Patents by Inventor Donald C. Woods
Donald C. Woods has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 7250005Abstract: A method and apparatus for prescribing overall club length for iron-type golf clubs for an individual player wherein the method comprises measuring the erect height (PH) of a player to be fitted, providing the player with a fitting ball club (FBC) having a spherical ball with a hosel bore therein, one end of a golf club shaft in the hosel bore and a golf club grip on the other end of the shaft, having the player hold the fitting ball club in address position as if about to hit a golf ball therewith, measuring the wrist-to-floor distance (WFM) vertically from the player's higher wrist to the floor, locating in the first two columns of the FIG. 4 table data corresponding to the PH and WFM measurements, respectively, for the player, deriving an incremental length LCC from the third, length control club column of FIG. 4, and adding that incremental LCC length to 37-½ inches, thereby giving a prescribed overall club length for that player.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2006Date of Patent: July 31, 2007Assignee: Roger Cleveland Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Donald C. Wood, Andrew R. Rothman
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Publication number: 20040157676Abstract: A method and apparatus for prescribing overall club length for iron-type golf clubs for an individual player wherein the method comprises measuring the erect height (PH) of a player to be fitted, providing the player with a fitting ball club (FBC) having a spherical ball with a hosel bore therein, one end of a golf club shaft in the hosel bore and a golf club grip on the other end of the shaft, having the player hold the fitting ball club in address position as if about to hit a golf ball therewith, measuring the wrist-to-floor distance (WFM) vertically from the player's higher wrist to the floor, locating in the first two columns of the FIG. 4 table data corresponding to the PH and WFM measurements, respectively, for the player, deriving an incremental length LCC from the third, length control club column of FIG. 4, and adding that incremental LCC length to 37½ inches, thereby giving a prescribed overall club length for that player.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 31, 2003Publication date: August 12, 2004Applicant: Roger Cleveland Golf Co., Inc.Inventors: Donald C. Wood, Andrew R. Rothman
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Patent number: 6669573Abstract: The hosel construction includes a plug member extending downwardly for engaging a club head having a club face. A neck member, extending angularly upwardly from the plug member, engages a shaft to complete a golf club. The neck member extends in a generally transverse dimension to determine a lie angle between the shaft and the club head. The neck member also extends in a generally longitudinal dimension to determine a longitudinal angle, such as a face angle for the club face.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2001Date of Patent: December 30, 2003Assignee: Golfsmith Licensing, L.L.C.Inventors: Donald C. Wood, David W. Means
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Patent number: 6547681Abstract: A method of determining a bounce fitting for a golf club for use in sand for a particular golfer, by determining the relative hardness of golf course bunker sand in which the tests are conducted, having a golfer hit a golf ball from that sand thereby forming a divot, measuring the length of the divot, determining the relative depth of the divot, and correlating the divot length, divot depth and sand hardness to determine a desired bounce fitting. The divot length is measured with a device for designating a certain location from which a golf ball is to be hit and for measuring the length of a divot caused by hitting a golf ball from that location.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2000Date of Patent: April 15, 2003Assignee: Roger Cleveland Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Donald C. Wood, Todd D. Harman
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Patent number: 6536263Abstract: A sand penetrability gauge for golf course bunker sand, having a probe shaft for penetrating into bulk sand, a weight or spring for reproducibly applying force to advance the probe shaft into bulk sand, the probe shaft being movably connected to the weight or spring, and measuring indicia associated with the probe shaft for measuring displacement of the probe shaft, with a cross-sectional area of the probe shaft and the force of the weight or spring selected so that the measuring indicia will provide a displacement measurement when the probe is driven into golf course sand bunker sand.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2000Date of Patent: March 25, 2003Assignee: Roger Cleveland Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Donald C. Wood, Todd D. Harman
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Patent number: 6405450Abstract: A sole-tape for use in fitting lie-angle of an iron-type golf club to an individual golfer, comprising a strip of thin, adhesive backed tape having dimensions generally corresponding to the area of the sole of an iron-type golf club head, the tape having sufficient integrity and the adhesive having sufficient adhesive strength to withstand and maintain the sole-tape on the sole of a club head throughout at least one impact with a surface upon which a golf ball may rest, the tape having thereon gradation or graduation lines each extending from a longitudinal edge of the tape, the gradation lines curving concavely away from the end of said sole-tape corresponding to the toe of the golf club, with spacing between adjacent gradation lines corresponding to a correlated amount of lie-angle correction, and a location marking for alignment of the sole tape with a certain feature on a golf club head.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2000Date of Patent: June 18, 2002Assignee: Roger Cleveland Golf Company, Inc.Inventors: Donald C. Wood, Todd D. Harman
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Publication number: 20020037773Abstract: The hosel construction includes a plug member extending downwardly for engaging a club head having a club face. A neck member, extending angularly upwardly from the plug member, engages a shaft to complete a golf club. The neck member extends in a generally transverse dimension to determine a lie angle between the shaft and the club head. The neck member also extends in a generally longitudinal dimension to determine a longitudinal angle, such as a face angle for the club face.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 17, 2001Publication date: March 28, 2002Inventors: Donald C. Wood, David W. Means
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Patent number: 6273828Abstract: The hosel construction includes a plug member extending downwardly for engaging a club head having a club face. A neck member, extending angularly upwardly from the plug member, engages a shaft to complete a golf club. The neck member extends in a generally transverse dimension to determine a lie angle between the shaft and the club head. The neck member also extends in a generally longitudinal dimension to determine a longitudinal angle, such as a face angle for the club face.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 1998Date of Patent: August 14, 2001Assignee: Zevo Golf Co., Inc.Inventors: Donald C. Wood, David W. Means
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Patent number: 6083123Abstract: A computer implemented method for fitting golf clubs for golfers to accommodate the swing behavior of an individual's golf swing using combinatorial logic at both the global and local levels. Specifications for a full set of golf clubs are derived from the intersection of two models labeled FITMODEL and SPECPRO. Input data is first gathered (204) and normalized (206) based upon chosen parameters. The chosen parameter relationships are analyzed (208) by FITMODEL, which in turn prescribes specifications (214) for a single reference golf club, preferably a mid-set club such as the 6-iron. SPECPRO uses the chosen parameters to analyze and generate inference (210) expressed as gradient functions--the incremental differences between each club. The gradients are used to specify (222) a full set of clubs.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 1997Date of Patent: July 4, 2000Assignee: Zevo Golf Co., Inc.Inventor: Donald C. Wood
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Patent number: 5997415Abstract: An improved golf club head incorporating a lattice structure covered by a thin-walled body. The aerodynamically shaped golf club head has a lattice structure formed by an outer ring, curved longitudinal frame elements, and curved latitudinal frame elements. A generally flat shaped ball striking face is formed at one end of the lattice structure. The ball striking face is generally parallelogram shaped and results in a larger and more desirably oriented "sweet spot." The thin-walled body covering the lattice structure defines a cavity, and has a top, a bottom, a toe end, a heel end, and a tail end. The ball striking face extends between the top and the bottom of the thin-walled body at an angle with respect to the vertical. A hosel extends generally upwardly from the heel end of the thin-walled body. Alternative internal energy absorbing and distributing structures, in addition to the lattice structure, are also part of the invention.Type: GrantFiled: February 11, 1997Date of Patent: December 7, 1999Assignee: Zevo Golf Co., Inc.Inventor: Donald C. Wood
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Patent number: 5951411Abstract: The golf club construction includes a club head, an interchangeable shaft, and a hosel having a hosel bore extending between an open distal end and a closed end, and an alignment arrangement including an element thereof disposed at the closed end. A sleeve secured on the shaft end forms another alignment arrangement element and is adapted to be received within the bore to engage the alignment element therein. A capture mechanism disposed on the shaft engages the hosel at about the open end portion to fix releaseably the shaft relative to the club head.Type: GrantFiled: January 5, 1998Date of Patent: September 14, 1999Assignee: Zevo Golf Co., Inc.Inventors: Donald C. Wood, David W. Means
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Patent number: 5851155Abstract: The hosel construction includes a plug member extending downwardly for engaging a club head having a club face. A neck member, extending angularly upwardly from the plug member, engages a shaft to complete a golf club. The neck member extends in a generally transverse dimension to determine a lie angle between the shaft and the club head. The neck member also extends in a generally longitudinal dimension to determine a longitudinal angle, such as a face angle for the club face.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 1997Date of Patent: December 22, 1998Assignee: Zevo Golf Co., Inc.Inventors: Donald C. Wood, David W. Means
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Patent number: 5547426Abstract: An improved golf club head and set of clubs using progressively sized heads. The club head, of the sort generally referred to as "irons" has the usual striking and opposed back faces, an upper edge, a sole, a heel adjacent to the hosel and a toe opposite the heel. A slot of selected depth is provided across the back, extending diagonally from the upper heel area to the lower toe portion, so as to provide a thin central region and two thicker regions at the intersection of toe and upper edge and at the intersection of heel and sole. The resulting head has a diagonal balance along a line extending along the major axis of the normal elliptical pattern of ball impacts against the striking face, which results in a larger and more desirably oriented "sweet spot".Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 1995Date of Patent: August 20, 1996Assignee: Plop Golf CompanyInventor: Donald C. Wood
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Patent number: 4866879Abstract: A device for planting seed tape including a support structure which moves along the surface of the soil. The seed tape is advanced relative to the movement of the support structure and is cut repetitively at selected intervals. The severed seed tape is forced into the soil a predetermined distance. The seed tape employed with the device includes a relatively flat portion of material having first and second surfaces. The seed is held to the first surface of the portion of material. The seed tape further includes an opening through the same spaced from the seed held to the first surface of the portion of material.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 1988Date of Patent: September 19, 1989Inventors: Donald C. Wood, James D. Wood
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Patent number: 4694606Abstract: A device for planting seed tape including a support structure which moves along the surface of the soil. The seed tape is advanced relative to the movement of the support structure and is cut repetitively at selected intervals. The severed seed tape is forced into the soil a predetermined distance. The seed tape employed with the device includes a relatively flat portion of material having first and second surfaces. The seed is held to the first surface of the portion of material. The seed tape further includes an opening through the same spaced from the seed held to the first surface of the portion of material.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 1985Date of Patent: September 22, 1987Inventors: Donald C. Wood, James D. Wood
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Patent number: D505702Type: GrantFiled: September 25, 2003Date of Patent: May 31, 2005Inventor: Donald C. Wood
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Patent number: D363102Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1994Date of Patent: October 10, 1995Assignee: Plop Golf Co.Inventor: Donald C. Wood
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Patent number: D364435Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 1994Date of Patent: November 21, 1995Assignee: Plop Golf CompanyInventor: Donald C. Wood
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Patent number: D364908Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 1994Date of Patent: December 5, 1995Assignee: Plop Golf CompanyInventor: Donald C. Wood
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Patent number: D366683Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 1994Date of Patent: January 30, 1996Assignee: Plop Golf CompanyInventor: Donald C. Wood