US1591985A - Golf apparatus and the like - Google Patents

Description

July 13, 192s.

v A. LEVKOWITS GOLF APPARATUS 1WD 'lig LIKE Sunil/11.?

INVENTOR a Si' L "I x IlIPIPIIIIlfllllillfllllilli lllillllllllllllillllll Illlllllllllillllllllllllll u A .nu J M u A. LEVKOWITS GOLF APP/ARATUS AND THE LIKE July 13, 192s. 1,591,985

INVENTOR @CLA-ac I @am 322m;

ATTORNEY A. LEVKOWITS GOLF APPARATUS AND THE LIKE July 13 1926. 1,591,985

Filed March 27, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR QM@ ATTORNEY July 13 Y926. Y 1,591,985

A.v LEVKOWITS GOLF APPARATUS AND THE LIKE Filed March 27. 192s 4 sheets-sheet 4 Q l l l 0000# ...D 71 @Goose vv ATTORN EY Patented .uly 13, 1926.

e neuren, s

AYES

' ALBERT LEVKOXVETS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GOLF APPARATUS AND THE LIKE.

Application led March 27, 1923.

-My invention relates generally tothe of golf and has specific reference to a combination ,of apparatus, topographical maps, and protractor with which it is posfr sible to produce or simulate conditions on a golf course to an extent that a gameof golf may be played in a limited space with substantially the same accuracy as it is played on any standard golf course.

.The invention has for its principal objects to provide, first, an instrument carrying a regulation golf ball which when projected by ablow from a club will cause the instrument to register distance, height and deflection of flight of the ball; second, a topographical map of any golf course comprisinga separate sheet for each hole of the course and showing kall of lll.

the true con- Yditions ofthe course; third, protractoron the arc of which may be calculated a scale corresponding vto the distance, height and deflection scales on the measuring instrument, suoli .scales being substantially the same as that to which the map itself vis drawn; and fourth, series of devices designed to receive the ball during the game, whereby certain conditions encountered in the course may be effectively reproduced, i. e. high grass, sand holes, etc.

rEhe present invention is illustratively eX- empliiied in the accompanying drawings, in which Tiligure 1, is a plan view of my improved measuring instrument; Figure 2, is a'longitudinal sectional view through the same; and Figure 3, is a side elevational view of the outer end of the instrument showing ythe apparatus and scale for measuring the height of the ball during flight; figure el, is a plan view of my improved protractor; .Figure '5, is a View of one of the sheets of the topographical map of the ,colf course showing by way of example a few of the possible plays in the game and the manipulation of the protractor to determine the playing conditions preceding and subsequent to each stroke, Figure 6, shows a bof; containing several of thev devicesvused to receive the ball and to represent the conditions in which a ball may be placed during'tne play, i. e. sand traps, high grass etc.; and Figure 7, is a side elevational iew of .the arrangement.l used to represent high grass, Y .f

i Referring new .to the drawingsand par- Figures 1 to 8, 10 designates a eig ted lioor'platform bracket Serial No. 628,021.

having a forwardly projecting arm EL provided with a vertically disposed bearing surface 11 adjacent its free end; Mounted to swing through a plane substantially at right angles tothe plane of the bracket 10 and about the bearing 11 is a supporting bracket 12 comprising an annular portion 18 having the central opening to receive the bearing 11 and a radially projecting arm 14 provided with an interiorly threaded socket 15. The socket 15 is adapted to receive the threaded end of a tubular drum 16 which is provided with four longitudinally disposed slots 17 cut through longitudinally of the drum and projecting from the outer end thereof to a point about midway of its length. Telescopically supported in the drum 16 and eX- tensible through the outer open end thereof is a second tubular drum 18 having its inner end closed and provided with radially projecting lugs 19 which extend through the slots 17 and are adapted to be guided throughout the length of the latter in the operation of the measuring device to Ineasure the distance a ball will travel in its flight. The outer end of the drum 16 is exteriorly threaded to receive an annular collar 20 which prevents the inner drum 18 from being drawn outwardly and free of the drum 16. Disposed loosely about the drum 16 and arranged between the lugs 19 and the collar 20 is an indicatory ring 21 comprising an annular member provided with a beveled forward edge adapted to register with a series of-graduations 22 dis posed on opposite sides of the uppermost slot 17, such graduations being separated from each other along the longitudinal axis of the drum 16 a distance equal to some general scale to which a map of the golf course is laid out, as hereinafter described.

Inasmuch as graduations designated 22 are disposed longitudinally of the axis of the drums 16 and 18 it will be apparent that any readings taken from this scale will be for movement of the drum 18 in an axial direction which indicates straight outward travel of the ball in its flight and in order to offer the proper resistance to such movement of the drum 18 the inner end thereof having the lugs 19 is provided with an eye 23 which receives one end of a coiled spring 21, the opposite end being connected to a plugv 25 received into the end of the drum 16 embraced by the socket 15,

The outer end of the drum 18 is provided with an upright. fiat projection :'26v disposed transversely across the end, the projection QG having a curved free end and acentral opening 27 therein to pivot-ally support a pin 28, which is adapted to project from opposite sides or the projection 2G, and which projects through slots 29 of U-shaped strap 30. The closed end ottthe strap BOeX- tends over the edge ot the part 26 and is provided with an opening 3l' to receive one end' c-'a string 3;, the opposite end of which is. embeddedin aA regulation golfball 8S, as shown in Figure '2. The stra-p '30k may be adjusted with respect tothe pin 28 andthe tree' ends ot the former are' provided with pointers 3% which move' through an Aarc on the projection 26 indicating -the relative lic-ight traversedby theballE in' its flight,.the L.. Jeing designated by suitably spaced radial graduations 35. as shown in Figure "The adjusted position of the strap 30 with' respect. to the! pin 2S is -held fixed by a thumb screw 36 which tends to clamp the strapv and the pintogether. 'By means. ot the relatirev cooperation of the parts' justdescribed the distance and height attained by the ball in its light'rvill be registered uponthe scales or dials: 22' c id respec-` tively.

The'third possible condition which the balln'iay assuine'in its flight is measured by the distance the. line'ot' travel of the ball is. deflected sidexvisezfrom an axial line project'ingtrom the longitudinal axis or the'instrument. Such a condition is indicatcdby means of an apparatus comprising an upright integral lug 3T carried by the arm 13 out theV bracket l2 and a pair ot relatively adjustable plates 38 and 39. The plates 38 and 89 comprise discshaped members looselymounted on step vbearings l1L() and' 4:1 arranged one above'the other onlthe'end ot. the arin'lOa and above'the bearing` surface 11. The peripheries `of` the plates coincide with th'e'inner edge otthe' lug 3T and both plates are provided with radially projecting' indicators 4Q, the uppermost plate 39 havingits indicator disposed in the. path ot'tlie lug 3T as it moves in an anticlockrvise direction val delinite' relation. to the possible number ot' degrees. of lateral deie'ction o't'the ball in it-s'rlight, i. e. such degrees asmay be measuredonfboth sides of the axis of the instru-A ment'and; indicated on the' dial by zero. To counteract inertia oftbe moving*l instrument about itslpivot bearing Il, a pair of adjustyal`;le"springs ir# are disposed on opposite'latral si desI ot the device. and connected one ot their ends to Vthe rearwardly disposed race' of a pair of wings 45: integral with the sockel lo, the opposite ends of the springs being attached to nipples 46 which are capable ot' adjustment over studs 4:7 carried by the tace of the Wall bracket l() and by adjustmentthereot the tension or compression ot the springs ALT' may be equalized to hold the apparatusinV proper initial position.

.Referring now to the protractor shown particularly in Figured, Ofdesignates the protractoi"proper which comprises a piece ot transparent material, such as celluloid, having a center openingv 5l to'receive a centering' pin. Thel protractor issen'ii-circularly shapedand prmided about `its uppermost segment rWith a marginally projecting strip 53 extending' on bothsidesV of a' perpendicular center line projected upwardly from the center opening 51. The strip 53 extends over an arc Which-is substantially 100 degrecs of the circle about the point 5l and which is divided into indicated graduat'ions 54 measuring 5 d'efreesy between each, so as to bringl the graduation designated on the said perjiendicular line. The periphery or the preti-actor at thegraduation designated 50o projects outwardly along the'perpcndicular line to provide a straight edge 55, the opposite edge of the projecting portion is defined by a gradual curve which connects With the curve oi the strip oadjacent the right end thereof. For convenience in future reference let the point or opening 51 be referred to the Zero point and 'radially dis nosed trom this zero Joint are a series of straight slotted openings 56, one edge'oll each slot being provided with a scale 5T. n the present embodiment of the inventionI have shown the protractor beingdivided bythe slots 56 into six sectors -which gives seven scales 5T. rThese scales 5T are-divided into an equal number or gradua` tions but in each scale the graduations are spaced apart from each other a different distance. The distance between the markings of one scale andI thosev of* another indicate the relative heights the ball must take in its-flight to'niake certain plays, ashereina'fter described.

`The topographical: inap ol the golf course over Which the game isy to be played is divided into eighteen sheets, each sheet sho\"- ing the playing course i'or one o't the eighteen holes. Figure 5 she-ws by way of illustration one ot such sheets, designated (i0, or a course on which' is located thev tee G1, thetairway '62, the green G3 and rough G4', and all the hazards such as bunkers 55, sand traps 66, lakes, brooks, out-olbounds"niarkings, etc. The sheets are preferably arranged in' pad form with each succeeding sheet representing the next hole to be played.

In Figure 6, 'TO denotes a bonY in which a section is set apart to contain material to represent grass7 T1,-a sandv trap T2 and tall grass 78. The tall grass 73 may be made by v disposing upright resilient projections over a limited area of the boX 70, with sufiicient space in which to position the ball.

@ther well known devices may be included in the set, such as putting holes, etc., which `will practically enablev a player to play a game of golf in a limited space either in doors or outdoors', exactly as it is played on a standard golf course.

The game played with the apparatus just described may be carried out in the following manner, and it will be understood that while l am describing a few of the possible plays over one sheet, or hole, all of the other sheets of the course may be played in a similar'manner. The measuring instrument which is attached either byk means of the wall or weighted floor platform plate, is in a slack position and ball 33 rests upon improvised tee corresponding to the zero point or tee 61 on the map or sheet. The protractor 50 is then placed upon the sheet 60 so that the openings or zero .point l may be made to coincide with the tee 6l whereupon the push or centering pin 52 is driven into the opening 5l to provide a pivot about which the protractor 50 may swing. It the course. from the tee 6l to the hole designated 6"?. may require several strokes, and the iirst drive as nearly as can be determined will be over unobstructed ground the exact distance to be traveled by the ball may be determined along` the straight edge 55. For convenience let it be assumed that an obstructed course of over 350 yards is presented in `which case the player returns to the ball 33 and makes a drive and the ball is projected so as to eii'ect movement of all of the indicators ot the measuring instrument.

When the pull has stopped, the inner drum 1S after being drawn out axially against the tension of the spring 24C will have returned to its initial or zero position, but the indicating ring 2l will remain in its adjusted position, i. e. at a point on the scale 22 which indicates the maximum elongation ot the spring 24 for that pull, such elongation ot the spring 24 being proportional to the horizontal component of the pulling force, which in turn is directly proportional to the horizontal component of the force with which the ball has been hit. Considering now only the forces acting in a plane coincident with the vertical axis of the device, any pull on the strap not in axial alignment with the drums will have a component tending to rotate the strap and such a component becomes zero when the strap 30 has rotated about its pivotal center to a point where these lines coincide. The iinal position ot the strap 30 indicates the direction of the pulling force in a vertical plane, and from the position of the pointer 3% relative to the dial 35 the exact trajectory of the ball may be determined. Knowing the distance point and the angle ot trajec tory along a vertical plane the exact location ot the ball determined by these two components considered may be determined. Theretore any reading` ot the dial taken with the reading of the elongation of the spring on the scale 22 will correspond to a deiinite trajectory.

`inasmuch as the entire mechanismk tor measuring distance and trajectory is freely mounted on the bearino` surface l1, the mechanism itself `will be r'ree to rotate about this bearing, a condition which enables the forces acting on a plane horizontally disposed with respect to the axis of the drums 'i6 and 18 to be indicated. Considering` nov-J only forces acting in this horizontal plane, any pull on the strap 30 that isnot in the line from the pointof attachment of the string to the center of the pin 28 will have a component tending to rotate the entire mechanism about the pivotal center of the bearing surface ll, this component becoming zero when the axis ot the mechanism `has moved to a point where these lines coincide. rhe rotation ot the lug 37 by this operation tends to revolve one or the other of the plates and 39 throughA a space indicated "along the dial i3 by the position of the indicators 42. Therefore, the readings or" the dials i3 and 35 and the scale 22, subsequent to a drive, gives the horizontal deliection, heioht and distance ot the flight of the ball.

in order to clearly understand just how certain conditions in the plays ot the game are determined it might be well to explain brieiiy just what the conditions are in the ordinary regulation game and then to eX- plain further how these same conditions are brought about and played by means of my invention Golf, as it is played outdoors on a golt course, is a game in which a ball is hit from one deiinite point (called the teeing ground) to another definite point (called the cup) with clubs of various 4shaped heads in the least number of strokes. The playing ground along which the ball is played trom the teeing ground to the cup is one unit ot a golf course and is numbered and called hole #1. A golf course consists of either 9 or i8 such units or holes.

The playing course, from the teeing ground to the cup, consists ot the fairway7 on which the grass is cut short so that when the ball lies on the fairway, it can be hit with any club with no resist-ance from the grass; the rough, which borders the :tairway on all sides, and upon Vwhich the grass is not cut and upon which may be trees and bushes or shrubs, and the hazards, The hazards, which may be located either in the fairway or the rough are (l) sand traps or pits which are filled with sand llt) lll

nl in water bunkers or inounds which rise above the surrounding ground to a height ot from one to tenfeet. These hazards are soplacedas to' penalize strokes that, according to the hazards, i. e. (l) are too long or too'short (2) are deflected too much troni the line along which it is desirable to hit. (3) donothave a suiiiciently great angle of departure or angle of descent of trajectory.

The cup islocated on what is called the green upon Which the grass is cut so short and is so uniform, that a ball may be rolled along it and not be deflected troni a straight linezexcept by undulations in the ground itself. Y

kThe infinite number ot angles dei ture, troni' the angle ot departure ot the lov.'- est. ball'that can be hit that will leave the ground, to the Vgreatest possible angle oi departure, I have divided into six groups and any reading of the angle of departure scale on the indicating device will tall into one of these six groups. These six groups l have numbered in order one to six, number one being tliegroup of the smallest angle of dci'iarture.

I have, for convenience, called a ball the angle of departure ot `whose trajectorjiy Ja'lls into group l, a height l hall and ball the. angle ofv departure -o'f Whose trajiectary falls into .group 2 a height 2 ball etc.

Foreach group, the average angle ot departure has beentaken and the relation betrreenthe carr7 and the roll of a ball hit with that angle of departure, has leen obtained; and any ball in angY height 4f froup will be considered to have the saine rate of carry and'y roll as that obtained for the average for the group.

Then a vball is hit into the air 'troni one place to: another, it travels in the air for a certain distance called the carry or tliglit,7 and on eoining to the ground again at theendof its carry or tlight,it bounces and then rolls along until it stops. For the purpose of this gaine it is'necessary to disregard the bouncing and to consider that :rlter the carry, the ball rolls along the groundr until it stops.

A topographical inap 60 is prepared ot an entire golf course. For convenience the inap is divided into 9 or 18 sheets (according` as the course has 9 or 18 holes) and on each sheetis laid out the playing course Jfor one hole. AOn the sheet for each hole Will be located aspreviously explained, the teeing ground..theifairway, the'green, the cup. -`,le

vrough and a' l the hazards on that hole. The sand traps'will be numbered With the ininif niuni height ball that can be played to get out of that trap. On either side of the bunkers vWillbe drawn lines for each height ball. These lines will bek drawn at a distance troni the. bunker equal to the niininiuin distance a ball hit with that height niust be troni that bunker in order that the ball shall have attained in the case ot an ascending ball, or still have in the case of a descending ball` a sucient height to clear that bunker.

I Will assuine that an;v ball that hits :i bunker on the carry7 will be stopped by the bunker and roll doivn the side to the ground. ln order to help justify this assumption, l have cut off the top crown of the bunker tor the reason that a ball hitting that part nia;v bound over.

A ball Will be assunied to have no roll in rough and a ball rolling over a sand trap Will be assumed to fall into that trap.

The strip of the protractor is divided and nun'ibered to correspond to the deflection dial l5 on the indicating device. The scale is laid out on the perpendicular line of the protracter and represents units ot distance to the saine scale as that to which the inap'is drawn. Having their zero paint a the :fiero point of the scale ot the prot 'actor are laid out on the nrotractor the s :ales giving the Carr)v tor each height ball to the saine scale as that of the protractor scale.

lYe now proceed to plav the galne as 'liollou's. Referring to Figure 5, the protractor is laid on the inap for the hole, the zero point 5l or' the protractor-scale being placed and pirated bv a pin on the teeing ground and the line ot the perpendicular scale designated O-Z, in Figure 5, being placed by the player on the line along which he Wants to hit. lin inost cases this will be the straight line to the hole, but it nia)7 be expedient in the plavers opinion to play along` soine other line toavoid hazards. `laving thus placed the protractor 50 the player then hits the ball and reads the distance and deflection on the indicating device i. e. reading 150 `vards deflection G5. The protractor is then rotatcd until the line of the scale 54 is at this deliection and 150 vards is laid out 0n the scalev point A1. There being no hazards between this point A and the teeing ground, this is the point to which the ball has been hit. rlie protractor or 50 is then placed with its zero point at A1 and the line of the protractor on the line along which the player Wishes to hit, and the ball is hit again. The distance and deilection are again read 125 `vards-deilection G5 and this point is laid out as before, but We sec that line troni A1 to A2 lies over rough or long grass. lli thereto-re tale the height" reading on the indicatingniachine and it is height #3. The protractor is then rotated until the height scale lies on the line Alu-A2 and at the 125 yard point on the scale We find that the end ot the carry is at A3 and in the rough. Since there is no roll in the rough, the ball has coine to rest at A3 atthe end ot the carry and the next shot is played from the rubber simulation ot the resistance offered to the club head Figure T. rl`he protractor is placed as before at' yl33 yards-deflection 35 height #1.

A3 and the ball is hit again.

Reading 7() yards-deflection 45 height/0 (the ball having been hit on top so that it does not leave the ground but only rolls). Inasmuch as there is norollV in the rough that stroke has not advanced the ball and the next strokeis played from the same place and from the rubber simulation of Vrough or long grass. The ball is hit again reading 90 yardsfdeflection 40 height #4. 7e lay off this distance and deflection from A3 and as the end of carry as obtained from the height #4 scale lies beyond the rough, the peint i4-90 yards distant is the point to which the ball has been hit. The preti-actor is placed at A4 andthe ball hit again-readliplg e path of. the stroke .4X4-A5 is over a sand trap and getting the carry we see that the carry ends before the sand trap and the ball is therefore in the trap at A6. The sand trap is marked #3 and the next shot should be played from the sand box Figure 6v with a number height of #3. The protractor is Vlaid at A6 and the ball hit.v Reading 60 yards-deflection 48V- height #2. This shot is not high enough and has not advanced the ball out of the trap. The next shot is played on the same point. Ball is hit reading 163 yardsdeflection (SO-height #3. Laying olf this distanceand deflection A- A7 and get-ting the carry from the height #3 scale We see that the yend of the carry lies bet-Ween the near edge of the bunker and the #3 line on the further side of the bunker. They ball has therefore hit the bunker on the carry and the nextstroke must be played from point A8 Vin the bunker. It must be played With a height one greater than of the line number nearest the bunker or height #4. Theprotractor is laid at AS and the ball is hit reading yards-deflection tzi- #2 height. This is not high enough and the shot has not advanced the ball out of the bunker. The next kshot 1s played again from A8 reading 42 yardsdeflection 68-height #4. This clears the bunker and there being no other hazard, the ball is now at A. The protractor is then put at A9 and the ball hit reading 125 yards-deflection 40-height #3. Thus pointer A10 lies beyond the brook and from the carry scale for height 3 then see that the carry ends and roll starts before the brook 1s reached. Therefore the ball is inthe brook and the next shot is played from the bank of the brook With the penalty of a stroke for lifting the ball out of the brook. Protractor is put at A11 and ball is hit, reading` 70 yards-deflection (S0-height #2. The brook is carried and there being no other hazards the ball is at A12 on the green. The remaining distance from A to the hole is then measured and a free ball actually hit into a hole from the distance by using any of the Well known putting devices now on the market. f .Y

The players score for the holeV is therefore l2 plus the number of. strokes it Will take him to hit into a hole from a distance Having described my invention and its operation what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: Y y

l. ln an instrument for registering the flight of a golf ball, telescopically arranged members 4movable relatively of one another a distance proportional to a pulling force exerted by one of the members the said members comprising tubular drums arranged one within the other, the outer drum having a series of longitudinal slots cut in its Walls, the inner drum being provided with radial lugs adapted to be guided in said slots, means disposed between the drums to counteract the pulling force ofthe inner drum, an indicator ring longitudinally adjustable over `the outer drum, the latter being provided with a scale over which the ring is driven to measure the longitudinal movement ofthe inner drum and a golf ball connected to the inner drum toy provide the pulling force.

2. In an instrument for registering the flight of a golf ball, telescopically arranged members movable `relatively of one another a distance proportional to a pullingforce exerted by one of the members the said members comprising tubular drums disposed one Within the other, resilient means tending to normally hold the drums contracted the outer drum having longitudinal guide slots the inner drum being provided With radially disposed lugs at one end, movable in said slots, a scale disposed on said outer drum to designate the said pulling force in unit terms, a loosely mounted indicator embracing the said outervdrum and adapted to be moved relatively of the said scale by being engaged by the movement of said lugs and a golf ball connected to the inner drum to provide the pulling force.

In an instrument for registering the flight of a golf ball, telescopically arranged members movable relatively of one another a distance proportional to a pulling force exerted by one of the members, a golf ball connected to the said one of the said members to provide the pulling force, and means disposed between the said golf ball and the members to register the trajectory of the llO ball through a plane vertically disposedV flight'of a golf-ball, telescopically arranged members movable relatively of oneanother axdistance proportionalto a pulling force exerted by one of the members, a'golf ball connected to the said oneof the members to provide the pulling force, andY means adapted -to Vregister the direction of -flight ofthe said ball with respect to a horizontal plane,- said meanscomprising a pivotal supportdorsaid members, a bracket having a dialadapted to ,rotate about said support and beingl connected Ato one of the said members, relatively movable plates loosely7 disposed'laxially o'l'said support and arranged one over vfthe-other, both plates being provided withY indi cator-s v proj ecting` therefrom,

and' means carried by lsaid dial and movable i inA anv are to' engage 'one or ltheother Vof said indicators to rotate the latter to a degree equal tothe horizontal displacement of the ball in its flight, substantially as described.

In combination, a measuring instrument ofthe character described a ysupporting platefhaving an'upright bearing surface projecting therefrom, a -supporting- 4bracket pivota'lly 4mounted -on said-surface and hav inga dial disposed in anarc and a lug projecting [from a' zero vpoint insaid dial anda socket-disposed at the end thereof, ro-

'tatableindicator plates loosely mount-ed on saidbearmg 'surface and Ahaving projections disposed in the paths I-ofmovement of said lug, a tubular member attached to said socket-and provided Vwith longitudinal slots, oneof which isy provided with transverse graduations along its-Walls, a telescopically disposed tubular member having lugs slidably mounted'in said slots, an indicator ring embracing' said irst tubular member and adapted to be adjusted by engagement with the said lugs projecting, through said slots, whereby axial movement of the second will advance the indicator ring over the said scale, a spring disposed Within the first member andlconnected to the latter and the other member, a pivoted'strap mounted on the freey end of said second tubular member, a ball depending from the closed end o'll said strap, meansadaptcd to connect said strap Witha golf ball, the movement of-said strap about its pivot being conlined to a vertical plane With respect to the axis of the tubular members, a dial carried by the said tree end of the second member and disposed on an arc to measure the trajectory of the said ball after a hit is made, and means disposed between the supporting plate and the supporting bracket to maintain ythe balance of the deviceon a horizontal plane.

In ltestimony whereof, I'have signed my name -to this specilication this 26th day ot' March, 1923.

ALBERT LEV-KOWITS.

Images