Methods and apparatus for fabricating a putter club head

Abstract

A no-draft putter club head is formed using an investment casting process, wherein one or more critical surfaces of the club head—i.e., surfaces with contours that affect the visual appearance of the club head when viewed from above—are formed substantially parallel to the draw direction of the mold. The mold includes an internal cavity corresponding to a putter club head shape, wherein the cavity includes a set of surfaces substantially parallel to the draw direction of the mold. This set of surfaces may include, for example, a toe surface, a heel surface, a top rail surface, and/or a hosel surface. A wax material is suitably poured or injected into the mold cavity to form a wax replica of the putter club head shape. The wax replica is then removed from the mold cavity along a line parallel to the draw direction.

1 . A method for fabricating a putter club head comprising the steps of: 
 providing a mold having an internal cavity corresponding to a putter club head shape, wherein said cavity includes a set of surfaces parallel to a draw direction of said mold, said set of surfaces including at least one of a toe surface, a heel surface, a top rail surface, and a hosel surface;    injecting a wax material into said mold cavity to form a wax replica of said putter club head shape;    removing said wax replica from said mold cavity along a line parallel to said draw direction.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further including the steps of immersing said wax replica into a ceramic slurry and firing the resulting replica to form a ceramic shell mold.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , further including the step of removing said wax replica from said ceramic shell mold.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , further including the step of pouring a molten metal into said ceramic shell mold to form a finished part corresponding to said putter club head shape.