Patents Examined by Matthew B Stanczak
  • Co-forged golf club head and method of manufacture
    Patent number: 10398951
    Abstract: A co-forged iron type golf club is disclosed. More specifically, the present invention discloses a co-forged iron type golf club with the body portion made out of a first material and at least one weight adjustment portion monolithically encased within the body portion of the co-forged iron type golf club head without the need for secondary attachment or machining operations. The present invention creates of an iron type golf club head from a pre-form billet that already contains two or more materials before the actual forging process resulting in a multi-material golf club head that doesn't require any post manufacturing operations such as machining, welding, swaging, gluing, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Charles E. Golden, Jonathan Hebreo, Joshua C. Stokes
  • Iron type golf club head and set
    Patent number: 10398950
    Abstract: An iron-type golf club head and set having multi-material construction including a carbon steel alloy body and a thin high strength alloy face. A passageway extends from a closed void behind the face, and is accessible from an exterior of the body. The passageway establishes a passageway axis, and at least a portion of the passageway axis intersects the face at an axis-to-face intersection point. The set includes close control of the opening/closing moment of inertia and Ycg distance between club heads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC
    Inventors: Justin Honea, John Kendall, Matthew Brian Neeley
  • Co-forged golf club head and method of manufacture
    Patent number: 10391370
    Abstract: A co-forged iron type golf club is disclosed. More specifically, the present invention discloses a co-forged iron type golf club with the body portion made out of a first material and at least one weight adjustment portion monolithically encased within the body portion of the co-forged iron type golf club head without the need for secondary attachment or machining operations. The present invention creates of an iron type golf club head from a pre-form billet that already contains two or more materials before the actual forging process resulting in a multi-material golf club head that doesn't require any post manufacturing operations such as machining, welding, swaging, gluing, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Kevin Tassistro, Ronald K. Hettinger, Michael Wu, Jonathan Hebreo
  • Sword device with retractable, internally illuminated blade
    Patent number: 10376803
    Abstract: A special effects device for providing an energy sword effect. The device includes two long plastic semi-cylinders, and these two blade body members are rolled perpendicular to their length, which creates compact cylinders of material of small volume that can be provided on a pair of spools in a hilt. To extend the blade, a motor provided in the hilt unrolls the blade body members from the spools. Each blade body member passes through a blade forming guideway that nests the semi-cylindrical blade body members together as they leave the hilt. To retract the blade, the process is reversed. The lighting of the blade is achieved with a flexible strip of light sources. The light source strip is attached to a blade end cap and positioned in the center of the two blade body members such that it is pulled up along with the blade body members during their extension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventors: Michael R. Honeck, Lanny S. Smoot, Quinn Y. Smithwick, Eli Joseph Romaire, David J. McCall, Terry O. Sandin, Adam B. Forster, Peter Anastasios Chevako
  • Golf clubs and golf club heads
    Patent number: 10357693
    Abstract: Golf club heads include a golf club head body, a ball striking face, and a shaft engaging member configured to engage a golf club shaft with the golf club head body. Additionally, the shaft engaging member may be configured to engage the golf club head body and the shaft below a center of gravity of the golf club head, and/or the shaft engaging member may have rotational locking structure that can be locked in a plurality of positions. Further, the golf club head may include a face member and a rear member, where the rear member is configured to transfer energy and/or momentum to the face member, particularly on off-center hits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: David N. Franklin, Jason Cardani, Andrew G. V. Oldknow, Raymond J. Sander
  • Toy with an illuminable movable portion
    Patent number: 10350505
    Abstract: A toy doll with an illuminable movable portion is a toy doll with an illumination source, a first portion, and second portion. The second portion is movable with respect to the first portion and includes at least two panels which define housings configured to be illuminated. Each of the housings may include illumination areas, which, upon being aligned with the illumination source may become illuminated. Each of the panels may be selectively aligned with the illumination source. By illuminating different panels of the second portion, the toy doll can be configured in various illumination configurations. A user can influence which panels are illuminated by orienting the toy doll in certain orientations or moving the second portion to different locations with respect to the first portion, among other factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: Mattel, Inc.
    Inventors: Patricia Chan, Steven D. Ryniker, James P. Zielinski
  • Golf ball dimple surface
    Patent number: 10335640
    Abstract: Golf ball dimples having a surface defined by a mode, or a weighted superposition of multiple modes, of oscillation of a circular membrane are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventor: Chris Hixenbaugh
  • Ride-on and push toy for storage and picking up small objects on plane surface
    Patent number: 10265637
    Abstract: A ride-on, wheeled toy picks up small objects from a plane surface. The ride-on toy can be driven by the feet of a child sitting on the toy or by the hands of a person standing behind the toy. The pick-up mechanism of the toy is a continuous gear and belt system with flexible sweeping fins. The pick-up mechanism can be activated or deactivated by a push button or switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Inventors: Tova Bernbaum, Eliezer Leider
  • Three-dimensional magnetic construction kit-toy
    Patent number: 10265638
    Abstract: A spherical construction toy includes six segments consisting of a single outer convex surface and four inner concave surfaces, twelve segments consisting of a single outer convex surface, two inner convex surfaces, and two inner concave surfaces; and eight segments consisting of a single, outer convex surface and three inner convex surfaces. The segments are defined by the intersection of spherical surfaces having identical radius and disposed along Cartesian coordinate axes with the surface at the common center. The segments, when assembled in a base configuration with the outer surfaces disposed away from the common center, form a spherical assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Inventor: Volodymyr Gutnyk
  • Golf clubs and golf club heads having adjustable weighting characteristics
    Patent number: 10258840
    Abstract: Golf club heads include an iron type golf club head body having a rear surface (e.g., a perimeter weighting member) that defines a first weight receiving portion, and a weight member is mounted in the first weight receiving portion. The club head body further defines a second weight receiving portion independent of the first weight receiving portion, and a second weight member is removably engaged with the golf club head body at this second weight receiving portion. The weight members may be interchangeably mounted in the two weight receiving portions to thereby allow selective placement of the center of gravity characteristics of the club head body. Golf clubs including these club heads and methods of making such golf club and golf club heads also are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Eric A. Larson
  • Decorative and connectable display arrangement
    Patent number: 10172485
    Abstract: A decorative and connectable display arrangement that includes a housing of multi-sided form having opposed first and second sides and a bottom, an inner support frame that is disposed within the housing and including a cap member having an open top port, and at least one decorative member that is supported within the housing and extends upwardly through the open top port. The decorative member includes a base piece that is pivotally supported in the housing and a stem piece extending from the base piece and extending through the open top port. A solar energy source or panel is supported in the inner support frame and is effective for driving the at least one decorative member in a predetermined motion direction. The housing has 3 on opposed sides thereof an interlock tongue and groove mechanism that enables adjacent ones of the housings to be engaged together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Fourstar Group Inc.
    Inventors: Yu-Chi Wu, Hsiu-Mei Wang
  • Golf club head
    Patent number: 10155143
    Abstract: A cavity back iron type club head includes a striking plate having a substantially planar striking surface and a rear surface defining a thickness therebetween. The rear surface defines a striking plate rear cavity region. A perimeter support is coupled to a peripheral portion of the striking plate. The surface area of the striking surface is related to the club head loft angle by the equation SSA?14.4(L)+2875, where SSA is the surface area of the striking surface in units of square-millimeters and L is the club head loft angle in units of degrees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Bret H. Wahl, Marni D. Ines
  • Variable bounce height club heads and related methods
    Patent number: 10137341
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising a club head body removably coupled at different times with various attachment members in a recess of the club head body. In some embodiments, the golf club head comprises different characteristics when coupled with different attachment members. In some embodiments, different attachment members alter characteristics, such as bounce height, while maintaining other characteristics, such as loft angle and/or bounce angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Evan Greer
  • Dimple patterns for golf balls
    Patent number: 10124212
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for arranging dimples on a golf ball surface in which the dimples are arranged in a pattern derived from at least one irregular domain generated from a regular or non-regular polyhedron. The method includes choosing control points of a polyhedron, generating an irregular domain based on those control points, packing the irregular domain with dimples, and tessellating the irregular domain to cover the surface of the golf ball. The control points include the center of a polyhedral face, a vertex of the polyhedron, a midpoint or other point on an edge of the polyhedron and others. The method ensures that the symmetry of the underlying polyhedron is preserved while minimizing or eliminating great circles due to parting lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael R. Madson, Nicholas M. Nardacci
  • Methods of delivering a playing card from a playing card-handling device
    Patent number: 10071304
    Abstract: An apparatus for handling cards has a dispensing end. The dispensing end has a base plate for supporting cards being manually removed. An upper plate with a U-shaped opening is spaced above the base plate and defines a slot for cards to pass. First and second spaced apart card guides define side edges of the slot. The first card guide is shorter than the second card guide, creating an offset in a first direction of travel of cards being removed. A method of removing cards is also disclosed, enabling movement of cards in at least two directions due to the presence of a card guide offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Attila Grauzer, Paul K. Scheper, Sion D. Walsh
  • Advanced hybrid iron type golf club
    Patent number: 10065090
    Abstract: The present invention is a unique advanced hybrid iron type golf club having a curved face. The golf club incorporates the discovery of unique relationships among key club head engineering variables such as volume, blade length, heel blade length section, Zcg, front-to-back dimension, and club moment arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC
    Inventors: Michael Guerrette, Tim Reed, Clive Roberts
  • Sword device with retractable, internally illuminated blade
    Patent number: 10065127
    Abstract: A special effects device for providing an energy sword effect. The device includes two long plastic semi-cylinders, and these two blade body members are rolled perpendicular to their length, which creates compact cylinders of material of small volume that can be provided on a pair of spools in a hilt. To extend the blade, a motor provided in the hilt unrolls the blade body members from the spools. Each blade body member passes through a blade forming guideway that nests the semi-cylindrical blade body members together as they leave the hilt. To retract the blade, the process is reversed. The lighting of the blade is achieved with a flexible strip of light sources. The light source strip is attached to a blade end cap and positioned in the center of the two blade body members such that it is pulled up along with the blade body members during their extension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
    Inventors: Michael R. Honeck, Lanny S. Smoot, Quinn Y. Smithwick, Eli Joseph Romaire, David J. McCall, Terry O. Sandin, Adam B. Forster, Peter Anastasios Chevako
  • Wall assembly and alignment clips for assembling miniature model buildings
    Patent number: 10058791
    Abstract: A wall component for receiving associated alignment clips is illustrated and described. The wall component comprises a molding strip, an array of mounting studs, and a molding frame that is inserted between a pair of wall panels. More specifically, the mounting studs are affixed to an inner surface of the molding strip and inserted through the wall panel where they are secured to the molding frame. A gap is formed between the inner surface of the molding strip and an outer surface of the wall panel for receiving associated alignment clips. The alignment clips are releasably secured to the wall component by interlocking with the mounting studs in the clip receiving gap and/or wedging the gap. The alignment clips may be affixed along an abutment edge of the wall segment or to associated model pieces. Model pieces may also be laterally slidable with respect to their associated alignment clips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Inventor: George McKinley Norfleet
  • Golf ball having surface divided by small circles
    Patent number: 10058739
    Abstract: Provided is a golf ball having a surface divided by small circles. A surface of a sphere is divided by small circles to generate spherical polyhedrons in order to arrange dimples in the spherical polygons, instead of arranging dimples in spherical polyhedrons that are generated by dividing the surface of the sphere by great circles. According to one or more exemplary embodiments, a land surface of the golf ball, which is generated by arranging the dimples in the spherical polyhedrons, has a dimple area ratio higher than that of a spherical truncated icosahedron of which a surface is divided by great circles on which dimples are arranged. Therefore, a flight distance of the golf ball increases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: VOLVIK INC.
    Inventors: In Hong Hwang, Kyung Ahn Moon
  • Multilayer core golf ball having hardness gradient within and between each core layer
    Patent number: 10035046
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to an improved multi-layered core golf ball wherein each core layer comprises its own specific hardness gradient (positive, negative or a combination) in addition to an overall specific hardness gradient from one core layer to the next.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael J. Sullivan, Brian Comeau, Douglas S. Goguen, David A. Bulpett