Apparatus and method for measuring lie and loft of a golf club

Abstract

An apparatus for precisely and accurately measuring the loft and lie of a golf club, and a method of using such apparatus, is disclosed herein. The apparatus includes a clamp assembly powered by a pressure unit to immobilize the head of a golf club, a scoreline measurement unit to capture scoreline angle information, loft and lie measurement arrays that can be moved along horizontal y and x axes to capture loft and lie angle information of the golf club shaft, and a computer with an algorithm that uses information captured by the scoreline measurement unit and loft and lie measurement arrays to calculate final loft and lie angle values that are accurate within +/−0.125°.

Claims

1. A golf club measurement apparatus comprising: a computer comprising a graphical user interface and an algorithm; a pressure unit comprising a tank, a pressure regulator, and a pressure booster; a clamp assembly operatively connected to the pressure unit, the clamp assembly comprising a clamp and clamp engagement and retraction mechanisms; a control device comprising a programmable logic controller, a loft drive, and a lie drive; a loft measurement array comprising a loft sensor, a first lens and first light; a lie measurement array comprising a lie sensor, a second lens and a second light; a scoreline measurement unit comprising a scoreline sensor, a third lens, and a third light; wherein the control device is operatively connected to the scoreline measurement unit, loft measurement array, and lie measurement array, wherein the computer is operatively connected to the control device, wherein the scoreline measurement array is configured to calculate a scoreline angle of a golf club, wherein the loft measurement array is configured to calculate a preliminary loft angle of the golf club, wherein the lie measurement array is configured to calculate a preliminary lie angle of the golf club, and wherein the algorithm is configured to calculate final loft and lie angles of the golf club head based upon the scoreline angle and preliminary loft and lie angles.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a first linear rail and actuator, a second linear rail and actuator, and at least one axis encoder, wherein the second linear rail and actuator is attached to and slidable along the first linear rail and actuator, wherein the at least one axis encoder is affixed to and slidable along each of the first and second linear rail and actuators, wherein the loft and lie measurement arrays are affixed to an underside of the at least one axis encoder, and wherein the control device is operatively connected to first and second linear rail and actuators and the at least one axis encoder.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one axis encoder comprises x- and y-axis encoders.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a rotary table disposed beneath the clamp assembly, wherein the rotary table is configured to accommodate left and right handed golf clubs within the apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressure unit provides pneumatic pressure.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressure unit provides hydraulic pressure.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a support structure comprising vertical struts and a base assembly, wherein the pressure unit, clamp assembly, and control device are supported by the base assembly, and wherein the scoreline measurement array, loft measurement array, and lie measurement array are supported by the vertical struts.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the computer is affixed to a strut extending perpendicular to the vertical struts.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an apparatus of the present invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a side plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

(3) FIG. 3 is a side perspective view of the slidable assembly shown in FIGS. 1-2.

(4) FIG. 4 is a schematic illustrating interoperability of the parts shown in FIGS. 1-3.

(5) FIG. 5 is an image of a golf club face taken using the apparatus of the present invention.

(6) FIG. 6 is an image of a golf club shaft taken using the apparatus of the present invention.

(7) FIG. 7 is process flow chart illustrating a method of operating the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) The apparatus of the present invention is a golf club measurement device that utilizes lensing and lighting to capture live imaging of the shaft and the face of a golf club. This is particularly useful for measuring irons and wedges. The apparatus comprises a computer that executes an algorithm to capture loft and lie deflection of the head after the head is clamped within the apparatus. The device is capable of measuring the loft and lie of a golf club to a tolerance of +/−0.125°, and is reproducible machine to machine. The apparatus includes a computer with a calibration algorithm that automatically best fits results to match coordinate measurement machine (CMM) data.

(9) FIGS. 1-3 illustrate the apparatus 100 of the present invention. Shown in FIG. 1, the skeletal support of the apparatus 100 is provided by a base assembly 10 and a vertical frame 20. A pressure unit 30 comprising a tank 32, a pressure regulator 34, and a pressure booster 36 sits at a lower portion of the base assembly 10 proximate a control device 40 comprising a programmable logic controller (PLC) 42, an Ethernet switch 44, an x-axis (loft) drive 46, and a y-axis (lie) drive 48. Above these components, at an upper portion of the base assembly 10, sits a rotary table 50 to allow for right- and left-handed golf club measurement, and a static-mounted clamp 60 powered by hydraulic or pneumatic force from a cylinder 65 operatively connected to the pressure unit 30, which is configured to immobilize a golf club 200 by gripping its head 210 so that the shaft 220 extends vertically, as if it were being held at address by a golfer. Clamp engagement and retraction mechanisms 62, 64 are located beneath the static-mounted clamp 60 itself. The base assembly also includes a control panel 80 that is operatively connected to sensors (described in further detail below) so a user can adjust their placement and focus. A scoreline measurement unit 70 comprising a scoreline lens 72, a scoreline sensor 74, and a scoreline light 76 is disposed proximate the clamp 60 and directed at the face of the golf club head 210 when it is immobilized within the clamp 60.

(10) The base assembly 10 is operatively connected to a computer 110, which includes a graphical user interface (GUI) 120 where a user can interact with and control the functionality of the apparatus 100, including executing the method 300 described in more detail below. The computer may be attached to the base assembly by a strut 23 or other connector part. The base assembly 10 is also affixed to the vertical frame 20, which comprises a plurality of struts 22a, 22b, at the top of which is mounted an upper assembly 130. The upper assembly 130 includes, at its top, a linear rail and actuator 140, to which a slidable assembly 150 is affixed. The slidable assembly 150 includes another linear rail and actuator 145 and x- and y-axis encoders 160, 162 that can slide along the linear rail and actuators 140, 145 according to instructions entered into the computer 110 via the GUI 120. Loft and lie lenses 170, 172 and loft and lie sensors 175, 176 extend from the underside of the encoder 162, as do pressure cylinders 180, 185 that connect to loft and lie lights 190, 195. The schematic of FIG. 4 further illustrates how these elements operate with one another.

(11) A method 300 of precisely and accurately measuring the loft and lie of a golf club 200 is shown in FIG. 7. In a first step 310, a golf club 200 is affixed to the apparatus 100 by placing the head 210 within and tightening the static-mounted clamp 60. In a second step 320, the programmable logic controller 42 is used to move the loft and lie sensors 175, 176 along the rails 140, 145 to center the shaft 220 of the golf club 200 within the sensor 175, 176 display. In a third step 330, the scoreline light 76 and scoreline lens 72 are used to illuminate and focus the scoreline sensor 74 image (an example of which is shown in FIG. 5), thereby allowing the scoreline sensor 74 to calculate the scoreline 212 angle. In a fourth step 340, which may be performed simultaneously or before the third step 330, the loft and lie lenses 170, 172 and loft and lie lights 190, 195 brighten up and focus the loft and lie sensor 175, 176 image (an example of which is shown in FIG. 6) to allow the sensors 175, 176 to calculate the loft and lie angles of the shaft 220. In a fifth step 350, the angles calculated by the sensors 74, 175, 176 are fed into the computer 110, which uses the algorithm to compute final loft and lie angles of the golf club 200 and then display these values on the GUI 120.

(12) If the operator wishes to bend the golf club head based upon the measurements calculated by the apparatus 100, in a sixth step 360 the pressure boosters increase air pressure, which can be stored in the high pressure tank, and in a seventh step 370 the air cylinder uses the boosted air pressure to clamp the golf club head 210 to further immobilize it for bending during an eighth, bending step 380, wherein the user bends the club to specification using the GUI.

(13) From the foregoing it is believed that those skilled in the pertinent art will recognize the meritorious advancement of this invention and will readily understand that while the present invention has been described in association with a preferred embodiment thereof, and other embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, numerous changes, modifications combinations, and substitutions of equivalents may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention which is intended to be unlimited by the foregoing except as may appear in the following appended claims. Therefore, the embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined in the following appended claims.