US1326976A - Captive ball for golf-practice - Google Patents

Description

C. A. B. SCHNURR.

cAPnvE BALL FOR GOLF PRACHCE.

APPLICATlON FILED APR.19.19I8.

3 nfl/vento@ u. Schnur Patented Jan. 6, 192() Vzw/led w13 61H0 CJlAItLIES A. B. SCHNURR, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CAPTIVE BALL FOR GOLF-PRACTICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 6, 1920.

Application filed April 19, 1918. Serial No. 229,519.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. B. SGHNURR, a citizen of the United States, ,and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and y useful yImprovements in Captive Balls for Golf-Practice, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, whereby any one skilled in the art may make and use the same.l

The invention relates to a device to be used for practising and perfecting the stroke and stance of a golf-player, and more particularly to a tetheredf ball' and a means of arranging the tether to give a natural and perfect freedom of movement to the ball.

The object of the invention is to provide a device which may be used `by a golf-player for practice purposes to aid him in training the eye and securing accuracy in his strokes. More specifically, the object of the invention is to provide a tethered ball which may be driven from the tee and which will take a natural and perfect line of flight, returnino within easy reach of the player.

urther objects of the invention relative to the arrangement of the several elements and their securing means are hereinafter more particularly described and set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is an illustrative v iew showing the tethered ball upon the tee.

Fig. 2 illustrates the ball near the end of its flight.

Fig. 3 illustrates the ball returned after its fli ht.

Fig 4 is a detail view illustrating the several elements of the tether.

Fig.4 5l is a sectional View through the ball with attached buffer-member. 1

Fig. 5a indicates a means of securing the buffer-member and tethering cord..

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing a modilied means of anchoring the attaching eye for the tethering cord.

Fig. 7 illustrates 'a preferred method of attaching the buffer-member and tethering cord.

Fig. 8 illustrates the straight pull knot for tying in the tethering cord.

Golf-players ordinarily, in entering a game of golf, find it desirable to warm up and ract'ice various strokes. Usually, this requires the use of a caddie and a great loss of time in returning the ball to the tee.

Captive golf balls are not new in the art as many devices have been used for providing practice for the player. These ordinarily, so far as known to applicant, have consisted of balls tethered to pivoted pins in such manner that the player places the ball between himself and the'pin, with the tether extending radially. Upon striking the ball, 1t revolves about the pin or pivotal point of the tether and does not fly forward in the natural liner of flight which the ball would take if untethered.

As hereinafter set forth, the present invention is designed tol permit the player to observe the effect of his strokes upon the ball, said ball returning to the player after it has been driven from the tee. The device also permits the use of any of the strokes required under different conditions and with or without a tee.

A niblick, mashy, brassy, or driver stroke may be played with equal facility.

In the accompanying drawings, B, denotes the ball which may he of any desired type and to which is secured an eye or fastening device l. This, as illustrated in Fig. 5, conslats of a screweye having a coarse pitched thread which is screwed directly into the substance of the ball and secures a firm hold therein. There is a countersunk opening 2, Y

which receives the eye and permits the attachment of a buffer member or strap 3. The countersunk opening is sufliciently deep to permit. insertion of the eye within the peripheral surface of the ball. The buffer 3, is preferably formed of rawhide and is in the form of a loop having perforations 4, 5, at its ends. It is important a bulfer-strap of resilient, though tough and non-stretch- ,ing` material be employed inasmuch as the A preferred arrangement of the buffer-A strap and tethering loop is illustrated in Fig. 7. where the end of the loo l8, after being drawn through the perforations 9, 10, is passed back over the cords 11, 12, Of the main loop and then passed over the ball and its attached butler-strap 3. This provides a straight pull knot, as illustrated in the detail view of Fig. 7 the loop S, pulling snugly 5 about the cords 1l, 12, and snugging about the ends of the buffer member 3, above the perforations 9, 10.

In Fig. 8, there is illustrated a form of knot which is preferably employed in making the loop 7. This' is what might be termed a straight pull or leader7 knot and insures a maximum pull with minimum liability of breakage of the cord.

The opposite end of the cord from the l5 butter-strap is formed into a loop 13. which is formed with a leader knot. said loop be ing passed about a cooperating loop 14. :toi-med at the end of an elastic strip 15.

The opposite end of the elastic strip 15, is provided with a loop 16, which passes through the eye 17, of the, tether-ing pin 1S.

The elastic loops 14, 16, are preferably secured by clips 1,9, of any well known type.

It will be observed that there is a buffer- 25 strip or thong next to the ball, for taking the blow of the ball; a comparatively long light tetheriirg` cord, extending from said bufferthong to the elastic section l5; and a comparatively short elastic section.

The disposition of the buffer strips or thong, the tethering cord, and the elastic medium is important. Where an attempt has been made to use a connecting tether direct to a ball without the buffer-strip described` 35 the device is extremely short-lived. inasmuch as the back throw of the ball on the ground cuts the tether. lVith the arrangement disclosed, the butter-strip or thong is passed through the attaching eye of the ball and its end from a flexible attaching means for the tethering cord so that there are no cutting` strains imposed upon the cord.

The disposition of the elastic section at the opposite end Ot the tether and secured to the tethering pin 18, also provides a resilient connectingloop for the opposite end of' the tethering vcord and disposes the somewhat heavy resilient section adjacent. to the tethering pin, where it will re-act to return the ball only after the lighter parts have taken their full flights.

This arrangement provides a very lightcord to be carried by the ball for a considerable distance, with a resilient member to gradually absorb the shock as the balltightens the cord, and providing a return spring which will bring the ball back within reach of the player.

In use, the tether-ing pin 1S. is forced into the ground and the ball is carried back from the pin to the tee, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Whether the player drives from the tee with his driver or uses a stroke employing various other clubs, irons', etc., he faces the 65 ball at right angles to the line ofthe tether.

It follows that the line ot flight of the ball will be over the tethering pin rather than about it. and the ball will take its natural line of flight as though not tethered. This gives the player practice in sighting his ball and permits him to correct inaccuracies of his stroke. It is obvious that he can employ any of the strokes required with the different clubs. This has been quite impossible with devices where the ball has been driven about the tethering pin as, of course. there was practically no natural flight permitted for the ball.

By utilizing a light cord of considerable length, a considerable flightmay be permitted to the ball. This may-be increased or diminished as desired. Oi" course. the distance of flight will. be approximately double the length of the tether. The elastic. inember may be of rubber, spring, or other elastic material. its whole function being to absorb the shock due to the pull ot' the ball on the cord, to prevent breaking of the cord; and to give a sufficient back pull to cause the ball to roll back within reach of the user.

In Fig. G, there is illustrated a modied arrangement of eye for securing a buiferthong. In this case, the ball a, has a short shank l), with an eye c, and enlarged musl1- room end or anchor (l. molded directly into the material of the ball. There is a countersunk opening e, about the eye to prevent chafing of the thong. It is, ot course, quit-e immaterial how the eye is anchored in the ball so long as it is inserted with a holding 100 means sufiicient to withstand the pull of t-he tether.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A captive golf ball device consisting of a golf ball with means for attachment of a tether, a tether and a tethering piu, said tether comprising a comparatively long section of light cord and a comparatively short section ot' resilient material flexibly' joined 110 together, a thong connecting the light cord with the ball and the resilient material connecting the cord with the tethering pin, whereby the ball may be. driven ina natural line of Hight across the tethering pin through al distance substantially twice as long as the tether.

2. A captive golf ball device consisting of a ball, an eye having a shank secured in the ball, a recess in the yball to receive the eye` a tethering pin, a tether connected with the eye and tethering pin and comprising a thong engaging the eye, a cord engaging the thong, and a resilient member engaging the cord and tether-ing pin.

3. A captive goltl ball device consisting ot a ball, an eye lia-ving a shank secured inthe ball, a recess in the ball to receive the eye. a thong passing through the eye and having its ends united with a tethering cord, a 130 madera resilient member connected *with the ,Oppom site end of the tethering cord, and a tethering pin connected with the resilient member.

4. ln a device of the character described, a ball having means for securing a tether, a thong connected with said means, a tethering cord connected with said thong, a tetherng pin, and a resilient member connecting the tethering pin and tethering cord.

5. A tether for a captive golf ball consisting of a rawhide thong in the form of a loop having; perforations in its ends, a cord having a loop extending through said perforations and secured about the ends of the thong, an elastic member secured to the opposite end of said cord, a tethering pin for holding said tether, and a 'golf ball having means for the attachment thereto of the rawhide thong. 4

6. ln a device of the character described, a tether for a golf ball comprising a rawhide thong section, a comparatively long cord member and a comparatively short resilient member, said members joined together by loops, said thong being attached to the golf ball and said resilient member being at taehed to the tethering pin.

CHARLES A.. B. SCHNURR.

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