Kiln formed glass headed golf club putter

Abstract

A strengthened triangular shaped glass putter head made by a specific shape dependent fusing and annealing process using 90 COE or 96 COE soda lime glass. The putter head has smooth surfaces or is patterned with individually colored bas-relief design decorations. The putter head may be colorless, single colored, multi-colored, or semitransparent to opaque in appearance. The putter head is sufficiently strong to play a more rigorous putting-based golf game.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:  
     
         1 . A putter head consisting of fused and annealed glass.  
     
     
         2 . The putter head of  claim 1 , wherein the glass further comprises: 
 soda lime glass with an expansion rating of either 90 COE or 96 COE.    
     
     
         3 . The putter head of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 an admixture of clear glass and colored glass.    
     
     
         4 . The putter head of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 an admixture of transparent glass and opaque glass.    
     
     
         5 . The putter head of  claim 2 , wherein fused glass comprises: 
 glass that is fired to fuse glass pieces into an integral whole.    
     
     
         6 . The putter head of  claim 5  wherein fused glass further comprises: 
 glass that is fired in a kiln from room temperature to about 649° C. to obtain a glass putter head melt in about  6  hours; holding the glass melt for about 30 minutes at about 649° C., heating one hour to about 807° C.; and holding for about 40 minutes at about 807° C.  
 
     
     
         7 . The putter head of  claim 2 , wherein annealed glass comprises: 
 glass annealed by gradual cooling to remove internal stresses occasioned by the temperature differential between the core and the surface of the putter head.    
     
     
         8 . The putter head of  claim 7 , where annealed glass further comprises: 
 glass annealed by cooling a fused glass in about 20 minutes to about 510° C.; holding for about two hours at 510° C.; cooling about four and a half hours to 410° C.; holding for about two hours at 410° C.; cooling about seven hours to about 66° C.; holding for about 5 minutes at about 66° C.; then turning the kiln off and allowing glass putter heads to cool to room temperature..    
     
     
         9 . The putter head of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 a bas-relief design.    
     
     
         10 . The bas-relief design of  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 a golf ball configuration, a golf tee configuration, and a ‘birdie’ configuration.    
     
     
         11 . The putter head of  claim 2 , further comprising a non-triangular configuration made from non-triangular molds having oval, semi-circular, and non-triangular polygonal shapes.  
     
     
         12 . A method for casting a glass putter comprising: providing a pattern for the glass putter head; casting a master putter glass mold for the glass putter head; loading the putter glass mold with glass pieces at room temperature; firing in a kiln the glass putter head mold with loaded glass pieces to obtain a glass putter head melt; annealing the glass putter head melt through a plurality of cooling steps back to room temperature; drilling a putter shaft hole into the glass putter head; and affixing a putter shaft into the hole in the glass putter head.  
     
     
         13 . The basic glass putter as in  claim 12 , wherein the putter is made by a process that includes a generating a series of patterns comprising a first generation pattern; a second generation pattern; a third generation pattern; and a fourth generation pattern.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the master glass putter head mold is loaded with about 284 grams to about 397 grams of 96 COE soda lime glass pieces.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the master glass putter head mold is loaded with about 284 grams to about 397 grams of 90 COE soda lime glass pieces.  
     
     
         16 . The basic glass putter as in  claim 12 , wherein the master glass putter head with loaded glass is fired in a kiln from room temperature to about 649° C. to obtain a glass putter head melt in about 6 hours; holding the glass melt for about 30 minutes at about 649° C., heating one hour to about 807° C.; and holding for about 40 minutes at about 807° C.  
     
     
         17 . The basic glass putter as in  claim 12 , wherein the glass putter head melt is annealed by cooling the glass melt in about 20 minutes to about 510° C.; holding for about two hours at 510° C.; cooling about four and a half hours to 410° C.; holding for about two hours at 410° C.; cooling about seven hours to about 66° C.; holding for about 5 minutes at about 66° C.; then turning the kiln off and allowing glass putter heads to cool to room temperature.  
     
     
         18 . A bas-relief glass putter made by the process comprising: 
 providing a pattern for a bas-relief glass putter head; casting a master putter glass mold for the bas-relief glass putter head; loading the putter glass mold with glass pieces at room temperature; firing in a kiln the glass putter head mold with loaded glass pieces to obtain a glass putter head melt; annealing the glass putter head melt through a plurality of cooling steps back to room temperature; drilling a putter shaft hole into the glass putter head; and affixing a putter shaft into the hole in the glass putter head.    
     
     
         19 . The bas-relief glass putter as in  claim 18 , wherein the master glass putter head mold is loaded with between about 284 grams and about 397 grams of 90 COE soda lime glass pieces.  
     
     
         20 . The bas-relief glass putter as in  claim 18 , wherein the master glass putter head mold is loaded with between about 284 grams and about 397 grams of 96 COE soda lime glass pieces.