Improvements in Machinery for Shaping Golf Club Heads and such like.
Year: 1896

page_text: his Print is in accordance with the Original Specification as it stands after
Amendment (under Section 11 of the Patents, &c., Act, 1883), as required by
the decision of the Chief Examiner of the 13th day of May 1897.
Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 26th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Shaping Golf Club Heads and
such like.
11, MARTIN MODAID, of 1 Drum Terrace, Leith, Midlothian, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to machinery for shaping golf club heads and such like
and it has for its object to improve the construction of such machinery.
In my invention the golf club head can be completely turned and shaped
from the blocks usually supplied to those golf club makers who make clubs by
hand:
In carrying out my invention a centre hole is made in the nose of the block
about. "deep and this centre is used as a guide in machining the other parts after
the head has been turned.
The bed or frame of the machine is made with grooves in which a travelling
table slides backward and forward and this table has three stationary centres
and three revolving centres or carriers, arranged beside each other. The middle
carrier is for the iron pattern golf club, whilst the other two, one at each side,
are for the wooden blocks to be cut into shape. The carrier centre for each wood
'block has a double jawed grip, one jaw being stationary and the other movable,
the movable jaw being fulcrumed or pinned to the grip in such manner that by
means of a wedge, pin, or screw it can be tightened or slackened so as to hold or
release the block as desired.
The carriers are driven by pinions from a central shaft that runs under the table.
This shaft, which has a coarse left hand screw thread on it, of about 1" pitch,
brings back the table to its starting position after each pair of blocks have been
cut, and it is worked by gearing from the feed screw shaft which runs parallel
to it. This central shaft has, at one end of it, a right hand screw thread into
which works.a worm wheel actuated from a worm shaft driven from an overhead
cross driving shaft.
There are two uprights at one end of the machine which support the cross driving
shaft and the worm shaft and there are slide-levers on each of these uprights, the
use of which will be explained subsequently.
A rocking frame is supported by two stays.fixed on each side of the machine
bed and which raise the frame above the other working parts of the machine.
The two cutter spindles are carried in this frame and extend its whole length
and the driving pulleys for these spindles are in a line with the trunnions or pivots
°

page_text: 0
of the frame. Loose pulleys are also fitted on the spindles close beside the
driving ones. A set of cutters is fixed on the end of each spindle and these
cutters are arranged to work directly above the centre of the wood blocks when
being turned.
A pattern wheel is fixed on the frame between the two sets of cutters and this
wheel, as usual, works on the iron pattern. As the iron pattern is revolved the
frame rocks up and down and of course causes the cutters to cut the blocks to the
exact shape of the pattern.
Guides are or may be fitted at each side of the machine to steady the rocking
frame in its up and down movements. The frame which is capable of being
locked in its up position, that is with the cutters clear of the work, to one of the
guides by means of a spring or lever catch, is so arranged, that, when it is
lowered, which can be done by means of a handle, the cutter spindles, the
revolving carriers, and the feed motion are simultaneously started. Likewise
when the frame is raised up these parts are stopped. This simultaneous
starting and stopping is effected, so far as the feed motion and carriers are
concerned, by means of a hanging lever fitted at the back of the rocking frame
and which, at its lower end, bears against the collar of a spring clutch on the
central shaft in such manner that, when the frame is raised, it throws the clutch
out of gear and stops the shaft, and, when the frame is lowered, it allows the spring
to act and throw the clutch into gear again and restart the shaft. To hold
the hanging lever in position, when the clutch is thrown out of gear, a bar fixed to
the travelling table and provided with a catch at its end is used. The upward
movement of the rocking frame throws the driving bands of the cutter spindles on
to the loose pulleys and the downward movement throws them on to the fast pulleys
so that the movement of the frame starts or stops the spindles.
In order to throw the feed shaft out of gear and to throw the central reversing
shaft into gear an arrangement is provided consisting of two nuts one for each
shaft, which are so connected together by means of a lever and links, that when
one nut is lowered into gear with its shaft the other nut is raised up out of gear
with its shaft. These nuts in boxes secured to the table.
Arranged at the back of the machine is mechanism for sawing the tail or neck
part of the wooden clubs to the proper angle for splicing and also for cutting out
the spaces for the lead and the horn. That part of the mechanism for cutting the
tail or neck parts consists of a table on which works a circular saw driven from
the cross driving shaft aforesaid and a small sliding guided carrier with a recess
or depression of the shape of a club head on its upper side for the reception of the
club head to be cut. The head to be cut is put on this slide and secured by a
pinching screw, when the slide is pushed forward and the tail or neck part is cut to
the proper shape.
The mechanism for cutting out the recess in the club heads for the reception
of the lead consists of a rotating cutter fitted at one end of the cross driving
shaft aforesaid and a pivoted slide lever fitted at the side of the machine.
The club head is fixed to this slide lever which is then raised by
a handle
at one end until the cutter pierces to the right depth in the wood, which
depth is regulated by a screw adjustment, and, when the depth is reached, the
slide-lever is traversed backwards by means of a screwed spindle so as to cut out
the recess.
The mechanism for cutting out the space for the horn is of a similar character,
it consists of a small rotating cutter fitted at the opposite end of the cross
driving shaft and of a slide lever at the other side of the machine which lever may
however, in this case, be traversed by a hand lever arrangement instead of by
a screw spindle.
A drill can be fitted at each end of the worm shaft one for boring the centre
hole in the wood block before the latter is turned and the other for boring the
holes for fixing the horn and for boring the holes in the lead recess for holding the
lead in place.

page_text: The table of the machine is preferably open in the centre to allow the cuttings to
fall through into a suitable receptacle.
If desired the machine can be adapted to turn only one club head or more than
two club heads at a time.
While the heads are being turned the attendant has time to perform the other
operations of sawing the tail part and cutting out the recesses for the lead and
the horn.
The machine can be adapted to make other wooden articles having an irregular
surface.
Dated this 24th day of January 1896.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.
Improvements in Machinery for Shaping Golf Club Heads and
such like.
I, MARTIN MCDAID of 1 Drum Terrace, Easter Road, Leith, Midlothian,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to machinery for shaping golf club heads and such like
in which the golf club head can be completely turned and shaped from the blocks
usually supplied to those golf club makers who make clubs by hand, and it has for
its object to improve the construction of such machinery.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood I have
hereunto appended two explanatory sheets of drawings, whereon,
Fig. 1 is a front end elevation of the machine.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the machine with the rocking frame removed.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the rocking frame.
Fig. 5 is an enlarged back end view of the machine.
Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10, 11, 114, 118, 110, 12, 13, and 134 are detail views.
Referring to the drawings whereon the same reference numerals wherever
repeated indicate the same parts.
In carrying out my invention a centre hole is made in the nose of the block from
which the club head is to be made about " deep and this centre is used as a guide
in machining the other parts after the head has been turned.
The bed 2 of the frame 1 of the machine is made with longitudinal grooves in
which a travelling table 3 slides backward and forward and this table has three
stationary centres 4, 4, 4b, and three revolving centres or carriers 5, 5, 5,
arranged beside each other as shown at Fig. 3. The middle carrier 5 and
centre 4 is for the iron-pattern golf club head 6, whilst the other two carriers and
centres, one at each side, are for the wooden blocks or pieces 7, 8, to be cut into
shape. The carrier centres 5 and 5b for the wood blocks 7 and 8 have each a
double jawed grip or chuck 9 as shown more particularly in the detail views
Figs. 11, 114, 11 and 11. Fig. 11 is a side view, Fig. 11 is an end view
& Fig. 11B is a plan view of the chuck whilst Fig. 11° is a perspective view of the
movable jaw of the chuck. One jaw 9" of the chuck is stationary being made in
one piece with the body of the chuck, whilst the other jaw 9b is movable being

page_text: pivotted on a pin 10 in such manner as shown that by means of the screw 11 it can
be opened or closed like a vice so as to grip or release the wood block. In
Figs. 2 & 3 the chucks 9 are shown as grasping the pattern and the wood blocks.
The carriers 5, 5, 5, which are screw tapped for the reception of the screwed
ends 12 of the chucks, have gear wheels 13, 15, 13, which are driven from a gear
wheel 15 (Fig. 1) fitted on the front end of a central shaft 16 running under the
table. The gear wheel 15 drives the wheel 13" and the latter, by means of the
pinions, indicated in dotted lines at 14 and 14, drives the wheels 13 and 13
in the same direction so that the pattern club and the two wood blocks revolve in
the same direction.
The central shaft 16 which has a coarse left hand screw thread 16ª on it, of
about 1 pitch, brings back the table to its starting or outward position after each
pair of blocks have been cut and it is revolved by means of the gear
wheels 17, 18, 19 and 20 (see Figs. 5 and 12) from the feed shaft 21 which
runs parallel to the central shaft. The gear wheels 18 and 19 are carried on an
adjustable stud 22 fitted in a slot 23" in an arm 23 secured adjustably by means of
studs 24, 25, to the bearing bracket 26.
The slots 27, 27 & 28 permit the arm 23 being adjusted to suit different
intermediate pinions (18, 19) which can be changed, in the usual manner, according
to the speed desired for the shaft 16.
The shaft 21, which is screwed with a right hand thread for a part of its length,
is driven by means of a worm wheel 29 and worm 30 from an overhead cross
driving shaft 31 which latter is driven by means of a crossed belt 32 from the
main shaft 33.
The back end of the frame is extended upwardly at each side so as to support
the worm shaft 31 and the driving shaft 33.
A rocking frame 34 is supported by stays 35, 36, one at each side of the bed 2,
at a slight elevation above the other working parts of the machine.
The two cutter spindles 37, 38, are carried in bearings in this frame and extend
its whole length and the fast and loose pulleys 39, 40, for working these spindles
are in a line with the trunnions or pivots 41, 42, of the frame. A rotary cutter 43
is fitted on the outer end of the spindle 38 and a rotary cutter 44 on the outer end
of the spindle 37. These entters are arranged to work directly above the centre
lines of the wood blocks 7, 8, when being cut.
A pattern wheel 45 is fitted on the frame between the two cutters and this
wheel, as usual, works on the iron pattern 6. As the iron pattern is revolved the
frame 34 rocks up and down so as to accommodate itself to the irregularities of the
pattern and of course causes the cutters 43, 44, to cut the blocks to the exact shape
of the pattern.
Guides 46, 47, are fitted at each side of the machine to steady the rocking frame
in its up and down movements. The dotted lines at 48 Fig. 2 represent the belts
for driving the pulleys 39, 40. 39 and 40 are the loose pulleys. 49 is a handle
fitted at the end of the frame to facilitate the raising and lowering of it.
34 is a counterpoise weight for the frame 34. It is suspended from the rod 34°
at the back of the frame.
The frame 34 which is capable of being locked in its up position, that is with
the cutters clear of the work, to one of the guides by means of a common form of
spring or lever catch, is so arranged that, when it is lowered, which can be done by
means of the handle 49, the cutter spindles, are at once put in operation by the
belts 48 which slide, automatically owing to the slight forward inclination of the
frame from the loose pulleys 39, 40, on to the fast pulleys 39, 40, and, also, when
the frame is raised up and the cutters lifted clear of the work the belts 48, owing
to the rearward inclination of the frame, slide automatically backwards off the fast
pulleys 39, 40, on to the loose pulleys 39" 40" and so stop the cutters.
The sliding table, during the cutting operation is gradually moved towards the
right hand, see the arrow Fig. 3, by the action of the feed shaft 21 which is constantly
kept in motion by the worm gearing on the shaft 31. As it is necessary at the end

page_text: of each forward or feed travel of the table 3 to reverse it and bring it back to its
starting or out position, as at Fig. 3, the mechanism shown in the enlarged: detail
views at Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 104 is provided. This mechanism consists of two half
nuts 50, 51, which work respectively in the threads of the two shafts 21 and 16.
Each half-nut is fitted in a box 52 secured to the table 3. The half-nut 50 is
connected by a link 53 with one end of a lever 54 fulcrumed on a short pillar 55
secured to the table 3 whilst the half-nut 51 is connected by a link 56 to the other
end of the lever. As shown in the detail view at Fig. 9 a spiral spring 57 is fitted
between the top of the nut 51 aud the link 56 so as to press the nut downwards.
The stud 58 of the nut 51 is slotted at its upper end, as indicated in dotted lines
at 59, and fits into the link 56 being held in place by the pin 60. The slot 59
allows the nut 51 to have a slight vertical movement. The fulcrum pin 61 of the
lever 54 is made just sufficiently tight to prevent either nut 50 or 51, after being
raised up, from falling down again by their own weight.
An adjustable collar 62. (Figs. 10 and 10A) is fitted on the feed shaft 21 and this
collar, which can be clamped in position by the serow 63, is provided with a tooth 64
on its upper side.
A roller 65 is fitted on the nut 50 Fig. 8.
The lever 54 has a bent handle 54 which is depressed by the rocking. frame 34
when the latter is lowered so as to start cutting.
With this arrangement when the table 3 travels the full length of its forward
stroke, which is determined by the position of the collar 62 on the shaft 21, the
tooth 64 on the collar strikes against the roller 65 and lifts it up at the same time
lifting up the nut 50, the link 3, the handle 54 and the frame 34 thereby throwing
the cutters on the latter out of gear, in the manner hereinbefore explained, and, at
the same time, depressing the link 56 and nut 51 and forcing the latter. into gear
with the shaft 16 whose action, owing to its left hand screw thread, at once
reverses the motion of the table. The stiffness of the fulcrum pin 61 is sufficient
to keep the frame 34 and the nut 50 in the raised position until they are lowered
again by hand when commencing a new cutting operation.
In order to throw the reversing shaft 21 out of gear whenever the table 3
reaches the end of its backward or non-cutting stroke the mechanism shown at
Figs. 12, 13 and 13 is provided. This mechanism consists of a hanging lever 66
pinned at the back of the rocking frame 34 and which, at its lower end, rests
against a clutch 67 on the shaft 16. The jaw 68 of the clutch, which is made in
one with the wheel 20, revolves freely on the reduced end of the shaft 16 whilst
the jaw 69 of the clutch is feathered to the shaft 16 and is capable of sliding into
and out of gear with the jaw 68. 71 is a spiral spring which is secured between
the collar 72 of the shaft 16 and the collar 73 of the jaw 69 of the clutch. 74 is a
rod secured to the table 3 and having a catch 75 at its end.
With this arrangement when the table 3 reaches the end of its back stroke,
presuming the rocking frame is lifted up out of action, the catch 75 catches on the
lower end of the lever 66 and pulls it, at the same time pulling the collar 73 and
opening the jaw 69, against the action of the spring 71, as shown at Figs. 13
and 134, so as to throw the shaft 16 out of gear and prevent it revolving, thereby
stopping further backward travel of the table. When the rocking frame is in its
low position and the cutters acting, the lever 66 is raised up, as shown at Fig. 12,
sufficiently to prevent the tooth 75 catching it and so opening the clutch. In
Fig. 12 the clutch 67.is shown closed whilst in Fig. 13 it is shown open.
Arranged at the back of the machine is mechanism for sawing the tail or neck
part of the wooden clubs to the proper angle for splicing and also for cutting out
the spaces for the lead and the horn. That part of the mechanism for cutting the
tail or neck parts consists of a table 76 through a slot in which works a circular
saw 77 fitted on the cross driving shaft 33 aforesaid, and a small sliding guided
carrier.78 with a recess or depression 79 of the shape of a club head on its upper
side for the reception of the club head to be cut. The head 80.to.be.eut.is put on
this slide and secured by a pinching screw 81 to the proper angle when the slide..78

page_text: is pushed forward in the guides 82 and the tail or neck part is cut to the proper
shape as indicated by the dotted line.
The mechanism for cutting out the recess in the club heads for the reception of
the lead consists of a rotating cutter 83 fitted at one end of the cross driving
shaft 33 and a slide lever 84 pivotted on the end of the shaft 31 at the side of the
machine. The lever is shown at Fig. 6 to a large scale and as will be seen the
end of the shaft 31 passes through a slot 85 so that the lever can be adjusted
lengthwise to suit different lengths of club heads. The club head is clamped to
this slide lever by means of the end screw 86 and the side screw 87 in the adjustable
jaw 88 and the lever is then raised (see dotted lines Fig. 6) by a handle 89 at
one end until the cutter 83 pierces to the right depth of the wood, which depth is
regulated by the screw 90, and, when the depth is reached, the slide lever 84 is
traversed backwards by means of the screwed spindle 91 so as to cut out the recess.
92 is the handle of the screwed spindle. 93 is a screw for adjusting the lever
lengthwise.
The mechanism for cutting out the space for the horn is, as shown to an enlarged
scale at Figs. 5 and 7, of a similar character, it consists of a small rotating
cutter 94 fitted at the opposite end of the cross driving shaft 33 and of a slide
lever 95 at the other side of the machine which lever is preferably, however, for
increased speed, in this case, traversed by a hand lever 96 instead of by a screw
spindle. The hand lever is pivotted to the frame of the machine at 97 and bears
against a pin 98 inserted in the lever 95. The screws 86, 87, 90" and the jaw 88*
correspond to the similar parts of the slide lever 84. After the club head is
inserted in place the slide lever is raised to the dotted position indicated at Fig. 7
and the lever 96 is then pulled forward so as to slide the lever quickly under the
cutter 94. The slot 85ª prescribes the movement of the lever.
A drill can be fitted at each end of the worm shaft 31, one 97 (Fig. 3) for
boring the centre hole in the wood block before the latter is cut and the other 98
for boring the holes for fixing the horn and for boring the holes in the lead recess
for holding the lead in place.
The fast and loose pulleys 99 on the shaft 33 are driven by a band 100 Fig. 2.
The table of the machine is preferably open in the centre to allow the cuttings
to fall through into a suitable receptacle."
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
The table is full out when starting cutting as at Figs. 2 and 3.
Bring down the rocking frame 34 by means of the handle 49 until the cutters
rest on the wood blocks 7 and 8, when, as before explained, the cutters are
automatically started. The frame 34 depresses the handle 54" of the lever 54 and
puts the nut 50 on the screw of the feed shaft 21 when the table at once begins to
travel forward and the process of cutting out the club heads takes place. When
the table has travelled the full length of the pattern it is automatically reversed
by means of the collar 62 whose tooth 64 lifts up the frame 34 (thereby stopping
the cutters) and the nut 50, as before explained, and also puts the nut 51 in gear
.with the reversing shaft 16. When the table has travelled back to its original
starting point the catch 75 on the rod 74 catches the lever 66 and pulls the
clutch 69 out of gear thereby stopping the rotation of the shaft 16 and preventing
further movement of the table. The partly finished club heads are now taken out
and replaced by fresh wood blocks when the machine is again started by pulling
down the frame 34.
While the heads are being turned the attendant has time to perform the other
operations of sawing the tail part and cutting out the recesses for the lead and
the horn.
It is obvious that the machine can be adapted to turn only one club head or
more than two club heads at a time by merely altering the number of carriers and
cutters.
The machine can be adapted to make other woc articles having an irregular
-surface,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
consider novel and desire to claim is :-
1. A machine for cutting out golf club heads or such like, constructed, arranged,
and operating substantially as herein before described with reference to the drawings
annexed.
2. A machine for cutting out golf club heads or such like, comprising a sliding
table for the wood blocks and pattern, a rocking frame for the cutters and pattern
wheel, an automatically acting screw feed motion and an automatically acting
screw reversing motion, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
the drawings annexed.
3. The mechanism for cutting out the space for the lead, substantially as herein-
before described and shown on the drawings annexed.
4. The mechanism for cutting out the space for the horu, substantially as herein-
before described and shown on the drawings annexed.
Dated this 24th day of October 1896.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70 Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.