GB2399764A

GB2399764A - A golf ball teeing device

Info

Publication number: GB2399764A
Application number: GB0406747A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Edward Rupert Perrott; Gerard Mcgibney
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-03-26
Filing date: 2004-03-26
Publication date: 2004-09-29
Also published as: GB0406747D0

Abstract

A golf ball teeing device (1) is of compact, all-mechanical, rectangular construction which can be carried like a briefcase before use. A dispensing arm (10) incorporates a barrier (21) at its inner end, so that downward movement of the arm (10) causes a single ball to enter the arm and to be dispensed onto a tee (12). The tee (12) is fastened at a selected position to a base plate (14). Thus, as the plate (and hence the tee) and the dispensing arm (10) are precisely located relative to the housing (2) there is always excellent registration of the arm relative to the tee to the place a ball. The arm is operated by a player using his or her golf club, and so there is no need to bend one's back. Also, the supply of a ball into the arm (10) is an integral part of the operation of moving the arm (10) to the dispensing position.

Description

"A Wolf ball teeing device"

Introduction

The invention relates to golf ball teeing devices.

The problem of inconvenience and back strain for golfers on driving ranges caused by repeated picking and placing of golf balls has existed for many years.

Many teeing devices have been developed to address this problem by automatically or semi-automatically placing the balls. However these devices have not achieved widespread use, apparently because they are too complex and/or too expensive and/or unreliable.

The invention is therefore directed towards providing an improved golf ball teeing device to overcome some or all of these problems.

Statements of Invention

According to the invention, there is a golf ball teeing device comprising: a housing, a dispensing arm having a dispensing outlet, a ball supply for delivering balls into the arm; wherein the arm is movable from a retracted position to a dispensing position to deliver a ball onto a tee, said ball supply operating to deliver a À À À e Àe À À À À Àe eee À À À. À À e À À.

À À À e À À À À - 2 single ball into the arm upon movement of the arm to the dispensing position.

In one embodiment, the ball supply comprises a barrier secured to the arm at an inner end, and which moves with the arm.

In another embodiment, the barrier is configured to allow one ball into the arm when the arm is in the retracted position, and to block further balls until after the arm has moved in a cycle to the dispensing position and back to the retracted position.

In a further embodiment, the barrier is generally C-shaped as viewed in a side view of the dispensing arm.

In one embodiment, the ball supply comprises a chute and the arm extends substantially perpendicularly to the chute.

In another embodiment, the arm pivots from the retracted position to the dispensing position.

In a further embodiment, the arm is substantially vertical in the retracted position and substantially horizontal in the dispensing position.

In one embodiment, the arm lies alongside the housing when in the retracted position.

In another embodiment, the device comprises a return spring for returning the arm to the retracted position.

À À À Àe À À À À À À e. À À À À - À.:: À- À i:: À À À. À In a further embodiment, the spring acts on the arm on a side of its pivot joint opposed to that of the dispensing outlet.

In one embodiment, the spring is connected at one end to the barrier and at the other end to the housing.

In another embodiment, the arm comprises a handle to allow a player to use a golf club head to engage the arm so that it can be pulled to the dispensing position.

In a further embodiment, the handle comprises a pair of splayed bars.

In one embodiment, the device further comprises a base plate supporting a tee.

In another embodiment, the base plate is hinged to the housing.

In a further embodiment, the base plate further supports a mat around the tee.

In one embodiment, the tee is secured to the base plate by a removable fastener.

In another embodiment, the housing is of generally rectangular shape.

In a further embodiment, the ball supply further comprises a hopper feeding the chute.

In one embodiment, the dispensing arm is of tabular construction, having an elbow adjacent the dispensing outlet.

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Detailed Description of the Invention

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view from above of a golf ball teeing device of the invention; Figs. 2 to 5 are front, side, rear, and opposite side elevation views of the device; Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing movement of golf balls within the device; Figs. 7(a), 7(b), and 7(c) are a sequence of perspective views showing a ball being dispensed; and Figs. 8(a), 8(b), and 8(c) are a sequence of cross-sectional views showing a ball being dispensed, with details of the internal mechanisms being shown.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6 a golf ball teeing device 1 comprises a generally rectangular housing 2 above which there is a hopper 3 for receiving golf balls to be dispensed. The overall configuration is compact and slim, allowing the device to be conveniently carried in a manner akin to a briefcase.

e.e e À À À À À À À À À À À À À À- À - 5 The device 1 comprises chutes 20 and 15 along which balls travel from the hopper 3. Progress of balls along the chute is visible from the outside by virtue of a series of windows 4.

A dispensing arm 10 is mounted for rotation between an upper retracted position at which it has received a fresh ball from the chute 15, and a lower substantially horizontal position at which it dispenses a ball onto a tee 12.

The tee 12 and a mat 13 are mounted on a base plate 14. The base plate 14 is pivotally connected to the housing 2 for movement between an upper position alongside the housing 2 for carrying, and a horizontal position for use as shown in the drawings. The arm 10 comprises a pair of splayed short bars 11 which form a handle to allow engagement with a club head so that a user can pull the arm down to the dispensing position without need to bend over.

Referring to Figs. 7(a), 7(b), and 7(c) the device 1 is operated by a player using his or her club to pull down the arm 10, using the golf club. The arm 10 is pulled down from its uppermost position shown in Fig. 7(a), through an arc as shown in Fig. 7(b), and to the lowermost position shown in Fig. 7(c). At the latter position the opening of the arm 10 is directly over the tee 12, and the single ball which has travelled along the arm 10 is deposited on the tee. There is excellent and repeatable registry between the opening of the arm 10 and the tee 12 because the tee 12 is mounted on the base plate 14, which is in turn hinged to the housing 2.

Thus, the housing forms a frame to which the arm 10 and the plate 14 are hinged, for consistent ball placement. Another advantage arising from the fact that the tee is mounted on the plate 14 is that the device 1 avoids the need to separately provide a tee and mat for practice. The tee 12 is fastened to the plate 14 by a removable screw fastener, and so it may be easily replaced if damaged.

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À À À Àe À À e À À À À e.. e - 6 Referring to Figs. 8(a), 8(b), and 8(c) the arm 10 is hinged at a pin 20 to the housing 2. On the lower side of the pin 20 there is a barrier 21 of general C-shape as viewed when the arm 10 is in the upper position. The barrier 21 is narrower than the diameter of a golf ball, and so it blocks the balls in the chute as they descend at right angles to the arm upon movement of the arm 10 to the dispensing position. It is only when the arm 10 again returns to the upper position that the leading ball is free to move onto the barrier 21. At this position the space over the barrier 21 is only sufficient for a single ball.

This is a very robust and simple mechanism for controlling feeding of balls onto the arm 10. It is particularly advantageous that the operation of delivering a ball into the arm 10 is an integral part of the movement of the arm to the dispensing position and back to the retracted position. Also, this is achieved without need for any electrical parts, and even without need for the player to bend his or her back.

A return spring 22 biases the arm 10 back to its upper position without need for the player to take any action. Also, because the spring 22 is connected to the lower end of the arm 10 it is short and compact to achieve the desired return stroke of the arm 10.

Other arrangements within the scope of the invention are envisaged. For example, the ball supply chute may be spirally arranged in a generally cylindrical housing to deliver balls to the arm. Also, the arm may comprise an element which forms part of the floor of the end of the chute, and a barrier member immediately downstream of this element. As the arm descends, the element lifts the leading ball up and into the arm, also forming a barrier to .. * * . . . . > . * ... . . À À À * À . . * . ÀÀ . *À À* À À À.- À - 7 prevent more than one form entering the arm. In this arrangement the arm is preferably in line with the end of the chute.

It will be appreciated that the invention provides a teeing device which is of simple, robust, and compact construction. This is particularly advantageous as it is apparently because of complexity and susceptibly to damage that prior devices have not gained widespread usage.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described but may be varied in construction and detail.

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Claims

Claims 1. A golf ball teeing device comprising: a housing, a dispensing

arm having a dispensing outlet, a ball supply for delivering balls into the arm; wherein the arm is movable from a retracted position to a dispensing position to deliver a ball onto a tee, said ball supply operating to deliver a single ball into the arm upon movement of the arm to the dispensing position.
2. A golf ball teeing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ball supply comprises a barrier secured to the arm at an inner end, and which moves with the arm.
3. A golf ball teeing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the barrier is configured to allow one ball into the arm when the arm is in the retracted position, and to block further balls until after the arm has moved in a cycle to the dispensing position and back to the retracted position.
4. A golf ball teeing device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the barrier is generally C-shaped as viewed in a side view of the dispensing arm.

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5. A golf ball teeing device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the ball supply comprises a chute and the arm extends substantially perpendicularly to the chute.
6. A golf ball teeing device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the arm pivots from the retracted position to the dispensing position.
7. A golf ball teeing device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the arm is substantially vertical in the retracted position and substantially horizontal in the dispensing position.
8. A golf ball teeing device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the arm lies alongside the housing when in the retracted position.
9. A golf ball teeing device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the device comprises a return spring for returning the arm to the retracted position.
10. A golf ball teeing device as claimed in claim 6 to 9, wherein the spring acts on the arm on a side of its pivot joint opposed to that of the dispensing outlet.
11. A golf ball teeing device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the spring is connected at one end to the barrier and at the other end to the housing.
12. A golf ball teeing device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the arm comprises a handle to allow a player to use a golf club head to engage the arm so that it can be pulled to the dispensing position.

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13. A golf ball teeing device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the handle comprises a pair of splayed bars.
14. A golf ball teeing device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the device further comprises a base plate supporting a tee.
15. A golf ball teeing device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the base plate is hinged to the housing.
16. A golf ball teeing device as claimed in claim 14 or 15, wherein the base plate further supports a mat around the tee.
17. A golf ball teeing device as claimed in any of claims 14 to 16, wherein the tee is secured to the base plate by a removable fastener.
18. A golf ball teeing device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the housing is of generally rectangular shape.
19. A golf ball teeing device as claimed in any of claims 5 to 18, wherein the ball supply further comprises a hopper feeding the chute.
20. A golf ball teeing device as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the dispensing arm is of tabular construction, having an elbow adjacent the dispensing outlet.
21. A golf ball teeing device substantially as described with reference to the drawings.

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