US 5,984,990 AGranted

Dustfree workbench for golf club shafts including underlying air filtration system

OwnerKevin McDonaldinventor

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Abstract

This invention pertains to equipment used in the custom fitting of golf clubs and in particular to a dustfree workbench for use by a golfsmith for customizing golf clubs having shafts manufactured from graphite, titanium or beryllium. The workbench includes a filtration system particularly designed for removal of the extremely fine particles generated in the cutting of golf club shafts, and characterized by the use of a series of high efficiency filters that the dust-laden air is passed through before being returned to the room. Grates placed within the upper surface of the workbench prevent larger items from passing therethrough and include dampeners for purposes of flow regulation. The filter assembly comprises a plurality of filter elements with various micron rating filters, referred to as coarse and fine, and assembled in order of decreasing porosity and placed in series and upstream of the blower.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A workbench for the removal of dust generated during the machining of golf club shafts formed from specialty materials selected from the group consisting of graphite, titanium and beryllium, said workbench comprising:

a horizontally disposed rigid top having a first end edge, a second end edge, and opposing side edges;
a support base secured to a bottom surface of said top, said support base including vertical panels extending from said edges of said top downwardly therefrom to form an enclosure beneath said top;
at least two intake grates inserted within said rigid top, one of said grates disposed adjacent to said first end edge and a second grate disposed adjacent to said second end edge;
a blower mounted in said enclosure and characterized as having a rated capacity of up to about 1340 cfm;
a first air flow chamber fluidly communicated with said grates and said blower, said first air flow chamber operatively associated with said blower to create a constant volume static vacuum to be drawn on said intake grates;
an exhaust grate located in one of said vertical panels;
a second air flow chamber fluidly communicated with said blower and said exhaust grate, said second air flow chamber operatively associated with said blower to create a constant volume pressure to said exhaust grate;
and
a plurality of specialty material dust removing filters positioned within said first air flow chamber;
said filters being constructed and arranged so as to maximize both airflow and specialty material dust retention;
said filters including a non-oil viscous organic adhesive impregnated on the downstream side thereof and being characterized as having an average arrestance of at least about 93%.

8 more elements

a workpiece holder, adjustably affixed to said rigid top and positioned proximate said intake grates, said workpiece holder being adapted to positively engage a golf club shaft, thereby allowing said shaft to be cut to a desired length;
a horizontally disposed rigid top having a first end edge, a second end edge, and opposing side edges;
a support base secured to a bottom surface of said top, said support base including vertical panels extending from said edges of said top downwardly therefrom to form an enclosure beneath said top;
at least two intake grates inserted within said rigid top, one of said grates disposed adjacent to said first end edge and a second grate disposed adjacent to said second end edge;
a blower mounted in said enclosure and characterized as having a rated capacity of up to about 1340 cfm;
a first air flow chamber fluidly communicated with said grates and said blower, said first air flow chamber operatively associated with said blower to create a constant volume static vacuum to be drawn on said intake grates;
an exhaust grate located in one of said vertical panels;
a second air flow chamber fluidly communicated with said blower and said exhaust grate, said second air flow chamber operatively associated with said blower to create a constant volume pressure to said exhaust grate;
and
a plurality of specialty material dust removing filters positioned within said first air flow chamber;
said filters being constructed and arranged so as to maximize both airflow and specialty material dust retention;
said filters including a non-oil viscous organic adhesive impregnated on the downstream side thereof and being characterized as having an average arrestance of at least about 93%.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.