Patents Examined by William M. Pierce
  • Patent number: 10682568
    Abstract: The disclosure herein is directed to a gaming system that comprises a game board, a field position indicator, a line of scrimmage stick, projectiles, and a method of play involving these components. The game board can be configured to hinge at a location that is conducive for storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Inventor: Dion Hanson
  • Patent number: 10668337
    Abstract: Some embodiments include a golf club head with an arcuate port structure and tuning element. Other embodiments for related golf club heads and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: David L. Petersen, Ryan M. Stokke
  • Patent number: 10668335
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a face, a crown, a sole, and defines a bore that is configured to receive and to selectively retain an elongate weight. The bore is aligned on a longitudinal axis that intersects the face. An elongate weight is insertable into the bore. The elongate weight is rotatable between a first angular position and a second angular position. The golf club head can further include a compliant stop positioned to contact a protrusion of the elongate weight, such that a torque threshold must be overcome to rotate the elongate weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Joshua Boggs
  • Patent number: 10639539
    Abstract: A golf practice board to indicate a club head's path along a ground surface to improve a golfer's swing may include a frame with a bottom surface; a mat secured within the frame; and a plurality of multi-colored discs pivotably attached to a top surface of the mat, wherein an obverse surface of the multi-colored discs has a different color than a reverse surface of the multi-colored discs. The board may also include a cushioning material positioned between the frame and the mat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Inventor: Robert Jon Longo
  • Patent number: 10617928
    Abstract: A Bowling Visual Swing Training Apparatus is disclosed. The embodiment specifically relates to training devices which assist a bowler in the development of correct and proper swing fundamentals. The embodiment utilizes laser line technology to provide an optical indication of the directional and rotational aspects of the bowling arm and hand throughout the swing as they relate to a preferred swing reference line, as a means of training and improving one's swing fundamentals and technique. The embodiment is compact in size, made of durable plastic, or other lightweight material, and is designed to be worn on a single finger, primarily, but not specifically, the index finger. The embodiment combines the laser module and its battery power pack into one compact unit, affixed to a comfortable finger plate that conforms to the user's finger, and is attached to the finger by means of elastic Velcro straps or other suitable securing means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Inventors: Marvin John Rozner, Richard Clay Steelsmith
  • Patent number: 10617920
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising a body and a stiffening structure is disclosed herein. The body comprises a face section, a sole section, and a crown section, and defines a hollow interior. The stiffening structure extends within the hollow interior from the crown section to the sole section to reduce stresses placed on the face section during impact with a golf ball. The stiffening structure is entirely located within 0.500 inch of a rear surface of the face section measured along a plane normal to the center of the face, and within 1 inch of the center of the face section along a horizontal axis parallel to the face section, and comprises heel and toe connectors connected to one another by a middle connector, such that the stiffening structure has an approximately X- or H-overall shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Christopher A. G. Nunez, James A. Seluga, Matthew Myers, Denver Holt, Evan D. Gibbs
  • Patent number: 10617916
    Abstract: The present invention is a golf club head containing a multicomponent weight system comprising a weight member, a cap, and a fastener. The weight member comprises of an upper surface, side surface, one or more splines, one or more slits, an aperture, and one or more bores. The cap comprises an aperture and at least one post. The fastener comprises a head portion and body portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Travis D. Milleman, Cory S. Bacon, Les Bryant, David A. Higdon
  • Patent number: 10589154
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising a body and a plurality of adjustable stiffening members is disclosed herein. The body comprises a face section, a sole section, and a crown section or a return section, and also defines a hollow interior. Each of the plurality of stiffening members is at least partially disposed within the hollow interior, and extends from the crown section or return section to the sole section to reduce stresses placed on the face during impact with a golf ball. The stiffening members, each of which comprises a rod and a tube, may be adjusted to be in compression or tension, thereby preloading the body and affecting the stresses experienced by the golf club head upon impact with a golf ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: James A. Seluga, Christopher A. G. Nunez, Matthew Myers, Denver Holt
  • Patent number: 10569158
    Abstract: A bowling pin setter mechanism comprising a vertically-arranged lift assembly and a combined spot and re-spotting assembly. The latter includes a top member including a chute, the top member configured to move in a top plane; a bottom member including a bottom opening having an area of a first size and a support plate disposed adjacent the bottom opening, the bottom member disposed in a bottom plane; a middle member including a middle opening and a channel extending from the middle opening at a neck area, the middle member disposed between the top member and the bottom member, the middle member configured to move in a middle plane parallel to the top plane and the bottom plane; and an actuator configured for lowering and raising an aggregate group of said top, middle and bottom members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Inventor: Philip Kaiser
  • Patent number: 10561908
    Abstract: A golf club head including a face portion having an improved restitution factor is provided. The golf club head has a hollow structure and includes a face portion, a crown portion, a sole portion, and a side portion. The crown portion includes a first region that spreads out forward of a boundary line that extends from a heel side to a toe side, and a second region that spreads out rearward of the boundary line and is thinner than the first region. The crown portion further includes a protruding portion formed at position that is in a vicinity of the boundary line, is on the second region, and is rearward of the boundary line via a gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventor: Naruhiro Mizutani
  • Patent number: 10561910
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a body, a first polymeric insert, and a second polymeric insert. The body includes a face, a sole, and a rear wall that collectively define an undercut volume. The first polymeric insert is provided within the undercut volume to define a sealed cavity within the undercut volume; and, the second polymeric insert is secured to the body and defines an open cavity extending from the rear wall toward the face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Matt Daraskavich, Brian J. Kammerer, Michael Pinto
  • Patent number: 10532261
    Abstract: A bowling ball launcher has a frame and a rail oriented from a front of the frame to a back of the frame. A push pad is configured to slide along the rail. An elastic mechanism is coupled to the push pad and extends toward the front of the frame. A winch is coupled to the push pad toward the back of the frame. The winch includes a motor, a winch wheel, and a cable extending from the winch wheel to the push pad. The winch also includes a clutch between the motor and winch wheel. A shock absorber is disposed near the front of the frame. A plurality of position sensors is attached to the frame along the rail. A power meter is configured to move the push pad to one of the position sensors by operation of the winch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: Spinway Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Steven Wheeler, Zachary Pelli
  • Patent number: 10493332
    Abstract: A golf club head has a stranded structure such as a cantilevered strand or a beam strand. The stranded structure causes changes in acoustic properties from that of a standard golf club. A gap or through-hole around the stranded structure may be filled with a vibration dampening material, such as flexible polymer, to further adjust the acoustic properties of the golf club. Vibration frequency regions in a golf club may be modified by incorporating stranded structures in the vibration frequency regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: ACUSHNET COMPANY
    Inventors: Nick Frame, Richard L. Cleghorn
  • Patent number: 10478687
    Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, includes a face having a ball striking surface, an inner surface opposite the ball striking surface, and a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face. The head has a deformation limiting member located behind the face and having an end spaced a distance from the inner surface of the face. The face and the deformation limiting member are adapted such that an impact of the ball on the ball striking surface causes deformation of the face toward the deformation limiting member. When the deformation of the face is sufficient to cause the inner surface of the face to engage the deformation limiting member, the deformation limiting member exerts a force on the face to resist further deformation of the face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Eric A. Larson
  • Patent number: 10449426
    Abstract: Ball striking devices, such as golf clubs, have a head that includes a face having a striking surface configured for striking a ball, and a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face, with the body having a crown, a sole, a heel side, and a toe side, such that the face and the body combine to define an enclosed internal cavity. A damping member is connected to the body and includes a post extending inwardly into the cavity from an inner surface of the body, a first arm extending from the post toward the heel side of the body, and a second arm extending from the post toward the toe side of the body. The damping member is configured to produce a mass damping effect upon an impact on the face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: David N. Franklin, Michael Wallans
  • Patent number: 10434378
    Abstract: A golf club head includes a metal portion adhered to a polymeric portion to define a closed internal volume. The polymeric portion defines a bore that is configured to receive and to selectively retain an elongate weight. The bore is aligned on a longitudinal axis that intersects the face. The polymeric portion includes a polymeric wall extending within the closed internal volume and transversely outward from a sidewall that defines the bore. The polymeric wall is adhered to the metal portion of the golf club head and is operative to both reinforce the sidewall and to transfer impact stresses from the sidewall to the metal portion of the golf club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventor: Joshua Boggs
  • Patent number: 10427028
    Abstract: A tile-on-shape puzzle game is disclosed using a plurality of unique shape designs having one or more tile projections disposed on one or both faces of the shape. The tile projections are adapted to fit in a recess on a play tile. Optional play cards are used to provide clues or shape designations and scores. Shapes are played to form a puzzle, with each player selecting where to place a shape, thereby forming a unique puzzle each time the game is played. Tiles must fill every play space on a shape to form a word or numerical/shape sequence. Gameplay provides a means to simultaneously generate and solve puzzles. Play options include competitive or cooperative play, and may be varied based on age and skill level, such as limiting the word or sequence direction to left-right, up-down, diagonal, or a combination thereof, or forming pathways with the puzzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Inventor: Thomas H. Greenawalt
  • Patent number: 10427015
    Abstract: A golf putter club head that is adjustable in loft. A face component with a blade adjustably engages a housing component that is attachable to a golf club shaft. At least one of a plurality of adjusting components is engaged to adjust the loft of the blade relative to the housing component. A securing component is engaged to temporarily fix the loft by securing the face component to the housing component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Ringertown Innovations, LLC
    Inventor: Joseph Balest
  • Patent number: 10427030
    Abstract: A roulette table allows players to make customized betting selections and customize the layout of the betting options that appear on the player station of the roulette table. In particularly contemplated embodiments, players may add, delete, or modify the appearance of betting options through a user interface so that the players may more readily indicate desired wagers. This functionality may not only speed up game play, but also make the betting layout more intuitive for each user resulting in increased attendance of roulette games.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Jay S. Walker, Russell P. Sammon, Stephen C. Tulley, Daniel E. Tedesco, Robert C. Tedesco
  • Patent number: 10427018
    Abstract: The present disclosure concerns embodiments of a badge and golf club head having a badge therein that can dampen the impact sound made when a hitting surface (a.k.a., face) of the golf club head impacts a golf ball. In one embodiment, a golf club head includes: a face portion surrounded by a topline portion, a toe portion, a sole portion and a heel portion, the face portion having a front striking surface and a back surface; and a badge coupled to the back surface of the face portion, the badge including a planar main body portion and at least one structural member extending outwardly from the main body portion, wherein the at least one structural member includes a lower portion and an upper portion disposed between the topline portion and lower portion, and wherein the at least one structural member has a maximum height, above the main body portion, at the lower portion and a minimum height at the upper portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: TAYLOR MADE GOLF COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: Scott Taylor, Jason Issertell