Patents Represented by Attorney Michael A. Catania
  • Patent number: 8043165
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an iron-type golf club head in which the sole portion has a main surface and a stepped surface. Further, the sole portion comprises a chromium coating. The invention creates a unique combination of head shape and surface friction coefficients that minimize the bad effects of turf impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventor: J. Andrew Galloway
  • Patent number: 8043166
    Abstract: A golf club head with a deep aft cavity is disclosed herein. The body has a striking plate wall, a crown section, a sole section and a rear wall. An area of interest preferably has less than 12% of the mass of the golf club head. The golf club head preferably is a driver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Matthew T. Cackett, Alan Hocknell
  • Patent number: 8016641
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a golf club head having scorelines is disclosed herein. The method includes tumbling a raw cast golf club head in a tumbler containing a rough cut media. The tumbling occurs for at least six hours to create a tumbled golf cub head. The method also includes grinding the tumbled golf club head to clean a perimeter of the tumbled golf club head to create a ground golf club head. The method also includes polishing the ground golf club head to create a polished golf club head. The method also includes finishing the golf club head to create a finished golf club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Brandon T. Vincent, Robert S. Gonczi
  • Patent number: 8012037
    Abstract: A golf club having removable components includes a club head, a shaft, and a connection assembly. The club head includes a hosel having an upper treaded portion and a lower portion with a faceted cross-section. The connection assembly includes a sleeve mounted on the tip end of the shaft and a screw-cap. The sleeve, which has an aperture for receiving the tip end of the shaft, includes a lower section that has a multi-faceted surface for engaging the lower portion of the hosel. The screw-cap is mounted over the sleeve and includes a body having an upper area and a threaded area, the latter of which is capable of engaging the upper threaded portion of the hosel to removably secure the shaft to the club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: D. Clayton Evans, Matthew T. Cackett
  • Patent number: 8012034
    Abstract: A wood-type golf club head with an adjustable keel zone member is disclosed herein. The golf club head includes a body and an adjustable keel zone member. The body has a front portion, a crown portion and a sole portion. The body also having a heel end, a toe end and an aft end. The sole portion has only a single keel point. The adjustable keel zone member is disposed within a keel zone of the sole and located preferentially with respect to the center of gravity. The keel zone member is capable of adjusting the face angle of the wood-type golf club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Matthew T. Cackett, D. Clayton Evans, Alan Hocknell
  • Patent number: 8012041
    Abstract: A face or face insert (40) for a golf club head (20) is disclosed herein. The face (40) has an interior surface (40b) with a first thickness section (200) and a second thickness region (205). The first thickness section (200) preferably has a thickness that is at least 0.025 inch greater than the thickness of the second thickness region (205). In a most preferred embodiment, the first thickness section (200) has an X shape that is rotated around the Y axis (500) by at least 10 degrees. In another preferred embodiment, the face has a first thickness section (200), a second thickness region (205), and a central region (400) having a third thickness. The face or face insert (40) with variable thickness allows for a face or face insert (40) with less mass in a golf club head (20) that conforms to the United States Golf Association regulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Evan D. Gibbs, Neil Hall, Williams D. Richardson, Larry G. Tang
  • Patent number: 8012044
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a multi-layer golf ball having a soft outer cover. The golf ball has an inner cover layer with a Shore D hardness of 60 or more, and an outer cover with a Shore D hardness of 55 or less, and more preferably 50 or less. In a particularly preferred form of the invention, the outer cover comprises one or more polyurethane materials. The golf ball of the invention has exceptionally soft feel and high spin rates on short shots of 80 yards or less, and particularly, 40 yards or less, while maintaining good distance and average spin on full shots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Thomas J. Kennedy, III, Michael T. Tzivanis, Viktor Keller, William M. Risen, Jr., Mark L. Binette, John L. Nealon
  • Patent number: 8003747
    Abstract: A cross-linked thermoplastic polyurea is formed by heating a mixture containing a thermoplastic urethane base material, a monomeric and/or polymeric di-isocyanate comprising between 1 to 10% of the total weight of the mixture, and a diamine comprising between 1 to 10% of the total weight of the mixture. A thermoplastic polyurethane may be formed by substituting hydroquinone for the diamine. The mixture is heated to a temperature within the range of 250° F. to 550° F. The heated mixture, which is flowable, is then injected into at least one injection molding device. The mixture is then cured at a temperature between 150° F. to 250° F. for a period of time between 2 and 36 hours. The cross-linked thermoplastic polyurethane/polyurea retains the excellent flowability characteristics of a thermoplastic urethane while the same time exhibits good abrasion, tensile strength, rebound, and compression set characteristics which are similar to those found in thermoset urethanes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignees: Callaway Golf Company, PriPro Polymers, Inc.
    Inventors: Pijush K. Dewanjee, John G. Guard
  • Patent number: 8002644
    Abstract: A golf club (20) having a club head (22) with an interchangeable shaft (40) is disclosed herein. The golf club (20) includes a tube (44, 144) mounted in the club head (22), and a sleeve (46, 146) mounted on a tip end (50) of the shaft (40). The tube (44, 144) includes a tapered portion (60, 160) and a rotation prevention portion (62, 162). The sleeve (46, 146) has a frustoconical portion (72, 172) and a keyed portion (74, 174) that are respectively received in the tapered portion (60, 160) and the rotation prevention portion (62, 162) of the tube (44, 144). The golf club (20) further includes a mechanical fastener (48, 148) for removably securing the shaft (40) to the club head (22).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Alan Hocknell, Matthew T. Cackett, Denver Holt, D. Clayton Evans, Daniel M. Stevens, James C. Wenck, Steven S. Ogg, Konrad Lenhof, Jerry V. Blanke, Joel B. Erickson, Broadus Perry Wall
  • Patent number: 7988901
    Abstract: A method of forming a golf ball is disclosed herein. The method includes placing a golf ball precursor product with a cover comprising a thermoplastic polyurethane material and a dendritic polymer in a solution containing an isocyanate functionality reactive material. The precursor product is then removed and heated to remove solvent to prepare the precursor product for finishing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventor: David M. Melanson
  • Patent number: D641814
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Thomas R. Hilton, Augustin W. Rollinson
  • Patent number: D641816
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Augustin W. Rollinson, Larry G. Tang
  • Patent number: D641818
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Philip G. Foster, Garth Smith, Evan D. Gibbs, Luke R. Williams, Daniel M. Stevens
  • Patent number: D642029
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventor: Augustin W. Rollinson
  • Patent number: D643488
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Denver Holt, Scott R. Manwaring, James Seluga
  • Patent number: D643893
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventor: Augustin W. Rollinson
  • Patent number: D643895
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventor: Chris J. Wieland
  • Patent number: D647155
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Steven M. Ehlers, Matthew T. Cackett, D. Clayton Evans, Matthew Myers
  • Patent number: D647583
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Philip G. Foster, Garth Smith, Evan D. Gibbs, Luke R. Williams, Daniel M. Stevens
  • Patent number: D647584
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventor: Philip G. Foster