GB2141674A - Gold club cart - Google Patents

Abstract

A flat frame has an extensible manipulating handle 7 at the upper end and a pair of removable and interchangeable wheels 23 at the lower end, supporting surfaces 14 adjacent the lower end for the golf club heads and a pair of slotted shelves 16, 18 spaced apart to locate and removably return the shafts of the gold clubs. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Golf club cart This invention relates to a cart for transporting golf clubs around a golf course.

Golf club carts, on which a set of golf clubs are supported to be drawn by a golfer or his caddie are in wide general use and come in many designs. Inherent in most known carts is the difficulty in storing the carts or loading them into motor cars because they occupy considerable space. In known carts where a degree of folding is possible this is often difficult to accomplish and it is usually impos sible to remove the pouch containing the golfer's paraphernalia. Protection of the clubs against the weather is usually also difficult.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a cart of this type which is easy to handle and which can be readily stored in a minimum space. The cart will be well balanced and the pouch for the golfers paraphernalia will be easily removable.

According to this invention there is provided a golf club cart comprising a frame. a base depending from the frame forming a foot for the cart and providing surfaces to support the heads of a set of golf clubs and a slotted shelf to locate the lower ends of the shafts of at least shorter length clubs in the set, the upper part of the frame carrying a further shelf slotted to engage the upper end parts of the golf club shafts, wheels removably attached to the lower part of the frame and a handle for manipulating the cart extending upwardly from the frame.

Further features of this invention provide for the frame to consist of two horizontal bars projecting from the ends of a central vertical member spacing the horizontal bar and providing a socket for housing a rectractable shaft for the manipulating handle.

The invention also provides the supporting surfaces to be provided by an upwardly curved member extending from the lower part of the foot and terminating in a flat plane at right angles to the frame and having shaped openings to receive the heads of the longer clubs spaced apart across the width of the frame.

Still further features of this invention provide for the supporting member and shelves to be made from suitable resilient material and for the slots in the upper shelf to have resilient constructions therein to releasably secure the upper ends of the golf club shafts.

The frame also carries retaining rings to locate umbrellas and ball retrievers as well as to secure suitable pouches to hold golfer's paraphernalia.

The lower frame member will also form sidewardly facing sockets adapted to retain members which carry the cart wheels while the vertical member has a rigid carrying handle secured thereto and extending into the space between the upper and lower shelves.

A preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front view of the golf club cart, Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a viewof a wheel assembly for the cart and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the upper shelf for the cart.

As shown the golf club cart indicated generally at 1 consists essentially of a frame in the form of upper and lower cross bars 2 and 3 respectively separated by a single centrally located upright bar 4. The bars 2, 3 and 4 can conveniently be made from square sectioned metal tube. Thus the upright bar 4 forms a housing for the shaft 6 of a retractable handle 7 used to propel and manipulate the cart in use. A locking thumb screw 8 will be provided to locate the handle 7 in any extended position relative to the frame.

Secured to the lower crossbar 3 to depend therefrom is base 9 in the form of a rigid subframe 10 providing a curved foot 11 for the cart and including an upwardly curved member 1 2 conforming initially with the curved toe-piece 1 3 provided on the foot 11. The member extends rearwardly to provide a flat surface 14 extending substantially the full width of the frame and projecting forwardly thereof. This member has cut out portions 1 5 in the curved forward part thereof forming pockets adapted to receive the heads and lower ends of the "woods" of the set of golf clubs. (Some such clubs are today made of metal and the term "woods" is used to include such clubs). The flat surface 14 extends to support the heads of the remaining clubs.

Spaced apart upwardly a short distance for the surface 14 is a shelf 16. The shelf 16 has slots 1 7 provided therein extending partway across the width of the shelf each adapted to support and locate the lower end of an iron golf club shaft. There will thus preferably be ten pockets spaced across the width of the frame. The cut-out pockets 1 5 and the slots 1 7 are spaced apart across the width of the shelf so that the woods are interspersed between the iron clubs.

Spaced above the shelf 1 6 and over the slots 1 7 is an upper shelf 1 8 slotted as indicated at 1 9 with each slot located over a cut-out pocket or slot 1 6. The slots 1 9 are such that the upper ends of the shafts for the clubs can be retained therein. The slots 1 9 also have constrictions formed across their widths so that the upper ends of the golf club shafts can be inserted or removed from the slots with a positive effort. This retains the clubs in their required position on the cart.

Preferably the member 1 2 and the two shelves 1 5 and 1 8 are made of suitable resilient material to support and retain the clubs in position but without causing any damage thereto.

A rigid carrying handle 20 can be secured to the upright bar 4 to enable the assembly to be easily carried and this handle will also be located so that the load of the assembly will be symmetrical about the handle.

What has been described above is a compact but also substantially flat assembly having a depth of only about one and a half times the length of a golf club head. With the handle in its retracted position and with the golf clubs removed, the assembly is only about half the length of a long golf club.

To make the assembly mobile the lower crossbar 3 supports removable plugs 21 which may be inserted into the ends thereof.

The plugs 21 carry cranked axles 22 oppositely disposed to each other and carrying wheels 23. The wheels are thus project rearwardly of the frame member 3 and the plugs can be releasably held in the crossbar 3 by a suitable catch. This assembly enables the plugs and wheels to be interchangeable and it has been found that by simple design choice of the cranked axles the cart and clubs can be made well balanced and easy to pull without serious downward drag.

The plugs carrying the wheels may be completely removed with the wheels attached for packing or storage.

The lower crossbar 3 carries upwardly projecting sockets 24 while the upper corssbar carries rearwardly projecting rings 25. These are adapted to receive umbrellas or ball-retrievers as well as loops 26 to which flexible pouches 27 may be removably attached to carry the paraphernalia necessary to a golfer.

These pouches will have carrying handles provided. A seat may also be fitted, if desired, to the assembly to extend above the pouches and this seat may be hinged to fold against the frame when not in use.

The invention provides a simple golf club cart which is inherently compact and readily made as a sturdy structure. It is easy to use and well balanced as well as being readily stored for transport with or without removal of the wheels.

A loose cover can be provided to be placed over and be supported by the end of the club shafts to protect them from rain and sun. The manner in which the clubs are located on the cart enable them to be easily removed and replaced even with such a cover in position.

As can be seen from Figure 2 the wheels 23 and foot are arranged so that the cart will stand automatically while it can be tipped into a comfortable position to be pulled by a golfer or caddie.

Claims (8)

1. A golf club cart comprising a frame, a base depending from the frame forming a foot for the cart and providing surfaces to support the heads of a set of golf clubs and a slotted shelf to locate the lower ends of the shafts of at least shorter length clubs in the set, the upper part of the frame carrying a further shelf slotted to engage the upper end parts of the golf club shafts, wheels removably attached to the lower part of the frame and a handle for manipulating the cart extending upwardly from the frame.

2. A golf cart as claimed in claim 1 in which the frame consists of two horizontal bars projecting from the ends of a central vertical member spacing the horizontal bars.

3. A golf cart as claimed in claim 2 in which the central member provides a socket for housing a retractable shaft for the manipulating handle.

4. A golf cart as claimed in claim 1 in which the supporting surfaces are provided by an upwardly curved member extending from the lower part of the foot and terminating in a flat plane at right angles to the frame and having shaped openings to receive the heads of the longer clubs spaced apart across the width of the frame.

5. A golf cart as claimed in claim 4 in which the supporting member and shelves are made from suitable resilient material and for the slots in the upper shelf to have resilient constrictions therein to releasably secure the upper ends of the golf club shafts.

6. A golf club cart as claimed in claim 1 in which the frame also carries retaining rings to locate umbrellas as well as to secure suitable pouches to hold golfer's paraphernalia.

7. A golf club cart as claimed in claim 1 in which the lower crossbar provides outwardly facing sockets adapted to retain members which carry the cart wheels.

8. A golf cart substantially as herein described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.