GB2080121A - A golf tee - Google Patents

Abstract

A golf tee has the tip and at least part of the shank made of aluminium or magnesium alloy or an alloy of one or both and may have a rubber O-ring at its upper external rim. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A golf tee This invention relates to a golf tee.

It has been proposed to make golf tees of wood and synthetic plastics materials.

Wooden tees are often somewhat brittle, and so break easily if inadvertently struck with the golf club. Plastics tees do not suffer from this disadvantage but are less rigid and so tend to crumple when thrust into hard ground, such as frosty ground or sun-baked ground.

According to the present invention, there is provided a golf tee of which at least a part of the stem and the pointed tip is made of aluminium or magnesium or an alloy of one or other or both.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the tee includes an O-ring of rubber or plastics material at its upper external rim.

The cup portion of the tee may be of the same material as the stem and the tip but alternatively may be of synthetic plastics material. In this case the stem may have an internal blind hole therein into which the plastics is placed, e.g. in a moulding operation.

The invention will be better understood from the following description of three illustrative embodiments, given with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of one example of golf tee according to the invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation of a second example of golf tee according to the invention; and Figure 3 is a side elevation of a third example of golf tee according to the invention.

The tee illustrated in Fig. 1 has a cupshaped head 10, a stem 12, and a pointed tip 14 which are all integral and are made of aluminium or aluminium alloy. The tee may be but need not necessarily be made by machining (preferably automically) from aluminium rod stock of circular section. A peripheral groove 1 6 is located at the upper external rim of the tee (i.e. around the rim of the cup) and a rubber O-ring 11 is placed therein.

Alternatively a synthetic plastics O-ring may be used. The purpose of this O-ring is to cushion the impact of the club head on the tee, thereby largely preventing damage either to the club head or the tee.

The tee illustrated in Fig. 2 has an aluminium tip 24 and a shank 23 integral with a cup-shaped head 25. The shank or stem is preferably of circular cross-section. The head and shank 25, 23 are of synthetic plastics material. The plastics shank is illustrated as about four times the length of the tip 24 but this is not essential. In Fig. 2, the shank 23 has a cylindrical hole 26 in which a spigot 27 on the lower shank portion extends as a push fit.

In another embodiment, illustrated in Fig.

3, the tip 34 and about 3/4 of the length of the shank (i.e. shank portion 36) are of aluminium or magnesium or an alloy of either or both, and the cup 35 is of synthetic plastics material and is integral with a short length 37 of shank. In such a construction either the short or long shank portion may have a spigot extending therefrom to fit into a blind hole in the long or short shank portion as the case may be. As illustrated, a plastics spigot 39 extends into a cylindrical blind hole 40 in the metal shank 36. The spigot is a push fit into the hole. The cup shaped head of the tee may then be readily replaced if it becomes damaged.

It will be seen that there has been disclosed herein a tee which is particularly suitable for use in hard ground and is of attractive appearance.

1. A golf tee having a head, a stem or shank and a tip in which the tip and at least part of the shank are made of aluminium or magnesium or an alloy of one or both of these.

2. A tee according to claim 1 in which the head as an external rubber or plastics O-ring thereon.

3. A tee according to claim 1 in which the head and a part of the shank are integral and of synthetic plastics material and the remainder of the shank and the tip are integral and of metal.

4. A golf tee substantially as herein particularly described with reference to and as illustrated in Fig. 1, or Fig. 2, or Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (4)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION A golf tee This invention relates to a golf tee. It has been proposed to make golf tees of wood and synthetic plastics materials. Wooden tees are often somewhat brittle, and so break easily if inadvertently struck with the golf club. Plastics tees do not suffer from this disadvantage but are less rigid and so tend to crumple when thrust into hard ground, such as frosty ground or sun-baked ground. According to the present invention, there is provided a golf tee of which at least a part of the stem and the pointed tip is made of aluminium or magnesium or an alloy of one or other or both. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the tee includes an O-ring of rubber or plastics material at its upper external rim. The cup portion of the tee may be of the same material as the stem and the tip but alternatively may be of synthetic plastics material. In this case the stem may have an internal blind hole therein into which the plastics is placed, e.g. in a moulding operation. The invention will be better understood from the following description of three illustrative embodiments, given with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of one example of golf tee according to the invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation of a second example of golf tee according to the invention; and Figure 3 is a side elevation of a third example of golf tee according to the invention. The tee illustrated in Fig. 1 has a cupshaped head 10, a stem 12, and a pointed tip 14 which are all integral and are made of aluminium or aluminium alloy. The tee may be but need not necessarily be made by machining (preferably automically) from aluminium rod stock of circular section. A peripheral groove 1 6 is located at the upper external rim of the tee (i.e. around the rim of the cup) and a rubber O-ring 11 is placed therein. Alternatively a synthetic plastics O-ring may be used. The purpose of this O-ring is to cushion the impact of the club head on the tee, thereby largely preventing damage either to the club head or the tee. The tee illustrated in Fig. 2 has an aluminium tip 24 and a shank 23 integral with a cup-shaped head 25. The shank or stem is preferably of circular cross-section. The head and shank 25, 23 are of synthetic plastics material. The plastics shank is illustrated as about four times the length of the tip 24 but this is not essential. In Fig. 2, the shank 23 has a cylindrical hole 26 in which a spigot 27 on the lower shank portion extends as a push fit. In another embodiment, illustrated in Fig. 3, the tip 34 and about 3/4 of the length of the shank (i.e. shank portion 36) are of aluminium or magnesium or an alloy of either or both, and the cup 35 is of synthetic plastics material and is integral with a short length 37 of shank. In such a construction either the short or long shank portion may have a spigot extending therefrom to fit into a blind hole in the long or short shank portion as the case may be. As illustrated, a plastics spigot 39 extends into a cylindrical blind hole 40 in the metal shank 36. The spigot is a push fit into the hole. The cup shaped head of the tee may then be readily replaced if it becomes damaged. It will be seen that there has been disclosed herein a tee which is particularly suitable for use in hard ground and is of attractive appearance. CLAIMS

1. A golf tee having a head, a stem or shank and a tip in which the tip and at least part of the shank are made of aluminium or magnesium or an alloy of one or both of these.

2. A tee according to claim 1 in which the head as an external rubber or plastics O-ring thereon.

3. A tee according to claim 1 in which the head and a part of the shank are integral and of synthetic plastics material and the remainder of the shank and the tip are integral and of metal.

4. A golf tee substantially as herein particularly described with reference to and as illustrated in Fig. 1, or Fig. 2, or Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings.