Fairway wood with titanium face member

Abstract

A fairway wood head comprises a stainless steel body and a cup-shaped titanium alloy face member attached by silver-nickel brazing to the body. The face member is preferably of variable thickness, being thicker at it's center than at it's outer periphery. Weights are attached at the toe and heel, respectively, of the body, to resist twisting of the head during an off-center hit. Weights are attached in the sole of the body on opposite sides of a front-to-rear center line of the head to lower the center of gravity of the head. The head has a hosel which includes a stainless steel inner portion and a titanium alloy outer sleeve portion disposed around and attached to the inner portion.

1 . A fairway wood comprising a body and a face member attached to a front side of the body, the face member including a front portion and a rim projecting rearwardly from an outer periphery of the front portion, the front portion defining a front face of the wood, a rear portion of the rim being bonded to a seat of the body, wherein the body comprises stainless steel and the face member comprises a titanium alloy, wherein a rear end edge of the rim is bonded to the seat of the body by silver-nickel brazing.  
   
   
       2 . The fairway wood according to  claim 1  wherein the face member comprises beta titanium.  
   
   
       3 . The fairway wood according to  claim 2  wherein the beta titanium is a 15-3-3-3-beta titanium alloy.  
   
   
       4 . The fairway wood according to  claim 1  wherein the front portion of the face member is thicker at a center region thereof than at an outer peripheral portion thereof.  
   
   
       5 . The fairway wood according to  claim 4  wherein the thickness of the front portion gradually increases from the outer peripheral portion to the central portion.  
   
   
       6 . The fairway wood according to  claim 1  wherein the seat is bordered inwardly by a forwardly projecting ridge of the body.  
   
   
       7 . The fairway wood according to  claim 6  wherein the seat comprises a recess formed in one of the body and the rim, and a rib formed on the other of the body and the rim and received in the recess.  
   
   
       8 . The fairway wood according to  claim 1  further comprising first and second weights mounted in a sole of the body on opposite sides of a horizontal front-to-rear centerline of the body.  
   
   
       9 . The fairway wood according to  claim 8  further comprising third and fourth weights mounted in a toe portion and a heel portion, respectively, of the body.  
   
   
       10 . The fairway wood according to  claim 1  wherein the body comprises stainless steel, and further including a hosel comprising a stainless steel cylindrical inner portion defined by part of the body, and a cylindrical outer sleeve portion telescoped onto and bonded to the inner portion, the outer portion formed of a titanium alloy.  
   
   
       11 . The fairway wood according to  claim 1  wherein the body includes a sole, a front portion of the sole being flat and horizontal; a rear portion of the sole being inclined upwardly and rearwardly from a location substantially midway between front and rear ends of the body.  
   
   
       12 . A fairway wood comprising a body, a face member attached to a front side thereof, and four weights mounted in the body; first and second ones of the weights being mounted in a sole of the body on opposite sides of a horizontal front-to-rear centerline of the body; third and fourth ones of the weights being mounted in toe and heel portions, respectively, of the body.  
   
   
       13 . The fairway wood according to  claim 12  wherein the body comprises stainless steel, the face member comprises a titanium alloy, and the four weights comprise a titanium alloy.  
   
   
       14 . A fairway wood comprising a body and a face member attached to a front side thereof, the body including a sole, a front portion of the sole being flat and horizontal; a rear portion of the sole being inclined upwardly and rearwardly from a location substantially midway between front and rear ends of the body.  
   
   
       15 . A fairway wood comprising a body, a face member attached to a front side thereof, wherein the body comprises stainless steel, and further including a hosel comprising a stainless steel cylindrical inner portion defined by part of the body, and cylindrical outer portion telescoped onto and bonded to the inner portion, the outer portion formed of a titanium alloy.  
   
   
       16 . A fairway wood comprising a stainless steel body and a titanium alloy face member attached to a front side of the body, the face member including a front portion and a rim projecting rearwardly from an outer periphery of the front portion, the front portion defining a front face of the wood, a rear portion of the rim being bonded to a seat of the body by silver-nickel brazing, wherein the front portion of the face member is thicker at a center region thereof than an outer peripheral region thereof, first and second weights mounted in a sole of the body on opposite sides of a horizontal front-to-rear centerline of the body, and third and fourth weights mounted in toe and heel portions, respectively, of the body.  
   
   
       17 . The fairway wood according to  claim 16  wherein the body comprises stainless steel, and further including a hosel comprising a stainless steel cylindrical inner portion defined by part of the body, and a cylindrical outer portion telescoped onto and bonded to the inner portion, the outer sleeve portion formed of a titanium alloy.  
   
   
       18 . The fairway wood according to  claim 16  wherein the body includes a sole, a front portion of the sole being flat and horizontal; a rear portion of the sole being inclined upwardly and rearwardly from a location substantially midway between front and rear ends of the body.