US2464550A

US2464550A - Automatic tee

Info

Publication number: US2464550A
Application number: US618431A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bauer Dave
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1945-09-25
Filing date: 1945-09-25
Publication date: 1949-03-15
Anticipated expiration: 1966-03-15

Description

. D. BAUER AUTOMATIC TEE March 15, 1949.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 2.5, 1945 IVENTOR.

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Patented Mar. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES RATENT GFFICE AUTOMATIC TEE Dave Bauer, Lakewood City, Calif.

Application September' 25, 1945, Serial No. 618,431

This invention relates to a golf ball teeing device, which can be used on driving ranges and for giving lessons. An object of this invention is to provide a device that will improve the players timing during the follow through of the clubhead while making a shot.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device that will quickly and easily place the ball in playing position.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will appear from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l a top plan view of an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary View of the tee,` and Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6--6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a sectional View on the line I-'I of Figure 2.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, the reference numeral I0 designates the teeV box or housing which is made of wood provided on its ends with handles I2 to aid in the transportation thereof and has a longitudinally extending partition I4 located centrally of the ends of the box I0 and internally thereof.

Positioned on the upper surface of the box I0 is an arcuate shaped delivery tube I6 which is of a size to accommodate the golf balls I8 and functions as a delivery tube for said balls.

The tube I6 is supported by and retained in position by a curved bracket 20 which is secured to the rear end of the box I0 by fasteners 22, and to the tube by fasteners 23.

A lever 24 extending longitudinally of the box I0 is. pivoted at one end by means of a pivot pin 26 to the partition I4 and is retained in position by action of the upper coil spring 28 which is secured to the inner side of the top of the box I0 and the lever 24, thus downward movement of the lever 24 causes expansion of the spring 28.

The tube I6 and box I0 are provided with openings 32 and 34 respectively to permit a ball release 36 which is pivotally attached to the lever 24 to pass therethrough to retain the balls I8 in the tube I6 until released therefrom by the down- 1 claim. (o1. 273-33) ward action of the lever 24 in a manner to be explained.

Immediately forward of the release 36 is a second release or stop 38 which is also pivotally secured to the lever 24 and passes upwardly into the tube i6 by means of aligned openings 4I) and 42 respectively in the box I0 and tube I6.

Secured to the free end of the lever 24 is the pedal 44 which extends upwardly through the opening 46 in the box I6 and controls the downward movement of the lever 24 to bring the balls i6 into position as desired.

Secured to the lever 24 by means of screws 48 is the bracket. 50 which is adapted to clamp and hold the tubular rubber tee 52 in an upwardly extending position as shown.

The tee 52 extends upwardly through the opening 54 in the removable playing surface 56 and a slot 58 extending from one side of the opening 54 permits the tee 52 to bend into the slot 58 and prevent wear thereon; as shown in Figures 5 and 6 the surface 56 is provided with a delivery channel 6I and a brush surface 60 and simulating the natural playing field or surface.

The height of the tee 52 extending beyond the playing surface 56 is controlled by the cable 62, one end of which is secured to the lever 24 and Jhich passes over guide pulleys 64 and 66 respectively, is attached at its other end to the pedal 68 located in the guide, bracket 'I0 on the end of the box I6. The bracket 'I0 is provided with notches 'I2 for holding the pedal 68 at various heights, the height of the pedal 68 determining the height of the tee 52 by the action of the cable 62 on the lever 24 pulling against the spring 28.

Extending at an angle from the lever 24 is a second timing lever I4 which is pivotally mounted in the bracket 'I6 by means of pivot pin 18. The lever 'ini is normally retained in a slightly tilted position by a spring 30 which is anchored to the lever 14 and the box IE).

The bracket I6 is secured to the undersurface of the top of the box I0 and extends downwardly thereof. One end of the lever 14 is free, but the other end is connected to lever 24 by means of a flexible link 86.

Slidably mounted on the lever 'I4 is the timin pedal 82 which comprises a collar or sleeve 84 having an upstanding internally threaded extension 86 which is adapted to receive the adjustable stem 68. The stem 88, which is adapted to be contacted by a players heel, extends upwardly through the opening 89 in the box I0 and the height thereof can be adjusted by turning it clockwise or counterclockwise.

The upper surface of the box I6 is provided with an elongated slot 90 for the reception of the stem 88 and to permit adjustment thereof.

The upper surface of the box I is provided with a composition play surface 92 which can be in direct contrast to the playing surface 56 and is provided with an opening 94 for the pedal 44 and opening S6 for the stem 88.

When it is desired to use the device, the pedal 44 is depressed against the tension of spring 28, to the position shown in broken lines in Figure 2, simultaneously lowering both the releases 36 and 38 permitting a ball I8 to leave the tube I6 and roll into the opening 54. Upon release of the pedal 44 the second ball is pushed into position by gravity.` Raising of the lever 24 by the spring 28 also raises the tee 52 with the first ball on the end thereof. The release 36 prevents all of the balls from being emptied as a group from the tube I6. Hence, when pedal 44 is moved downwardly, the stop 38 releases the rst ball and stop 36 moves into the tube I6 to hold back the remainder of the balls. When the pedal 44 is released, stop 36 is withdrawn from the tube I6 simultaneously with the insertion of the stop 38 into the tube I6, by the lever 24 raised by the spring 28 to the position shown in full lines in Figure 2, to retain a ball as shown in this gure. The action of the releases 36 and 38 is also shown in Figure 7.

If the device is to be operated automatically, the player then takes his stance with his heel pushing the stem 88 downward and therefore the link 'I4 and tensioning the spring 30. This action will have no effect on the lever 24 due to the link 80 being flexible. However, when the heel of the player is suddenly lifted, the expanded spring 36 will tilt the lever 'I4 to move the lever 24 to deliver another ball to the opening 54 as previously described.

However, if the player should lift his heel before his follow-through is completed, the stem AB8 will rise and the ball to be played will be lowered preventing the player from making a stroke.

Thus, the player must have perfect timing in his stroke to permit play of the ball and automatic discharge of another to the tee.

It is believed that the operation of the device will be apparent to those skilled in the art when taken in conjunction with the disclosures in the accompanying drawings, and it is to be understood that various changes in the combination and arrangement of parts can be made provided they fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A mechanical golf teeing device comprising a container adapted to rest on the ground or the like and to support a person, an arcuate delivery tube adapted to contain a plurality of golf balls, means fastening the delivery tube to the exterior of said container, a tee lever, means pivoting an end of same to and within said container and below said arcuate delivery tube, said delivery tube having a pair of openings positioned in opposite sides of said delivery tube and spaced longitudinally of each other in said delivery tube a distance substantially equal to the diameter of a golf ball, a release member reciprocably extending through one of said openings of said arcuate delivery tube for transverse movement therein, a stop member reciprocably extending through the other of said openings of said arcuate delivery tube for transverse movement therein, means pivotally securing said release and stop members, respectively, to said tee lever whereby said release member and said stop member are adapted to receive therebetween and engage opposite sides of a single golf ball in said arcuate delivery tube, a resilient tee rod attached to said tee lever, said tee rod having a socket portion in alignment with said delivery tube to receive and support a golf ball discharged from said delivery tube, guiding means on the exterior of said container for guiding golf balls from said delivery tube to said tee rod socket, a pedal attached to said tee lever and extending above said container, said pedal being adapted to be depressed by foot of person on said container for tilting said tee lever, whereby tilting of the tee lever will simultaneously move said release and stop members and said tee rod in the same direction relative to said arcuate delivery tube, a timing lever, means pivoting said timing lever within said container for oscillatory movements in a plane at an angle to the plane of movement of said tee lever, a link pivotally connected to one end of said timing lever and to an adjacent end of said tee lever, a slot in said container extending parallel to said timing lever, a timing pedal adapted to be engaged by the heel of a person on said container taking a stance facing the tee rod, means slidably mounting said timing pedal on said timing lever to accommodate the stance of different persons, springs means anchored to said container and pivoted to said timing lever between the pivot means therefor and the means for slidably mounting said timing pedal for yielding opposing movement of the same and thereby said tee lever, means on said container guiding the free end of said timing lever, cable means attached to said tee lever for limiting movement thereof in one direction, and means attached to the exterior of said container for adjusting said cable means.

DAVE BAUER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,888,256 Baumgartner Nov. v22, 1932i 1,923,682 Moerman Aug. 22, 1933 1,935,291 Gardner et al Nov. 14, 1933 1,965,697 Gardner et al July 10, 1935l 2,013,881 Fleming Sept. 10, 1935 2,198,968 Jewett Apr. 30, 1940