Golf club head covers

United States Patent tin 3,548,908 [72] Inventor John C. Koetting

3703 Colquitt, Houston, Tex. 77027

<td> 121] [22] [45]</td><td colspan="2"> Appl.No. 753,561 Filed Aug. 19,1968 Patented Dec. 22,1970</td>

<td> [54]</td><td> GOLF CLUB HEAD COVERS 5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.</td><td></td>

<td> [52]</td><td> U.S.CI......................................................</td><td> 150/52</td>

<td> [51]</td><td> Int. CL......................................................</td><td> ..A63b 57/00</td>

<td> [501</td><td> Field of Search..........................................</td><td> 150/52, 52.6</td>

<td> [56]</td><td> References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS</td><td></td>

<td colspan="2"> 2,532,195 11/1950 Rosenowetal...............</td><td> 150/52</td>

3,023,795 3/1962 Denkert....................... 150/52

3,072,167 1/1963 Banas........................... 150/52

3,145,749 8/1964 Rosenow...................... 150/52

3,253,628 5/1966 Koetting....................... 150/52

Primary Examiner—Donald F. Norton

Attorney—William E. Ford

ABSTRACT: The invention comprises a golf club head cover with two stable, nonextensible parts, as of fabric, separated by an elastic material part which extends from open skirt end upwardly around and oppositely back to skirt end. Alternately, the two parts may be hingedly joined at top and the elastic material thus divided into two parallel extending parts. The lower elastic is easily stretched to let the golf club head enter and then the upper elastic is easily stretched as the cover is pulled downwardly over the club head, the lower elastic contracting about the hosel and club shaft.

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PATENTED 0EC22im 3:548,908

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ATTORNEY

3,548,908

GOLF CLUB HEAD COVERS

SPECIFICATION

The invention relates to a golf club head cover which is centrally elastic between stable inelastic parts, as fabric, to extend from the cover lower part, or open skirt, upwardly, around, and back oppositely down to the skirt, thus to insure facile entry of the club head into the cover, and facile expansion of the cover to snugly receive the club head, and ready contraction of the lower part of the cover toward hosel and shaft.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a golf club head cover which is comprised of stable, inelastic material with elastic material means extending longitudinally thereinbetween, whereby the cover is expansible to fit snugly about the head of the club and contractible to withdraw toward the hosel and shaft of the club therebelow.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a golf club head cover of this class in which each side half of the cover is expansible and contractible from top to bottom, thus to permit easy installation and snug fit over a club head and contraction toward club hosel and shaft therebelow.

It is yet another object of the invention to provided a golf club head cover of this class with lower, open, skirt end being unflared or of similar dimension to throat dimension therabove by virtue of the skirt of the cover being readily expansible to permit golf club head entry.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a golf club head cover of this class which may be fabricated, as to its stable, inelastic parts, of a wide range of materials, such as leather, plastic, fabrics, or firm knit material.

Also, it is still a further object of the invention to provide a golf club head cover of this class made of component parts which may be selectively colored for color contrast.

It is still a further object of the invention to provided a golf club head cover of this class in which the provision of an elastic material between stable inelastic part to require less material in area than in conventional golf club head covers.

It is al?o still another object of the invention to provide a golf club head cover of this class which may be fabricated of an minimum number of parts.

Other and further objects may be apparent when the specification is considered in, connection with the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred form of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse plan view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is a development view of the component parts of FIGS. 1 and 2, showing seam lines; and

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of an alternative construction of golf club head cover, the stable inelastic material parts being connected at the top by a stable, inelastic material hinge part, whereby the inelastic material means is divided into two parts.

Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like reference numerals are assigned to like elements in the various views, a golf club head cover 10 is shown in FIG. 1 comprised of an under or lower stable, inelastic part 11a a central part 12, of an extensible and contractible, flexible or elastic material, and an upper, outer, or top stable, inelastic part 1 lb. The parts 11a, lib may be of a wide range of materials, as fabric, leather, firmly knit material, or plastics, such as polyvinyl chloride, or polyethylene. The elastic strip or central member 12 extends from the open skirt end 13 upwardly between the parts 11a, lib, around the top, and back downwardly on the opposite side to the skirt entry, thus separating the stable, inelastic parts 11a, lib. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2, the elastic part 12 is sewed by seams 14a, 14b, and 14c, 14J, respectively, to the stable, inelastic, or unstretchable parts 1 la and 11b.

As shown in FIG. 3, the stable, inelastic parts Ila, 11b are of identical size, for better mass production, and are indicated as being flared at the bottom. Alternatively, as indicated in FIG. 3 by light phantom lines 15a, 15b, the skirt portions 13a, 13b of the parts 11a, 11 lib need not be flared to any degree, but may extend substantially straight from the throat portions 16a, 16b, whereby, in assembly, the skirt end 13, will not, in FIG. 1, appear proportionately of greater transverse dimension than the throat 16.

In the form of invention shown in FIG. 4 the stable inelastic parts 11c, 1 Id, are shown connected across the top of the golf club head cover 10a by a stable, inelastic hinge member or connection 1 le, while the elastic material of the cover is thus divided into two parts 12a, 12b which extend parallel to each other from skirt entry 13d to the hinge member lie.

Also, as indicated by the phantom lines in FIG. 3, the skirt 13a need not be flared, but the skirt dimension need not be substantially greater, or any greater than the throat 16c. In this form of the invention as in the form shown in FIGS. 1—3, the seams between the elastic and stable, inelastic parts will be inwardly when the cover 10a is in service.

The fact that the elastic is between the stable, inelastic parts insures that the cover can stretch to admit the golf club head 17, as indicated in FIG. 1, then to fit snugly around the head and to contract toward the hosel 18 and shaft 19 of the golf club 20. Also, in the form of the invention indicated by the phantom lines in FIG. 3, with the throat and skirt of comparable transverse dimensions, still the club head may be easily inserted, into the skirt, and then the cover pulled downwardly to fit snugly around the club head, while the lower and skirt portion, after club head insertion, can contract more closely toward the hosel and shaft of the club.

The parts of the cover contemplated by this invention may be selectively of varied colors. For instance, the stable, inelastic parts may be of somber, full or base colors, while the separating, inelastic part may be of parallel bands of bright varied colors, as indicated by the color hatched area 21 in FIG. 1. Such a color contract and attractive arrangement raises interest in the approach of a golfer, also different color arrangements may come to indicate different types of golf clubs.

The invention is set forth by hereinabove description and disclosure as exemplary, and other arrangements may fall within its spirit. The separation of the stable, inelastic parts by the elastic over the length of the cover results in less material being required in the stable cover parts. Also, ease of installation and removal is insured. The invention is thus amply covered by specification, drawing and appended claims.