GB2209953A

GB2209953A - Golf tee and its manufacturing

Info

Publication number: GB2209953A
Application number: GB8821491A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Katsuji Takeno
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-09-19
Filing date: 1988-09-01
Publication date: 1989-06-01
Anticipated expiration: 2008-09-01
Also published as: GB8821491D0; JPH01198570A; KR890004742A; GB2209953B

Abstract

A golf tee (10) is moulded out of a water soluble substance, such as clay or paper pulp, so that if left on the golf course, the tee will be dissolved over time by natural rainfall.

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION Golf Tee And Its Manufacturing Method BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a golf tee and its manufacturing method.

Description of the Prior Art As golf tee hitherto used was what was formed by cutting and shaving wood or by molding a synthetic resin or the like.

With the golf tee formed by cutting and shaving, however, cutting wastes and shavings resulting from the manufacturing process means loss of resources. Worse, manufacture of the golf tee by this method, which involves cutting and shaving wood, is troublesome.

Meanwhile, the golf tee made by molding a synthetic resin or the like used to cause making the tee ground dirty and eventual spoiling of the environment for, when many of it are broken and scattered in and around the tee ground, they neither weather nor decay.

Brief Summary of the Invention A primary object of the present invention is to provide a golf tee which can be easily manufactured without wastes and does not spoil the environment of a golf course.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a manufacturing method for such a novel golf tee.

A first invention involved relates to a golf tee formed of a material soluble in water.

A second invention involved relates to a manufacturing method for such a golf tee comprising a process of preparing a water-soluble material, a process of molding a tee of the aforementioned watersoluble substance and a process of drying and hardening the molded tee by heating.

The golf tee, molded of a water-soluble substance, weathers when it is left in a tee ground or the like.

According to the present invention, a golf tee can be manufactured with ease by molding it of the watersoluble substance and then drying and hardening it.

Further, it means no waste of resources as no unnecessary cutting wastes or shavings result.

Also, when such golf tee should be scattered in or around a tee ground, it will be assimilate with earth of the ground by dissolving in rain water or weathering.

The above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of embodiments made below under reference to the annexed drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a partially cutaway front view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the present invention.

This golf tee 10 has a shaft portion 12 whose one end is pointed. At the other end of this shaft portion is formed a dish-like ball holder 14.

When the golf tee 10 is used, the shaft portion 10 is stuck into the earth of the tee ground. And a golf ball is placed on the ball holder 14.

The golf tee 10 may be formed of an efflorescent material such as clay. In this case, the clay is molded by the use of, for example, a gypsum mold and then dried and hardened in a dryer for approximately 3 hours at 50-65 OC to make a golf tee 10. When the gypsum mold is used, the molded tee can be released from the mold easily without using a releasing agent.

By this method the golf tee 10 can be molded of clay, hence it can be manufactured easily without causing cutting wastes or shavings. Moreover, if the golf tee 10 is left on the tee ground, it weathers with the lapse of time and assimilate with the earth of the ground, hence there is no fear of it spoiling the environment of the golf course.

Also, since the golf tee 10 is made of clay and then dried and hardened, it is mechanically weaker than its counterparts made of wood or synthetic resin, and is broken with a relative ease when it is hit by a golf club. There is, therefore, less problem of the shot impact to the ball reduced due to the golf tee 10.

Although the clay was used as material of the golf tee 10 in the aforementioned embodiment, other claylike substances may be used as well. As such a material for golf tee 10 may be used, for example, a kneaded mixture consisting of 90 weight % of materials pulverized granite, calcium carbonate or the like, 8 weight % of pulp, 1.5 weight % of artificial paste such as a chemical starch and 0.5 weight % of preservative and mildew-proof agent. This kneaded mixture is molded, dried and hardened by heating for approximately 3 hours at 50-650C to make the golf tee 10. The golf tee 10 made of such a material has its mechanical strength modifiable through adjustment of the water content of the pulp used. Also decay of the golf tee 10 before use can be prevented by the preservative and mildew-proof agent added thereto. If necessary, its surface may be colored by coating with a proper paint.

The golf tee 10 of such a material, too, can be manufactured with ease and without waste and with it there is no fear of spoiling the environment of the golf course like that of the aforementioned embodiment.

In the aforementioned embodiments the mold used is made of gypsum, but as mold material a synthetic resin or metal may be used as well. When the synthetic resin mold is used, the number of clay tees moldable per mold is larger than with the aforementioned a gypsum mold.

The synthetic resin mold, however, requires inside coating with a non-silicone releasing agent such as a stearic acid to facilitate releasing of the molded object, i.e. the golf tee 10.

When the metal mold is used, Teflon (Trademark) coating is required to prevent rusting of the mold due to moisture.

This golf tee 20 has a dish-like ball-holder 24 formed at the top of a shaft portion 22 with its lower end pointed, and is made of a fibrous material.

The above-mentioned golf tee is good when the club used is "wood" or "iron", , and the fibrous material may be formed in any desired shape and the formed tee is dried and hardened.

The golf tee 20 is formed by solidifying a pasty fibrous material such as dissolved paper pulp and then dried and hardened, and aggregation of fibers imparts thereto a mechanical strength sufficient for sticking into the ground without damage, and the dried and hardened tee may be colored in any desired shade, if desired.

The golf tee 20 of the present invention is of the above-mentioned construction and, when its shaft portion 22 is stuck into the tee ground and a "tee shot" is done with a golf ball A placed on the ball holder 24 and the golf tee 20 should be broken by the shot-impact, the broken tee, as it is left on the ground, is dissolved by water such as rain water and assimilate with the earth of the ground and disappear with the lapse of time, not making the ground dirty.

Moreover, the golf tee of the present invention is easily broken by the impact of a shot, without causing undue resistance to the club.

Having described our invention as related to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing, it is our intention that the invention be not limited by any of the details of description, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as set out in the accompanying claims.

Claims

1. A golf tee formed of a water-soluble substance.

2. A golf tee in accordance with claim 1, wherein said soluble substance is efflorescent clay-like subs tance.

3. A golf tee in accordance with claim 1, wherein said clay-like substance is clay itself.

4. A golf tee in accordance with claim 1, wherein said soluble substance is a fibrous material.

5. A golf tee in accordance with claim 4, wherein said fibrous material is paper pulp.

6. A golf tee manufacturing method comprising the following steps: preparing a water-soluble substance; molding said water-soluble substance; drying and hardening said molded object by heating.

7. A golf tee manufacturing method in accordance with claim 6, wherein said step of preparing said water-soluble substance includes the step of preparing said clay-like substance as said water soluble substance.

8. A golf tee manufacturing method in accordance with claim 7, wherein said step of preparing said clay like substance includes the step of preparing clay as said clay-like substance.

9. A golf tee manufacturing method in accordance with claim 6, wherein said step of preparing water soluble substance includes the step of preparing a fibrous material as said water-soluble substance.

10. A golf tee manufacturing method in accordance with claim 9, wherein the step of preparing said fibrous material includes the step of preparing paper pulp as said fibrous material.