Improvements in Golf Clubs.
Year: 1894

page_text: Improvements in Golf Clubs.
I, WILLIAM HILLMAN, of Stoke Green, Coventry, in the County of Warwick,
Managing Director of Works, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
"
My invention relates to improvements in clubs used in playing the game of golf,
and has reference to those kuown as wooden clubs, viz., the "driver," "brassy,"
"short," and "mid spoons" and the "putter."
My improvements consist of an improved construction of club head and an
improved method of attaching the heads of clubs to their shafts which renders the
said clubs more durable and, when the heads are worn out and require to be
replaced by new ones, the same can be done by any unskilled persou.
The ordinary wooden golf club consists of a shaft with a head of hard wood
having its neck at an angle with the main part and attached to the lower end of its
shaft by glueing and binding, but, inasmuch as the said head is quickly destroyed
by concussion and often broken at the neck, it is advantageous to have a head
which can be easily detached from its shaft and easily replaced.
In my improved club the head is attached to the shaft by means of a connecting
piece or fitting made of steel or other metal. The said fitting is formed with a
taper socket to receive the shaft similar to that of an iron club, but on the lower
end of the said socket is formed a hollow neck or socket, which is of a tapered;
square or pyramidal form, and into which the club head is fixed. The neck of the
club head is tapered and formed to fit its hollow neck or socket, but is of such
length that it does not quite reach the end of such socket. For the purpose of
firmly holding the club head in position, I pierce the club head longitudinally from
end to end with a hole to receive a rod or bolt screwed at the end located in the
neck of the club head and having a hook or head at the opposite end, which is
received in a suitable hole or recess in the outer end of the head. I then place in
position a washer of size to fit against the outer part or narrow end of the lower
square socket, and I screw on to the screwed end of the rod or bolt, a nut
preferably consisting of a long tapped sleeve formed with a head which bears
against the washer. By this means the head becomes firmly fixed to the shaft.
By forming the neck of the club head and the lower socket of tapered, square, or
pyramidal form, the greatest possible strength of the parts is retained, and such
form effectually prevents the turning of the head in its place or socket.
In constructing my improved head as a club for driving a ball off the tee, 1 build
it up in sections of strong canvas or other similar suitable material alternating with
hard wood, the sections being vertical and in line with the shaft, the driving face
being canvas, thereby getting a good grip of the ball. The back of the club head
is strengthened by pegging or cementing a layer of leather nearly from the point to
the end of the neck where it penetrates the aforesaid hollow neck.
In constructing heads for spoons or other wooden clubs having less work to do
than the driver, the head may be cut out of a solid piece of wood in the ordinary
way, faced with canvas and strengthened with leather as aforesaid.
Dated this 9th dox of Auơnst. 1894.
WILLIAM HILLMAN,
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings; London, W.C., Agents

page_text: layer of leather a² nearly from the point to the rear end of the neck a¹ where it
penetrates the hollow socket c¹.
The lower surface of the club head a adjoining the striking face is shod with a
piece of horn or other suitable material a³ as usual.
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
claim is :-
1. The improvements in golf clubs herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
2. In golf clubs a head having a tapered square or pyramidal neck in line with
the body thereof, a fitting or socket carrying the shaft and formed at its lower end
of tapered square or pyramidal form to fit the neck of the head, a rod or bolt
screwed at one end and having a hook or head at the other end, a hole formed
longitudinally through the head and neck to receive the body of said rod or bolt, a
hole or recess formed in the front of the head to receive the hook or head of the
rod or bolt, a washer fitting against the smaller end of the tapered square or
pyramidal socket and a nut screwing onto the screwed end of the bolt or rod and
against the said washer to secure the parts firmly together substantially as herein
shown and described.
3. In golf clubs, the combination of a club head formed with a tapered square or
pyramidal neck in line with the body thereof, a correspondingly shaped socket to
receive said neck formed at the lower end of the socket in which the shaft is fixed
and means for drawing the neck of the head firmly within and securing it in such
tapered square or pyramidal socket substantially as herein shown and described.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
HARRIS & MILLS,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.