GB2232402A

GB2232402A - Golf ball holder/dispenser

Info

Publication number: GB2232402A
Application number: GB8913004A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gerald Hamilton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-06-06
Filing date: 1989-06-06
Publication date: 1990-12-12
Also published as: GB8913004D0

Abstract

A golf ball holder/dispenser comprises a tubular container (12) capable of holding at least three golf balls and having an open lower end (16) for receiving and dispensing the balls. A loop (14) and spring clip provide an attachment means for easily attaching the container to a golf bag. A C-shape catch means has a pair of arms (19, 20) separated by a distance slightly less than the diameter of a golf ball and a connecting limb (21) which is pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis so that the catch is pivotal between a closed position in which arm (19) prevents any balls from leaving the container and a dispensing position in which arm (19) is clear of the container opening but arm (20) holds the remaining balls in the container. Biasing means (24) biases the catch to the closed position. <IMAGE>

Description

GOLF BALL HOLDE;R/DISPENSER This invention relates to a golf ball holding/dispensing device.

When a golfer wishes to select a ball to play with, either at the beginning of a round or because he has just lost a ball, it is often inconvenient to have to find a ball in a golf bag, as the balls may be at the bottom of a deep pocket and under other things where they cannot easily be seen or extracted.

An object of this invention is to provided a golf ball holding/dispensing device which is simple to make and is easily accessable to a golfer. The device is intended to hold a plurality of balls and dispense them one at a time.

Accordingly the invention provides a tubular container capable of holding at least three golf balls and having an opening for inserting and removing balls, attachment means for attaching the device to a golf bag, and catch means movable between a closed position in which it at least partially closes the opening and holds balls therein and a dispensing position which allows one ball to pass through the opening while retaining the remaining balls in the container.

Preferably the catch means is a pivotally mounted member with two spaced arms and biassed to the closed position in which one arm partially closes the container to retain the balls therein, the catch means being pivotable to the dispensing position in which the one arm is clear of the container opening and the other arm projects into the container between the ball nearest the opening ,and the adjacent ball.

One embodiment of golf ball holding/dispensing device will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings of which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of the device in the closed position, Figure 2 is a diagrammatic section of the device in the closed position, and Figure 3 is a section corresponding to that of Figure 2 but in the dispensing position.

A plastics material tubular container 12 has a cross sectional internal diameter just ( < 108) greater than the external diameter of a standard golf ball and is designed to hold at least three golf balls. The container has a closed upper end 13 formed with a loop 14 and provided with a spring clip 15 extending through the loop and designed to detachably attach the container to a golf bag. The lower end 16 of the container is open for receiving and dispensing balls. The side of the container is provided with three apertures 17 through which the balls therein can be seen.

The lower part of the container is provided with a C-shaped catch means 18 comprising a pair of end arms 19, 20, separated by a distance slightly less than the diameter of a golf ball, and a connecting limb 21 the central part of which is pivotally mounted between arms 22 attached to the container near the base thereof. The catch is thus pivotable about a horizontal axis 23. Biassing means 24, in this case in the form of an elastic band, urge the catch to a closed position in which the lower arm 19 partially closes off the open end 16 to prevent balls falling out of the container.

The catch can be moved to a dispensing position, by a finger depressing the upper part of the limb 21, so that the arm 20 projects into the container, through aperture 25 between the lowermost ball and the next adjacent ball. In the dispensing position the lower arm 19 is clear of the opening so that the lowermost ball can fall out of the container while the arm 20 retains the other balls in the container. When the catch is released the biassing means returns it to the closed position and the balls fall down one position and are retained by the arm 19.

The container can be easily loaded by turning it upside down, depressing the catch and inserting one ball, releasing the catch depressing it again and inserting another ball etc.

Such a device is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and provides easy access to the balls stored in the device.

Claims

1 A golf ball holding/dispensing device comprising a tubular container capable of holding at least three golf balls and having at least one opening for inserting and dispensing balls, attachment means for attaching the device to a golf bag, and catch means movable between a closed position in which it at least partially closes the dispensing opening and holds the balls in the container and a dispensing position in which it allows one ball to pass through the dispensing opening while retaining the remaining balls in the container.

2 A device according to claim 1 including biasing means biasing the catch means to the closed position.

3 A device according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the catch means is a pivotally mounted member having two spaced arms.

4 A device according to claim 3 in which the catch means comprises a generally C-shaped member pivotable about a substantially horizontal axis and having arms separated by a distance slightly less than the diameter of a standard golf ball.

5 A device according to any of claims 1 to 4 in which the catch means is a pivotally mounted member with two spaced arms biased to the closed position in which one arm partially closes the container to retain the balls therein, the catch means being pivotable to the dispensing position in which the one arm is clear of the container opening and the other arm projects into the container at a height between the ball nearest the opening and the adjacent ball when the container is filled with balls.

6 A device according to any of claims 1 to 5 in which the container is of circular internal section having a diameter less than 10% greater than the diameter of a standard golf ball.

7 A device according to any of claims 1 to 6 in which the container has a substantially closed upper end and an open lower end for inserting and dispensing balls

8 A device according to any of claims 1 to 7 including aperatures in the wall of the container through which balls can be seen when the container is loaded.

9 A device according to any of claims 1 to 8 in which the attachment means comprises a spring clip.

10 A golf ball holding/dispensing device substantially as described herein with reference to or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.