Cluster for and method of casting golf club heads

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a casting cluster for casting a body of a golf club head made of titanium or a titanium alloy. The casting cluster comprises a receptor and a plurality of runners coupled to the receptor and configured to receive molten metal from the receptor. The casting cluster also includes at least twenty-eight main gates. At least two of the main gates are coupled to each of the runners and each main gate is configured to receive molten metal from a corresponding one of the plurality of runners. The casting cluster further comprises at least twenty-eight molds. Each mold of the at least twenty-eight molds is configured to receive molten metal from a corresponding one of the main gates and to cast a body of a golf club head that has a volume of at least 100 cm3.

1 . A casting cluster for casting a body of a golf club head made of titanium or a titanium alloy, the casting cluster comprising:
 a receptor;   a plurality of runners coupled to the receptor and configured to receive molten metal from the receptor;   at least twenty-eight main gates, wherein at least two of the main gates are coupled to each of the runners and each main gate is configured to receive molten metal from a corresponding one of the plurality of runners; and   at least twenty-eight molds, wherein:
 at least two of the at least twenty-eight molds are coupled to each one of the plurality of runners via respective main gates of the at least twenty-eight main gates; 
 each mold of the at least twenty-eight molds is configured to receive molten metal from a corresponding one of the main gates; and 
 each mold of the at least twenty-eight molds is configured to cast a body of a golf club head that has a volume of at least 100 cm 3 . 
   
     
     
         2 . The casting cluster according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of runners comprises at least fourteen runners. 
     
     
         3 . The casting cluster according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 each runner of the plurality of runners comprises a proximal end, adjacent the receptor, and a distal end, opposite the proximal end;   one main gate and one mold are coupled to the distal end of each of the plurality of runners; and   at least one main gate and at least one mold are coupled to each of the plurality of runners between the proximal end and the distal end of the corresponding runner.   
     
     
         4 . The casting cluster according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 each runner of the plurality of runners comprises a top surface and a bottom surface, opposite the top surface; and   the at least one main gate and the at least one mold coupled to each of the plurality of runners between the proximal end and the distal end are coupled to the bottom surface of the corresponding runner.   
     
     
         5 . The casting cluster according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 at least two main gates and at least two molds are coupled to each of the plurality of runners between the proximal end and the distal end of the corresponding runner;   one of the at least two main gates and one of the at least two molds are coupled to the bottom surface of the corresponding runner; and   another one of the at least two main gates and another one of the at least two molds are coupled to the top surface of the corresponding runner.   
     
     
         6 . The casting cluster according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 each runner of the plurality of runners comprises a top surface and a bottom surface, opposite the top surface; and   the at least one main gate and the at least one mold coupled to each of the plurality of runners at the location between the proximal end and the distal end are coupled to the top surface of the corresponding runner.   
     
     
         7 . The casting cluster according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 each runner of the plurality of runners comprises a proximal end, adjacent the receptor, and a distal end, opposite the proximal end; and   at least two main gates and at least two molds are coupled to each of the plurality of runners between the proximal end and the distal end of the corresponding runner.   
     
     
         8 . The casting cluster according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 each runner of the plurality of runners comprises a top surface and a bottom surface, opposite the top surface;   one of the at least two main gates and one of the at least two molds are coupled to the bottom surface of the corresponding runner; and   another one of the at least two main gates and another one of the at least two molds are coupled to the top surface of the corresponding runner.   
     
     
         9 . The casting cluster according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 each runner of the plurality of runners comprises a top surface and a bottom surface, opposite the top surface; and   the at least two main gates and the at least two molds are coupled to the bottom surface of the corresponding runner.   
     
     
         10 . The casting cluster according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 each runner of the plurality of runners comprises a top surface and a bottom surface, opposite the top surface; and   the at least two main gates and the at least two molds are coupled to the top surface of the corresponding runner.   
     
     
         11 . The casting cluster according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 one mold coupled to each of the plurality of runners is configured to cast a body having a first size or a first shape; and   another mold coupled to each of the plurality of runners is configured to cast a body having a second size, different than the first size, or a second shape, different than the first shape.   
     
     
         12 . The casting cluster according to  claim 11 , wherein:
 the body having the first size corresponds with the body of a driver-type golf club head; and   the body having the second size corresponds with the body of a fairway-type golf club head.   
     
     
         13 . The casting cluster according to  claim 1 , wherein at least three of the main gates are coupled to each of the runners. 
     
     
         14 . The casting cluster according to  claim 1 , wherein each mold of the at least twenty-eight molds is configured to cast a body of a golf club head that has a volume of no more than 250 cm 3 . 
     
     
         15 . The casting cluster according to  claim 1 , wherein each mold of the at least twenty-eight molds is configured to cast a body of a golf club head that has a volume of at least 420 cm 3 . 
     
     
         16 . The casting cluster according to  claim 1 , wherein each mold of the at least twenty-eight molds is configured to cast a body, of a golf club head, having at least a portion with a wall thickness of at most 0.6 mm. 
     
     
         17 . The casting cluster according to  claim 1 , wherein each mold of the at least twenty-eight molds is configured to cast a body, of a golf club head, having a portion with a wall thickness of at most 0.8 mm. 
     
     
         18 . The casting cluster according to  claim 1 , wherein the casting cluster is configured to produce a cast-product yield of at least 80%. 
     
     
         19 . The casting cluster according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the at least twenty-eight main gates and the corresponding runner, to which each of the at least twenty-eight main gates are coupled, have an interface gating ratio between 0.7 and 1.3. 
     
     
         20 . The casting cluster according to  claim 1 , wherein the body of the golf club head, cast by each mold, comprises a crown opening and an entirety of a face portion of the golf club head. 
     
     
         21 - 23 . (canceled)