US2513198A - Golf puppet ball projector - Google Patents

Description

June 27, 1950 MUNRQ 2,513,198

GOLF PUPPET BALL PROJECTOR Filed Feb. 11, 1949 Patented June 27, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GOLF PUPPET BALL PROJECTOR James H. Munro, Hermosa Beach, Calif. Application February 11, 1949, Serial No. 75,801

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to toys, and more particularly to a toy in the form of a mechanical puppet golf player by means of which playing a game of golf may be simulated as, for example, indoors; On a putting green, or other prepared outdoor area.

While there has been proposed hitherto mechanical miniature golf players having some of the characteristics of this invention, these prior devices have been subject to definite limitations and imperfections which have prevented the same from obtaining any wide popularity. In the mechanical puppet golf player of this invention, means are provided for bringing about a substantially correct backswing stroke and followthrough of the club under the control of the player. Further, means are provided by which the force of the stroke is completely under the control of the player and, in addition, means are provided in the mechanical puppet golf player for the interchange of clubs being used by the player so that every stroke in a normal game of golf may be simulated with the proper clubs. Accordingly, in using the device of this invention, if desired, the players may lay out a course with obstacles, sand traps, greens and the like as, for example, upon the living room rug or on a putting green or other suitable outdoor area and play the game to completion.

It therefore, one object of this invention to provide a mechanical puppet golf player in which the stroke of the club is essentially similar to the theoretically correct stroke.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a device in which the force. of the stroke is under the full control of the player.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a device providing for interchangeable golf clubs.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the attached specification in which Figure 1 is a front view of the device.

Figure 2 is a side view of the device.

Figure 3 is an enlargedfragmentary' section along the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentaryv section taken on the line 4-4 of, Fi ure 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the device of this invention is shown as includin a tubular rod l having a grip ll upon the upper end thereof. The rod I0 is slotted as at [2 and a mandrel I3 is positioned within the tube Ill and carries a pin l4 having a handle 15, which pin l4 operates in t e 5101; I2 as clearly shown in Figure 4. Adjacent the upper end of I the tube l0 there is provided a pin 16 carrying a wheel or pulley I1 and a wire or cable I8 is reeved upon the pulley I1. One end of the cable I8 is aflixed to the mandrel by a screw as at 20 and the other is similarly aflixed as at 21. The mandrel l3 has a bore 22 therein for the reception of one strand of the cable l8.

The tube I0 at its lower end encloses a tubular extension 23 of the body member and is releasably attached thereto by a screw 24 and I prefer to mount a pair of guide rollers (one only of which is shown numbered 25) at the lower end of the tube for guiding the cables. The golf player proper is indicated generally by the numeral 30 and is in the form of the figure of a man having a pair of legs 3| and 32, a hip portion 33, and atorso portion 34. The hip portion 33 is provided with a circular seat 35 in which is positioned a cylindrical member 36.. The cylindrical member 36 is grooved as at 31 to receive the cable 18. The hip .portion 33 is bored as at 38 to receive a bushing 39 for a rod 40. The hip portion 33 is counterbored as at 41 to receive a screw 42 adapted to thread into the end of the rod 40 as shown. The torso portion 34 is bored-as at 34A and a screw 43 is provided in a reduced, portion of the bore adapted to threadedly receive the head portion 44. The bore 34A is enlarged and tapped as at 45 to receive a hollow stud 46 which is keyed or otherwise attached to the rod 40. A pair of studs 41 and 48 are provided in bores 49 and 53 in the cylindricalportion 33 and screwed into threads tapped in the torso portion 34 as shown, thus similarly uniting the cylindrical portion 36 to the torso portion 34.

Mounted uponthe rod 40 is a wheel or sheave 5| and'a' cable or wire 52 is reeved thereon. The cylindrical portion'36 is provided with a relieved portion53 to accommodate the sheave 5| and the cable, 52. v w The torso portion 341s provided with a pair of: arms Bllgandfil, preferably formed integrally therewith. Each of the arms and 6| on the inner side thereof is provided with an open slot- 62. 1 Each open slot 62 is adapted toreceive one lineiofthe'pable 52;. The arms 60 and GI con vergeyasat;6 3in,the shape of hands 64. 4pm 65 is provided at the extremities of the arms and a club-carrying member 66 is pivoted thereon. The member 66 is provided with an enlarged head 61 bored as at 68 to receive the club 69 and retain the same therein with a set screw 10. The other end of the member 66 is cured as at H and bored as at 12 to form the channels of a sheave and the cable 52 is reeved therethrough.

It is contemplated that with the device as above described, there will be provided a plurality 5 of golf clubs 69 each having a separate pitch so that, in effect, a full set of golf clubs will be available to the players. A ball 80 which may be a small piece -of 'balsawood or hard rubber or the like is also utiliz'ed.

The operation of the device is as follows: The device is taken by the player by the handle I I'- and placed on its feet adjacent the ball 80 in a proper position to address the ball. 'The'-operat=--- ing handle I5 is held in one hand and the nain. handle ll in the other. By sliding pin l4 back and forth in the slot IS the cable "l-B can bmakle to reciprocate, thus turning the cylinder DQl'tion 36. With the cylinder portion 36 there 'will tiirn the torso 34, the head 44 andthe arms fill and 6 l The" turning lofth'e cylinder portion 3 6' will also "cause" the, tui' 'niiig"'oftherod' ifl and; cohequentl'y; "oftlie: sheavefi l which is keyedbrotherwise aflixedthereto. 'llie'turfiing'of the'sheave'fil in turnope'ratesJtlibabl' SZandthegripping'pr wrist member '66. The "relationship between the sheave'15l and'tl'i'e 'sheavelike 'portionbf tlifmember 66'is such'that their operative 'diameters are in a ratio of approximately '2"to ."1, thus'assu'ring that while the .torsdniember 34 i otate's through out asman are, tiiswr stfmemuer lifi will' rotate throughout a largenarc. Fromtliis description it will'be'apparent thaton operationpf the operating handle l5"the' uppe -stay; shdtildeisand' arms of the 'player' rotatej"for eXaInpleinthe back swing, through"a' minor"arc'while thec1uh is' rotated through a "larger arc",' thus simulating" a full backswing; whilethe"t irig-"is such'that when the arms,torsoaridh ea re directly for ward so is' the 'wris'tmember 66? thus" assuring the proper alinemejnto fthebody onjth'e address mg of the ban. sirmiarmtnthe rdub'wthrou-gh'; the torso," arms Jandhe'adof'the' playenwill travel througl'f'a lesser "arc than the-"wristmembers-6:3

In making ashot the-player mayjaddress the ball asshown in Fi'g'ures"'1 and 2, swingthe club through Y a small are a f ew times by means *of'thehandle I 5 to make' sure' thatthe deviceis'; oper'-' ating freely'and thifstrolie the-ball applyi'ng as much" force asjis desired by ine'ar'is of-" tl'ie opr at'i'nghandle Hi1- It has been found'that with a dviceof this invention all sorts of'shot 'mayb madel Given a'loft'ed club, such as iscomparable to asiir-ironj onecan' pitch; or given an ur'ildft'ed blulifsuclff'as a puttr'i one can'-siiripl' piitt 'or 'roll theball,- Thus, one can play over obsticlestarid eifiiiti ally in d-whatev'errece15tstie-is prttiaed rdntfieaisl 90 with 'a cliib a-idri frbfitfier on pl a ythe cam fires-enact" stacles and on all sorts of lies, with all' of tll necessary-shots to eviitfially hble out th'e ball merely by erratic-me ember-by reisa ing tii' set screw" 10.* v I Whilethere-has*'blfidescribed wliat is et presenters-underw a preferredembodiment of the-invention, it w'illbeobserved by tlios'e skilled in the art thatvsfidus' chanes andfiaiteraticns can be made without departing from the essence of the invention and it is intended to cover herein all such changes and modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a body member; a handle member attached to said body member; said body member including a-torso portion; means mountingsaid torso portion'for rot'ation on said body member; means in said handle member for rotating said torso portion a wrist member on said torso portion; means mounting said wrist member for rotation on said torscfportion'coincident with the rotation of said rtorso portion.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which said -wrist inember"is-mounted to rotate through substantially twice the arc of said torso portion upon said coincident rotation.

3. A device as set fortliin claim 2 in which the arcs' oirotaiti-bn "ofsai'd torso portion andsaid wrist"port'ionarecontrollableby the operator.

4;"A"dvice "as"setforth'= in claim 2 'in which saidineans' insaid" handle member for rotating said 'torso portion comprisesa cable provided with a handlefor operating the cable to control the aid-means ounting-said wrist portion f'or'rotation comprises a pulley in said torso portion;

pdiieyq'iiremeans'in said wrist portion anda cable attached to saiiipulley andsaid pulley-like means; I

6f A"- device" 'as set "'forth in claim" 2 'in' which said .meansmounting'sa-id' wrist portioniorrota-'- p tion-for rotation comprisesapulley' in said torso portion-i'pulley-like' meansin said wrist portion anda cable attached to said pulley and said pulley-dike m'ean's; 'said 'pulley' having substantially twice the'oprati'figdiametr 0f 'said'pullylike 'nieansf armsex'tending from said torso portion saidwri's't portion and slots in said arms to ac ommodate said sec'ond cama 1 v JAMES MUNRoi- REFERENCES CITED rh'e: fdllowirigfreierences" are" of 'Trec'ord 'in the file of'fthis 'patnt'z' UNI s'rA'I'Es'PATEN-Ts-

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