US3331605A

US3331605A - Golf ball including diametrical concentrated weight plane

Info

Publication number: US3331605A
Application number: US460354A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert C Special
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-06-01
Filing date: 1965-06-01
Publication date: 1967-07-18
Anticipated expiration: 1984-07-18

Description

July 18, 1967 R c SPECIAL 3,331,605

GOLF BALL INCLUDING DiAMETRICAL CONCENTRATED WEIGHT PLANE Filed June 1, 1965 INVENTOR. E0554 7' C. JPEC/AL United States Patent 3,331,605 GOLF BALL INCLUDING DIAMETRICAL CONCENTRA'IED WEIGHT PLANE Robert C. Special, 5266 Almira Road, South Gate, Calif. 90280 Filed June 1, 1965, Ser. No. 460,354 2 Claims. (Cl. 273-213) This invention relates to a golf ball having a unique interior construction that causes the ball to maintain its line of flight in the air and its path of movement on the ground, it being an object of the invention to stabilize the flight and line of putt of a golf ball.

Conventional golf balls are similar in all sectional planes. Therefore, there is nothing in the interior of the ball that has any influence on the flight or path thereof. It will hook, slice or fly straight according to the manner in which it is struck. Hooked and sliced balls will fly straight until the speed of flight is sufficiently reduced to allow the hooking and slicing forces to become effective, due to the absence of any counter force.

An object of the invention is to provide a golf ball structure that embodies in its interior means that will exert a force or influence on the ball to rotate and turn the same in one specific direction and without deviation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a golf ball that will have increased spin to both lengthen its flight over conventional balls and providing improved control of the flight.

A further object of the invention is to provide a golf ball, as characterized, that has visual indication apprizing the golfer of the preferred line of flight or path of the ball.

This invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The above objects are realized in a golf ball that has a novel interior construction that will resist deviation in flight in that a rubber core is provided with Washer-like metal disc disposed on a diametral plane of the core, thereby providing a circular plane in the core that is heavier than other parts of the core. The outer face of the :ball is provided with a mark or other indication of the plane of said disc, thereby apprizing the golfer of the orientation of said disc with relation to the expected line of flight or path of roll of the ball.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description and which is based on the accompanying drawing. However, said drawing merely shows, and the following description merely describes, one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a golf ball according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view as taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view as taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

The golf ball that is illustrated comprises, generally, a core 5, a layer of highly tensioned, elastic rubber bands or threads 6 wrapped around the core and which is conventional in form and makeup, a tough cover 7 of rubber compound, also conventional, and a mark 8 on said cover and diametrically and circumferentially encircling the same and comprising a visual means to show the plane on which the core 5 is oriented.

3,331,605 Patented July 18, 1967 "ice It will be clear that the novelty of the present ball resides in the construction of the core 5 and in the mark 8 that, from the outside, shows the orientation of the core. The layer 6 and the cover 6 may be formed in any of the well-known ways common to golf ball construction.

The core 5 comprises a Washer-like disc 10 that has a central hole 11 and is preferably made of spring steel. The outer periphery 12 of this disc is round, the same being accurately concentric with the hole. For balls having the oflicial maximum weight of 1.62 ounces and minimum diameter of 1.68 inches, the disc may be 1 1 inches in diameter, and have a thickness of & inch, with the hole 11 having a diameter of inch.

Bonded to said disc 10 is a sphere of solid rubber 13 of limited elasticity, as is common for the cores of conventional golf balls. Said sphere is approximately the same diameter as the disc 10, the material thereof extending through the hole 11 to hold the opposite halves of the sphere integrally connected. Other moldable, non-metaL lic materials, such as nylon and styrene, may be used in stead of rubber for the sphere 13.

It will be clear that the diameter occupied by the disc 10 is heavier than any other diameter taken through sphere 13, since the material of the disc is approximately seven times heavier than the rubber or other material of the sphere.

Since it is not the mass that is significant, but the distribution of mass (references: Huygens Movements of Inertia and Newtons Laws of Rotation), the added concentration of Weight in the disc 11 will cause the ball, when struck, to rotate in one specific direction, i.e., the direction in the plane of rotation of the disc.

The mark 8 on the cover is placed in coplanar relationship with the disc 10 and may comprise any visual indicator of the disposition of said disc. It may be a colored mark or one that is formed as a continuous depression or interrupted depression diametrically of and circumferentially encircling the cover.

It will be clear that, whether a wood or iron club or a putter is used, and the point at which the club or putter is aimed is on any part of the mark 8, the heavier mass of the disc 10 will cause the ball to revolve or roll in one set direction, i.e., a direction line that is in the plane of said disc. Of course, the ball should be lined up for compensation for the slopes of a green, when putting, as is common practice, but the present ball structure gives assurance of a true roll, taking such compensation into account.

While the foregoing has illustrated and described what is now contemplated to be the best mode of carrying out the invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A golf ball comprising a core and an outer cover, circumferential indicating means on said cover, said core being centrally disposed within said cover and consisting essentially of,

a spherical mass of solid elastic, non-metallic material and a continuous metallic disc coplanar with said circumferential indicating means extending diametrically and embedded in said mass of material, the material of said disc being substantially heavier than said non-metallic material to thereby provide a diametrical plane of concentrated weight, said circumferential indicating means providing means for orienting said diametrical plane in a desired direction.

7 Y W 7 3 4 hajaieit r l li li i d ai lazfi mite f sx e gz 31:3 FOREIGN PATENTS said hole and connects the portions of the mass on oppo- 5 343 1902 G t B itain, Site Sides the disc 7 r 16,338 1903 Great Britain. References Cited 5 18,233 1895 Great Britain.

' UNITED STA'FES PATENTS RICHARD c. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 13:33 33;; 3:3z&3; 3:2222- 2,709,595 5/1955 De Vries 273183 10

Claims

1. A GOLF BALL COMPRISING A CORE AND AN OUTER COVER, CIRCUMFERENTIAL INDICATING MEANS ON SAID COVER, SAID CORE BEING CENTRALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID COVER AND CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF, A SPHERICAL MASS OF SOLID ELASTIC, NON-METALLIC MATERIAL AND A CONTINUOUS METALLIC DISC COPLANAR WITH SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL INDICATING MEANS EXTENDING DIAMETRICALLY AND EMBEDDED IN SAID MASS OF MATERIAL, THE MATERIAL OF SAID DISC BEING SUBSTANTIALLY HEAVIER THAN SAID NON-METALLIC MATERIAL TO THEREBY PROVIDE A DIAMETRICAL PLANE OF CONCENTRATED WEIGHT, SAID CIRCUMFERENTIAL INDICATING MEANS PROVIDING MEANS FOR ORIENTING SAID DIAMETRICAL PLANE IN A DESIRED DIRECTION.