Self-Centering Mandrel for Golf Club Hosels

Abstract

A laser mandrel system that self-centers within a hosel bore of a golf club head to allow for precision adjustment of lie and loft is disclosed herein. The mandrel includes a one-piece housing with upper and lower portions, a laser centered within the upper portion of the housing, and a plurality of o-rings extending around an exterior or interior surface of a lower portion of the housing.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing a self-centering laser mandrel system to measure a loft and lie of a hosel of a golf club head, the method comprising: inserting at least a portion of an extruded hosel of a golf club head into a hollow lower portion of a one-piece housing of a mandrel, wherein an o-ring disposed within the hollow lower portion encircles the portion of the extruded hosel; and measuring at least one of the loft and lie of the hosel utilizing a laser comprising a beam emitter disposed within an upper portion of the one-piece housing of the mandrel.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the one-piece housing is composed of A2 steel and each of the plurality of o-rings is composed of a high durometer polyurethane.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the outer surface of the one-piece housing comprises a coating.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the coating is titanium aluminum nitride.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the upper portion has a length ranging from 3 inches to 6 inches.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the lower portion has a length ranging from 1 inch to 2 inches.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein an alignment between the one-piece housing and a laser beam emitted by the beam emitter is less than 0.5 miliradian.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention engaged with an extruded hosel.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the mandrel shown in FIG. 1 taken along lines 2-2.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the mandrel shown in FIG. 1 without a laser taken along lines 3-3.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the mandrel shown in FIG. 4 without a laser taken along lines 5-5 and engaged with a hosel.

[0017] FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating a first method of the present invention.

[0018] FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a second method of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] The present invention is directed to a laser mandrel 10 that self-centers within a bore 52 of a golf club hosel 50 or around an extruded golf club hosel 55.

[0020] A preferred, first embodiment of the mandrel 10 is shown in FIGS. 1-2. As shown in these Figures, the mandrel 10 includes a one-piece, tubular housing 20 composed of a metal alloy, preferably a high wear resistant A2 steel with a 59-60 HRC, with an outer surface 25 comprising a coating, preferably titanium aluminum nitride, to prevent wear. The single piece construction of the housing 20 maintains the concentricity of the device better than prior art, three-piece solutions, because any tolerance stack-up between pieces is eliminated.

[0021] The housing 20 comprises an upper portion 22 with a first maximum diameter D.sub.1 of 0.40 to 0.75 inch and a first length L.sub.1 of 3.00 inches to 6.00 inches, a lower portion 24 with a second diameter D.sub.2 of 0.15 to 0.50 inch and a second length L.sub.2 of 1.00 inch to 2.00 inches that is less than the first diameter D.sub.1, and a hollow portion or bore 26 extending into both the upper and lower portions 22, 24. The diameter of the bore 26 in the first embodiment varies throughout the mandrel 10; it is wide enough to receive the laser 30 at the upper portion 22, and in the lower portion 24 is sized to receive an extruded hosel 55, such as a putter hosel 55. In the second embodiment, shown in FIGS. 4-5, the diameter of the through bore 26 may be any size, including smaller than the diameter of the upper portion through bore 26, whichever is best for dialing in mass of the overall mandrel design 10.

[0022] The upper portion 22 of the housing 20 also includes a cutout or window 28 in communication with the bore 26. The upper portion 22 tapers in diameter to meet the lower portion 24, and the window 28 is disposed within this tapered section 23 of the upper portion 22. The laser 30 is disposed within the through-bore 26 of the upper portion 22 so that at least a portion of the laser 30 is visible through the window 28. The laser 30, which comprises a laser housing 31 and a beam emitter 33, has precision alignment between the laser housing 31 to the outer surface 25 of the one-piece housing 20 to less than 0.35 milliradian (“mrad”). The alignment between the laser housing 31 and a laser beam emitted by the beam emitter 33 is preferably less than 0.5 mrad, but can be dialed in to 0. The laser beam emitted by the beam emitter 33 extends through the bore 26 of the upper portion 22 and out of the mandrel 10. The final adjustment of the laser 30 concentricity is by set screws 32, 34 extending into an upper portion 22 of the housing 20 to further increase repeatability. Preferably, eight set screws 32, 34 are disposed within the housing to center the laser 30, and are locked in place by nylon thread lockers 36. The laser 30 is preferably a precision concentric laser.

[0023] O-rings 40, 42 are disposed at the top and bottom portions of the lower portion 24 of the housing 20. They preferably fit within grooves 27a, 27b that are disposed in the lower portion 24 and are sized to receive the o-rings 40, 42. These o-rings 40, 42 create an interference fit within the hosel bore 52 or around an extruded hosel 55, and preferably are made from a high durometer (90 A) polyurethane with properties to be used in high wear applications. The o-rings 40, 42 create uniform pressure or a uniform seal which centers the mandrel 10 within or around the hosel.

[0024] Preferably, multiple versions of the mandrel 10 of the present invention are created so that each hosel process has a mandrel 10 dedicated to it that allows the hosel process to obtain the tightest fit between mandrel 10 and hosel bore 52 or extruded hosel 55.

[0025] The mandrel 10 of the present invention is used to measure the loft and lie of a golf club head to ensure that it is made to specifications. As illustrated in FIG. 6, a method 100 of using the first embodiment of the mandrel 10 includes providing the mandrel 10 110 and providing a golf club head with an extruded hosel 120. The golf club head is clamped into a measuring device 130, and the hosel 55 is inserted into the hollow lower portion 24 of the mandrel 10 so the o-rings 40, 42 encircle the hosel 55 140 and create even pressure to ensure proper alignment. The mandrel is then used to measure the loft and/or lie of the golf club head 150.

[0026] A method 200 of using the second embodiment of the mandrel 10 is illustrated in FIG. 7. In this method, the second embodiment of the mandrel is provided 210, as is a golf club head with a hosel and hosel bore 52 220. The golf club head is clamped into a measuring device 230, and the lower portion 24 of the mandrel 10 is inserted into the hosel bore 52 so that the o-rings 40, 42 align the mandrel 10 within and with respect to the hosel and hosel bore 52 240. The o-rings 40, 42 create even pressure within the hosel bore 52 to ensure proper alignment. The laser 30 can be further adjusted to alignment using the set screws 32, 34. The mandrel is then used to measure the loft and/or lie of the golf club head 250.

[0027] The benefit of this invention is that hosels are aligned to target lie and loft. If the alignment is wrong, the resulting product does not confirm to the lie and loft to specification.

[0028] 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 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.