Patents by Inventor William C. Watson

William C. Watson 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).

  • Patent number: 11628339
    Abstract: A golf club head, preferably a putter head, comprising at least one structural support member is disclosed herein. The structural support member has a smooth, organic-looking aesthetic, with a continuously changing curvature along its spline and at least one surface, and preferably connects one portion of the golf club head to another portion. Where the support member connects to other portions of the golf club head, the surfaces of the member have a curvature that changes smoothly and continuously, lacking any sharp corners. The support member may be part of a lattice structure formed via binder jetting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp.
    Inventors: Brandon D. DeMille, William C. Watson, Eric Stubben, David R. Handy, Irina Ivanova, Patrick Dawson
  • Publication number: 20230105620
    Abstract: A golf club head with a sole having a low stiffness compliance zone, which allows the face to deflect downward upon impact with a golf ball, is disclosed herein. The compliance zone comprises a plurality of through openings that are filled with one or more filler pieces comprising a low modulus material, all of which are located within three inches of a face section measured along a front-to-back axis of the golf club head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Inventors: Alan Hocknell, Brandon D. DeMille, Irina Ivanova, William C. Watson, Timothy G. Scott, Romulus M. Tomimbang, Justin Del Rosario
  • Publication number: 20230019821
    Abstract: A golf club head, preferably a putter head, comprising at least one structural support member is disclosed herein. The structural support member has a smooth, organic-looking aesthetic, with a continuously changing curvature along its spline and at least one surface, and preferably connects one portion of the golf club head to another portion. Where the support member connects to other portions of the golf club head, the surfaces of the member have a curvature that changes smoothly and continuously, lacking any sharp corners. The support member may be part of a lattice structure formed via binder jetting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Brandon D. DeMille, William C. Watson, Eric Stubben, David R. Handy, Irina Ivanova, Patrick Dawson
  • Publication number: 20220401799
    Abstract: Golf club components with complex structures such as lattice structures, beam structures, and complex surface-based structures, are described herein. A binder jet machine is used create complex structures within these golf club components to optimize weighting, sound, and performance of golf club heads. These components may be manufactured using a method that includes the steps of designing a golf club head component in CAD using optimization software, printing the component from a powdered material, and then removing excess powder from the component via port holes that extend into an external surface of the component and communicate with interior voids within the component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: Brandon D. DeMille, Brian Hoffarth, Dominic LeBlanc, William C. Watson, Irina Ivanova
  • Patent number: 11484757
    Abstract: A golf club head, preferably a putter head, comprising at least one structural support member is disclosed herein. The structural support member has a smooth, organic-looking aesthetic, with a continuously changing curvature along its spline and at least one surface, and preferably connects one portion of the golf club head to another portion. Where the support member connects to other portions of the golf club head, the surfaces of the member have a curvature that changes smoothly and continuously, lacking any sharp corners. The support member may be part of a lattice structure formed via binder jetting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Brandon D. DeMille, William C. Watson, Eric Stubben, David R. Handy, Irina Ivanova, Patrick Dawson
  • Patent number: 11311783
    Abstract: A golf club head comprising at least one structural support member is disclosed herein. The structural support member has a smooth, organic-looking aesthetic and connects unsupported portions of the golf club head to improve the acoustics of the golf club head upon impact with a golf ball. Where the support member connects to other portions of the golf club head, the surfaces of the member have a curvature that changes smoothly and continuously, lacking any sharp corners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Brandon D. DeMille, William C. Watson, Dominic LeBlanc
  • Patent number: 11278776
    Abstract: A multiple material golf club head made of different metals that, when combined via additive manufacturing, transmit tensile or compressive force, shear force, bending moment, and torsional moment as if the different metal parts were a single piece of material is disclosed herein. In particular, the golf club head is a putter head with a body piece made of a first metal material that is in direct contact with a face piece made of a second metal material, and applied via additive manufacturing, such that load conditions are transmissible at a boundary between these two pieces. The second metal material forms at least a portion of the striking surface and a lower region of the hosel, and the interface between the two materials is contiguous from the face to the hosel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Bradley C. Rice, Irina Ivanova, William C. Watson
  • Patent number: 11130029
    Abstract: A golf club head, preferably a putter head, comprising at least one structural support member is disclosed herein. The structural support member has a smooth, organic-looking aesthetic, with a continuously changing curvature along its spline and at least one surface, and preferably connects one portion of the golf club head to another portion. Where the support member connects to other portions of the golf club head, the surfaces of the member have a curvature that changes smoothly and continuously, lacking any sharp corners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Brandon D. DeMille, William C. Watson
  • Publication number: 20210052956
    Abstract: A multiple material golf club head made of different metals that, when combined via additive manufacturing, transmit tensile or compressive force, shear force, bending moment, and torsional moment as if the different metal parts were a single piece of material is disclosed herein. In particular, the golf club head is a putter head with a body piece made of a first metal material that is in direct contact with a face piece made of a second metal material, and applied via additive manufacturing, such that load conditions are transmissible at a boundary between these two pieces. The second metal material forms at least a portion of the striking surface and a lower region of the hosel, and the interface between the two materials is contiguous from the face to the hosel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Bradley C. Rice, Irina Ivanova, William C. Watson
  • Publication number: 20210052955
    Abstract: A golf club head, preferably a putter head, comprising at least one structural support member is disclosed herein. The structural support member has a smooth, organic-looking aesthetic, with a continuously changing curvature along its spline and at least one surface, and preferably connects one portion of the golf club head to another portion. Where the support member connects to other portions of the golf club head, the surfaces of the member have a curvature that changes smoothly and continuously, lacking any sharp corners.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Brandon D. DeMille, William C. Watson
  • Patent number: 10835789
    Abstract: A golf club head, preferably a putter head, comprising at least one structural support member is disclosed herein. The structural support member has a smooth, organic-looking aesthetic, with a continuously changing curvature along its spline and at least one surface, and preferably connects one portion of the golf club head to another portion. Where the support member connects to other portions of the golf club head, the surfaces of the member have a curvature that changes smoothly and continuously, lacking any sharp corners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Brandon D. DeMille, William C. Watson
  • Patent number: 10835788
    Abstract: A multiple material golf club head made of different metals that, when combined via additive manufacturing, transmit tensile or compressive force, shear force, bending moment, and torsional moment as if the different metal parts were a single piece of material is disclosed herein. In particular, the golf club head is a putter head with a body piece made of a first metal material that is in direct contact with a face piece made of a second metal material, and applied via additive manufacturing, such that load conditions are transmissible at a boundary between these two pieces. The second metal material forms at least a portion of the striking surface and a lower region of the hosel, and the interface between the two materials is contiguous from the face to the hosel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Bradley C. Rice, Irina Ivanova, William C. Watson
  • Patent number: 10702749
    Abstract: A multiple-material golf club head with an improved scarf joint between the crown and the body, and a method of finishing said golf club head is disclosed herein. The golf club preferably has a metal body comprising a striking face, a sole, a return portion, a bond flange, and a rear flange, and a composite crown having a scarf region, a step portion, and a constant thickness region directly behind the scarf region. The golf club is manufactured by providing a club head with a bond flange, providing a composite crown with a scarf region delineated by a front edge and a step portion and/or groove, bonding the scarf region to the bond flange to form an upper golf club head surface, and grinding the upper golf club head surface only from a location proximate the front edge to a location proximate the step portion and/or groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Brian Webb, Brandon D. DeMille, Dominic LeBlanc, Patrick Dawson, William C. Watson, Bradley C. Rice
  • Patent number: 10441856
    Abstract: A golf club providing improved golf ball launch conditions is disclosed herein. The golf club includes a face component and a sole comprising an elongated recess disposed proximate the face component. The elongated recess preferably is tube shaped, and preferably has an opening with a smaller width than an innermost surface of the elongated recess. The elongated recess may be a separate piece that is permanently affixed within an opening in the sole. Some embodiments of the golf club also comprise a cover affixed to the sole and at least partially covering the opening of the elongated recess, while other embodiments comprise a filler material disposed within the elongated recess or between the elongated recess and an internal surface of the face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Bradley C. Rice, William C. Watson, Patrick Dawson, Irina Ivanova, Brandon D. DeMille
  • Patent number: 10406407
    Abstract: A golf club head having elevated internal weighting that improves ball speed, reduces backspin, and increases launch angle is disclosed herein. In particular, the golf club head comprises a hollow body with a face, sole, and elevated weight bar, which is disposed inside the body and is fixed to heel and toe sides of the body, preferably with mechanical fasteners such as screws or bolts. The weight bar bridges a central portion of the sole, and a central section of the weight bar, which preferably comprises at least 50% of the overall mass of the weight bar, extends towards the face without actually making contact with the face. The sole also includes at least one slot extending perpendicular to the face and underneath the central section of the weight bar, the slot having a front-to-back length that is greater than a maximum front-to-back length of the weight bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Brandon D. DeMille, Bradley C. Rice, William C. Watson, Irina Ivanova, Joel B. Erickson
  • Publication number: 20190255398
    Abstract: A multiple-material golf club head with an improved scarf joint between the crown and the body, and a method of finishing said golf club head is disclosed herein. The golf club preferably has a metal body comprising a striking face, a sole, a return portion, a bond flange, and a rear flange, and a composite crown having a scarf region, a step portion, and a constant thickness region directly behind the scarf region. The golf club is manufactured by providing a club head with a bond flange, providing a composite crown with a scarf region delineated by a front edge and a step portion and/or groove, bonding the scarf region to the bond flange to form an upper golf club head surface, and grinding the upper golf club head surface only from a location proximate the front edge to a location proximate the step portion and/or groove.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: Brian Webb, Brandon D. DeMille, Dominic LeBlanc, Patrick Dawson, William C. Watson, Bradley C. Rice
  • Publication number: 20190224535
    Abstract: A golf club head having elevated internal weighting that improves ball speed, reduces backspin, and increases launch angle is disclosed herein. In particular, the golf club head comprises a hollow body with a face, sole, and elevated weight bar, which is disposed inside the body and is fixed to heel and toe sides of the body, preferably with mechanical fasteners such as screws or bolts. The weight bar bridges a central portion of the sole, and a central section of the weight bar, which preferably comprises at least 50% of the overall mass of the weight bar, extends towards the face without actually making contact with the face. The sole also includes at least one slot extending perpendicular to the face and underneath the central section of the weight bar, the slot having a front-to-back length that is greater than a maximum front-to-back length of the weight bar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Inventors: Brandon D. DeMille, Bradley C. Rice, William C. Watson, Irina Ivanova, Joel B. Erickson
  • Patent number: D880631
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Brandon D. DeMille, William C. Watson, Patrick Dawson, Bradley C. Rice
  • Patent number: D914814
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Brandon D. DeMille, William C. Watson, Augustin W. Rollinson, Larry Tang, David Handy, Eric Stubben
  • Patent number: D945546
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Callaway Golf Company
    Inventors: Brandon D. DeMille, William C. Watson, Larry Tang, David Handy, Eric Stubben