US1669053A - Apparatus for positioning elastic tubular coverings on the handles of playing clubs - Google Patents

Description

May a, 192%. 1,669,053

W. HAMEL APPARATUS FOR POSIT ING ELASTIC TUBULAR COVERINGS ON THE HANDLES OF PLAYING CLUBS Filed Sept. 13. 1.926 2 Sheets-Sheet 3 Im/ewr May 8, 1928, L669JJ53 C. W. HAMEL APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING ELASTIC TUBULAR COVERINGS Obi THE HANDLES OF PLAYING CLUBS Filed Sept. 1.5. 1.926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0% w A Zh;ZZ/6/ZZ/ 0/ amma 7766 Patented May 8, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. HAMEL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING ELASTIC TUBULAR COVERINGS ON THE HANDLES OI PLAYING CLUBS.

Application filed September 18, 1926. Serial No. 135,162.

This invention relates to novel method-of and apparatus for positioning elastic tubular coverings such as rubber sleeve grips on golf clubs and parts thereof and the handles of other playing clubs.

Golf clubs are generally provided with leather grips, these gri s are smooth and become slippery due to t e perspiration of the hands and require the player to hold the club tightly 1n his hands. To eliminate these objectionable features a rubber sleeve or grip has come into use, such grip being slipped over the leather covering and held in position thereon by its own resiliency. A rubber grip enables the player to more securely hold the club without unduly straining the hands of the player, is not afiected by moisture and the outer surfaces thereof can be roughened and. given any desired It is the object ofthis invention to pro-' vide simple and inexpensive means for placing an elastic tubular covering such as a rubber sleeve on the handle of a playing club whereby said sleeve will be firmly held in position and will not turn or slip when in use.

Other objects of the invention are to provide simple means forexpandingthe rubber sleeve in orderto permit the insertion of the handle of the playing club therethroughand then removing sald means so as to allow said rubber sleeveto be retained in proper position on said club in an expanded Condition so that it will be secured against accidental "displacement by its own resiliency.

With these and other objects in view,my

invention consistsin certain novel features of construction andarrangement of parts,

hereinafter more fully f described and claimed, and illustrated in 'the' accompany-f 'ing drawings,'in which- Figure 1 "s a lolgltu dinal cross section thre sh' m ap a atus s w n h [g -9 f a golf club in dotted lines in readiness to be inserted into the rubber sleeve.

Figure 2 is a similar view but showing the grip in full lines in position with the rubber sleeve partially released.

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of my apparatus.

Figure 4c is a perspective detail view of a cone-shaped member utilized to expand the rubber sleeve.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the apparatus used in connection with a rubber sleeve to be used to cover and protect the inner end of the grip.

Figure 6 is an end elevational view of a modified form of my apparatus.

Figure 7 is a horizontal cross section taken on lines 7--7 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a vertical cross section taken through a detachable support used in conjunction with my apparatus.

Figure 9 is a front elevational view of same.

Figure 10 is a section taken vertically on line 1010 of Figure 8.

Figure 11 is an end elevational view of a modified form of my apparatus.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 10 indicates a ring provided with a central opening 11 of sufiicient size to allow passage therethrough of the grip 12 of a golf club 13 and provided in its edge I fcient clearancebetween the ring 10 and said sleeve for're'ceiving grip 12 and a plunger 18' which is a. truncatedcone member provided on its periphery with series'of longi:

tudinallyj'disposed grooves 19 which are adaptedlto be trave'rsed' by rods 15. This member 18 is placed between rods 1 15 with the latter 'occ'upying v grooves 19 and .with

the smallend'offsaid truncated cone member 'po'intin I towards sleeve/17. I Golf club 13 is then inserted through opening ll'between rods 15 with the butt end of grip 12 bearing against the large end of member 18. Pressure is then applied to the golf club while ring is held stationary thereby forcin member 18 forwardly into sleeve 17 an therethrough. During the passage of member 18 forwardly, sleeve 17 is expanded and is held in this expanded position by rods 15, one of their ends being held by ring 10 while the opposite ends bear against member 18. When member 18 is passed through sleeve 17, grip 12 will occupy the position shown in Figure 2 so that by withdrawing rods 15 sleeve 17 will contract and firmly engage said grip.

In the form shown in Figure 5, a shortsleeve 20 is shown being positioned on the twine-covered portion 21 of grip 22. In the form shown in Figures 6 and 7, a modified form of apparatus is illustrated for positioning the rubber sleeve on the golf club, said form comprising box-shaped support 24 open at both ends and provided in its walls with apertures 25 through which pass screws 26 on the outer ends of which are 29 of brackets 28 and screws 26 are moved inwardly to allow rods 30 to pass through said sleeve while being positioned in the apertured ends 29. Wing nuts 27 are now operated so as to bring screws 26 outwardly thereby bringing rods 30 away from the axis of the device and expanding sleeve 31 sufficiently to allow the insertion of the golf' club therethrough as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. When the golf club is properly positioned with respect to the rubber sleeve, rods 30 are withdrawn from their positions thereby releasing said sleeve so that the'latter will engage the golf club.

In Figures 8 and 9 is illustrated the preferred form of a support for ring 10. This comprises a casting 34 having an adjustable screw35 by means of which it can be detachably secured to a table or work bench 36 as shown. Extending upwardly from support 34 is a segmental portion 37 provided with a semi-circular flanged seat 38 adapted to receive the lower portion of ring .10. A complementary segmental member 39 provided with a flanged seat 40 is hinged at 41 to member 37 and is adapted to engage the upper half of the ring and lock the latter in position.

The free end of member 39 is adapted to be secured in closed position by any suitable means such as a. screw 42 which is pivotally mounted at 44 to member 37 and is adapted to be moved upwardly through a slot 45 formed in said free end. A wing nut 46 is threaded on screw 42 and is adapted to be screwed down and clamp the member 39 in closed position. Members 37 and 39 in addition to forming a support for ring 10 also serve to retain rods 15 in notches 14 so that said rods 15 can not become displaced from ring 10.

A rod 47 is slidably seated in member 34 a suitable distance below semi-circular seat 38 and is provided at its rear end with a hopper 48 which is'preferably U-shaped in cross section and is adapted to receive plunger 18 when the latter is released by rods 15. The hopper 48 has an upwardly presented portion 48 which intersects the axis of the sleeve and forms an adjustable stop for plunger 18 so as to prevent movement of grip 12 beyond its proper position with re spect to sleeve 17. Rod 47 is held in adjusted' position by a screw 49 screw-seated in member 34 and having one end engaging said rod 47.

In the form shown in Figure 11 a ring 10 is formed integral with a support 15 and the latter is detachably secured to table or bench 51, by suitable attaching means 52.

The grooves 19 in plunger 18 are comparative'ly shallow being used merely as a guide fonplunger 18 and the rods 15 extend gitudinally through said sleeve the move-' ment of the plunger causing lateral expansion of said sleeve 17.'

The diameters of rods 15 with respect to grooves 19 is such that rods 15 extend be- .yond the periphery of plunger 18 in order to reduce the frictional contact between tubular member 17 and said plunger and facilitate the passage of the latter therethrough.

My apparatus enables the use of tubular resilient members of comparative small diameters relative to the handle of the playing club, whereby when said tubular member is released on said club it is held thereon securely and all danger of slippage is eliminated.

By using my apparatus, the tubular members can be quickly positioned on the golf club in an efficientmanner and the apparatus is so arranged that it can be readily set up for use in a store, shop and other places and taken down when not in use. No other tools are needed to operate my device and the latter does not requireexperienced operators, but can be used by any person.

While I have shown and described my in vention as applied to golf clubs, it is to be understood that my invention can be .used

for positioning elastic coverings on the handles of various playing clubs and other implements without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim: 1

1. An apparatus of the class described comprising a Stationary support provided with a central opening,a series of rods carried by said support and arranged in spaced relationwith each other and with said opening, said rods being adapted to be remova bly inserted in an elastic tubular covering, and means insertable through said opening in said support for moving said rods laterally, thereby expanding said tubular covering and allowing the insertion of the handle of a playing club through said support into said tubular'covering.

2. An apparatus of theclass described comprising a1 stationary support provided with a central opening, a series of rods removably carried by said support and arranged in spaced circumferential" relation about said opening, said rods being adapted to have positioned thereon an elastic tubular member, and a releasable member insertable through said opening between said rods for moving the same laterally .to expand said tubular member and allow the positioning thereinto of the'handle of aclub.

3. An apparatus of the class described comprising a stationary support provided with a central opening, a series of rods seated in said support and spaced equidistant aboutthe axis of said opening, said rods being adapted to pass through a resilient tubular member, and means for moving said rods laterally to expand said tubular member and permit a portion of a golf club to be inserted thereinto, said rods being removable from saidtubular member to allow the latter to engage said golf club.

4. An apparatus of the class described comprising a stationary support having a central axially disposed opening, a series'of rods removably seated in said support and in spaced'concentric relation with the axis 1 of said support, said rods being adapted to pass through a resilent tubular member, and releasable'means for moving said rods laterally to increase the diameter of said tubular member so as to permit positionin of a portion of a playing club through sai central opening in said support into said tubular member, said rods being removable to release said tubular member and allow it to eiwage under tension said club,

5. apparatus of the class described comprising a stationary support provided with a central opening, a series of rods removably seated in said support and arranged in spaced concentric relation with the axis of said opening, said rods being adapted to pass through a resilient tubular member, releasable means for moving said rods laterally to -increase the diameter of said tubular member so as to permit positioning of a portion of a playing club through the opening in said support into said tubular member, said rods being removable to release said tubular member and allow it to engage under tension said club, and means for securing said support in a stationary position.

.6. An apparatus of the class described comprising a stationary support provided with a central opening, a series of rods adapted to be inserted in a resilient tubular member, means-on said support for holding said rods in spaced relation with each other and. with the axis of "said central opening,

and releasable means for moving said rods laterally to expand said tubular member so as to permit positioning-of a golf club with- .in said tubular member, said rods being removable so as to release said tubular'mem her in position on said golf club. 7. An apparatus of the class described comprising a stationary support provided with a central opening, a series of rods havingone of their ends removably seated in said support in spaced relation with each other and with the axis ofsaid central opening, said rods extendmg longitudinally from said support and being adapted to member, and means insertable between said rods and through said tubular member so as to move said rods centrifugally to expand said tubular member and allow the insertion therethrough of a portion of a playing club, said rods beingremovable so as to release said tubular member and allow it to resil iently engage said club.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signaturethis 28 da of August, 1926.

i CHA LES W. HAMEL.

I have positioned thereon an elastic tubular

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