US2814520A

US2814520A - Golf ball retriever

Info

Publication number: US2814520A
Application number: US447048A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ruhland Louise Marie
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1954-08-02
Filing date: 1954-08-02
Publication date: 1957-11-26
Anticipated expiration: 1974-11-26

Description

Nov. 26, 1957 La M. RUHLAND y 2,814,520

GOLF BALL RETRIEVER Filed Aug. 2. 1954 Louise Mar/'e Ruh/and INVENTOR.

United States Patent() GOLF BALL RETRIEVER Louise Marie Ruhland, Wildwood, N. J. Application August 2, 1954, Serial No. 447,048

2 Claims. (Cl. 294-19) This invention relates to golfing equipment, and more particularly to a novel golf ball retriever.

The primary object of the present invention resides in the provision of a golf ball retriever which will eliminate the necessity of stooping to recover a golf ball while also providing means for retrieving golf balls from ponds or the like having soft bottoms without causing the ball -to be hidden in a roil of stirred mud and sediment and without pressing the ball into the mud and out of sight and reach should the golf ball retriever be unsuccessful in retrieving the golf ball.

The construction of this invention features novel means which employs gravitational phenomenon for securely holding a golf ball after the ring comprising one of the elements of the retriever has `been positioned over the golf ball. The ring is pivotally attached to the handle at a distance yapproximately equivalent to the radius of the ring from the center of the ring, and therefore, due to its own weight, the ring will pivot relative to a handle to engage the golf ball between the ring and handle.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in the provision of a golf ball retriever that is strong and durable, simple in construction, easy -to use, which can be readily carried in a conventional golf bag, and which is inexpensive to produce, thereby permitting wide distribution and utilization.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this golf ball retriever, a preferred embodiment of which h-as been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view illustrating the manner in which the golf ball retriever is positioned over a golf ball which may be submerged in water and resting on a muddy bottom or the like;

Figure 2 is a sectional view further illustrating the manner in which the golf ball is received in the golf ball receiving ring;

Figure 3 is a sectional detail view illustrating the manner in which the ball is held in the ring by the handle after being retrieved;

Figure 4 is an end elevational View of the invention illustrating the ball retained in the ring;

Figure 5 is a partial bottom plan view of the invention; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the invention with par-ts thereof being broken away to show the telescoping construction of the handle which may be utilized as desired.

With continuing reference to the accompanying dr-awings wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral 10 is used to generally indicate the golf lball retriever comprising the present invention. Many times, golf balls land in ponds or other bodies of water wherein the bottom is soft and perhaps muddy. Usually, attempts to remove I 2,814,520 Patented Nov. 26,y 1957 the ball frome the p'o'ndf will stir the muddy bottom so as to cover andi obscure the" golf ball. However, utilizing the golf ball retrieverv 10, it is possible to recover the golf ball without disturbing the bottom and further, if the initial attempt to recover the golf ball is not successful, the bottom will not be disturbed to the extent that the golf ball will be obscured and thus further attempts to retrieve the golf ball foiled.

The golf ball retriever 10 includes a handle 12 which may be formed in a plurality of telescoping sections, as at 14 and 16, if such is desired, with each of these sections being frictionally held in an extended or telescoped position, as m-ay be desired, or the handle 12 may be formed of a single elongated member.

Pivotally attached to the handle 12, as by means of a pin 18, or by any other suitable means, is a golf ball receiving ring 20. The golf ball receiving ring 2i) is substantially cylindrical in conguration with the cylindrical walls 22 terminating at a point where the walls are spaced from each other in

ears

24 and 26 through which the pin 18 extends. As can be seen best in Figures 4 and 5, the lower portions of the

ears

24 and 26 are crimped, as at 28, so as to limit the extent of rotation of the handle 12 relative to the golf ball receiving ring 20.

The golf ball receiving ring 20 is of a height substantially equal to that of the diameter of a golf ball and when positioned over a golf ball, the golf ball will readily go snugly therein. As soon as the ring 26 has been lowered completely over the golf ball, the handle 12 may be readily raised. This will cause the ring 20, due to the action of gravity, to pivot relative to the handle 12, thus locking the golf ball against the lower portion 30 of the handle which extends below the ring 20 and the pivot pin 18. The golf ball will then be securely held in place until such can be raised, where the free hand of the golfer can free the ball from the ring 20 from either the top or bottom thereof.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will Ibe readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limi-t the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

l. A golf ball retriever comprising, in combination, a handle, a cylindrical golf ball encircling, trapping and lifting ring of an inside diameter slightly greater than the outside diameter of the golf ball which is to be temporarily encompassed by and trapped in said ring, said ring being split on one side, the terminal end portions of the ring being spaced apart and provided with a pair of radial outstanding spaced parallel ears, said handle having a straight lower end portion located between said ears, the free extremity of said lower end portion being adapted to project into the lbore of the ring and to, in this manner, con-tact the surface of an encompassed golf ball in a manner to temporarily trap it within the inner peripheral limits of the ring, a pivot and connecting pin passing through said ears and said lower end portion, the length of said lower portion of the handle below the pivot pin being greater than the distance between the pivot point and golf ball being held in said ring.

2. The structure defined in claim l and wherein the length of the lower portion of the handle below said pivot pin is also such that the free lower extremity projects to a position below the lower edge portions of the ring and ears, and the lower half portions of said ears being situated below said pivot pin and having their lower corner portions crimped, the crirnps thus provided projecting int-oy the space between said ears and defining limiting stops,`

said stops being situated outwardly of the position of the pivot pin and above said free extremity and serving to limit the outward swing of said lower portionof the handle and consequently the upward swing of said ring in respect to the lengthwise axis of said lower portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Drysdale et al June 28, 1898 Staunt Apr. 17, 1951 Kegley Dec. 30, 1952