is not thus limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.