EP0002921B1

EP0002921B1 - Improvements in automatic golf teeing devices

Info

Publication number: EP0002921B1
Application number: EP78300849A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Rupert Harry Colin Loof
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1977-12-16
Filing date: 1978-12-18
Publication date: 1981-08-12
Also published as: EP0002921A1; JPS5497122A; DE2860965D1; NZ189171A; ZA7998B

Description

This invention relates to golf-ball teeing apparatus and more particularly to improvements therein. The usual method of practising golf shots, for example, on a practising range, is for a player to bend down and press a golf-tee a certain distance into the ground and thereafter position a ball on the tee.
A device was proposed in Australian Patent No. 465,594 which eliminated this tedious method, however- the device described therein was complex and was not reliable due to complexity thereof and the tolerances within which parts of the device had to operate if it was to be effective. In particular, the tee of this prior device was mounted on a pivoted member whereby ball feed was controlled by vertical movement of the tee, which resulted, under certain circumstances, in loss of the ball from the tee due to movement of the member.
The object of the present invention is to provide a golf-ball teeing apparatus which substantially overcomes the above disadvantages.
This object is achieved by the golf-ball teeing! apparatus defined in claim 1.
A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a golf-ball teeing apparatus;
Fig. 2 is a further side elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a part sectioned end elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 1 sectioned along the line III-III;
Fig. 4 is an end elevation of a motion damping device employed in the device of Fig. 1; and
Fig. 5 schematically depicts a tee and golf- ball delivery receptacle depositing a ball on the tee.

The golf-ball teeing apparatus 10 includes a magazine 14 to receive a plurality of balls 15 which balls 15 are to be delivered one at a time to the tee 16 via the receptacle 17 attached to the arm 13. The device 10 further includes a frame 11 with vertically extending parts 12 which pivotally support the arm 13 via bearings 39 and shaft 38. To adjustably balance the arm 13, so that a ball 15A located in the receptacle 17 causes pivoting movement of the arm 13, there is provided a counter-weight 18 and adjustment screw 19 to fix the counter-weight 18 to the arm 13. The counter-weight 18 also biases the arm 13 to the ball receiving position of Fig. 1. The receptacle 17 includes a sloping floor portion 20 so that when the arm 13 is in a horizontal position the sloping floor portion 20 biases the ball 15A toward the hole 21 formed in the receptacle 17.
Fixed to the frame 11 is a flexible tee 16 upon which a ball 15A is to be placed.
In an alternative embodiment the tee 16 could be pivotally mounted and biased to an upright position by means of a spring. Extending from the tee 16 is a cable 22 which passes around pulleys 23 and 24 to be connected to arm 25 pivotally attached to the frame 11 by projection 26 and pin 40. Fixed to one end of the arm 25 is counter-weight 27 while the other end includes an upward projecting part forming a first gate 28 to retain the ball 15B in position.
Also fixed to the frame 11 is a second gate 29 at the top of shaft 36 which is slidably guided within recessed parts 30 fixed to the frame 11. The gate 29 is provided with a stop 34 to limit downward movement thereof. The shaft 36 is adapted to be engaged by the arm 13 upon movement of the arm 13 beyond a predetermined angular position fro,ii the ball receiving position depicted in Fig. 1. Upon arm 13 passing this predetermined position the bottom end portion of shaft 36 is engaged by the arm 13 to raise the gate 29 to allow a ball 15C to roll forward and engage gate 28. However, it should be appreciated that the gate 29 is only raised upon movement of the arm 13 which movement results from the ball 15A being placed in the receptacle 17 and accordingly the position immediately behind the gate 28 is vacant and ready to receive the ball 15C.
The movement of arm 13 is controlled by a motion damping spring 31 and cushioned stop 32. The spring 31 frictionally engages the side of arm 13 as depicted in Fig. 4. The damping force applied to the arm 13 via the springs 31 is adjustable by means of threaded member 33 which is adapted to deflect the spring 31 transversely to engage the arm 13. Additionally, the stop 32 is adjustable by means of lock nut 35.
In operation the device 10 is adapted to be partly positioned below ground level 37 so that the ball 15A is placed at a level normally associated with a golf-ball positioned on a tee. In use the sequence of operations performed by the device 10 are as follows.
Firstly, a ball may be placed on the tee 16 and struck by a golf-club so that the tee 16 is deflected to pull the cable 22 which lowers the gate 28 to release a ball abutting it. Upon a ball 15A reaching to receptacle 17, under the influence of gravity, the arm 13 is biased under the weight of the ball 15A to rotate anti-clockwise until it reaches stop 32 to thereby position the receptacle 17 adjacent the end of the tee 16. Once the arm 13 is in a horizontal position the ball 15A is biased towards the opening 21 by inclined floor portion 20. Upon the ball being deposited on the tee 16 the arm 13 is biased to rotate in an anti-clockwise position by counter-weight 18. While the arm 13 is rotating anti-clockwise under the weight of the ball 15A the gate 29 is engaged by the arm 13 to release a ball 15C which rolls forward to engage the now closed gate 28 which is biased to the closed position by counter-weight 27. The ball 15C when in the position abutting the gate 28 is designated as ball 15B.
To ensure that the tee 16 is deflected upon the ball 1 5A being struck, the tee 16 could be provided with an upwardly projecting part located behind the ball with respect to a player.

Claims

1. A golf-ball teeing apparatus (10) comprising a frame (11), a tee (16) for supporting a golf ball, the tee (16) being so mounted with respect to the frame (11) that when either a golf ball supported by the tee (16) or a portion of the tee (16) is struck by a golf club the tee (16) is subjected to movement, a magazine (14) elevated with respect to the tee (16)' and adapted to receive a supply of golf balls, a carrier to receive a ball (15A) from said magazine and deposit said ball (15A) on said tee, said carrier including a pivoted arm (13) with a receptacle (17) adjacent one end to retain a ball during movement of the carrier between said magazine (14) and said tee (16), said arm (13) being balanced so that a ball deposited in said receptacle causes said arm (13) to pivot under the weight of the ball, and control means to regulate the delivery of balls from said magazine (14) to said receptacle (17), said control means including a first and a second ball retaining means (28), (29) to control the delivery of balls from the magazine (14), and said second ball retaining means (29) being actuated by the pivoting movement of said arm (13), characterised in that the said movement of the tee (16) includes a component extending in the general direction of the said struck ball and in that the said component of movement of the tee (16) is coupled (22) (25) to the first ball retaining means (28) to cause the first ball retaining means (28) to be actuated to allow a further ball to leave the magazine (14).

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said first ball retaining. means (28) comprises a first gate projecting in one position into said magazine (14) so as to prevent the exit of balls from the magazine, a pivot (40) mounting said first gate on said frame (11) so that said first gate is pivotally movable between the said one position projecting into said magazine (14) and a second position allowing balls to leave said magazine (14).

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that said first gate includes an elongated part having adjacent one end a projection to enter said magazine (14) and a counter-weight (27) at the other end biasing said projection to said one position, and in that said first gate is pivoted (40) about a horizontal axis intermediate the ends of said elongated part.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that said control means include a cable (22) extending between said tee (16) and said elongated part so that upon the said deflection of the tee (16) the elongated part is pivoted to move the projection to the second position.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the second ball retaining means (29) includes a second gate movable between a first position engaging a ball in the magazine and a second position clear of the balls in the magazine (14) thereby allowing balls to engage the first ball retaining means (28).

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that the second gate (29) includes a vertically extending shaft (36) with one end adapted to engage a ball in the magazine and the other end positioned to be engaged by the arm (13). -

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the shaft (36) is arranged so that it is engaged by the arm (13) during movement thereof to deposit a ball on the tee (16).

8. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the arm (13) is pivoted (38) intermediate its ends and has a counter-weight (18) positioned adjacent the end remote from the receptacle (17).

9. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that there is provided motion damping means (31), (33) to modify the pivoting movement of the arm (13).

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, characterised in that the motion damping means includes a leaf spring (31) arranged to frictionally engage the arm (13) as said receptacle (17) approaches said tee (16), and an adjustable stop (32) to limit downward movement of said receptacle (17) by engaging said arm (13).

11. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, characterised in that the receptacle (17) has a cup shape with a floor having a ball receiving part (20) and a hole (21) through which the ball passes to be deposited on the tee (16).

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, characterised in that the ball is biased by the receiving part (20) to move under the influence of gravity towards the hole (21) when the receptacle (17) is located adjacent the tee (16.