US3841641A — Putter

Claim 1

Independent Claim 207 words

A putter for use on a putting green, comprising a shaft having an axis, a head at one end of said shaft, said head including a front face for striking a golf ball and two pivot points opposite said front face, there being a first predetermined angle between said front face and a straight line through said pivot points, said head including a bottom surface having a portion which is tangent to an imaginary surface that coincides with the surface of the putting green when the putter assumes a predetermined ball-addressing position, there being a second predetermined angle between the axis of said shaft and a normal to said imaginary surface, said first and second predetermined angles being substantially equal and being substantially greater than zero degrees, whereby said putter is used by first positioning it in a prone position so that said pivot points are on the green and said shaft is aligned with a proposed direction of travel of a golf ball and then pivoting said putter about said pivot points to said predetermined balladdressing position in which said bottom surface portion is on the green, thereby automatically causing said front face to be perpendicular to the proposed direction of travel of said golf ball.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 207 words

A putter for use on a putting green, comprising a shaft having an axis, a head at one end of said shaft, said head including a front face for striking a golf ball and two pivot points opposite said front face, there being a first predetermined angle between said front face and a straight line through said pivot points, said head including a bottom surface having a portion which is tangent to an imaginary surface that coincides with the surface of the putting green when the putter assumes a predetermined ball-addressing position, there being a second predetermined angle between the axis of said shaft and a normal to said imaginary surface, said first and second predetermined angles being substantially equal and being substantially greater than zero degrees, whereby said putter is used by first positioning it in a prone position so that said pivot points are on the green and said shaft is aligned with a proposed direction of travel of a golf ball and then pivoting said putter about said pivot points to said predetermined balladdressing position in which said bottom surface portion is on the green, thereby automatically causing said front face to be perpendicular to the proposed direction of travel of said golf ball.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 13 words

The putter set forth in claim 1, wherein said shaft is substantially straight.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 19 words

The putter set forth in claim 1, and further comprising a grip at the other end of said shaft.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 33 words

The putter set forth in claim 1, wherein said head has a heel and a toe and said shaft is attached to said head at a region between said heel and said toe.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 21 words

The putter set forth in claim 1, wherein the center of gravity of said head is below the geographical midpoint thereof.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 39 words

The putter set forth in claim 1, wherein said head has a heel and a toe which are curved in the direction toward said shaft so as to be curved upwardly when said putter is in said ball-addressing position.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 34 words

The putter set forth in claim 1, wherein the rear portion of said bottom surface is flared toward said shaft to reduce the area of contact of said bottom surface with the putting green.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 17 words

The putter set forth in claim 1, wherein said first and second predetermined angles are about 20*.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 205 words

A putter for use on a putting green, comprising a shaft having an axis, a head at one end of said shaft, said head including a front face for striking a golf ball and a rear face, there being a first predetermined angle between said front face and said rear face, said head including a bottom surface having a portion which is tangent to an imaginary surface that coincides with the surface of the putting green when the putter assumes a predetermined ball-addressing position, there being a second predetermined angle between the axis of said shaft and a normaL to said imaginary surface, said first and second predetermined angles being substantially equal and being substantially greater than zero degrees, whereby said putter is used by first positioning it in a prone position so that said rear face is on the green and said shaft is aligned with said proposed direction of travel of a golf ball and then pivoting said putter to said predetermined ball-addressing position about the juncture between said rear face and the bottom surface until said bottom surface portion is on he green, thereby automatically causing said front face to be perpendicular to the proposed direction of travel of said golf ball.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 205 words

A putter for use on a putting green, comprising a shaft having an axis, a head at one end of said shaft, said head including a front face for striking a golf ball and a rear face, there being a first predetermined angle between said front face and said rear face, said head including a bottom surface having a portion which is tangent to an imaginary surface that coincides with the surface of the putting green when the putter assumes a predetermined ball-addressing position, there being a second predetermined angle between the axis of said shaft and a normaL to said imaginary surface, said first and second predetermined angles being substantially equal and being substantially greater than zero degrees, whereby said putter is used by first positioning it in a prone position so that said rear face is on the green and said shaft is aligned with said proposed direction of travel of a golf ball and then pivoting said putter to said predetermined ball-addressing position about the juncture between said rear face and the bottom surface until said bottom surface portion is on he green, thereby automatically causing said front face to be perpendicular to the proposed direction of travel of said golf ball.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 86 words

The putter set forth in claim 9, wherein a recess is formed in said rear face to accommodate at least a portion of the golf ball, whereby the putter may be aligned by placing it in front of the golf ball so that a portion of the golf ball is in said recess in such a manner that the front face is perpendicular to the proposed direction of travel, whereafter said head may be shifted to a position immediately behind the golf ball preparatory to putting.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 18 words

The putter set forth in claim 9, wherein said rear face includes two relatively-small coplanar and spaced regions.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 47 words

The putter set forth in claim 11, and further comprising a recess in said rear face, the rear of said bottom surface being upwardly flared in the region of said recess to minimize the thickness of said portion of said bottom surface that contacts the putting green.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-10-14	1978-04-15	1978-10-15	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-10-14	1982-04-15	1982-10-15	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-10-14	1986-04-15	1986-10-15	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Putter

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