Improvements in or relating to Golf Clubs and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left. 23rd Oct., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Golf Clubs and the like.
I, GEORGE WALKER of Sheldon House, Queen Victoria Road, Coventry in
the County of Warwick Instructor of Horology, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to clubs and the like used in the game of golf. When a
golf ball is projected by being struck by the head of a club, its flight may be
considered as due to two causes:-
Firstly. Motion is imparted to the ball by its being made to suddenly take up
that of the moving club-head when it comes into contact with the ball.
Secondly. Motion is also imparted to the ball by the reaction between the face
of the club and the ball, due to the elasticity of the materials-composing them,
coupled with the inertia of the club-head and ball, which allows of their surfaces
being compressed when the club strikes the ball. On this reaction, in a great
measure, depends the direction and length of carry of the hall.
"
When a solid iron club-head is used to strike the ball, the reaction between the
club-head and the ball is practically due to the compression of the ball alone.
With a wooden club-head the reaction is due, not only to the compression of the
surface of the ball, but also, to that of the head of the club. For this reason a
wooden headed club will " "drive or carry the ball farther than a solid iron one ;
but the elasticity of the face is liable to become exhausted by prolonged use.
Faces of wooden headed clubs are rapidly destroyed by play in wet weather, and
the heads are liable to break., Consequently a metal head is superior to a wooden
one in so far that its face is practically indestructible.
The object of my invention is to combine the elasticity of the wooden face with
the durability of the metal one.
I attain it by making the face of a suitable metallic spring and applying it to a
head of wood, metal or other suitable material.
According to one method of carrying out my invention, I take an ordinary metal
headed club and attach to the face thereof a strip of spring steel or other suitable
metal of similar shape to the face or.other.convenient form. The strip is raised
from the solid metal by two distance pieces of leather or other suitable material
and of suitable dimensions placed one behind each end of the strip. Screws
passing, up to their heads, through the ends of the strip and through the distance
pieces into the head hold all the parts securely in position. The heads of the
screws are preferably flat and are countersunk into the strip so that they do not
project beyond the surface thereof. Instead of distance pieces the head may be
made with projections at each end to carry the strip.
According to another method, I form the front upper and lower edges of the
head (preferably a metallic head) each with a ridge overhanging the face, thus
forming a shallow groove. Into this groove 1 force a suitable strip of spring steel
or the like, of greater width than the groove, so that when in position the strip has
a convex form and is not liable to drop out accidentally.
The strip may be stiffened by causing it to depart from a plane figure, or by
increasing its thickness according to the class of play the club is intended to be
used for.
In both the above cases, the spring strip forms the desired elastic metallic face.
D
077

page_text: But I do not confine myself to these methods of carrying out my invention, which
consists in the application of a metallic spring face to the head of a golf club of
any kind, whether a “driver,” a “putter” or otherwise.
Dated this 22nd day of January 1895
W. B. MAXFIELD,
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
:
Improvements in or relating to Golf Clubs and the like.
I, GEORGE WALKER of Sheldon House, Queen Victoria Road, Coventry in
the County of Warwick Instructor in Horology; 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 :-
My invention relates to clubs and the like used in the game of golf. When a
golf ball is projected by being struck by the head of a club, its flight may be
considered as due to two causes ;-
.
Firstly, motion is imparted to the ball by its being made to suddenly take up
that of the moving club head when it comes into contact with the ball.
Secondly, motion is imparted to the ball by the reaction between the face of the
club and the ball, due to the elasticity of the inaterials composing them, coupled
with the inertion of the club head and ball which allows of their surfaces being
compressed when the club strikes the ball. On this reaction, in a great measure,
depend the direction and the length of carry of the ball.
When a solid iron club-head is used to strike the ball, the re-action between
the club-head and the ball is practically due to the compression of the ball alone.
With a wooden club-head the re-action is due not only to the compression of the
surface of the ball, but also, to that of the head of the club.
For this reason a
wooden headed club will "drive." or carry the ball farther than a solid iron one;
but the elasticity of the face is liable to become exhausted by prolonged use.
Faces of wooden headed clubs are rapidly destroyed by play in wet weather and
the heads are liable to break. Consequently a metal head is superior to a wooden
one in so far that its face is practically indestructible.
The object of my invention is to combine the elasticity of the wooden face with
the durability of the metal one. I attain it by making the face of a suitable
metallic spring and applying it to a 'head of wood, metal or other suitable
material.
And in order that my invention may be well understood I append drawings
illustrating several methods of carrying the same into effect. I do not confine
myself to these methods as the principle may be carried out in other ways.
Figure I is a view in elevation, Figure II is, a transverse section and Figure III
is a plan, showing one method of applying a metallic spring to a metal golf club
head, according to my invention.
Figure IV is a transverse section showing another method of carrying out my
invention.
Figure V is a view in elevation and Figure VI is a transverse section showing a
third method, and
Figures VII and V.III are similar views showing a fourth method of carrying
out my invention.
Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.
According to one method of carrying out my invention I take an ordinary metal
headed club and attach to the face thereof a strip of spring steel or other suitable
material of similar shape to the face or of other convenient form.
The strip my
be raised from the solid metal by two. distance pieces of leather or other suitable

page_text: material and of suitable dimensions placed one behind each end of the strip..
Screws, passing up to their heads through the ends of the strip and through the
distance pieces into the head, hold all the parts securely in position. The heads of
the screws are preferably flat and are countersunk into the strip so that they do
not project beyond the surface thereof.
Instead of using separate distance pieces I prefer to provide the head with.
projections, one at each end or to hollow the face so as to give the spring free
action. This construction is shown in Figures I, II and III, in which 2 is the
head, 3, 3 are the projections corresponding to the distance pieces, 4 is the hollowed
face, 5 is the spring.and 6, 6 are the screws. The strength of the spring must be
calculated with regard to the use in which the club is to be put. For a "driver"
club with a plain spring the metal should be about 1 of an inch thick but by
making the spring from a wider strip of metal and turning back the top and
bottom edges 7, 8 as shown, the thickness may be reduced without decreasing the.
stiffness. For a 65 putter" a thinner spring would be used.
This method is also well adapted for clubs in which the heads are made of wood:
or composition.
According to the method shown in Figure IV, I form the front upper and lower
edges of the head 2 (preferably a metallic head, as shown) each with a ridge 9.
overhanging the face 4, thus forming a shallow groove. Into this groove I force.
a suitable strip 5 of spring steel or the like of greater width than the groove so
that when in position the strip 5 has a convex form and is not liable to drop out
accidentally.
But I prefer to reverse this method as shown in Figures V and VI. The face 4
of the head 2 is formed with an upwardly directed groove 9 near the upper edge
and a downwardly directed groove 10 Dear the lower edge. The spring 5 is made
of wider and thicker material than in Figure IV and its edges are turned back
towards each other as shown so that the spring may be driven lengthwise into
position on the head of the club, the edges of the said spring 5 gripping into the
grooves 9, 10. As a further precaution against the spring moving lengthwise, a
screw 6 may be passed up to its head through a hole in the spring 5 into the head 2.
of the club near one end thereof. The screw 6 is preferably made parallel headed
so as not to interfere with the action of the spring.
According to another method, I form the spring from a piece of flat sectioned
steel tube or other suitable material as shown in Figures VII and VIII. The
tubular springs 5 is attached to the head very much as in the method illustrated.
by Figures I, II and III. Screws 6, 6 are passed through clearance holes in the
face of the spring and up to their heads through smaller holes in the back of the
spring into the ends of the head 2. The heads of the screws being below the face.
of the spring there is no need to countersink them in this case. This method is
also well adapted for clubs in which the heads are made of wood or composition.
In all the above cases the spring strip forms the desired elastic metallic face.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
==
1. Constructing the head of a club or the like used in the game of golf with a.
metallic spring face, for the purpose set forth.
2. In a club or the like of the kind referred to in Claim 1, the application to or
the combination with the head thereof, of a metallic spring face, for the purpose
set forth.
3. The metallic spring face for the head of a club or the like used in the game
of golf, constructed and applied substantially as herein described and illustrated in.
Figures I, II, III of the accompanying drawings.
4. The metallic spring face for the head of a club or the like used in the game.
of golf, constructed and applied substantially as herein described and illustrated in
Figure IV of the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 5. The metallic spring face for the head of a club or the like used in the game
of golf, constructed and applied substantially as herein described and illustrated in
Figures V and VI of the accompanying drawings.
6. The metallic spring face for the head of a club or the like used in the game
of golf, constructed and applied substantially as herein described and illustrated in
Figures VII and VIII of the accompanying drawings.
7. The improvements in or relating to golf clubs and the like substantially as
therein described and illustrated.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1895.
W. BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
Registered Patent Agent,
19 Bowling Green Street, Leicester, Applicant's Agent.