Apparatus for altering swing weight of a golf club

Abstract

The method of adjusting the swing-weight of a golf club by moving a weighted insert within a hollow shaft of the club, preferably in the butt end portion of the shaft, to different longitudinal positions and holding the insert releasably in each selected position. One embodiment uses a split sleeve as the insert, and expands and contracts the sleeve by a screw-operated expansion and contraction mechanism including a tool inserted through the open butt end of the shaft, the tool being releasably coupled to the sleeve to move it along the shaft in the contracted condition. A second embodiment uses a lead screw on which the insert is threaded to adjust the position of the insert along the screw, which is mounted in fixed bearings in the shaft, turned by a removable hand crank from the open butt end of the shaft, and held against inadvertent movement by friction applied by the bearings.

1 . The method of adjusting the swing-weight of a golf club having an elongated hollow shaft comprising the steps of: 
 providing a weighted insert;    providing means for adjustably positioning the insert within the shaft; and    adjusting the position of the insert along the shaft to adjust the swing-weight of the club    
   
   
       2 . The method defined in  claim 1  wherein the insert is positioned in the butt end portion of the shaft.  
   
   
       3 . The method defined in  claim 1  wherein the club is a putter and the swing-weight is adjusted for varying environmental conditions.  
   
   
       4 . In a golf club having an elongated hollow shaft formed with a tip end and a butt end, an apparatus for selectively altering the swing-weight of the golf club, comprising: a weighted insert in said shaft comprising an elongated radically expandable and contractible sleeve, and sleeve having an outside diameter that is contractible for size smaller than the interior of the shaft so as to be moveable longitudinally therein; mechanism for selectively expanding and contracting a wedge mechanism within said sleeve including a screw actual or having a drive connector accessible from one end of the sleeve and operable to expand and contract the sleeve upon turning of the drive connector in opposite directions; and a connector tool having a stem for extending into the shaft from one end of the shaft, and a driver on said stem releasably engageable with said drive connector and operable, upon turning of the tool in opposite directions, to turn the drive connector in opposite directions to expand and contract said sleeve; and a releasable detent acting between said tool and said sleeve to move the O sleeve longitudinally ion the shaft when the tool is engaged with the drive connector and is moved longitudinally of the shaft, thereby to position the sleeve in the shaft in the contracted position of the sleeve and to hold the sleeve in the selected position while the connector tool is turned to expand the sleeve into tight engagement with the shaft.  
   
   
       5 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 4  wherein said insert is positioned in the butt end portion of the shaft and the shaft has an open butt end for insertion of said connector tool.  
   
   
       6 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 4  wherein said connector tool has an elongated item insertable in the shaft through said open end, a handle on the outer end for turning of the tool, and a drive socket on the inner end forming said driver.  
   
   
       7 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 4  wherein said sleeve comprises longitudinally split sections defining a hole having outwardly flared end surfaces forming cams of said mechanism, and said screw actuator is an elongated screw extending through said sleeve and threaded into an expansion nut at one end of the sleeve and having a head and an expansion cam at the other end of the sleeve whereby said sleeve is expanded as said nut is drawn toward said head during turning of the screw actuator.  
   
   
       8 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 7  wherein said mechanism also includes spring means for yieldably contracting the sleeve to hold the end surfaces against the expansion nut and the screw head.  
   
   
       9 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 8  wherein said spring comprise at least one resiliently extendable and retractable ring around said sleeve  
   
   
       10 . Apparatus is defined in  claim 7  wherein said expansion cam at the other end of said sleeve is on a second expansion nut freely moveable relative to said screw head, and further including spring means yieldably acting between said expansion nuts to spread them apart, thereby holding the cam surfaces on the nuts against said sleeve.  
   
   
       11 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 10  wherein said spring means is a coiled compression spring disposed around said screw between said expansion nuts.  
   
   
       12 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 10  further including wedge-shaped cams on said expansion nuts and opposed cam surfaces on said sleeve for co-acting to expand the sleeve.  
   
   
       13 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 4  wherein said releasable detent comprises a spring-loaded ball detent connection between said driver and said drive connector.  
   
   
       14 . In a golf club having an elongated hollow shaft formed with a tip end and a butt end, an apparatus for selectively altering the swing-weight of the golf club, comprising: 
 a weighted insert in said shaft comprising an internally threaded nut having an outside diameter sized to fit movably in the shaft;    and mechanism for selectively positioning the insert within the shaft comprising an elongated lead screw threaded through said insert and rotatably supported in the shaft in a longitudinally fixed position, said lead screw having one end accessible at one end of the shaft, and an actuator at said one end for turning the lead screw selectively to position the insert in different longitudinal positions within the shaft, thereby to adjust the swing-weight of the golf club.    
   
   
       15 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 14  wherein said insert and said lead screw are disposed in the butt end portion of the shaft and the shaft has an open butt end for access to said one end of the lead screw.  
   
   
       16 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 14  wherein said lead screw is supported in longitudinally fixed bearings in the shaft.  
   
   
       17 . Apparatus as defined in  Claim 16  wherein said apparatus has parts sized to hold the insert snugly but movably in each selected position, thereby to avoid inadvertent movement of the insert.  
   
   
       18 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 17  wherein said bearings tightly engage the lead screw to apply frictional resistance to turning of the lead screw.  
   
   
       19 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 15  wherein said actuator is a hand tool that is removably engageable with said one end of said lead screw.  
   
   
       20 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 19  wherein said actuator is a hand crank having a releasable coupling for engaging said lead screw, and is removable during play.  
   
   
       21 . In a golf club having an elongated hollow shaft formed with a tip end and a butt end, an apparatus for altering the swing-weight of the golf club, comprising 
 a weighted insert disposed in said shaft;    and means for moving said insert selectively along the shaft and holding the insert in different longitudinal positions, thereby to adjust the swing-weight of the shaft.    
   
   
       22 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 21  wherein said means comprise a screw mechanism having an actuator releasably coupled to the insert and operable upon turning of the actuator to move the insert to different selected positions.  
   
   
       23 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 22  wherein said insert is an expandable and contractible sleeve, and said screw mechanism is operaable to contract the sleeve for movement along the shaft and to expand the sleeve into tight engagement with the shaft.  
   
   
       24 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 23  wherein sleeve is movable by said actuator to different longitudinal positions when the sleeve is contracted.  
   
   
       25 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 22  wherein said actuator is a lead screw that is rotatably supported in said shaft in a longitudinally fixed position, and said insert is threaded onto said lead screw for movement along the screw to different longitudinal positions.  
   
   
       26 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 25  wherein said actuator is a hand crank releasably engageable with one end of said lead screw.  
   
   
       27 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 25  wherein said insert is held frictionally in each selected position in said shaft.  
   
   
       28 . Apparatus as defined in  claim 21  whereon said golf club is a putter.  
   
   
       29 . In a golf club having a shaft having a hollow butt end portion, apparatus for selectively adjusting the swing-weight of the club, comprising: 
 a weighted insert disposed in said hollow butt end portion and movable therein to different longitudinal positions;    means operable from outside the golf club to move the insert to a selected longitudinal position within said butt end portion of and means for holding the insert in each selected position, and permitting movement of the insert to a different portion when a different swing-weight is desired.