US3554554A

US3554554A - Power hand grip for golf clubs etc.

Info

Publication number: US3554554A
Application number: US802472A
Authority: US
Inventors: Howard Y F Zane
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-02-26
Filing date: 1969-02-26
Publication date: 1971-01-12
Anticipated expiration: 1988-01-12

Abstract

The invention involves a sling for the handle portion of a golf club and is effective in enabling a player to be more secure in swinging the club.

Description

United States Patent Howard Y. F. Zane 1634 Kamole St., Honolulu, Hawaii 96821 802,472

Feb. 26, 1969 Jan. 12, 1971 Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented 1 POWER HAND GRIP FOR GOLF CLUBS ETC.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 273/165 Int. Cl A63b 53/14 Field of Search 273/77, 81,

162, 165, 189; 272/80; 224/28, 28(1); 24/131C, 123C, 261.2, 261RC, 73machine; 43/24 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 586,762 7/1897 Eaves et a1 24/131C v 1,964,631 6/1934 Hansen 24/ 1 23C 3,099,889 8/ 1963 Vernevil.... 43/24 2,234,638 3/1941 Topping 273/165 FOREIGN PATENTS 496,748 10/1953 Canada 24/131C Primary ExaminerDonald A. Griffin Attorney-Earl E. Moore ABSTRACT: The invention involves a sling for the handle portion of a golf club and is effective in enabling a player to be more secure in swinging the club.

' PATENTEDJAN12|971 HOWARD Y.VF.'ZANEA m rLX ATTORNEY POWER HAND GRIP FOR GOLF CLUBS ETC.

This invention relates to handgrips and the like for golf clubs; and also for other kinds of rods, bats, rackets etc. wherewith the invention may be employed and found useful.

The invention is especially useful as an auxiliary grip means wherein a flexible bane type of attachment is desired for a club or bat of various kinds and particularly to the grip portion of a golf club. The invention item serves the purpose of aiding the player to grip the handle of the club in the same position at all times and this provides a better secured grip to help the player to have a uniform and stronger stroke as he swings the club. The flexible attachment is a harness means for the hands and is easily attached and removed from the club, and it is adjustable for extension and contraction so as to neatly fit the hand of the player.

A principal object of this invention is to present a new and novel means to aid a golf player to improve his stroke and the force of his club so as to enable him to gain more accurate yardage and better placement of the golf ball.

Another object is to provide a flexible means that is removably attached to a golf club and the like and which is economical to make and manufacture and thus widely distributed at a reasonable price. I

And a further object is to provide an auxiliary sling type of handgrip means for a golf club and wherein the attached sling whatever in that the sling means is' so constructed and fashioned that it can be easily and quickly attached and removed and can be placed on any golf club therefore, only one sling means is required for any set of golf clubs. I

The illustrations as shown in the attached drawings consist of:

FIG. 1 which is an elevational view showing the invention as applied to the grip portion of a golf club and the manner in which the player may grip the club;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view similar to that shown in FIG. 1 but the view is taken on the opposite side of the golf club grip portion;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a portion of the golf club grip, shown in broken lines, but the sling is shown in solid lines;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

For the sake of clarity and a better understanding of the invention, a preferred form thereof is shown and wherein the numerals 1 and 2 indicate the hands of a golf player and show them gripping the handle portion of the club in a conventional manner; this portion of the club is indicated at 3. The handgrip portion has the usual wrappings, but the shaft portion of the club is indicated at 4 and this is usually made of wood or steel and is tapered in the usual manner from the grip portion to the head portion (not shown). The diameter of the shaft at the head portion is somewhat less than the upper portion thereof. An end ring or ferrule 5 or the like is generally provided to reenforce and protect the ends of the wrappings from damage. Sometimes, the ends are treated with a plastic material in place of a ferrule or metal, but in any case, the protuberance or ferrule 5 acts as a stop means for the spiraled connector or coupling means of this invention.

means does not alter the structure of the club in any manner general by the reference character 6 and the sling has the lopped end portion A and has its end portion 8 sewed or otherwise fixed to the main body of the strap as shown. The other end of this strap is provided with a fastener or buckle means 9 which has a tongue adapted to'engage any one of the holes 10 in the strap end 11 of the strap 12. This strap 12 has its other end 13 sewed or otherwise fixed to the body of the strap 7 as shown.

The principal part of the invention is a special designed element or spiraled wire 14 which is a connector or coupling means. This wire 14 is (preferabl formed of elastic stainless steel and has at one en a loop 5 through which passes the end A of the strap 7. The other portion of this connector 14 is' a coiled formation and has a rounded end 16 to prevent difficulty in placing the spiraled connector 14 onto the shaft portion of a golf club. Note, that the connector 14 has the two convolutes or are sections 17 and 18 and which are directed as shown. The spaces 19 between the convolutes are of sufficient size to allow the connector to snugly engage the lower portion of the tapered shaft 4 when the shaft is pressed at an angle between the convolutes and thus the connector is worked into position so that the center axis of the connector is aligned with the center axis of the shaft. When this is done, the connector is shifted along the shaft of the club until the connector engages the stop 5. In this manner a strong firm connection is made between connector and shaft 4.

The player places his hand through the loop 20, as indicated in the drawings, when he engages the club, and then positions his hands upon the grip portion of the club in his accustomed manner. The sling gives the playerconfidence as tothe position of the hands along the grip 3 and when the swing is made,

he has a better sense as to the force of the head of the club. His stroke is stronger and he can more accurately judge the power necessary to place the hall where desired.

The connector 14 may be coated with a resilient rubberlike substance or other elastic material to give a little resiliency to the sling as the stroke is made. Some players appreciate this slight spring feeling to the action of the sling. An elastic type of tubing may be slipped onto the wire 14 in order to give the sling a cushionlike feel.

Certain novel features and details of this invention are disclosed herein, and some cases in considerable detail, in order to make the invention clear in at least one form thereof. However, it is to be clearly understood that the invention, as disclosed, is not necessarily limited to the exact form and details disclosed since it is apparent that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and The sling or strap portion of this invention is indicated in scope of the invention as described and claimed.

I claim:

1. The combination of a golf club and a slipon sling therefor; the club having a shaft with a handgrip at the top end thereof, the sling having a loop at one end and a short spiral element at its lower end which can be easily worked onto the shaft and thus be concentric with the shaft, a ferrule fixed to the shaft at the bottom end of the handgrip and which ferrule has a greater diameter than the shaft, the spiral element is thus limited in its upward movement and thus positioned directly below the ferrule when the player uses the'sling.

2. The sling recited in claim 1 wherein the sling includes a flexible strap and the loop is adjustable as to size thereof.

3. The sling recited in claim 1 wherein the spiral element consists of a complete loop and a portion of another loop.

Claims

1. The combination of a golf club and a slip-on sling therefor; the club having a shaft with a handgrip at the top end thereof, the sling having a loop at one end and a short spiral element at its lower end which can be easily worked onto the shaft and thus be concentric with the shaft, a ferrule fixed to the shaft at the bottom end of the handgrip and which ferrule has a greater diameter than the shaft, the spiral element is thus limited in its upward movement and thus positioned directly below the ferrule when the player uses the sling.