GB2107592A - Game training aid - Google Patents

Abstract

A home station 1 contains a reel of line and an electric motor 15 connected to drive an automatic winder. The free end of the line is attached to a golf ball 4 which when driven draws line off the reel. When the ball is to be recovered the motor is switched on, which spools the line causing the ball to be pulled back to the home station. The use of a similar device for other games is also disclosed. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Golf training device This invention relates to a training aid for a projectile game, and more particularly but not exclusively to a golf training aid.

One of the difficulties in practising golf is that since golf balls may frequently be struck two hundred yards or more, the retrieval of the golf balls can be a time consuming and laborious business. In attempts to overcome this problem it has been proposed to attach a parachute to a ball or provide a lightweight ball in that the ball does not fly so far. Even in these cases, however, the ball must be retrieved and because the ball flies much less far it is difficult to judge how well the ball was struck. Another proposal has been to attach a piece of elastic to the ball. In this case the ball's flight is again limited and although the ball may return to the location at which it was struck it will still require to be retrieved from that point.

According to the present invention there is provided a training aid for a projectile game including a home station, a line attached by one end to the home station and reel means at the home station for storing the line, and when a projectile is attached to the line and projected from the home station, for allowing the line to be pulled out.

With a training aid of this kind a user never has to leave the home station during training and yet the duration of flight of the ball can be quite long if a long length of line is attached to the ball.

A golf training device embodying the invention will now be described by way of example only making reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 shows in part section the golf training aid; Figure 2a shows an end view of the aid shown in Fig. 1; Figure 2b shows a cross section of Fig. 2a in the plane AA' looking in the direction of the arrows.

Reffering to Fig. 1 a golf training aid consists of a home station, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, and a line 2 attached by one end to the home station and by the other end via a short length of steel cable 3 to a golf ball 4. The home station has a pair of pins 5a and 5b, which may for example be 6 inch (15 cm) nails, by which it is held to the ground when in use.

The home station has a reel housing 11 containing a reel of typically 100 yards of line and automatic reeling apparatus 12, to be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 3. The automatic reeling apparatus is coupled to a drive pulley 1 3 and via a drive belt 1 4 to an electric motor 1 5. The motor 15, drive belt 14 and pulley 1 3 are all within a housing 10. It is envisaged that the belt and pulley arrangement shown in Fig. 1 could be replaced by a chain and cog, on a meshing gear coupling.

The automatic reeling appartus 1 2 has, passing through the centre of the pulley 13, a control spindle 37 which has two operating positions. The first position is with the spindle pushed axially into the automatic reeling apparatus 1 2. In this position the line is free to feed out through a hole 36 in the end of the housing 11.

The control spindle 37 is, however resiliently urged by a spring 1 7 towards a second position in which the spindle is more fully protruding. In this position drive from the electric motor causes the line to be reeled within the automatic reeling apparatus 1 2.

The reeling apparatus 1 2 is such that the spindle does not revert to the second position under the action of the spring 1 7 until drive is applied.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2a and 2b together the control spindle 37 is arranged to be in contact with a cam surface 1 8 of a push button member 1 9 which is mounted telescopically on a pin 20 attached to the side wall of the housing 10. The free end 21 of the push button member 1 9 protrudes through a hole in the opposite side of the housing 10 from the point of attachment of the pin 20.

Referring again to Fig. 1 the golf ball 4, which is of the solid type has an axial bore 22 with an annular shoulder 23. In the bore 22 is a ferrule 24 of the brass or some other suitably hard material which locates against the annular shoulder 23. The brass ferrule 24 has a counterbore 25 in which rests the end of the cable 3 which is doubled over on itself and crimpled inside a metal bead 26. The bore 22 is capped by a plug 27.

It is envisaged that the ball 4 be supplied as a replaceable part with the length of cable 3, which may be stainless steel wire, already attached. Typically this cable may be 18 inches (460 cm) long and have a loop in its end to which the line 2 may be attached by means of a knot.

The ball may be replaced by untying the cable 3 from the line 2 and tying on the cable of the replacement ball.

Referring to Fig. 3 the automatic reeling apparatus 12, has an axially mounted stationary spool 31. Fitting over the spool is a generally cup shaped guide 32 with asymetrically contoured cut-outs 33 on its outer lip.

These cut-outs (preferably 3 in number) are shaped so as to catch the line when there is relative rotation between the guide 32 and the spool 31 and the guide 32 is suitably positioned with respect to the spool 31. The base of the cup shaped guide 32 has a rubber pad 34 mounted on it with a sloped annular margin 35 to enable the line to pass smoothly over the guide on its way to and from the hole 36 in the casing 11.

The guide 32 is rigidly mounted on the end of the control spindle 37 and held by means of a nut 48. The control spindle 37 is mounted in a boss 38 which is stationary with respect to the housing 11 (Fig. 1). Lateral movement of the boss 38 within the spool 31 is restricted by a circlip 39 which rests in a groove 40 of the boss 38.

The boss 38 has a slot in which rests a clip 42. The clip 42 has at least one inwardly facing projection which when the control spindle 37 is in the first position runs freely in the groove 43 in the control spindle 37. The body of the spindle 37 on one side of the groove 43 has a pair of flats 44 cut to the depth of the groove 43. These flats form a lead for the clip 42 to ride up onto the main body of the control spindle when there is relative rotation between the control spindle 37 and the boss 38 to the second position. This brings the guide 32 into position to wind the line 2 onto the spool 31. Rotation of the control spindle 37 with respect to the boss 38 is thus necessary for the spindle to go into the second position.

Operation of the golf training aid is as follows.

First the aid is fixed in position on the golf tee from which the player wishes to practice driving, by pressing the pins 5a and Sb into the ground with the automatic spooling device and of the aid facing in the direction of drive.

The ball, which has previously been attached to the line by the method previously described is placed on the tee. The button 21 is then pressed to move the guide 32 away from the spool 31 by pressing the control spindle 37 inwardly with respect to the boss 38, allowing the clip 42 to fall into the groove 43. The player then drives the ball. This causes line to be drawn off the spool 31 until the ball comes to rest. To recover the ball the player switches on the electric motor. This drives the spindle 37 via the pulley 1 3 and causes the clip 42 to ride up onto the body of the control spindle 37 under the action of the spring 17, thus moving the guide 32 into position for winding. The line is caught by one of the cutouts 33 and is fed onto the spool 31.

In a different design it is envisaged that the switching to the first position be automatic on de-activation of the electric motor. This could be done using a solenoid or a rotationally operated device such as a bend it on the motor spindle. It is also envisaged that the motor and automatic reeling device be mounted on the same axis. In this case the rotor of the motor may move axially with the control spindle.

In another embodiment of the invention there may be no power assisted reeling of the line. When it is desired to recover the ball the line is drawn back manually and wound on a spool, perhaps with the aid of a handle operated guide device.

The spool may be rotated instead of the guide and in some cases, for example in a manual spooling device this may be preferable. The home station may alternatively be hand held or tied to a player's person e.g. his belt.

The invention has application in other games. A similar device could be used to recover a kicked football, a thrown discus or a "frisby" or even a fired arrow. Such devices would necessarily have to be suitably dimensioned and have to use a suitable line.

For the golf training aid described with respect to Fig. 1 the recovery time for 100 yards of line in typically 10 seconds.

Claims (11)

1. A training aid for a projectile game including a home station, a line attached by one end to the home station and reel means at the home station for storing the line and, when a projectile is attached to the line and projected from the home station, for allowing the line to be pulled out.

2. A training aid according to claim 1 including means for retracting the line.

3. A training aid according to claim 2 wherein the reel means includes a reel, and guide means for the line, the arrangement being such that relative rotation between the guide and the reel in at least one direction causes the line to be wound on the reel.

4. A training aid according to claim 3 wherein the reel is fixed and the guide is rotatable.

5. A training aid according to claim 2 wherein the reel means has a control member which has a first position in which the line is free to be pulled out and a second position in which a drive component is coupled to the reel means for effecting automatic reeling of the line when drive is applied to the drive component.

6. A training aid according to claim 5 wherein the control member is displacable axially to move it between the first and second positions.

7. A training aid according to claim 5 or 6 wherein the control member is resiliently loaded towards the second position.

8. A training aid according to claim 7 wherein the reel means is such that the control member is inhibited from assuming the second position until drive is applied.

9. A training aid according to any one of claims 2 to 8 wherein the means for retracting the line includes an electric motor which when actuated causes the line to be retracted into the reel means.

1 0. A training aid according to any one of claims 5 to 8 including a manually operable button coupled to the control member for operation thereof.

11. A training aid according to any preceding claim including a golf ball attached to the free end of the line.

1 2. A training aid substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.