Golf putter

April 16, 1963 e. _{o P}i_EPER 3,085,804

GOLF PUTTER Filed Sept. 12, 1960

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ATTORNEYS

United States Patent Office „ 3,935,804

Patented Apr. 16, 1963 preferably is provided along the line of intersection of the inclined top faces 14a and 14b of the club head B to facilitate lining up the club head B with a ball C to be putted.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the club head B in plan, as shown in FIG. 3, is in the form of an elongated rectangle. With substantially the proportions illustrated and in stainless steel, a head length of approximately 4 inches, a width of % of an inch and a height of one inch provides a club head having a weight of between 9 and 10 ounces, which is a desirable weight for a club to be used by men. For women’s use these dimensions preferably are reduced slightly to provide a head weight of 7 or 8 ounces. The angles of divergence 17 and 18 (FIG. 2) between the planform top faces 14a and 14b and a horizontal plane 15 is slight, for example, of the order of one to three degrees, and the edge bevels 27 and 28 are uniform throughout the entire length of the club head B. Thus, when viewed from above as in FIG. 3 said bevels have the appearance of straight lines. The small groove 29 may be provided transversely of the center of the club head and preferably is located at the intersection of the planform top faces 14α and 14b. Each of the side faces 22 and 23 of the club head B is planform, these two side faces preferably converge symmetrically toward the lower edge of the club head, so that if continued they would intersect each other at the central plane of the club head indicated by the broken line 24 in FIG. 4. The angle of convergence of these side faces with the central plane 24 preferably is of the order of %₂ of an inch per inch of height of the club head. With the side faces of the club head thus inclined, when a ball C (FIG. 4) is struck by the club with the club shaft D disposed substantially in a vertical plane indicated by the broken line 24, the point of impact 30 (FIG. 4) of a striking face 22 with a ball C will be slightly above the horizontal central plane of the ball indicated by the line 31 in FIG. 4. This striking of the ball above its center of gravity tends to impart a slight overspin to the ball, which is desirable in putting.

As best illustrated in FIG. 2, the projecting end portions 19 and 20 of the club head B are quite thin, and therefore of light weight. The club head thickens symmetrically along curved lines 32 and 33 a substantial distance inwardly from the ends, so that the major portion of the mass of the club head is thus concentrated in the thick central portion 21 of the club head and well inwardly from the ends 11α and 12α. This concentration ₅₀ of the mass centrally of the club head tends to impart a solid driving force to a ball C when struck by the club. The bottom surface 34 of the club head preferably is curved transversely as shown in FIG. 4, and, due to its relatively short length, permits slight variances in its posi55 ί^ίοη ,^{from one shot to tile next} without noticeably changing its resistance of the turf (not shown) when swung across it.

The invention provides a simple, and effective putter, which is perfectly balanced, which facilitates properly θθ lining up the putter when addressing the ball, and which, by concentrating and centering the mass of the club head adjacent the point of impact with the ball, it aids a player using the club in directing a ball along its desired initial course with a minimum of error.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood, however, that various changes and modifications may be made in the details thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims