US2802687A

US2802687A - Golf ball retriever

Info

Publication number: US2802687A
Application number: US420274A
Authority: US
Inventors: Chene Roy J Du
Original assignee: ARTHUR L RUSSELL
Current assignee: ARTHUR L RUSSELL
Priority date: 1954-04-01
Filing date: 1954-04-01
Publication date: 1957-08-13
Anticipated expiration: 1974-08-13

Description

1957 R. J. DU CHENE 2,802,687

GOLF BALL RETRIEVER Filed April 1, 1954 INVENTOR. 770 I, jzzaezre.

United States Patent GOLF BALL RETRIEVER Roy J. Du Chene, Birmingham, Mich., assignor to Arthur L. Russell, Detroit, Mich.

Application April 1, 1954, Serial No. 420,274 2 Claims. c1. 294-19 This invention relates to holding devices and more particularly to an improved device for retrieving golf balls.

An object of the invention is to overcome disadvantages in prior devices'of the indicated character and to provide an improved device which facilitates the retrieving of golf balls from water hazards and other relatively inaccessible locations with a minimum of time and effort.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved device for retrieving golf balls which incorporates improved means forgrasping and retaining a golf ball.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved device for retrieving golf balls that is compact and light in weight; which may be conveniently carried; and which may be easily and quickly secured to a golf club with av minimum of effort and without marring or otherwise damaging the club.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved device for retrieving golf balls that is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and assemble, durable, pleasing in appearance and weather resistant.

The above as well as other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a golf ball retriever constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the same installed on a fragmentarily illustrated golf club and applied to a golf ball;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational view of the golf ball retriever illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2, taken on the line 3--3 thereof;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2, taken on the line 4-4 thereof;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the golf ball retriever illustrated in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the golf ball retriever illustrated in Fig. 1, showing the same installed on a fragmentarily illustrated golf club of a different type.

Referring to the drawing, a golf ball retriever, generally designated 10, is illustrated and is shown in installed relationship with respect to a golf club 11 having a driving head 12 and a shaft 14. The retriever is comprised of a coil spring 16 which .functions to grasp and hold a golf ball 18, and a securing member 20 which functions to secure the retriever 10 to the head 12 of the golf club 11. The spring 16 is coiled in the general shape of a funnel having a reduced diameter substantially cylindrical portion 22, a diverging central portion 24 and a converging portion 26 defining an opening 28. The coil is wound so that the convolutions thereof normally abut the adjacent convolutions and the free end portion 30 of the lowermost convolution is bent inwardly toward the axis of the funnel, as at 32. The coil 16 is of such a size as to receive slightly more than half of the golf ball 18 with the convolutions of the converging portion 26 lying below the equator line of the ball and closely fitting the periphery thereof while the convolutions of the di-.

verging portion 24 are disposed above the equator line of the ball and closely fit the periphery of the upper portion of the ball.

The securing member 20 is preferably formed of" spring' steel or other; relatively resilient material and is preferably of the cross sectional contour illustrated in Fig. 2. The securing member 20 includes. spaced

arm portions

34 and 36 integrally joined by a bight portion 38, the free end of the arm 34 being bent upwardly, as at 40, in order to facilitate positioning the securing member on the head 12 of :the golf clubl l, aswill be explained hereinafter in greater detail. The free end portion of the arm 36 is return bent as at 42 so thatthe section 44 of the arm 36 spacedly overlies'the section 46 of the arm 36 and the end of the section '44 is bent downwardly, as viewed in Fig. 2, to form a depending flange 48.

As shown in Fig. 4, an elongate opening 50 is provided in the section 46 of the arm 36, the major diameter of the opening 50 being slightly greater than the outside diam-- eter of the convolutions of the reduced diameter portion- 22 of the coil spring 16 while the minor diameter of the opening '50 is slightly less than the outside diameter of the convolutions of the reduced portion22. With such a construction, the reduced portion 22 may be threaded through the opening 50 to secure the coilspn'ng 16 to the securing member 20.

The surfaces of the securing member '20 are coated with a plastic film having a tough resilient impervious surface forming a corrosive resistant coating 52. For example, the coating 52 may comprise a copolymer of vinyl acetate and vinyl chloride, predominately vinyl chloride. With such a construction the securing member 20 may be positioned on the head of a golf club without marring or otherwise damaging the club.

In the assembly of the golf ball retriever of the present invention, a portion of the top convolution of the reduced diameter portion 22 of the coil spring 16 is inserted through the elongate opening 50 after which the coil spring 16 is rotated about its axis so that the uppermost convolutions of the reduced diameter portion are threaded through the opening 50. The coil spring 16 is rotated until the top convolution of the reduced diameter portion 22 abuts the section 44 of the arm 36 while the convolutions of the reduced diameter portion 22 intermediate the section 44 and the section 46 are compressed and resiliently engage such sections so as to prevent relative movement between the coil spring 16 and the securing member 20. The coating 52 is then applied to the securing member, as by dipping or spraying, so as to cover the surfaces of the securing member 20.

In use, the securing member 20 is fitted over the head 12 of the golf club 11, as shown in Fig. 1, so that the arm 34 resiliently bears against the top of the club head 12 while the section 44 resiliently bears against the sole of the club head, the bight portion 38 of the securing member 20 being disposed adjacent the face of the club head. The shank 14 of thegolf club 11 is then grasped and the club head and retriever 10 are inserted into the Water hazard so that the opening 23 defined by the coil spring 16 overlies the golf ball. The coil spring '16 is then pressai downwardly on the ball so that the cam action of the spherical surface of the ball causes the converging convolutions 26 to expand outwardly to permit such convolutions to slide over the ball. When the converging convolutions pass over the equator line of the ball, such convolutions contract to hold the ball in the coil spring while the end of the, inwardly-bent portion 30 of the coil spring 16 bears against the depressions in the surface of the ball to lock the ball securely in the coil spring.

In Fig. 6, the golf ball retriever 10 is shown applied to head 54 of a fragmentarily illustrated iron,'the arm 34 of the securing member 20 resiliently bearing against the to of the club head 54 while the section 44 of the arm 36 resiliently bears against the sole of the club head and the bight portion 38 is disposed adjacent the face thereof. After the retriever 10 has been positioned on the end of an iron, a golf ball may be retrieved in the manner previously described.

While it will be apparent that the' preferred embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is Well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims.-

What is claimed is:

1. In a golf ball retriever for use with a golf club having a head, the combination including a generally funnel-shaped coil spring open at one end and having a diverging portion and a converging portion adapted to receive andvresiliently retain a golf ball, and a generally G-shaped securing member having a pair of spaced arm portions integrally joined at one end thereof, the free end portion of one of said arms being return bent and having spaced substantially parallel sections, the outermost section having an aperture therein, the end ofsaid coil spring remote from said open end extending through said aperture and resiliently engaging both of said sections, the longitudinal axis of said coil spring extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to said outermost section, the other of said arms and the other section being adapted to resiliently engage said head.

2. A golf ball retriever for use with a golf club having a head, said retriever comprising, in combination, a helically wound coil spring having a plurality of convo- V lutions defining a diverging portion and a converging portion adapted to receive a golf ball, the free end portion of the outermost convolution of said converging portion being bent toward the axis of said coil and adapted to retain said ball, and a generally G-shaped securing member having a pair of spaced arm portions integrallyjoined at one end thereof, the free end portion of one of said arms being return bent and having spaced substantially parallel sections, the outermost section having an elongate aperture therein, the end of said coil spring remote from said converging section extending through said aperture and resiliently engaging each of said sections, the longitudinal axis of said coil spring extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to said outermost section, the other of said arms and the other of said sections adapted to resiliently engage said head, said securing member being coated with a resilient plastic coating.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS