AU748923B2 - Folding golf carts or buggies - Google Patents

Description

'i P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

*e e I~qle of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT ALLEN CLOVER PILGRIM ALLEN CLOVER PILGRIM Address for Service: Invention Title: CALLINAN LAWRIE, 711 High Street, Kew, 3101, Victoria, Australia "FOLDING GOLF CARTS OR BUGGIES" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- 7/1/99TD9644.CS,1 -2- This invention relates to folding golf carts or buggies.

Folding golf buggies are very popular with golfers as they can be readily stowed in the boot or trunk of an automobile. Typically, a buggy will include a horizontal base frame of a U-shaped construction and an angled U-shaped upright frame whose free ends are pivotally attached together by fasteners. The pivotal attachment allows the buggy to be folded and easily stowed for storage or transport. A hollow tube is welded across the arms of upright frame for attachment of wheels. Wheels include axle stubs which are inserted into the ends of the hollow tube and held fast by locking screws which protrude into the hollow tube. By unscrewing the locking screws the wheels can be easily removed. A handle is detachably mounted in a g- socket welded to the frame. A further socket receives a U-shaped support which cradles the golf bag. An example of a popular buggy is the Pilgrim Easi-fold deluxe buggy from Pilgrim Industries in Australia.

Problems with these buggies result from the detachable nature of the handle and the length of the handle. When packaging the buggy for distribution to sales outlets the container must be as long as the handle. As the handle is very thin a •°ooo large amount of unused space is occupied by the handle in the container. If the handle was as long as the folded buggy substantial savings in container volume and freight costs will be available. The mere shortening of the handle will result in a very impractical buggy as the buggy will be too close to the golfer when pulling same. The buggy will interfere with the golfer and cause considerable aggravation. The detachable nature of the handle can result in the handle being separated from the folded frame. It is easy to forget to stow the handle when preparing to go to the golf course which makes the buggy non-operable.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a folding golf buggy which alleviates the abovementioned problems.

7/1/99TD9644.SPE,-2- -3- With these object in view the present invention provides a folding golf cart or buggy of the type having at least a pair of cart wheels, a handle for moving and steering the cart or buggy and a bag support frame for holding a golf bag, said golf support frame including, in use, a horizontal base frame and an angled upright frame pivotally attached thereto to allow said golf cart or buggy to be folded for stowage, said handle being foldable to reduce the stowage size of said golf cart or buggy, said handle including two arm members pivotally mounted to one another in an offset parallel relationship in the unfolded position, said handle further including a locking member to maintain said handle in an extended unfolded position, when in use, and said locking member is slidably located over said one of said arm members and has a socket for reception of the end of said other of said arm members.

Preferably said handle is mounted to said angled upright frame in a slidably 15 adjustable manner.

coco In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:- 20 Fig. 1 is a side view of a golf bag buggy made in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a partial perspective view of the rear of the golf bag buggy shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the folding handle of the golf bag buggy "shown in Fig. 1; and 25 Fig. 4 is a side view of the golf bag buggy shown in Fig. 1 in the folded position.

In Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings there is shown a hand pulled golf buggy or golf cart 10. The golf buggy, except for handle 12, is readily available from a sports store and does not form part of the invention. Typically, buggy 10 will include a horizontal base frame 14 of a U-shaped construction and an angled U-shaped upright frame 16 whose free ends are pivotally attached together by fasteners 18. The pivotal attachment will allow the buggy 10 to be folded and easily stowed for storage or transport. A hollow tube 20 is welded across the arms of upright frame 16 for securement of wheels 22. Wheels 22 may include axle stubs (not shown) 03/09/01 ,td9644.spe.doc,3 which are inserted into the ends of hollow tube 20 and held fast by locking screws 26 which protrude into tube 20. By unscrewing locking screws 26 wheels 22 can be easily removed. A stand 28 or third wheel (not shown) provides a balance for golf buggy 10 when stationary. A socket 32 is welded to frame 16 and to cross brace 30. A further socket 34 receives a U-shaped support (not shown) which cradles a golf bag (not shown). Socket 34 is pivotally attached at 36 to a projection welded to socket 32. A locking screw 40 will ensure that the U-shaped support remains in place.

1" Handle 12 has two arm members 42,44 which are pivotally mounted to one 00.0 another. Arm member 42 pivots about pivot 50 between a pair of ears 46,48 to ooo• provide an offset parallel relationship with arm member 44 in the extended position.

A lock 52 is slidably located on arm member 42 and includes a socket 54 of complementary shape to the external periphery of arm member 44. A hand grip member 56 is attached to the free end of arm member 42 to allow a golfer to pull buggy 10 around the golf course.

S: Arm member 44, in this embodiment, is slidably located within sleeve 32 and ooo S clamped therein by thumb screw 58. Thumb screw 58 is threadably received in a 2Q: boss (not shown) on sleeve 32. Thumb screw 58 can be substituted by any other suitable clamping means, if desired. Arm member 44 may also be welded directly to frame 16 obviating the need for sleeve 32.

When used, buggy 10 will be as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Arm members 42,44 will be in a parallel offset position and lock 52 will slip over the free end of arm member 44 to lock arm members 42,44 in the fully extended position. When buggy 10 is to be stowed, lock 52 is slipped upwardly in the direction of arrow A (Fig. 1) to be free of arm member 44 as shown in Fig. 2. Arm member 42 can then be swung downwardly as shown by arrows B,C (Fig. 1) to the folded position shown in Fig.

4. To complete the folding action, base frame 14 can be pivoted relative to frame 7/1/99TD9644.SPE-4- 16 as shown by arrow D (Fig. 1) to the completely folded position shown in Fig. 4.

The folded length of buggy 10 can then be reduced further by loosening thumb screw 58 and sliding arm member 44 relative to sleeve 32. A stop member (not shown) can be placed at the end of arm member 44 remote from ears 46,48 to prevent separation of handle 12 from sleeve 32.

From the above it can be seen that the invention provides a compact folded unit without the difficulties of the prior art. It is clear that the preferred embodiment is not limited to the buggy shown in the drawings. Arm members 42,44 could be :60999 o hinged at their adjoining ends rather than the offset arrangement illustrated. Lock 52 can be substituted by a clamping arrangement or any other suitable means. The 000.

,,principles of the invention are also not restricted to the type of buggy illustrated.

°loo° The invention will be understood to embrace many further modifications as will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art and which will be deemed to reside within the broad scope and ambit of the invention, there having been set forth herein only the broad nature of the invention and a certain specific embodiment by -way of example.

•e•°o 7/I/99TD9644.SPE,-5-

Claims (3)

1. A folding golf cart or buggy of the type having at least a pair of cart wheels, a handle for moving and steering the cart or buggy and a bag support frame for holding a golf bag, said golf support frame including, in use, a horizontal base frame and an angled upright frame pivotally attached thereto to allow said golf cart or buggy to be folded for stowage, said handle being foldable to reduce the stowage size of said golf cart or buggy, said handle including two arm members pivotally mounted to one another in an offset parallel relationship in the unfolded position, said handle further including a locking member to maintain said handle in an extended unfolded position, when in use, and said locking member is slidably located over said one of said arm members and has a socket for reception of the end of said other of said arm members.

2. The folding golf cart or buggy as claimed in claim 1, wherein said 15 handle is mounted to said angled upright frame in a slidably adjustable manner. oo o

3. The folding golf cart or buggy as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein oooo one of said arm members is pivotally mounted between a pair of ears on the other of said arm members. 20 Dated this 3rd day of September, 2001. loo ALLEN CLOVER PILGRIM By his Patent Attorneys: o CALLINAN LAWRIE ooo 03/09/01 .td9644.spe.doc,6