US2678823A - Gutter area for indoor putting games - Google Patents

Description

R. H. H. HUGMAN GUTTER AREA FOR INDOOR PUTTING GAMES May 18, 1954 May 18, 1954 R. H. H. HUGMAN CUTTER AREA FOR INDOOR PUTTING GAMES 2 Shee'ts-Sheec 2 Filed May 27, 1949 Patented May 18, 1954 SFA'I ES Mrs-11w center; semen AREA 2:51;; g goonrurrma Robert Ha" H: Human, samAntonioyTexi A mlicatiqnlMay -zy, 1949; S e1 ial No; 953925 3 Claims (01; 27 3-35 Thisinventionu elates weeut erar aoil dn r: put in same nd? as. or ne. ii'i 11: te s. he pr duc ion f) a. imple and; ef ici nt means i011receiving hallshfrom a playing areae Aiuri b ect f his n nti ni the pr uctionpfxa simple ndji fiicie means for sun pprting am gutter area adjacent. the edges of a finer area and; for; supporting a fabric curtain djac n t autter are h r biects.and;. ntaa s (Jr-the. i v t on wil lap pear througheutthe following specifica: ti an i aims- In: the; drawings:

Figure-idea top plan; View of "the indoor putting QmQ Z EB Figure Zis a. centrallongitudinalgsectional view her o Figure, Bis a fragmentary v sectional perspective View; of a portion; of-jthe floor structure andjside wall" structure; Q

Figure- 4';is; a vertical sectional view taken on line 4 -4of 1figure 2'; L

Figure 53; is an'nenlarged-'vertical'sectional view or" one; o-f'th;e adjustable floor jacks,v ,Certain portions being: shown in elevationj Figure GQT i S a vertical sectional-view offone of the fioonanchors; the anchor eye being ,shown i e e t nx.

Figure -'7-;is--a fragmentaryytop; plan view of the counter mirror: and; counter; the indicating rings of'the ceiling: mirror" being" shown: in reflection Figure: 8-isa bottom plan viewyof the ceiling mirror;-

Figure 9 is; afragmentary front elevational view of -the scorers; counter;

Figure lc -isadiagrammatic view-of one of the electrical circuits for one of the scoring ppint indicating lights carried by the "counter:

By referring to-the drawings; it will" be seen Hrdesignates the undulating fioor of a suitable-type which-may be varied as to contour and surface as may -be desired toad'aptthesame' to local-conditions whenconstructing the floor." For themurpcses of-=this invention it has-been found to be of advantage to secure a spongerulober sheet J l uponythe' upper face oii the floor" leto constitute" a suita'ble cushion. I' th'en'usecure to the upper face of the sheetj l L'a suriace layer r .cnlll aptill hbhfiw rass. I w ich is, almaeria ws rnu iat ne ,na-t'u alj ra s, as shownim Fie urei n Theflgor m 1s, suitablrr ed. y; meanssof nnsitudina ie-;-memh r s 2s nd r nse ts, ie membe s pla-vrp a e li t des nabl -locetic s endrin:

ferentpoints and also, tosli'ghtly adjust the height of the floor or to tightly fit the floor upenthe posts Anchor blocks [8 are located at se1ected,,interva1s within. the upper surface' of thesupporting paneli IF, as shown in Figureiil, andL-an eyelet I 9" is preferably threaded into each anchor block,,.wh'ihh anchor block |'8"p referah1y constitutes. aal'eadlplug, A twisted,anch'orwire. 2lliis, securedto each; eyelet l9- and passes around thetiesmemper |'21 .or.is securedin anygothende= siredjmanner to,firmly holdflthe' undulating fleor againstupwardgor',downwardniovement;

At selected high, points or at other" desired p9ints,, a specialundulating floor jack, support andjanchor'zl' shown inJFigure 2 and also shown indetair'in- Figure 5;;may be.used;: This floor-"jack 2"[fwhich a1sq acts as; a, support" and anchor-for the floor Hi comprisespreferably' a 2'"); 4" inch wood'ffmemberfl' upon which the floor it rests. member '22 is seated; within a channelzm'ennben fit; preferably, formed-ofximn" strap metal substantially U-shaped' in cross=sectionand secured'to the woodmember- 22"by suitable nails 24. The channel'pmembierifi: isprovided witha depending internally threaded; sleeve 25* into which is'threaded the upper'end of-the adjusting standard 26? A. thumb screw '2-5" locks the standard Z6upon" the sleeve 252 The-*lower ope positel'y threaded, end:of' the standard" 26' is threaded into the internally: threaded socket 21. The socketflfisenchored to' the-panel l5 bymeans"of a-securingscrew ZQ-which is'threaded into aslead plug 28, which plug 28 is fittedfii'nte the: Qi nel; l5,v as? shewn .in detail; in Figure 5 The standard; 251 is? provided; with; a transverse aperturejfill toreceive. a, suitableirod to facilitate rotation, of, thewstandardnzfi to raise or. lowenlthe flconwhen rotatingathe standardize inpthe sel-l R test-direction.

Are-elf, ball; gutter an preferably extends; along titre: sides of the: putting; green, on game area: Ihissarraneement;max:bevanedqwithoutde ants 3 ing from the spirit of the invention. These gutters may constitute a combination hand rail and golf ball rack into which the golf balls 32 may be placed. The gutter comprises a longitudinal rail 33 which supports parallel spaced side members 34 having rounded inner faces to provide the ball rack. The rail 33 is supported at spaced intervals by means of a plurality of posts 35, such as the post 35 shown in detail in Figure 3, which is shown resting upon the bottom longitudinal support rail 35. This illustrates a typical structural arrangement for the present invention and is duplicated throughout the structure for adequately supporting the parts. The post 35 is anchored to the rails 33 and 35 by lateral flanges 3i and 33 respectively and to the base panel or slab 15 by means of a suitable foot or feet 35. A longitudinally extending gutter or trough supporting board is carried by the bottom rail 35, and a rigid gutter 4i rests upon this board 45, as shown in Figure 3, and is located below the rail 33. One edge of a low inner wall of the trough or gutter i! is secured to the edge of the floor I!) at one level as at 42, and one edge of the high outer wall of the trough is secured, as at 43, to an adjoining floor section 44 at a higher level as shown in Figure 3. A portion 4!- of the gutter M extends transversely across one end of the playing area of the floor It in front of the desk or counter 55, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The indoor putting game may be built singularly or may be built to provide a plurality of alleys merely by duplicating the structure described herein, and arranging the games side by side.

As shown in detail in Figure 3, the space between the upper rail 33 and the gutter 46 may be filled in by means of a gathered fabric or other type curtain 45, which curtain preferably is suspended from the flexible suspending curtain wire 45 constituting a strand element which may be anchored at its ends to suitable posts, as the posts 35, by means of eyelets 41. The curtain 45 preferably hangs centrally of the golf ball gutter 4|. The curtain 45 is adapted to stop the golf balls as they are brushed off the floor into the gutter 4!. The balls 32 are picked up from the gutter 4| and are placed in the golf ball gutters 30 of the hand railing and are ready for the players use. As shown in Figures 1 and 4, a cup 4 48 is located at one end of the floor it! and atrough or tube leads from the cup 48 under the floor I!) to the trough 4|. A suitable removable official score card holder 49' may be slidably mounted upon the hand rail or trough 30 for use in close proximity to the players.

A 3' x 3 mirror 55 is hung from theceiling 55 above the cup 48. A plurality of concentrically arranged scoring rings 54 are formed upon the face of the mirror 50. These rings are numbered 1 to 10 in the manner shown in Figure 8. The mirror 53 is preferably adjustable upon a ball and socket suspension 52 of a suitable type, so that the mirror 55 may be adjusted to a desired position.

The counter mirror 53 has two cross lines 55 and 51 upon its upper face, by which the attendant lines up the ceiling mirror and the cup hole 48 on the floor to determine the scoring position of the golf ball with respect to the cup 48. The concentric rings 55 on the mirror 50 will be refiected upon the counter mirror 53, as shown in dotted lines in Figure '7, and when the cross lines 56 and 51 on the counter mirror 53 register with the cross lines of numerals formed on the ceiling mirror 55 and the reflection of the cup 48 in the mirror 50 registers with the point of intersection of the lines 55 and 51 on the mirror 53, the position of the scoring ball 32 relative to the cup 48 may be determined. The ball 32 will be reflected upon the mirror 50 and this reflection will be cast upon the counter mirror and since the mirrors 5!] and 53 have been properly aligned, the scoring position of the ball 32 may be easily seen upon the mirror 53 by the attendant standing at the desk 55. The mirror 5!! in Figure 8 is shown in a proper position relative to the mirror 53 shown in Figure 7, except that the under face of the mirror 59 is shown in Figure 8 and the upper face of the mirror 53 is shown in Figure '7. By considering Figures 7 and 8, the manner in which the numerals on the mirror 50 register with the cross lines 55 and 51 on the mirror 53 will be obvious. Any suitable means may be employed for adjusting the mirrors 53 and 53 for the purpose of properly aligning the mirrors, without departing from the spirit of the invention. The desk or counter 55 preferably is placed on a raised platform 55 which extends above the floor of the artificial green, at one end thereof, as shown in Figure 2.

An illuminated numbered panel 58 is mounted upon the front of the desk or counter 55, and carries a translucent glass panel 59 behind which are located numbered boxes 50 which are numbered to display 0 to 10. Light bulbs such as the bulb 5| shown in detail in Figure 10 are arranged in back of the panel 53, one to each box 60. A series of push button switches 52 numbered 0 to 10 are arranged in the rear of the counter mirror 53,

' and are suitably connected to the bulbs in the boxes 55 to selectively illuminate the numbers on the numbered panel 58 when a selected switch 62 is closed through the conventional circuit 63, shown in Figure 10. Preferably the 0 number light is green and the 10 number light is red, while the other numbered lights are white. When the selected switch 52 is pressed, the light behind the glass panel 59 illuminates the desired score.

By noting Figure 1, it will be seen that the cup 48 is located near one end of the green or floor i5 directly below the ceiling mirror 50. At the opposite end of the green, a painted line or strip 54 is located and marked The Kings Putt. Upon either side of the longitudinal center of the green are arranged or painted in spaced longitudinal and transverse relation a series of half circles 65. This arrangement constitutes a marked area to establish putting positions, and it should be understood that this arrangement may be varied as to size and location of the putting positions without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It should be understood that the artificial green is designed to simulate a segment of the natural grass green. The present green is typical of the average green on which the golfer plays, neither too fast nor too slow. A player may practice putting by the hour, or he and/or his twosome, threesome or foursome may play match play, as may be desired.

The scoring of the game is as follows:

On approaching The Kings Putt green 64, the

player will see a putting surface about 12 feet wide and 30 feet long with one cup and two sets of 9 putting positions along each side of this a-rtificial grass green. The cup has a mirror 50 placed directly above it on which are marked 9 scoring rings 54 to determine a point score by the attend-. ant in charge, for each putt played. The cup 48 is the 10 point ring, the next the 9 point ring, the

next the 8 point ring, and so on out to the 1 point ring, outside of which the putt does not score.

The putting positions 65 along the edges of the artificial grass green vary from 3 feet from the cup to 25 feet from the cup. Thirty feet from the cup is placed the long range putting position 64 marked Yings Putt.

A suitable score card is given to each player or group of players ranging from one to four. There is an attendant for each two greens where two or more greens are provided, who signifies the score in or around the cup and who removes the ball from the green so the player is ready for the next putt.

Each putt score is made as follows: A sunk putt scores 10 points which is multiplied by the number of the putting position. A close putt is scored by the scoring ring around the cup in which it stops and this score is added to the number of the putting position. For example, the sunk putt is made from position 1. The sunk putt scores 10 points which is multiplied by 1 or 10 points. If the sunk putt is sunk from the Kings Putt position the score is 10 times 10, or 100 points. Again for example, the close putt, stopping in the 8 ring,

is made from position 1, this score is 8 plus 1 or 9 points. Now if the close putt is made say from the 7th position, and stops in, say, the 6th ring, the score is 6 plus 7 or 13 points, and so on through all the scoring rings and all the putting positions.

On examinging the official score card the player will note six scoring features, namely: Practice Putts-Putting PositionsSunk Putts-Qualifying and High Score Putts-Grand Totaland Sunk Putt Total. The Practice Putt score and the Sunk Putt Total score do not figure in the of ficial score except in the case of a tie score between players.

The sides or walls of the area, as Well as the curtains and railings may be suitably decorated with designs simulating rustic areas without departing from the spirit of the invention,

Having described the invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A game comprising a playing area having a floor, the floor having a gutter area, a base panel, a bottom longitudinal support rail in said gutter area carried by said base panel, a post anchored to said support rail, said post carrying lateral flanges securing said post to said rail and to said base panel, a longitudinal gutter supporting element carried by said bottom rail, said floor having an edge adjacent the gutter area, a gutter resting upon said gutter supporting element and having one edge secured to the edge of the floor adjacent the gutter area, a ball rack carried by said post, and a gathered fabric curtain hung between the ball rack and said gutter.

2. A game comprising a playing area having a floor, the floor having a gutter area, a base panel, a bottom longitudinal support rail in said gutter area carried by said base panel, a post anchored to said support rail, said post carrying lateral flanges securing said post to said rail and to said base panel, a longitudinal gutter supporting board carried by said bottom rail, said floor having an edge adjacent the gutter area, a gutter resting upon said gutter supporting board and having one edge secure to the edge of the floor adjacent the gutter area, a ball rack carried by said post, and a gathered fabric curtain hung between the ball rack and said gutter.

3. A garne comprising a playing area having a floor, the floor having a gutter area, a base panel, a bottom longitudinal support rail in said gutter area carried by said base panel, a post anchored to said support rail, said post carrying lateral flanges securing said post to said rail and to said base panel, a longitudinal gutter supporting element carried by said bottom rail, said floor having an edge adjacent the gutter area, a gutter resting upon said gutter supporting element and having one edge secured to the edge of the floor adjacent the gutter area, a ball rack carried by said post, and a gathered fabric curtain hung between the ball rack and said gutter and located centrally of the gutter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 714,979 Talbert Dec. 2, 1902 957,387 Stedman May 10, 1916 1,192,095 Muller July 25, 1916 1,310,637 Singleton July 22, 1919 1,527,876 Janik Feb. 24 1923 1,612,291 Jackson Dec. 28, 1926 1,712,561 Jaspert May 14, 1929 1,914,365 Ford June 20, 1933 2,046,595 Yerkes July 7, 1936 2,258,022 McKee Oct. 7, 1941 2,384,723 Brodzik et al Sept. 11, 1945 2,465,418 Baker Mar. 29, 1949

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