Improvements in Golf Olubs.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Oct., 1894-Accepted, 17th Nov, 1894
Improvements in Golf Olubs.
I WILLIAM TYNDALE JENNINGS of 103 Bay Street in the City of Toronto, in
the County of York and Province of Ontario, Canada, Civil 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 :-
The object of the invention is to devise a golf club superior in driving power to
those ordinarily in use, and it consists, essentially, of a club, the head of which is
constructed preferably of spring steel, the metal being so shaped as to leave
resilient steel walls. surrounding a central space which preferably has a metal
spring or a filling of elastic material arranged therein, the whole being constructed
in detail substantially as hereinafter more particularly described.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a head of that form of golf club known as a
cleck.
Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of a driver.
Fig. 3 is a cross section of the same through a-b.
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of an alternative form of the same.
Fig. 6 is a plan view of the same showing a metal spring arranged in the centre
space.
In the drawings, like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts of the
various figures.
A ie the head of a golf club, composed of walls B and C connected at the ends
and enclosing a space D.
E is a filling preferably of vulcanized rubber, gutta percha or any suitable
elastic material.
In the cleek illustrated in Fig. 1, the space D is wedge shaped, as shown. In
the forms illustrated in Figs. 2-6, the space is open both at the top and bottom.
In order to prevent the filling from falling out, it is desirable that the metal
forming the ends of the space D be bulged, as shown at a, a or that it be otherwise
suitably shaped to accomplish the purpose (see Fig. 2).
In the form shown in Fig. 6, a metal spring E is substituted for the elastic
filling E. This bears at its centre against the front wall B, and at its ends against
the rear walls C. Instead of the flat spring, a coil spring bearing against the
centres of the front rear walls might be used. The metal used for the head is
preferably spring steel; drop forged or otherwise made of the desirable shape.
The walls B and C are sufficiently thin to be resilient and to give elastically
when the ball is struck. Although both walls are shown of the same thickness, a
certain measure of utility might be obtained if the front wall only were sufficiently
thin to be resilient. The rear wall C may be curved inwardly as shown in Fig. 5,
in which case a portion of the transverse pressure on the filling E, would be
converted into a longitudinal strain on the filling in the larger ends of the space.
In all the forms shown, by suitably proportioning the steel walls, the elastic
filling or metal spring might be dispensed with. Although the invention is shown
to apply to only two forms of club, it will of course be understood that it is equally
as applicable to all the various forms of golf clubs in use, whether of wood or
metal.
Although vulcanized rubber is mentioned as the preferable material for the
filling, it being unaffected by ordinary extremes of heat or cold, many other
substances, such as vulcanized gutta percha, sponge rubber, cork, wood, or in fact
any elastic or semi-elastic-substance might be used for the same purpose.

page_text: By constructing a golf club as above described, greater driving power may be
obtained with a club of equal or less weight than those ordinarily in use, with the
same or less exertion on the part of the player.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
"
1. A golf club, in which the portion of the head which comes in contact with
the ball is made resilient, substantially as and 'for the purpose specified.
12. A golf club, in which the material composing the head is so shaped so as to
leave walls on each side of a central space, the wall designed to come in contact
with the ball, being sufficiently thin to be resilient,, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
3. A golf club, in which the material composing the head is so shaped as to
leave resilient walls on each side of a central space, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
4. A golf club, in which the metal composing the head is so shaped as to leave
resilient walls on each side of a central space, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
5. A golf club, in which the material composing the head is so shaped as to leave
resilient walls on each side of a central space, in combination with means by which
pressure on the front wall is elastically conveyed to the rear wall, substantially as
and for the purpose specified.
6. A golf club, the head of which is formed of spring steel so shaped as to leave
a central space with resilient walls on each side, in combination with a filling of
vulcanized rubber or other elastic, material in said space, substantially as and for
the purpose specified.
7. A golf club, the head of which is formed of spring steel so shaped as to
leave a central space with resilient walls on each side, in combination with a filling
of vulcanized rubber or other elastic material in said space, which is shaped as
shown to retain the filling substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 11th day of October 1894.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C., Agents to Applicant.