Cluster for and method of casting golf club heads
AssigneeTaylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
InventorsJoseph Yu, Bing-Ling Chao
Life of this patent
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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 forty 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 forty molds. Each mold of the at least forty molds is configured to receive molten metal from a corresponding one of the main gates and to cast a body of an iron-type golf club head.
Claims21
A method of casting a body of a golf club head made of titanium or a titanium alloy, the method comprising:
- rotating a casting cluster at a rotational speed of at least 500 rotations-per-minute (RPM), wherein the casting cluster comprises:
- a receptor;
- a plurality of runners coupled to the receptor and configured to receive molten metal from the receptor;
- at least forty 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 forty molds, wherein:
- at least two of the at least forty molds are coupled to each one of the plurality of runners via respective main gates of the at least forty main gates;
- each mold of the at least forty molds is configured to receive molten metal from a corresponding one of the main gates;
- each mold of the at least forty molds is configured to cast a body of an iron-type golf club head;
- and
- the body is configured to receive a separately formed strike face;
- while rotating the casting cluster, introducing a molten titanium-based metal into the casting cluster;
- while rotating the casting cluster, flowing the molten titanium-based metal through the plurality of runners, through the at least forty main gates, and into the at least forty molds;
- and
- producing a cast-product yield of at least 80%.
A method of casting a body of a golf club head made of titanium or a titanium alloy, the method comprising:
- rotating a casting cluster at a rotational speed of at least 500 rotations-per-minute (RPM), wherein the casting cluster comprises:
- a receptor;
- a plurality of runners coupled to the receptor and configured to receive molten metal from the receptor;
- at least forty 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 forty molds, wherein:
- at least two of the at least forty molds are coupled to each one of the plurality of runners via respective main gates of the at least forty main gates;
- each mold of the at least forty molds is configured to receive molten metal from a corresponding one of the main gates;
- each mold of the at least forty molds is configured to cast a body of a golf club head;
- and
- the body is configured to receive a separately formed strike face;
- while rotating the casting cluster, introducing a molten titanium-based metal into the casting cluster, wherein:
- the molten titanium-based metal usage for each club head is no more than 0.228 kg;
- and
- the body of the golf club head further comprises a plate interface, and the plate interface includes a support structure configured to support a rear surface of the separately formed strike face;
- while rotating the casting cluster, flowing the molten titanium-based metal through the plurality of runners, through the at least forty main gates, and into the at least forty molds;
- and
- producing a cast-product yield of at least 80%.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.