Apparatus for locating and aligning golf club shaft spine
OwnerRichard M. Weiss, Joseph H. Butler +1inventors
InventorsRichard M. Weiss, Joseph H. Butler, Michael J. Twigg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The preferred orientation, or planar oscillation plane, of a golf club shaft is located by measuring the oscillation of the shaft when a horizontal impulse is applied and from those measurements determining an orientation in which the oscillation would be substantially planar. In a preferred embodiment an iterative process is used to converge on the preferred orientation. The location of the preferred orientation may be marked on the shaft and used to assemble a golf club with the planar oscillation plane in a predetermined orientation. The assembly of the golf club can be done manually—e.g., in a refitting situation—or automatically—e.g., in a new club manufacturing setting.
Claims29
Apparatus for assembling a golf club, said golf club comprising a golf club shaft and a golf club head, wherein said golf club shaft has a preferred angular orientation relative to said golf club head, said apparatus comprising:
- an orientation detector for determining a preferred angular orientation of a golf club shaft about a longitudinal axis thereof, said golf club shaft having a proximal end for gripping by a golfer and a distal end for attachment to a golf club head, said orientation detector comprising:
- a clamp for immobilizing a first one of said proximal end and said distal end of said golf club shaft,
- a vibration generator for initiating vibratory motion of a second one of said proximal end and said distal end of said golf club shaft in a direction other than parallel to said longitudinal axis,
- at least one sensor for measuring said vibratory motion, and
- a processor for calculating from said measured vibratory motion said preferred angular orientation;
- and
- means for attaching said golf club shaft to said golf club head with said preferred angular orientation in a predetermined relationship to said golf club head.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.