GB2035185A - Golf ball pick-up device - Google Patents

Abstract

A golf ball pick-up device comprising a first part or parts sized to be readily inserted into a typical golf hole cup and shaped to require deformation of that first part or parts to engage about and grip a golf ball relatively pressed thereagainst, the first part or parts being of a material possessing such flexibility and resilience as to allow such deformation, and a second part or parts for mounting the device to a shaft. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Golf ball pick-up device The invention relates to a device suitable for facilitating extraction of golf balls from golf cups of holes in greens on golf courses.

There are proposals known to us for automatic golf ball ejection from such cups by spring loaded and triggered means. In our view these are unnecessarily complex, expensive and subject to failure due to corrosion, wear or breakage of parts, and also have further practical disadvantages of uncertainty as to where the ejected ball will be found and of splashing out water too in wet weather or after green watering.

What we propose is strikingly simple and inexpensive by comparison and basically comprises a device, preferably readily attached to the handle end of a golf club (typically a putter), that has a part or parts sized to be readily inserted into a typical golf hole cup and so formed as resiliently to deform in engaging about and gripping a golf ball against which it is pressed.

Typically, then there is defined by the part or parts a normally empty volume capable of accommodating at least one half of the circumference of a golf ball and a mouth or other entry to that volume past which the golf ball must be forced temporarily to deform the mouth or other entry outwardly, resilience thereof then serving to grip the golf ball.

In preferred constructions, a single golf ball engager part is moulded from a resilient material, such as sorba rubber or other suitably flexible material, in the form of a cup or goblet. That engager part is secured to orformed integrallywith a mount part or parts by which it may be or is secured to a stick, rod ortube, such as a golf club handle. One preferred form of such a mount is a socket in a further part of the same flexible, resilient material as constitutes the engager part.

If desired, of course, a suitable mount may have more than one component part and/or may be adapted for plug-in, screw-on, clamp-on or other reasonably secure fitment of positive or interference type.

What we particularly envisage is a one piece moulded article probably of short-life but inexpensive and readily attached and detached so that permanent mounting on such as a golf club end may be avoided, for example the device being slipped readily on and off a putter handle after holing out.

One embodiment of the invention is now described in detail, and by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a section through that embodiment in use; and Figure 2 is a similar section of the same embodimentperse.

In the drawing, a device 10 wholly of flexible resi lient material comprises a first part 12 for engaging a golf ball 14 and a second part 16 for affixing to one end of a shaft 18, typically of a golf putter.

The golf ball engager part 12 is of generally cuplike form and a lower portion 20 thereof conforms closely to the peripheral shape of a little less than one half of a golf ball. The remaining upper, iipped portion 22 has an outwardly flared lip 24 terminating at a diameter at least slightly greater than that of a golf ball and another position or positions at which diametrical spacings are at least slightly less than the diameter of a golf ball.

It will thus be apparent that a golf ball can enter fully into the lower portion 20 only by stretch deformation of the upper portion 22. To clarify this, relationship the actual outline of the part 12 is shown solid in both of Figures 1 and 2, but dashed lines 24 in Figure 1 and 26 in Figure 2 show, respectively, the natural unstretched shape of the lip 22 and the outline of the periphery of a golf ball.

Any suitable measures may be taken to ensure that stretching of the upper portion 22 will always precede buckling of the lower part 20 in normal use, for example thickness tapering as indicated in solid lines in the drawing, or ribbing of the lower part 20 perhaps externally as indicated by the dashed line 28 in Figure 1 or internally of preferred, or localised peripheral recessing as indicated by dashed lines 30 to give a thinning 32 about which at least some of the upper portion 22 can flex outwardly and then return, or polygonal formation of at least the upper portion so that its inner flats must deform outwardly for ball accommodation, or a corrugation of the upper portion 22 resembling crumpling or fluting, or combinations thereof.

It will be appreciated that a lip diameter greater than a golf ball diameter substantially assists golf ball entry and reduces any tendency for inward buckling of the ball engager part 12. Also, the diametrical dimensions less than those of a golf ball could be as localised inner protrusions rather than a continuous substantially circular diameter reduction.

The second part 16 is in the form of a tubular neck having a recess 40 to accommodate a suitable elongate holder, such as the putter shaft end 18. For simplicity, the part 16 is of the same material as the part 12 and makes an interference fit on the holder by reason of the dimensions of the recess 40 and the resilience of the constituent material. The slight convexity of the sidewall of the recess 40 aids mounting to the holder especially where the mouth 42 of the recess is slightly bigger than the diameter of the end of the putter shaft. Such provision can also allow accommodation to variations of thickness of putter shafts or other holders.

It is to be understood that the drawing is illustrative and not indicative of actual sizes and relative proportions. Also, the lipped ball entry mouth could flare much more and/or be of greater extent and there is no need for very close conformance of shape between the part 22 and a golf ball. In particular, we believe that both so-called small, or English, and so-called large, or American, sizes of ball are readily accommodated by the same device hereof.

It is also to be understood that the ball engager part 12 and the mounting part 66 could be separable and mutually located in any desired manner, such as screw and socket type inserts in the respective mouldings, or an interference or clip-togetherfit, or even a clamp-type interconnection. Then the two parts may obviously be of different materials with the mountings part more or less permanently fitted to a putter shaft end if desired. Although sorba rubber has been mentioned for at least the ball engager part, the use of any suitable flexible and resilient material is envisaged, probably of synthetic plastics material. Also, of course the ball engager part could be of multiple finger or claw-like type.

Claims (12)

1. A golf ball pick-up device comprising a first part or parts sized to be readily inserted into a typical golf hole cup and shaped to require deformation of that first part or parts to engage about and grip a golf ball relatively pressed thereagainst, the first part or parts being of a material possessing such flexibility and resilience as to allow such defomation, and a second part or parts for mounting the device to a shaft.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the first part or parts defines a volume capable of accommodating at least one half of the circumferences of a golf ball and a mouth entry to thatvolume past which the golf ball must be forced to deform the mouth entry outwardly so that resilience thereof will then serve to grip the golf ball.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein said volume is capable of accommodating only slightly more than one half of the circumference of a golf ball.

4. A device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said mouth entry tapers outwardly from a throat portion requiring deformation on golf ball pick up.

5. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the first part or parts have a distribution of constituent moulded material such as to offer substantially greater resistance to buckling or collapse of said volume than to opening of said mouth entry.

6. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein said first part or parts has or have a cup-like overall formation.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said cup-like formation is of a continuous moulded form.

8. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the said second part or parts have a shaftend-accommodating recess.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein said second part or parts is formed to have a resilient interference fit to said shaft end.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein said second part or parts present a convex sided said recess.

11. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the first and second parts are constituted by a single moulded article.

12. A golf ball pick up device substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.