GB2177605A - Golf practice device - Google Patents

Abstract

A golf practice device comprises a reel assembly upon which a length of line 38 is wound, one end of the line being attached to a golf ball 44 such that the line 38 unwinds from the reel 18 when the golf ball 44 is struck. Means is provided for arresting the motion of the golf ball 44 as said line 38 approaches its maximum extension, and means is provided for rewinding the line upon the reel 18. Preferably the arresting means absorbs the momentum of said golf ball in a progressive manner. The other end of the line 38 may extend from the reel 18, and said arresting means may comprise a second reel 50, upon which the last few feet of the other end of the line 38 are wound. A bobbin 61 is mounted on a common rotatable spindle 52, the bobbin 61 having a second shorter length of line 60 wound thereon, one end of which is attached to a tension elastic 58 such that as the last few feet of said line 38 is unwound from the second reel 50, the bobbin 61 rotates, winding the second length of line 60 upon itself and so stretching the spring 58 and absorbing the momentum of the ball. The line 38 is rewound on reel 18 using an electric motor 66 which is axially slidable into and out of engagement with the reel axis. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Golf practice device This invention relates to a device intended for use in practising the game of golf.

When practising golf strokes on, for example, a practice fairway much time and effort is expended collecting golf balls which have been struck.

Known alternatives, such as systems of nets, etc.

to limit the flight of the ball, obviate this problem but do not simulate actual playing conditions very closely. It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a golf practice device which obviates the need to spend time and effort collecting golf balls and which simulates actual playing conditions as closely as possible.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a golf practice device comprising a reel assembly upon which a length of line is wound, one end of said line being attached to a golf ball such that said line unwinds from said reel when said golf ball is struck, means for arresting the motion of said golf ball as said line approaches its maximum extension, and means for rewinding said line upon said reel.

Preferably said arhesting meand absorbs the momentum of said golf ball in a progressive manner.

Preferably also, the other end of the line extends from said reel, and said arresting means comprises a second reel, upon which the last few feet of said other end of the line are wound, and a bobbin mounted on a common rotatable spindle, said bobbin having a second shorter length of line wound thereon, one end of which is attached to a tension elastic such that as said last few feet of said line is unwound from said second reel, said bobbin rotates, windidg said second length of line upon itself, thereby stretching said elastic and absorbing the momentum of the ball.

The second length of line may have an indicator member attached thereto extending through a slot formed in a cover for the device.

Preferably also, said means for rewinding said line comprises an electric motor which is movable between a first position wherein the motor is deenergised and disengaged from said reel assembly and a second position wherein the motor is energised and engages said reel assembly to rewind said line, said motor being biased towards said first position, means being provided for urging said motor into said second position.

preferably said means for urging said motor into said second position comprises a foot pedal which when depressed, urges said motor into said second position and when released, allows said motor to be moved back into said first position under the influence of said bias means.

The reel assembly may comprise a static reel attached to an end wall of a housing which is removable from the remainder of the device, a winding arm being rotatably mounted to the reel and engageable with the motor drive when in said second position.

The foregoing and further features of the invention may be more readily understood from the following description of two preferred embodiments thereof, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a device embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional plan view of the device of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the reel core assembly; Figure 4 is side sectional view of an alternative device embodying the invention; Figure 5 is a plan view of the device of Figure 4 with the cover removed, and Figure 6 is a plan view of the device of Figure 4 with the cover in position.

Referring now to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, the housing of a golf practice device 2 embodying the invention comprises a baseplate 4 and a cover 6. Mounted upon the baseplate 4 and enclosed within the housing is a line-box comprising first and second end-walls 8 and 10 spaced a part along the longitudinal axis of the housing, the second (rearward) end-wall 10 having a width greater than the first (forward) end-wall 8, and first and second side-walls 12 and 14 which converge towards the forward end of the device 2 where they are attached to the lateral edges of the forward end-wali 8.

The rearward end-wall 10 is provided with a control circular aperture wherein there is fixedly mounted a substantially frusto-conical reel 18 having an axial bore 20 therethrough. The reel 18 converges towards the rearward end of the line box and is provided with a lip 22 around the periphery of its wider, forward end.

Mounted within the axial bore 20 of the reel 18 is a reel core assembly as illustrated in Figure 3. The core assembly includes a hollow cylindrical shaft 24 within which is rotatably mounted an axle 26. A winding arm 28 is secured to the end of the axle 26 by a screw 30 or any other suitable means. The axle 26 is provided with a circumferential groove 32 which, when the axle 26 is inserted into the shaft 24, is aligned with two transverse slits 34 adjacent the forward end of the shaft 24. A C-shaped retaining clip 36 is located in the slits 34 and engages the groove 32 to hold the axle 26 is position while leaving it free to rotate within the shaft 24.

The shaft 24 is fixedly located in the axial bore 20 of the reel 18 and thus the axle 26 and winding arm 28 are freely rotatable relative to the reel 18.

Wound upon the reel 18 is a length of line 38, one end of which passes through either of two eyelets 40 and 42 located at either end of the winding arm 28, along the length of the linebox, through another eyelet 43 in the forward endwall 8 of the linebox and out of the housing where it is attached to a golf ball 44 via a swivel 46.

The other end of the line 38 passes through still another eyelet 48 in the rearward end-wall 10 of the line box and a short length (eg approximately three feet) thereof is attached to and wound upon a second reel 50 mounted on a rotatable spindle 52 within the housing to the rear of the linebox.

Mounted alongside the linebox is a tubular channel 54. The channel 54 has a longitudinal slot along its top and is open at its rearward end and is closed by a plug 56 at its forward end. A braking spring 58 is located within the tubular channel 54, one end thereof being secured to the plug 56 and the other end being attached to a second, shorter length of line 60 which is in turn attached to a bobbin 61 mounted on the end of the spindle 52 remote from the second reel 50, the bobbin 61 having a diameter smaller than that of the second reel 50. Also within the channel 54 there is a hollow cylindrical collar 64 with indicator (not shown) located in front of the spring 58 and slidable along the length of the channel 54. The blade of the indicator extends up through a corresponding slot provided in casing 6.

Thus, when the golf-ball 44 is struck, the line 38 unwinds from the reel 18. Once all the line on the reel 18 has been expended, the remainder of its length is unwound from the second reel 50 causing the spindle 52 and hence the bobbin 61 to rotate so that the second length of line 60 is wound onto the bobbin 61 (obviously, the line 60 must be would upon the bobbin 61 in the opposite sense to that of the line 38 upon the second reel 50). As the line 60 is wound upon the bobbin 61 the spring 58 is pulled along the channel 54, the spring 58 carrying the collar 64 along with it. Thus, the spring 58 absorbs the momentum of the ball 44 and prevents whip-lash or possible breaking of the line 38 or 60 which would occur if there was a dead stop.Finally, the spring 58 contracts returning the collar 64 to its original position, unwinding the line 60 from the bobbin 61 and rewinding the short length of the line 38 onto the second reel 50.

An electric motor 66 is also provided for rewinding the line 38 onto the reel 18. The motor 66 is mounted on a tray 68 within the housing to the rear of the linebox, the tray 68 being movable in the direction of the long axis of the housing between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the shaft 70 of the motor, which projects into the hollow shaft 24, is disengaged from the reel core assembly and the motor 66 is deenergised. The tray 68 is biased towards the first position by any suitable means such as a spring 72.

In the second position, the tray 68 is moved forward, a tongue 74 at the forward end of the motor shaft 70 engages a transverse groove 75 at the rear end of the axle 26. At the same time, electrical contracts 76 abut, energising the motor 66. Thus, the axle 26 and winding arm 28 rotate, rewinding the line 38. Power for the motor 66 may be provided by a battery 78.

Means for urging the tray 68 into the second position are provided in the foam of a pedal 80 which projects from a slot at the rear of the housing and which is pivotally mounted at 82 in a yoke 84 located within the housing to the rear of the motor 66. When the pedal 80 is depressed, a cam surface 86 therefore abuts the tray 68, urging it into the second position against the force of the bias spring 72 and when it is released, the spring 72 returns the tray 68 to its first position.

Thus, in use, the ball 44 is struck, the pedal 80 is depressed to rewind the line 38, the pedal 80 is released, the motor 66 is de-energised and disengaged from the axle 26, and the device is ready to be used.

Referring now to Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings there is shown an alternative embodiment of the invention similar to the first where like parts have the same references.

In this embodiment end walls 8 and 10 of the line-box are of equal extent, the line-box is screw fixed to base-plate 4 and also forms battery holder 91. The motor 66 is slidably mounted on a housing attached to baseplate 4 and a spring 92 retains the motor 66 in its disengaged position and pedal 80 in its uppermost position.

The line 60 located around bobbin 61 passes around a pulley 93 located at the front of the device and extends back to elastic 58 which is located at the rear of the device. This provides further length to accommodate a shot indicator 94 which extends through a slot 95 in cover 6 and engages with a line block 96 attached to line 60.

It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that there are a number of obvious mechanical equivalents and variations which may be employed in place of the specific mechanism detailed above and that such equivalents and variations fall within the scope of the invention.

Claims (9)

1. A golf practice device comprising a reel assembly upon which a length of line is wound, one end of said line being attached to a golf ball such that said line unwinds from said reel when said golf ball is struck, means for arresting the motion of said golf ball as said line approaches its maximum extension, and means for rewinding said line upon said reel.

2. A golf practice device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said arresting means absorbs the momentum of said golf ball in a progressive manner.

3. A golf practice device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the other end of the line extends from said reel, and said arresting means comprising a second reel, upon which the last few feet of said other end of the line are wound, and a bobbin mounted on a common rotatable spindle, said bobbin having a second shorter length of line wound thereon, one end of which is attached to a tension elastic such that as said last few feet of said line is unwound from said second reel, said bobbin rotates, winding said second length of line upon itself, thereby stretching said elastic and absorbing the momentum of the ball.

4. A golf practice device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said second length of line has an indicator member attached thereto extending through a slot formed in a cover for the device.

5. A golf practice device as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said means for rewinding said line comprises an electric motor which is movable between a first position at which the motor is deenergised and disengaged from said reel assembly and a second position at which the motor is energised and engages said reel assembly to rewind said line, said motor being biased towards said first position, meand being provided for urging said motor into said second position.

6. A golf practice device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said means for urging said motor into said second position comprises a foot pedal which, when depressed, urges said motor into said second position and when released, allows said motor to be moved back into said first position under the influence of said bias means.

7. A golf practice device as claimed in claim 5 or 6 wherein the reel assembly comprises a static reel attached to an end wall of a housing which is removable from the remainder of the device, a winding arm being rotatably mounted to the reel and engageable with the motor deive when in said second position.

8. A golf practice device substantially as hereinbefore described with references to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

9. A golf practice device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawinas.