Abstract: Golf club head comprising a shell extended laterally by a neck, said shell being constituted by a series of metal plates forming an interior cavity, whose front plate incorporates a support surface to which a hitting plate made of a plastic or composite material is attached. The support face of the front plate is a convex surface extending forward, and the hitting plate associated with it is such that its rear plate, which is supported on the support face, has a matching shape, while the hitting surface is a convex surface extending forward.

Abstract: A golf club has a club head and an elongated tubular shaft secured at its tip end to the head. The shaft has a relatively short, flexible zone spanning the center of the shaft between the butt and tip ends which is more flexible than the remainder of the shaft, forming a tow lever flail.

Abstract: A method of producing a wood type golf club head which comprises molding and curing integrally an outer shell portion of a head main body having a hollow portion thereinside and equipped with a recess on at least one of the toe, back and heel sides thereof facing the hollow portion, from a synthetic resin as a main material, fixing a weight member having an adjustable weight into the at least one recess, packing a core member into the hollow portion, and fitting a sole plate to a sole portion of the club head.

Abstract: A device for selectively damping golf club vibrations by controlling their frequencies through optimal positioning at the point of maximum deformation energy for the vibration modes excited after impact. The device may be located at either or both of upper and lower intermediate sections of the club shaft, and is constituted by at least one layer of rigid material joined to the shaft surface by an intermediate layer of resilient material.

Abstract: A golf club head of composite material comprises an outer shell, an inner shell, a base plate, and a front wall. The outer shell of a metal material is provided with a receiving space and a neck having therein a shaft hole in communication with the receiving space. The inner shell of a fiber-reinforced resin material is adhered to the inner wall of the receiving space of the outer shell and is provided with a cell facing the open end of the outer shell and with an annular shoulder adjacent to the open end of the outer shell. The base plate is arranged on the annular shoulder of the inner shell so as to seal off the cell of the inner shell and to form a shaping slot located between the base plate and the open end of the outer shell. The front wall of a fiber-reinforced resin material is embedded in the shaping slot to form a ball-striking face of the golf club head.

Abstract: In a golf club, the neck between the shaft and the head is strengthened by integrally forming the head and the shaft in a single mold so that the golf club is a one piece molded body. Alternatively, a separate shaft and head can be joined to one another and the joint formed therebetween is wrapped around with a resin impregnated fibrous material which will then be cohesively bonded to the shaft and the head after application of heat.

Abstract: A racket frame of plastic compound material has a shaft and a head frame coupled with the shaft. Such racket frame is provided with a hollow shell body having a first portion making up the shaft and a second portion forming the head frame. The first portion is furnished with at least a layer of fiber-reinforced plastic material which is made from a thermoplastic plastic as a matrix and reinforced by a long fiber reinforcing material. The second portion contains at least a layer of fiber-reinforced plastic material which is made from a thermosetting plastic as a matrix and reinforced by a long fiber reinforcing material. The first and the second portions are joined together to form a junction which is wrapped around by the fiber-reinforced plastic material of the second portion. The racket frame so made is provided with superior qualities of strength, stiffness, bouncing capability, toughness, and shock-absorbing capability.

Abstract: The golf club head includes a hollow main body that is made of metal and has a front side with a wall that defines a cavity at an outer surface. A projection unit is formed integrally with the periphery of the wall at an inner surface of the latter and extends into the hollow main body.

Abstract: A golf club shaft is described having a "modified hourglass" shape which provides many predetermined combinations of flex, stiffness and torque (which together are perceived as shaft and club "feel") and which is virtually immune to breakage in normal play. The shaft is formed of a base rod with expanded axial sections: a grip section, an upper flare section, a flex control section, a lower flare section, and a hosel section. The lower flare section increases in diameter from its junction with the flex control section to a maximum diameter at its junction with the hosel section, which when the club is assembled is preferably recessed into the club head hosel. Variation of the relative lengths and/or thicknesses of the flex control section and the lower flare section determine the location of the junction between them, and thus the relative amounts of flex, torque and stiffness which produce the feel desired in the shaft.

Abstract: A composite seamless filament-wound golf club shaft and method of manufacture, in which the shaft includes a hollow steel tubular core and a filament such as steel, fiberglass, graphite, or carbon, spirally wound about the core to form a seamless jacket thereabout. The filament is impregnated with an adhesive and permanently bonded to the core, and the core may be torsionally stressed prior to and during the winding thereupon and bonding thereto of the filament. The shaft can be made as an overlong blank universal shaft, then portions of the butt and tip of the shaft can be trimmed to produce a desired shaft length and natural frequency of vibration. When attached to a club head, the head may be weighted to produce a resulting golf club of desired swing weight.

Abstract: A shaft, suitable for use as a golf club shaft, having a metallic club and adjoining a fiber grip end. Preferably, the metallic end is solid or hollow, while the grip end is made from fibers such as carbon or graphite, boron, or a mixture. The method of making the shaft is also disclosed.

Abstract: In a fibre-reinforced plastic golf club shaft, which has at the bottom an end portion for attaching a club head and at the top an end portion for attaching a grip and which is constructed in the form of a hollow profile. The cross-section of the profile is not constant over the shaft length and is provided with a shape, which is symmetrical to a median plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the shaft in the driving direction. The flex point of the shaft is in the area between the two end portions.

Abstract: A golf club head has a main body of head formed by coating the surface of a filling member made from foaming synthetic resin or the like with layers of fiber reinforced resin such as carbon reinforced resin, glass fiber reinforced resin. A metallic thin film layer is provided in the proximity of an outer surface of the main body of head.

Abstract: A golf club head has a metal main body with a toe, a heel, a front hitting portion which widens gradually from the heel to the toe, a rear portion opposite to the front hitting portion and formed with a cavity and an annular groove which is disposed around the cavity, and a sole portion which extends between the toe and the heel at lower ends of the front and rear portions. The main body is formed with a curved peripheral groove of predetermined width which extends from the front hitting portion to the rear portion and which is formed adjacent to the heel. The peripheral groove is communicated with the cavity and the annular groove and has two ends which terminate adjacent to the sole portion. The main body further has a hosel with a diameter reduced portion which extends obliquely upward from the heel. A layer of carbon fiber reinforced resin material is provided around the diameter reduced portion and extends into the peripheral groove.

Abstract: Disclosed is a golf club head which comprises: a head body constituted by a core material coated with a layer of fiber-reinforced resin, such as carbon-fiber-reinforced resin, glass-fiber-reinforced resin, or the like; and a sole plate attached to a sole portion of the head body, the sole plate having a protrusion being buried in the head body and projecting outward beyond a peripheral edge of the sole plate; whereby the protrusion may bite into the head body even if a large force is exerted to a head by a shock at the time of a shot so that the sole plate is positively prevented from peeling off from the head body, and the weight of the protrusion portion is added to the periphery of the head body to thereby make the moment of inertia of the head high.

Abstract: A head for a gold club, comprises: a metal body including a hosel and a sole which are formed integrally with each other; a filling member provided on the sole; and a fiber-reinforced resin coating the metal body and the filling member except the sole, wherein the metal body is integrally formed with a support portion extending from the ankle part of the metal body toward the toe part thereof and supporting the filling member at a rear thereof.

Abstract: An improved compact golf course simulates, with great realism, the drive, approach, chipping, and putting of a golf game played on a full scale course. The compact course provides the player with at least nine distinct target greens for his approach shot, each green having different sand or water hazards. The course provides the player with a plurality of chipping greens that may be played from the drive area. A common putting green containing nine holes is used to putt-out after the drives and approach shots have all been played out on the nine target greens. The target greens are designed to automatically clear balls from their surface. All drive, approach, and chip shots are taken from a common, relatively compact area. In an alternate preferred embodiment, distinctly marked putting zones are provided on the target greens and the chipping greens and for each of the holes on the common putting green.

Abstract: A light weight, high strength carbon fiber golf culb shaft includes inner, intermediate and outer tubular layers formed of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic. The intermediate layer is formed of high modulus, high strength carbon fibers having a modulus of 35000 kg/mm.sup.2 or more while the outer layer is formed of high strength carbon fibers having a modulus of 23000-30000 kg/mm.sup.2. Th carbon fibers of the intermediate and outer layers are oriented at an angle in the range of 0 to 15 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, while the carbon fibers of the inner layer are oriented at an angle of 30 to 80 degrees. The weight ratio of the intermediate layer to the outer layer ranges from 15:85 to 50:50, and the weight of the inner layer is 30-60 % by weight based on the total weight of the three layers. The shaft has a rigidity of 220-240 cycles per minute in terms of frequency and a weight of 63 g or less in the axial length of 1143 mm from the tip end.

Abstract: A golf club head having a channel formed in the back on the heel side of the club head main body that extends from the upper end of the hosel portion to the underside of a sole portion. A cover member molded separately is mounted over the opening of the channel to close it whereby a shaft fit hole is formed for receipt of the club's shaft by the inner surface of the cover member and a part of the inner surface of the channel.

Abstract: The tennis racket frame according to the present invention has a total weight of 230-300 g and total length of 52-67 cm and a periodic damping ratio of 0.5-4.0%, which is constituted of a fiber reinforced resin composed of polyamide resin reinforced by a continuous fiber and/or long fiber reinforcing material. A resin layer containing a non-woven fabric may be provided at the inside, outside or/and in the middle of the fiber reinforced resin layer. Because of this structure, the tennis racket frame of the present invention can be light in weight and compact in size with a large periodic damping property, making it possible to avoid tennis elbow.

Abstract: A golf club head made of a fiber-reinforced resin, at least the outermost layer of the face thereof being composed of a cloth-reinforcing material impregnated with a matrix resin containing whiskers mixed therein so that the edges of the scoring lines will be composed of the matrix resin containing the whiskers mixed therein.

Abstract: A golf club shaft is produced by winding a plurality of material layers around a mandrel which is finally removed. The layers include an inner layer, an intermediate layer and an outer layer. The inner layer is formed of a cloth prepreg which is cut out so that its fibers have angles of about .+-.45.degree.. The cloth prepreg is wound around the mandrel. The inner layer may be formed of sheets formed of fibers which extend in a single orientation and have a high strength and a high modulus. The sheets are cut out with angles of .+-.30.degree. to .+-.45.degree.. The intermediate layer is formed of a uni-directional sheet formed of fibers extending in a single orientation, the intermediate layer being wound around an outer periphery of the inner layer.

Abstract: A golf shaft selectively reinforced with a composite outer shell substantially shorter in length than the golf shaft. A single shell is molded at a selected location over the shaft. The location of the shell controls the kick point of the golf shaft. The shell is comprised of a reinforced polymeric composite.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a golf club head and a method of making the same. The golf club head has a reinforced fiber member integrally formed with metal or resin which forms a metal or resin layer positioned in a front face. In the method for making the golf club head of the present invention, the reinforced fiber member is disposed on the front face side of the insert core, then under the state that the reinforced fiber member is pressed to be fixed against the insert core by a mold, the molten metal or resin is flown into the space formed between the reinforced fiber member and the insert core, thereby integrally forming the reinforced fiber member with the above metal or resin.

Abstract: The present invention provides a golf club head at least the face portion of which is composed of composite materials characterized by aluminum or aluminum alloy either of which are combined with ceramics which are powdery. The golf club head has high strength, high hardness, high elasticity and a good wear resistance, and the face portion of the golf club head of the present invention shows little wear so that the durability of the club head is remarkably high. Moreover, by this invention it is easy to produce a large quantity of golf club heads so that the cost of production is largely diminished and so that a golf club head which is more practical is now available.

Abstract: A golf club head in which a core buried in the interior of an outer shell of a fiber reinforced resin is molded out of a molten mixture of a thermoplastic resin and powder of a metal having a high specific gravity, and a method of manufacturing such golf club heads.

Abstract: A golf club head composed of an outer shell made of a fiber-reinforced resin and a core made of a syntactic foam and formed in the outer shell, wherein the syntactic foam comprises a matrix resin with glass microballoons as a main component and whiskers mixed therein.

Abstract: The present invention provides an iron golf club head which comprises a core member, a striking face member and a cladding. The core member is made of a metal having a large specific weight, and has an exposed integral sole portion, an integral riser wall portion, and an integral shaft connecting portion. The striking face member is fixed to a front surface of the core riser wall portion, and made of a light metal reinforced by whiskers and/or fibers. The cladding is also made of a light metal, and covers all surfaces of the riser wall portion and the shaft connecting portion except for a surface portion of the riser wall portion on which the striking face member is fixed.

Abstract: A golf club head includes a frame having a plurality of hollow axial members extending from the front side to the rear side, and a hosel part is integrally formed with the frame. A foam resin core is deposited around the frame. A face plate is disposed at the front side of the frame. A synthetic resin covering is applied over the frame and over the core by installing the assembly of the frame and core in a mold and pouring in the synthetic resin material at a low pressure so as not to deform or shift the frame or the core and the synthetic resin fills the gaps among the frame, the core and the face plate.

Abstract: This invention discloses a novel head of a golf club, especially of the type called "wood". The head includes a foamed core means therein which is firm with a light weight. The head also includes a face directly attached to the core means. The core means with the face is molded over with a shell. The inclusion of the core enables the head to be big with a light weight. The direct attachment of the face to the core means enables avoidance of deviation of the face relative to the core means over long use.

Abstract: A golf putter including a lightweight frame made of composite material in combination with metal toe and heel weights which distribute substantially all of the club weight at the toe and heel. The toe and heel weights also form exterior surfaces for the putter and have variable thicknesses to provide fore and aft clubhead balancing. Other features with respect to the lightweight frame structure are disclosed.

Abstract: A golf club shaft of increased playability and feel is manufactured with a generally hollow and tapered cylindrical wall comprised of a plurality of layers of fibers and a resin binding the plurality of layers of fibers together into an integrated structure. The shaft includes a portion of constant outer diameter adjacent one end adapted to accept a grip and a portion of a smaller constant diameter adjacent the other adapted to be fitted to the hosel of a club head and a portion intermediate the two end portions with a uniformly tapering diameter. The golf club comprises a plurality of layers of fibers arranged and oriented within the shaft to resist torsional deflection and to provide a controlled and variable flexural resistance, permitting the player to recover energy stored in the shaft during the swing and to apply that energy to the ball for greater distance. The inner and outer layers of fibers include fibers running both perpendicular and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

Abstract: A filament winding process is disclosed for producing articles having a layer of wound helically extending fibers sandwiched between generally longitudinal fibers. The process is well adapted for use with thermoplastic resins and for producing articles having a high resistance to bending. In a preferred embodiment, there is disclosed a filament wound baseball bat formed from a thermoplastic resin, (poly(arylene sulfide).

Abstract: A two piece metallic and composite golf shaft utilizing metal for the construction of its lower tip section, and fiber/resin composite for the construction of its upper butt section, creating a hybrid golf shaft which retains the major characteristic advantages of these two shaft materials, while being largely free of their respective disadvantages; the shaft consisting of a tubular lower metallic tip section, comprising approximately one-third of total shaft length, having parallel or tapered sides, and a plurality of diametrally expanding steps at its upper terminal end where it joins a tubular upper composite butt section of larger diameter, having a lower end which telescopingly fits into and is bonded to the inside wall of the last elongated step of the lower metallic tip section, the junction between the two sections being flush, and from whence the upper composite butt section progressively tapers outwardly to its upper terminal end.

Abstract: A golf club shaft of increased playability and feel is manufactured with a generally hollow and tapered cylindrical wall comprised of a plurality of layers of fibers and a resin binding the plurality of layers of fibers together into an integrated structure. The shaft includes a portion of constant outer diameter adjacent one end adapted to accept a grip and a portion of a smaller constant diameter adjacent the other adapted to be fitted to the hosel of a club head and a portion intermediate the two end portions with a uniformly tapering diameter. The golf club comprises a plurality of layers of fibers arranged and oriented within the shaft to resist torsional deflection and to provide a controlled and variable flexural resistance, permitting the player to recover energy stored in the shaft during the swing and to apply that energy to the ball for greater distance. The inner and outer layers of fibers include fibers running both perpendicular and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft.

Abstract: The invention relates to a frame for a games racket e.g. tennis, of the type made as a hollow injection moulding of reinforced thermoplastics material. The frame has attachments for stringing in the form of a series of discrete lugs moulded integrally with the walls of the hollow frame and so positioned that the racket strings in their desired positions do not pass to the outer periphery of the head. The discrete lugs may for example be around the inner periphery of the head of the frame and each contain an integrally-moulded circumferential bore for string passage. The frame may be made by injection moulding around a fusible core and the shape of the core required to give the desired lugs provides strong resistance to movement under the injecting pressures hence giving improved product uniformity.

Abstract: A racket body formed of composite materials in which the shaft portion of the handle, two branches of a throat portion and a frame portion, which can be completed by a bridging portion, adjoin in end to end relationship and have cores and sheaths composed of different materials. The sheaths are comprised of fiber webs or braids impregnated with synthetic resin, the fibers differing along the length of the racket from at least one portion to another, while the orientations of the fibers with respect to the axes of the respective cores can differ from place to place as well. The end portions of thetwo branches of the throat are axially offset from one another so as to avoid the formation of a rupture zone.

Abstract: An archery bow having limbs constructed of laminae of pre-stressed fibers in a resin matrix, all of the laminae of the bow limb over at least a substantial intermediate portion of the length of the limb being pre-stressed and all of the laminae, as well as riser wedge and tip wedge portions of the limb, being adhesively interconnected in a pre-stressed configuration by an efficient adhesive. The limbs are free from any core of material which is not pre-stressed. One of the layers of material utilized in construction of the limb may contain layers of parallel pre-stressed fibers diagonally oriented with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bow limb and additional parallel pre-stressed oppositely diagonally oriented fibers, in order to stabilize the bow limb against twisting during use.

Abstract: An improved ice hockey stick is disclosed which is made with a handle component whose lower end tapers to fit closely into a closely conforming groove in the rear edge of a hardwood table. The handle component may be made of hardwood or it may be made of foam injected plastic material in accordance with another aspect of the subject matter disclosed. The foam injected handle component has a centrally located filler member and, on each side, a reinforcing strip of unidirectional strands of fibers in a suitable bonding agent mounted flush with the wide sides of the handle. A process for making a foam injected plastic component is disclosed as well as a method of making an ice hockey stick using the novel joint applicable to conventional hardwood handle components and to foam injected plastic handle components.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a graphite composite racquet frame having a particular structure that provides internal and external shock absorption. The internal shock absorption is provided by a core material having high impact strength such as an aromatic aramid. External shock absorption is provided by a fiber reinforced plastic wrapping. The shock absorption elements allow graphite fibers to be used for construction of racquets which are commonly subject to a great deal of physical abuse such as racquetball racquets.

Abstract: A racquet is provided having a transverse compliant edge system that supports the racquet strings and has independent elastic transverse movement of the string supports while inhibiting accompanying radial movement. The transverse compliant edge system includes rigid string support rails inside an outer channel in the racquet frame. Each string support rail has an outer groove that contains and supports the racquet string and an inside contact surface supported by the racquet frame and that acts as a pivot point. The string support rails are spaced away from the walls of the outer channel in the racquet frame and the spaces are bridged with compliant material or springs. This arrangement allows the string support rail to rotate about its inside contact surface pivot, thus allowing elastic transverse string movement while inhibiting accompanying radial movement, independent of transverse string movement caused by the elasticity of the ball, strings, or racquet.

Abstract: A golf club head is provided, having an inner body formed of composite material and an outer body formed of a composite material secured to the outer surface of the inner body and accommodating the inner body. The inner body is hollow, and includes a plurality of rib plates therein to form a force bridge system, each rib plate extending from the inner surface of the inner body adjacent to the hitting surface of the outer body and radially to the surface opposite to the hitting surface.

Abstract: A golf club head includes a sole of metal material, an inner head member integral with the sole and having a substantially triangular shape in cross section, a hosel for receiving a shaft, and an outer head member formed of carbon fiber reinforced resin material and having a substantially inverted V-shaped cross-sectional configuration covering the entirety of the inner head member. Lower ends of the outer head member are in close contact with shoulders formed between the sole and the lower end of the inner head member, and marginal edges of such lower ends are flush with the sole. The joint between the inner and outer head members is strengthened by elements formed on the outer surface of the inner head member.

Abstract: A golf club head having a face portion for striking a ball, the face portion being formed by a complex block comprising a plurality of ceramic plates and layers of glass fibers or carbon fibers laminated alternately. By such a complex construction, the sweet spot and the center of gravity distribution as well as the hardness and roughness of a ball striking surface can be changed as desired.

Abstract: In construction of a golf club head having a fiber reinforced plastic shell, the neck section of the shell provides the first hold and an inward bulge on the sole side section of the shell provides the second hold, both for the club shaft so that presence of a dual hold joint structure enables effectual energy transmission at hitting balls and reliably prevents accidental separation of the club head from the club shaft.

Abstract: Improved tennis racket in which an inverted chevron shaped yoke is provided having downward sloping side portions which match the curvature of the arcuate top portion of the racket head to provide vertical strings extending between the yoke and arcuate top portion which are of the same length. The equal length of vertical strings provide uniform elastic response to ball impact. The particular design of the chevron provides added structural strength to the neck of the racket. An improved racket made from a polycrystalline metal oxide fiber and resin matrix is also disclosed. In addition, an improved string protection system involving elastomer inserts which are molded into the head portion of composite material rackets is described.

Abstract: A plastic hockey-stick is made in three layers, around a core. The blade-core is retained but the handle-core may either be retained or withdrawn during manufacture. The inner layer is of hoop-laid strands, which gives rigidity to the cross-sectional shape of the handle, enabling the handle to be hollow. The middle layer is of length-laid strands, for good bending strength. The outer layer is of e.g., twisted strand woven cloth, for surface toughness. The enwrapped core is impregnated with resin, and compressed in a mould during curing. The resulting stick combines lightness, strength, resilience, non-dangerous failure mode, and economy of manufacture.

Abstract: A molded composite racquet is provided, wherein the frame of the entire racquet is prepared using the combination of continuous graphite fibers longitudinal within the shape of the frame, wrapped in a bias arrangement with layers of fiberglass, that combination being covered by a protective resinous outerlayer. The presence of the graphite fiber in a unidirectional orientation around the hoop of the racquet in the plane of the strings increases the resistance against compression with minimal affect on the flexibility, bending or torsion, of the racquet. The concentric and bias orientation of the fiberglass layer supplies sturdiness to increase the resistance to torsion and bending stress. The molded composite racquet achieves a controlled impulse duration during impact with a game ball which provides greater control during impact and less shock to the user of the racquet during the recreation.

Abstract: A badminton racket comprises a tubular shaft and an oval shaped frame internally connected to the shaft by a T-shaped joint including a pair of horizontal extensions and a vertical extension. The frame has opposite end portions with opened end faces, each of which is recessed at the lower side thereof in a semi-circular shape, and abutted against each other except at the recessed portions. The horizontal extensions of the joint are fitted in the end portions of the frame while the vertical extension is fitted in the upper end of the shaft. The junction area of the racket is coated with FRP layers to provide external connection.

Abstract: Improved tennis racket in which an inverted chevron shaped yoke is provided having downward sloping side portions which match the curvature of the arcuate top portion of the racket head to provide vertical strings extending between the yoke and arcuate top portion which are of the same length. The equal length of vertical strings provide uniform elastic response to ball impact. The particular design of the chevron provides added structural strength to the neck of the racket. An improved racket made from a polycrystalline metal oxide fiber and resin matrix is also disclosed. In addition, an improved string protection system involving elastomer inserts which are molded into the head portion of composite material rackets is described.