GB2450685A - Flexible tee - Google Patents

Abstract

A flexible tee <B>1</B> comprises a first member having a stem <B>4</B> and an integral golf-ball cup <B>5</B> and a second member being a closed-coil tension spring <B>7</B>. The first member is held in a state of tension by the second member and the second member is held in a state of compression by the first member. The second member may be contained within the first member or around the stem <B>4</B> of the first member. This arrangement allow the tee <B>1</B> to be easily deflected and to then return to an upright state and to be stable, the tee <B>1</B> also has sufficient longitudinal strength for it to be pushed into the ground. The tee <B>1</B> may be used in the ground or within a golf-mat bush on a driving range. The bush may hold the tee securely by means of a friction force applied to the tee by means of a tensioned band secured to the base of the bush. The tensioned band may be held in a circumferential groove of the lower section of the bush.

Description

1 2450685 A LONG LIFE FLEXIBLE TEE..

At present, there is no easily inserted ground or golf-mat, height-adjustable tee which is not too susceptible to being driven out by the golf-club, or to springing out after the club has passed, or to being unacceptably damaged. Also which is one which, when fully contacted by the club, is not driven out or unacceptably damaged, and does not present an undesirable resistance to the club.

Increasing the depth of insertion and stiffness of a tee reduces the possibility of its removal but, obviously, increases the probability of significant damage. However, decreasing its stiffness obviously increases the difficulty of its insertion to a depth at which it will not be driven out, or spring out. The purpose of this invention is the provision of a solution to this quandary which decreases the tee's lateral stiffness without significantly reducing its resistance to axial compression.

Three embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the following figures in which:-Figure 1 gives a vertical cross-section of a tee which is located in the ground.

Figure 2 gives a vertical cross-section of a tee which is located in a golf-club or driving-range mat.

Figure 3 gives a vertical cross-section of a tee which is located in a driving-range teeing and driving', bristled mat.

Referring to Figure 1 for the first embodiment of the invention, it can be seen that the tee I is comprised of outer and inner members. Also that the stem 4 of the outer member is integral with the ball-cup 5 and the cap 6, which are bonded to it. The inner member 3 is a closed- coil tension-spring 7 which has the shouldered screw 8 secured to it.

The outer member closely fits on the spring 7 and is moulded in strong resilient material; and, after the spring is inserted into it, is stretched over it and secured to it in that condition, by means of the cap 6 which is bonded to it. This results in the stem holding the spring in a state of compression and the spring holding the stem in a state of tension; and the tee, although easily deflected by a lateral force, nevertheless has a good resistance to a longitudinal force, and does not buckle with the forces normally applied to it. Also that it is extremely improbable that a club contact Will cause the simultaneous failure of both components, and loss of a part of the stem onto the fairway. This is an important fact, since one of the components is made of steel.

With the ball-cup 5 at its maximum required height above the level of the ground, the length of the stem 4 located in the ground-hole 9 is about twice the height of the head of a driver-club.. Also the hole 9 is slightly more than deep enough to accommodate the stem 4, when the ball-cup S is set to its minimum required height.

The ground-hole 9 is made by a hand-held tool which is thrust into the ground, and which has a diameter over most of its length which is slightly greater than the diameter of the tee's stem diameter. It can be seen that,at its top, the hole 9 is about twice its main diameter, over a short distance. This allows the hole to be easy located, after the tool has been removed.

The tee's stem is pushed into the ground by means of a few increments of its depth, in which, at the start of each increment, the stem is held a short distance above the ground, instead of by the ball-cup.

Referring to Fig. 2 for the second embodiment, it can be seen that the tee I is the same as that of the first embodiment, except for its shorter length and its location in the bush 11. It can also be seen that the bush 10 has its top located below the top of the mat 12, and thereby leaves a recess 13 which the ball-cup 4 can enter and allow the club an easier passage. The top entry to the bush 11 is chamfered so that the stem 4 is bent through a greater radius than otherwise. The bush protrudes below the base of the mat into a hole provided for it in the ground, or in the floor of the driving-range, and prevents movement of the mat. The bush is made of a strong resilient material and the diameter of the hole 9 is slightly smaller than the stem-diameter of the tee.

It can also be seen from Figure 2, that the tee 1 is eccentrically located in the bush 11 and the recess of the mat; and protrudes from it, when the tee is located at its maximum required height. This allows the tee located above the mat to be driven easily down into it, when the club passes in contact with the mat. Also, that the clamped collar 14 can be attached to the tee which limits the height to which the ball-cup can be set and provides further protection against removal of the tee by the club.

Referring to Figure 3 for the third embodiment, it can be seen that the tee I consists of the outer member and the inner member. The outer member is a closed-coil tension spring and that the inner member has a stem 4 and a ball-cup 5 which are integral with each other. On the lower end of the stem there is a band 15, and both band and stem are made of the same strong, resilient material. The stem 4 of the inner member 3 is inserted into the spring 7 (which fits closely onto it) and is drawn tightly within it, and the band 15 is adhered to the stem, before the surplus length is removed.

It can also be seen from Figure 3, that the tee is held by the bush 11 which is secured into the base 16 of a bristled mat, in the centre of one of its bristle groups. Also, that the clamped collar 14 is located on the part of the spring which protrudes from the bush. As for the second embodiment, this limits the height to which the ball-cup 5 can be set, and gives an additional safeguard against removal of the tee by the golf-club. However, the bush 11 is made of nylon and the tee slides freely within it but is held at the required ball-cup height by means of the friction force applied to it at two diametrically opposed positions, by means of the strong resilient band 17 which is held taut by the two shouldered screws 18 In a fourth embodiment of the invention (not shown), the upper and lower sections of the bush 11 are concentric with each other, and the tensioned, tee-height-retention band 17 is located in a groove of the lower section and the stem of the tee passes through a peripheral slot of the lower section of the bush 11. By this means, the band tensioning screws 18 are eliminated and the band makes a single peripheral area of contact upon the tee and keeps it in contact with the sides of the slot in the bush.

Claims (4)

Claims.

1. A flexible, height-adjustable tee having a length greater than that of present rigid tees which is comprised of two coaxial members; wherein the first member is comprised of a stem, an integral ball-cup and a securing band which is adhered to the stem; wherein the second member is a closed-coil tension spring which either contains the first member or is contained within it; wherein the first member is held in a state of tension by the second member and the second member in a state of compression by the first member; wherein the said states cause the tee to be easily deflected by the club without damage, but nevertheless to be amenable to being pushed into a close-fitting hole in the ground, or in a bush located in a golf course or driving range mat -both of which keep the tee upright and stable, at eveiy selected ball-cup height; wherein the purchase of the tee upon the ground, or the said bush, is sufficient to prevent its removal by the golf-club; and wherein simultaneous failure of both members of the tee and release of part or all of the stem from the ground, or the mat, is extremely improbable.

2. A tee as in Claim 1, wherein a clamped collar is attached to the stem of the tee which will limit the height to which the ball-cup can be raised above the mat, and which provides an additional safeguard against removal of the tee by the golf club, or the player.

3. A tee as in Claims I & 2, wherein the length, flexibility and longitudinal compressive stiffness of its stem are amenable to its insertion and support, into and by a brushed mat having bristles tall enough to give fairway-shot' simulation; and wherein the stem slides freely in the bush, but is held at the required ball-cup height, by means of the friction force applied to it by a tensioned band secured to the base of the bush.

4. A tee as in Claim I, wherein the stem of the tee passes eccentrically through both the upper and lower sections of the golf-mat bush; wherein the ball-cup of the tee is held at its required height above the mat, by means of a tensioned band which is held in a circumferential groove of the lower section of the said bush; and wherein the said tensioned band makes one peripheral area of contact upon the tee, as its stem passes through a peripheral slot in the said lower section of the said bush.