GB2256918A - Drying golf balls - Google Patents

Abstract

A golf ball transport system comprises a chute 20 for feeding balls from washer 12 to a load station, conduit means 22 defining a path for the balls to a discharge station, and a blower 30 or air moving transport mechanism for drying the balls as they are moved along the path. A dispenser 10 for the dried balls has an intermittently driven drum 50 with radially outwardly open pockets for providing predetermined numbers of balls to a basket 60 at the discharge station of the dispenser 10. <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE: Golf Ball Transport Systems DESCRIPTION Technical Field The invention relates to systems suitable for transporting golf balls from a washer to a dispenser which may supply golf balls at a practice range.

Background Art In a conventional golf ball washer as described in Patent US 4,805,251 golf balls are retrieved from a driving range and deposited in a hopper. The balls move downwardly from the hopper into a tank where they follow a path through the tank and are washed by a rotating brush. The balls move along a path from an inlet to an outlet of the washer.

The Invention In accordance with the invention there is provided a system comprising: a) means for gravity feeding wet golf balls to a load station, b) conduit means defining a path for the golf balls from the load station to a discharge station, and c) air moving means coupled to the conduit means for drying the wet balls as they are moved alonq the path.

The system preferably comprises a golf ball washer for feeding the gravity feed means of the transport system, and a dispenser for receiving the balls from the conduit and providing selective release of predetermined numbers of balls at a golf ball dispensing station.

Each golf ball dispenser preferably has an opening at the top and hopper means for storing or accumulating golf balls. A chute may be provided for directing the balls from this storage area preferably by gravity toward a rotating drum where the balls are formed into predetermined groups or charges. The rotatable drum advantageously has a plurality of radially outwardly open pockets, and means for periodically rotating the drum from a first angular position such that the balls move by gravity from the chute into one pocket to a second angular position such that the balls move by gravity out of a second pocket. Guide means may be provided in association with the balls exiting the pocket for directing these balls into a basket or the like provided on a shelf at the discharge station in the ball dispenser.

Drawings Fig. 1 is an elevational view illustrating in a somewhat schematic fashion the relationship between the golf ball washer, the golf ball transport mechanism, and the golf ball dispenser.

Fig. 1A is a sectional view on line lA-lA.

Fig. 1B is a sectional view on line 1B-1B.

Fig. 2 is a left-hand side elevational view of the golf ball dispenser.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view thereof with portions broken away to better illustrate the rotating drum provided inside the dispenser.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the golf ball dispenser illustrating the rotating drum and the chute for feeding golf balls to the drum.

Fig. 5 is a view of the rotating drum illustrated in Fig. 4, but taken at a slightly later instant of time.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but illustrating the balls exiting the drum pocket.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of the rotating drum illustrated in Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a view of the rotor with filler strip means for reducing the volume of the pockets in the rotor.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As illustrated in Fig. 1 a golf ball dispenser 10 is provided in front of a wall W and several such dispensers might be provided in spaced relationship along this wall in a typical driving range environment.

Out of sight behind the wall W is provided a conventional ball washer 12 which may be similar to that described and shown in U. S. Patent No. 4,805,251. This ball washer patent disclosure is incorporated by reference herein, but any conventional ball washer might be substituted for that indicated generally at 12 without departing from the scope of the present invention. Typically, such a ball washer includes a hopper 14 provided above a tank 16 and inside the tank a rotating brush drives the golf balls around one or more generally helical paths from an inlet end associated with the hopper 14 to an outlet end indicated generally at 18 in Fig. 1. The balls after being washed are still quite wet from the washing operation and move by gravity down an inclined chute indicated generally at 20.

In accordance with the present invention the balls are transported by a golf ball transport mechanism comprising conduits 22, 24, and 26. These conduits may be double conduits as suggested generally at 28 in Fig. 1B in which case the outlet chute 20 associated with the ball washer 12 may comprise side-by-side tracks as suggested generally at 21 in Fig. 1A. As disclosed in the above mentioned Patent No.

4,805,251 two such tracks are provided within the ball washer for feeding twin conduits such as indicated generally at 22, 24 and 26.

The golf ball transport mechanism further includes air moving means preferably in the form of a blower 30 which receives ambient air as suggested by the arrows 32, 32. The air is drawn through the inlet 34 by the blower and exhausted upwardly as suggested generally by the arrow 36 so as to provide a continuous stream of air through the conduits 22, 24 and 26. The blower operates when the ball washer operates.

As so constructed and arranged the golf ball transport mechanism not only serves to deliver the washed golf balls from the washer 12 to the dispenser 10, but also serves to dry the balls while they are moving from the washer to the dispenser as a result of the air flow generated by the blower system 30.

Turning next to a detailed description of the golf ball dispenser 10, Fig. 3 illustrates the dispenser in its preferred form as including a top cover or lid 40 which may be moved from the solid to the phantom line position shown for allowing manual filling of the dispenser during manual operation, that is when golf balls are not conveyed directly to the dispenser via the conduits system 22, 24 and 26 described previously. Still with reference to Fig. 3, a removable inclined shelf 42 is provided for defining a storage or accumulation area for the golf balls delivered to the dispenser.

The balls move downwardly on shelf 42 from right to left in Fig. 3, where they will be received in an opening indicated generally at 44, which opening leads to an oppositely inclined surface 6 where the balls will assume a in- gle layer on this inclined surface 46 as best shown Fig. 4.

With particular reference to Fig. 4, a rotatable drum 50 is provided with four radially outwardly open pockets 50a, 50a. Means is provided for rotating the drum 50 incrementally through 900 of angular rotation. That is, the drum 50 moves from the first position illustrated in Fig. 4 through that illustrated in Fig. 5 to and slightly beyond a discharge position such as that illustrated at Fig. 6. The golf balls that had been accumulated in the pocket in the top Fig. 4 position are dropped by gravity out cf that pocket by the time the drum has moved through 90 . Guide eans, indi- cited generally at 52 and 54, direct these balls as they drop downwardly into a receptacle of the type indicated generally at 60 in Figs. 2 and 3.

As shown in Fig. 7 the drum 50 is supported for rotation on a shaft 51a journalled as shown at 56 and 58. An automatic motor-brake M has a motor shaft S1 that is coupled to an output shaft So and the drum shaft Sla by an eddy current brake.

A limit switch 75 and cam 70 on the motor shaft S1 control the output shaft from the brake to provide automatic intermittent motion of the drum 50 with brief dwell periods such that each pocket 50a is in turn aligned with the in dined surface 46. Fig. 9 shows a four lobe cam for achieving the 900 rctations and four dwell periods required with the four pocket drum shown.

An arcuate wall 46a may be provided around the lower periphery of the drum between the shelf 46 and the discharge chute 52-54 as best shown in Figs. 4-6.

In the event that the number of golf balls to be handled per pocket is to be reduced for any reason from the capacity suggested in Figs. 4-7 the pockets 50a, 50a can be reduced in size by inserting filler strips 62, 62 as shown in Fig. 8.

Claims (13)

CLAIMS:

1. A golf ball transport system comprising: a) means for gravity feeding wet golf balls to a load station, b) conduit means defining a path for the golf balls from the load station to a discharge station, and c) air moving means coupled to the conduit means for drying the wet balls as they are moved along the path.

2. A transport system according to claim 1 wherein the air moving means comprises a blower having a discharge side coupled to the conduit means.

3. A transport system according to claim 1 or claim 2 comprising a golf ball washer for feeding the gravity feed means.

4. A transport system according to any preceding claim comprising a golf ball dispenser for receiving the balls from the conduit and providing selective release of predetermined numbers of balls at a golf ball dispensing station.

5. A transport system according to claim 4 wherein the golf ball dispenser comprises an infeed station, and means for storing or accumulating golf balls adjacent the infeed station, a chute for directing the balls from the ball storing means towards a station where the balls are formed into predetermined groups of charges, a rotatable drum having a plurality of radially outwardly open pockets at the charge forming station, and means for rotating the drum from a first angular position to a second position such that the balls move by gravity from the chute to the discharge station.

6. A transport system according to claim 5 wherein the means for rotating the drum provides for intermittent dwell periods for the pockets at the first and second angular positions.

7. A transport system according to claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the pockets are of elongated configuration with a width only slightly greater than that of a golf ball to each pocket having a radially extending wall and a wall parallel thereto.

8. A transport system according to any of claims 5 to 7 wherein filler strips are provided for selective placement in the pockets to reduce the volume of the pockets and hence the number of golf balls in a particular charge.

9. A transport system according to any preceding claim wherein the ball washer defines two parallel paths for streams of golf balls in side-by-side relationship, the gravity feed outlet means associated with the washer outlet includes two side-by-side tracks for balls, and the conduit has inlets for receiving balls from two side -by-side tracks, the air moving means providing air under pressure at a lower end of the conduit.

10. A golf ball dispenser comprising a storage area for balls, an opening in an inclined floor of the storage area, a chute below the opening, a drum supported adjacent a downstream end of the chute, pockets in the drum for receiving golf balls, and means for rotating the drum from a first angular position wherein one of the pockets is in position to receive golf balls to a second angular position wherein another pocket is oriented to drop golf balls at a discharge station.

11. A dispenser according to claim 11 wherein the drum rotating means comprises an automatic motor brake having a constant speed motor and an eddy current brake with an output shaft coupled to the drum, a cam on the motor shaft, the cam having lobes corresponding to the number of pockets in the drum, and a limit switch operated by the cam for electrically controlling the eddy current brake.

12. A golf ball transport system according to any of claims 1 to 9 comprising a dispenser according to claim 10 or claim 11.

13. A golf ball transport system substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.