Patents by Inventor Robert M. Boyd

Robert M. Boyd 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).

  • Publication number: 20210038953
    Abstract: A ball striking device, such as an iron-type golf club head, includes a face having a ball striking surface and a rear surface, and a body connected to the face. The body has a sole member and a rear cavity defined at least partially by the sole member and the rear surface of the face. The body has an elongated, recessed channel extending within the cavity along a juncture line between the rear surface of the face and the sole member. Additionally, the head is formed in part by a face member having a first leg forming at least a major portion of the face and a second leg extending rearwardly from a bottom end of the first leg and forming at least a portion of the sole member. The head may further be formed by a body member connected to the face member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: Andrew G.V. Oldknow, Robert M. Boyd
  • Publication number: 20210023423
    Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club, includes a head that includes a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face. A face member formed primarily of a metallic material forms the face, and a body member is connected to the face member and extends rearward from the face member to form at least a portion of the body. The body member is formed at least partially of a polymer material, and has a doped portion containing a doping material dispersed within the polymer material. The doping material may have a different density than the polymer material, such that the doped portion has a different density than the portions of the body member not containing the doping material. A co-molding method may be used to form the ball striking device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Michael E. Finn, David N. Franklin, Raymond J. Sander, Jeremy N. Snyder, Robert M. Boyd
  • Patent number: 10888744
    Abstract: A golf club head having a metal portion adhered to a non-metal portion to define a closed internal volume therebetween, and an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole. The channel may be recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole, wherein the channel comprises a center portion extending across a center of the sole, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe, wherein the width of the center portion of the channel is substantially constant, and wherein the width of the channel increases from the heel end of the center portion to the heel and from the toe end of the center portion to the toe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua M. Boggs, Eric A. Larson, Andrew G.v. Oldknow, Michael T. Prichard, Nathaniel J. Radcliffe, Robert M. Boyd
  • Publication number: 20210001188
    Abstract: Golf club heads (e.g. drivers, fairway woods, wood-type hybrid clubs, or the like) according to at least some example aspects of this invention include a striking face and a rear portion opposite the striking face, the rear portion defining an opening to an interior cavity. A rear body member configured to be inserted into the opening is engaged with the rear portion of the club head. The rear body member may include multiple rear body parts that may be removable and/or interchangeable to permit flexibility in controlling the weight distribution of the golf club head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2020
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Inventors: Andrew G.v. Oldknow, Robert M. Boyd, John T. Stites
  • Publication number: 20200384319
    Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a head that includes a face configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face, the body being adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel thereof. The face has a thickened portion including an annular tapered area that tapers in thickness between an upper boundary and a lower boundary and encloses an elevated area bounded by the upper boundary. The upper and/or lower boundary defines a shape having two lobes, each with an outer edge with a convex profile, and a connecting portion extending between the lobes, such that the connecting portion is defined by two outer edges extending between the outer edges of the lobes, wherein at least one of the outer edges of the connecting portion has a concave outer profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Inventors: Robert M. Boyd, Jeremy N. Snyder, Hiroshi Kawaguchi, James S. Thomas, Raymond J. Sander, Rick S. Wahlin, Akira Shimozuuma
  • Patent number: 10814191
    Abstract: A ball striking device, such as an iron-type golf club head, includes a face having a ball striking surface and a rear surface, and a body connected to the face. The body has a sole member and a rear cavity defined at least partially by the sole member and the rear surface of the face. The body has an elongated, recessed channel extending within the cavity along a juncture line between the rear surface of the face and the sole member. Additionally, the head is formed in part by a face member having a first leg forming at least a major portion of the face and a second leg extending rearwardly from a bottom end of the first leg and forming at least a portion of the sole member. The head may further be formed by a body member connected to the face member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew G. V. Oldknow, Robert M. Boyd
  • Patent number: 10799777
    Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club, includes a head that includes a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face. A face member formed primarily of a metallic material forms the face, and a body member is connected to the face member and extends rearward from the face member to form at least a portion of the body. The body member is formed at least partially of a polymer material, and has a doped portion containing a doping material dispersed within the polymer material. The doping material may have a different density than the polymer material, such that the doped portion has a different density than the portions of the body member not containing the doping material. A co-molding method may be used to form the ball striking device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Michael E. Finn, David N. Franklin, Raymond J. Sander, Jeremy N. Snyder, Robert M. Boyd
  • Publication number: 20200269099
    Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a channel extending across a portion of the sole. The channel may be recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and have a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole, wherein the channel comprises a center portion extending across a center of the sole, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe, wherein the width and the depth of the center portion of the channel are substantially constant, and wherein the depth of the channel is greater at the heel and toe portions than at the center portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: Joshua M. Boggs, Eric A. Larson, Andrew G.V. Oldknow, Michael T. Prichard, Nathaniel J. Radcliffe, Robert M. Boyd
  • Patent number: 10751586
    Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a head that includes a face configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face, the body being adapted for connection of a shaft proximate a heel thereof. The face has a thickened portion including an annular tapered area that tapers in thickness between an upper boundary and a lower boundary and encloses an elevated area bounded by the upper boundary. The upper and/or lower boundary defines a shape having two lobes, each with an outer edge with a convex profile, and a connecting portion extending between the lobes, such that the connecting portion is defined by two outer edges extending between the outer edges of the lobes, wherein at least one of the outer edges of the connecting portion has a concave outer profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Robert M. Boyd, Jeremy N. Snyder, Hiroshi Kawaguchi, James S. Thomas, Raymond J. Sander, Rick S. Wahlin, Akira Shimozuma
  • Patent number: 10744380
    Abstract: Golf club heads which may include an iron-type golf club head body and an adjustable member configured to be engaged with iron-type golf club head body. The adjustable member may include a first surface and a second surface. The first surface of the adjustable member may form at least a portion of the sole of the iron-type golf club head and at least a portion of the rear of iron-type golf club head when the adjustable member is engaged with the iron-type golf club head body in a first orientation. Additionally, the second surface of the adjustable member may form at least a portion of the sole of the iron-type golf club head and at least a portion of the rear of iron-type golf club head when the adjustable member is engaged with the iron-type golf club head body in a second orientation, which is different from the first orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Raymond J. Sander, Robert M. Boyd, John T. Stites, Hiromitsu Akiyama
  • Patent number: 10737149
    Abstract: Golf club heads (e.g. drivers, fairway woods, wood-type hybrid clubs, or the like) according to at least some example aspects of this invention include a striking face and a rear portion opposite the striking face, the rear portion defining an opening to an interior cavity. A rear body member configured to be inserted into the opening is engaged with the rear portion of the club head. The rear body member may include multiple rear body parts that may be removable and/or interchangeable to permit flexibility in controlling the weight distribution of the golf club head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew G. v. Oldknow, Robert M. Boyd, John T. Stites
  • Patent number: 10653925
    Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, has a face with a striking surface configured for striking a ball and a channel extending across a portion of the sole. The channel may be recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole and have a depth of recession from the adjacent surfaces of the sole, wherein the channel comprises a center portion extending across a center of the sole, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe, wherein the width and the depth of the center portion of the channel are substantially constant, and wherein the depth of the channel is greater at the heel and toe portions than at the center portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Karsten Manufacturing Corporation
    Inventors: Joshua M. Boggs, Eric A. Larson, Andrew G. V. Oldknow, Michael T. Prichard, Nathaniel J. Radcliffe, Robert M. Boyd
  • Patent number: 10610746
    Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club head, includes a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face and extending rearwardly from the face. The body has an impact-influencing structure in the form of a channel positioned on at least one surface of the body. A majority of a force generated by impact with a ball is absorbed by the impact-influencing structure, and a majority of a response force generated by the head upon impact with the ball is generated by the impact-influencing structure. The face may have increased stiffness as compared to existing faces, and may include a stiffening structure to create the increased stiffness, such as a porous or cellular stiffening structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric A. Larson, Robert M. Boyd, Kenneth W. Brown, Martin Brouillette, Chris Scott Daniels
  • Publication number: 20200078644
    Abstract: A ball striking device, such as a golf club, includes a head that includes a face having a ball striking surface configured for striking a ball and a body connected to the face and extending rearward from the face. A face member formed primarily of a metallic material forms the face, and a body member is connected to the face member and extends rearward from the face member to form at least a portion of the body. The body member is formed at least partially of a polymer material, and has a doped portion containing a doping material dispersed within the polymer material. The doping material may have a different density than the polymer material, such that the doped portion has a different density than the portions of the body member not containing the doping material. A co-molding method may be used to form the ball striking device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: Michael E. Finn, David N. Franklin, Raymond J. Sander, Jeremy N. Snyder, Robert M. Boyd
  • Publication number: 20200070019
    Abstract: Golf clubs according to at least some example aspects of this disclosure may include a golf club head and a shaft configured to engage with the golf club head which includes a grip engaged with the shaft. Further, the golf club may include a monitoring device, which includes a sensor and a transmitter. Additionally, the monitoring device may be configured to determine data related to the characteristics of a golf swing. Further, the monitoring device may be configured to transmit the data related to the characteristics of a golf swing to a remote computer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Inventors: Michael Wallans, Robert M. Boyd, Philip J. Hatton, Mario A. Lafortune, John T. Stites
  • Patent number: 10500452
    Abstract: Golf clubs according to at least some example aspects of this disclosure may include a golf club head and a shaft configured to engage with the golf club head which includes a grip engaged with the shaft. Further, the golf club may include a monitoring device, which includes a sensor and a transmitter. Additionally, the monitoring device may be configured to determine data related to the characteristics of a golf swing. Further, the monitoring device may be configured to transmit the data related to the characteristics of a golf swing to a remote computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Wallans, Robert M. Boyd, Philip J. Hatton, Mario A. Lafortune, John T. Stites
  • Publication number: 20190366162
    Abstract: A golf club head having a metal portion adhered to a non-metal portion to define a closed internal volume therebetween, and an elongated channel extending across a portion of the sole. The channel may be recessed from adjacent surfaces of the sole, wherein the channel comprises a center portion extending across a center of the sole, a heel portion extending from a heel end of the center portion toward the heel, and a toe portion extending from a toe end of the center portion toward the toe, wherein the width of the center portion of the channel is substantially constant, and wherein the width of the channel increases from the heel end of the center portion to the heel and from the toe end of the center portion to the toe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Joshua M. Boggs, Eric A. Larson, Andrew G.v. Oldknow, Michael T. Prichard, Nathaniel J. Radcliffe, Robert M. Boyd
  • Publication number: 20190282868
    Abstract: Golf club heads (e.g. drivers, fairway woods, wood-type hybrid clubs, or the like) according to at least some example aspects of this invention include a striking face and a rear portion opposite the striking face, the rear portion defining an opening to an interior cavity. A rear body member configured to be inserted into the opening is engaged with the rear portion of the club head. The rear body member may include multiple rear body parts that may be removable and/or interchangeable to permit flexibility in controlling the weight distribution of the golf club head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: Andrew G.v. Oldknow, Robert M. Boyd, John T. Stites
  • Publication number: 20190262676
    Abstract: Golf club heads which may include an iron-type golf club head body and an adjustable member configured to be engaged with iron-type golf club head body. The adjustable member may include a first surface and a second surface. The first surface of the adjustable member may form at least a portion of the sole of the iron-type golf club head and at least a portion of the rear of iron-type golf club head when the adjustable member is engaged with the iron-type golf club head body in a first orientation. Additionally, the second surface of the adjustable member may form at least a portion of the sole of the iron-type golf club head and at least a portion of the rear of iron-type golf club head when the adjustable member is engaged with the iron-type golf club head body in a second orientation, which is different from the first orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Raymond J. Sander, Robert M. Boyd, John T. Stites, Hiromitsu Akiyama
  • Publication number: 20190255396
    Abstract: A ball striking device, such as an iron-type golf club head, includes a face having a ball striking surface and a rear surface, and a body connected to the face. The body has a sole member and a rear cavity defined at least partially by the sole member and the rear surface of the face. The body has an elongated, recessed channel extending within the cavity along a juncture line between the rear surface of the face and the sole member. Additionally, the head is formed in part by a face member having a first leg forming at least a major portion of the face and a second leg extending rearwardly from a bottom end of the first leg and forming at least a portion of the sole member. The head may further be formed by a body member connected to the face member.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: Andrew G.V. Oldknow, Robert M. Boyd