Patent US6193744B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4082277A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Golf club shaft
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1976-08-03
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Granted: 1978-04-04
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Expires: 1996-08-03
Abstract
Abstract A novel golf shaft having a metal core and a graphite fiber reinforced sheath thereon is provided. The shaft has a predetermined orientation of the graphite fibers. In one embodiment, some longitudinal fibers are located in the region where the butt section of the shaft begins to taper downwardly thereby lowering the bending profile of the shaft compared with a shaft not having the longitudinal fibers. The method of fabricating the shaft also is disclosed.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard L. Van Auken
- 👤 Allwyn W. Pirtle
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 17:19
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63B; A63B53/00; A63B53/10; A63B2209/00; A63B2209/02; A63B60/00; A63B60/06; A63B60/08; A63B60/10; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S273/00; Y10S273/07; Y10S273/23; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/13; Y10T428/131; Y10T428/1314; Y10T428/1352; Y10T428/1355; Y10T428/1359
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
181 words
A graphite fiber reinforced tubular golf shaft having a tip section, body section and butt section and comprising: at least two superimposed strips of resin impregnated unidirectional continuous graphite fiber reinforcements spirally wound on a hollow metal core, each strip of resin impregnated graphite fiber material being generally quadrangular in shape, each strip disposed in an oppositely angled relationship with respect to the next adjacent strip such that the graphite fibers are oriented with respect to the longitudinal axis of the metal core at angles of ±5° to ±15°; a layer of woven fiberglass cloth interposed between alternating layers of superimposed strips of resin impregnated graphite fiber reinforcement, said woven fiberglass cloth being positioned such that the glass fibers therein are oriented at 0° and 90° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tubular metal core; a layer of structural metal adhesive interposed between said core and said resin impregnated unidirectional graphite fiber strips, said superimposed resin impregnated graphite fiber strips being molecularly bonded to each other and to the metal core by thermal curing of said resin and adhesive.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
181 words
A graphite fiber reinforced tubular golf shaft having a tip section, body section and butt section and comprising: at least two superimposed strips of resin impregnated unidirectional continuous graphite fiber reinforcements spirally wound on a hollow metal core, each strip of resin impregnated graphite fiber material being generally quadrangular in shape, each strip disposed in an oppositely angled relationship with respect to the next adjacent strip such that the graphite fibers are oriented with respect to the longitudinal axis of the metal core at angles of ±5° to ±15°; a layer of woven fiberglass cloth interposed between alternating layers of superimposed strips of resin impregnated graphite fiber reinforcement, said woven fiberglass cloth being positioned such that the glass fibers therein are oriented at 0° and 90° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tubular metal core; a layer of structural metal adhesive interposed between said core and said resin impregnated unidirectional graphite fiber strips, said superimposed resin impregnated graphite fiber strips being molecularly bonded to each other and to the metal core by thermal curing of said resin and adhesive.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
12 words
The shaft of claim 1 wherein the resin is a thermoset resin.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The shaft of claim 2 wherein the metal core is selected from the group consisting of alloys of aluminum and magnesium.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
53 words
The shaft of claim 2 wherein there is included a sheet of resin impregnated graphite fibers circumferentially wound in the region where the butt section begins to taper downwardly to the tip of the shaft and so that the fibers are oriented at 0° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The shaft of claim 3 wherein the metal core is an aluminum alloy.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
The shaft of claim 5 wherein said structural metal adhesive is present in an amount ranging from about 0.027 to about 0.033 lbs/ft 2 .
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
The shaft of claim 6 wherein the sheet of resin impregnated graphite fiber which is circumferentially wound in the region where the butt section begins to taper downwardly to the tip of the shaft has end edges that have a saw-tooth profile.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
145 words
A graphite fiber reinforced tubular golf shaft having a tip section, a body section and a butt section, said shaft comprising: a central tapered hollow aluminum-alloy metal core and a sheath of at least two plies of continuous unidirectional graphite fiber reinforcement in a thermoset resin matrix, said thermoset resin matrix being bonded to said aluminum core by means of an intermediate layer of structural metal adhesive in an amount in the range of 0.027 to 0.033 pounds per square foot, said fibers of said plies being oriented in opposite angular relationships with each other and at an angle of 5° to 15° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, said graphite fiber reinforced plies having interposed therebetween a layer of fiberglass scrim, the fibers of said fiberglass scrim being at 0° and 90° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
145 words
A graphite fiber reinforced tubular golf shaft having a tip section, a body section and a butt section, said shaft comprising: a central tapered hollow aluminum-alloy metal core and a sheath of at least two plies of continuous unidirectional graphite fiber reinforcement in a thermoset resin matrix, said thermoset resin matrix being bonded to said aluminum core by means of an intermediate layer of structural metal adhesive in an amount in the range of 0.027 to 0.033 pounds per square foot, said fibers of said plies being oriented in opposite angular relationships with each other and at an angle of 5° to 15° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, said graphite fiber reinforced plies having interposed therebetween a layer of fiberglass scrim, the fibers of said fiberglass scrim being at 0° and 90° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
50 words
The shaft of claim 8 wherein there is included a sheet of resin impregnated graphite fibers circumferentially wound in the region where the butt section meets the body section of said shaft and so that the fibers are oriented at 0° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
42 words
The shaft of claim 9 wherein the sheet of resin impregnated graphite fiber which is circumferentially wound in the region where the butt section begins to taper downwardly to the tip of the shaft has end edges that have a saw-tooth profile.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-04-03 | 1981-10-03 | 1982-04-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-04-03 | 1985-10-03 | 1986-04-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-04-03 | 1989-10-03 | 1990-04-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |