US3168150A

US3168150A - Device for removing irregularities from a ground covering

Info

Publication number: US3168150A
Application number: US332826A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gilbert O Kappler
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1963-12-23
Filing date: 1963-12-23
Publication date: 1965-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 1982-02-02

Description

Feb. 2, 1965 G o. KAPPLER 3,168,150

DEVICE FOR REMOVING IRREGULARITIES FROM A GROUND COVERING Filed Dec. 25, 1963 G/LBfPT 0. KAPPLER lA/I/E/VTUR United States Patent s 168 150 nnvrcn non RnMovING IRREGULARITEES FROM A GROUND covEG Gilbert 0. Kappler, lite. 1, Box 125, Mulino, Greg. Filed Dec. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 332,826 6 Claims. or. 172-371 This invention relates to a tool for removing indentations and other irregularities from golf course putting greens and similar areas where smooth-surfaced turf is desired.

Putting greens require a large amount of almost continuous upkeep to maintain their design contours free of abrupt irregularities so that a golf ball will consistently tend to roll in a reasonably predictable path from the putter to the cup as dictated by the general contour of the green. Particularly troublesome in the maintenance of greens is the problem of eliminating small concave depressions in the surfaces thereof caused by golf balls striking such surfaces on the fiy.

In the past, removal of each indentation has been a tedious and time consuming job, the success of which depended largely on the special manual skill of the greenskeeper. Although specialized tools for removing such indentations have been suggested, their construction and operation have been unduly complex and not altogether successful.

Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is to provide a new and improved tool for removing indentations from putting greens that is simple in construction and easy to operate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved tool that removes indentations and other irregularities rapidly, effectively and with a minimum of effort.

Another, more specific object of the invention is to provide a new and improved tool with a simplified operating cycle consisting of a downward pushing of the tool into the ground to fill an indentation followedby a vertical lifting of the tool to remove the same without disturbing the green surface.

In furtherance of the above objects and in accordance with the illustrated embodiment, the tool comprises an elongated vertically operable frame incuding a handle at the upper end and a housing near the lower end thereof. Spaced beneath and slideable relative to the lower end of the housing is a base plate which is spring biased away from such end. A plurality of normally vertical but inwardly pivotal fingers are arranged within the housing about the axis of the tool and project below the lower end of the housing and base plate. When the tool is centered over an indentation and the fingers pushed into the ground thereabout, the housing is forced toward the base plate against the bias of the spring, actuating linkage within the housing to cause the outer ends of the fingers to converge, thereby forcing soil upwardly into the indentation.

The fingers and base plate are so organized that each time the tool is used the fingers project a uniform distance into the ground and then pull sod from a uniform depth upwardly and firmly into the base plate.

The tool is easily operated with one hand, simple downward motion of the handle producing both finger penetration and pivotal, converging movement of the fingers which serves to flatten the sod. With lifting of the handle, the fingers return to a vertical position and the tool releases itself.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be more readily ascertained from inspection of the folowing specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tool in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIGS. 1 and 3; and

FIG. 5 is a partially diagrammatic view of the lower end of the tool of FIG. 1 illustrating the operation thereof.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrated tool includes an elongated, normally vertical frame structure 10 comprising a tubular metal shaft 12 and a transversely extending handle 14 rigidly attached to the upper end of the shaft. The lower end of shaft 12 is secured within the upper end of a housing 16 having four longitudinally extending fin-like projecting portions 18 radiating symmetrically and increasingly outwardly from the main housing portion in a direction toward the lower end 20 thereof.

Lower end 20 opens into an internal cavity 22 having four arms 22a defining a cruciform cross sectional shape for the cavity in the lower portion of the housing. The cavity gradually diminishes into an upper portion of cylindrical shape. The arms of the cruciform-shaped portion of the cavity extend into projecting portions 18 of the housing.

Within each arm of the cavity a lever member 24 is pivotally mounted on a pin 26. Each pin, in turn, is anchored in the walls of a projecting housing portion 18.

A blade-like, soil-penetrating finger 28 is affixed to each lever member 24, adjacent its pivoted end, and each such finger projects downwardly and normally vertically through open lower end 20 of the housing, whereby a sharpened outer end 29 of each finger is in position to penetrate the ground. As shown most clearly in FIG. 1, four fingers are thus provided, and these are symmetrically arranged about the axis of the tool in opposed pairs.

Finger actuating means is included for converging outer ends 29 of the fingers inwardly toward the axis of the tool after penetration of the ground beyond a predetermined depth by such fingers, whereby the broad, inwardly directed faces of the fingers push soil upwardly into a depression to be filled. This finger-actuating means includes a ground-engaging base plate 36 mounted beneath lower end 20 of the housing on rods 32. Rods 32 are fastened to plate 30, and are slideable within bosses 34 provided on the lower portion of the housing between adjacent finlike projections 18. Thus, the base plate is movable toward and away from lower end 26 of the housing with rods 32 guiding its movement. The base plate is provided with four openings, or slots 35, through which fingers 28 project. Each such slot is of sufiicient size to accommodate its corresponding finger when the latter is in either a vertical, or an inclined position (as shown by fingers 28a indicated in dotted outline in FIG. 5).

An actuator member 36 is reciprocally mounted centrally within the lower portion of cavity 22. Member 36 includes a hollow, cylindrical body portion 38 joined to the base plate, and a solid head portion 40. The head and body portions are separated by a narrow neck 42, whereby there is defined a circumferential notch 43, within which the radially innermost and free ends 44 of lever members 24 are received. It should be noted that body portion 38 has a rounded outer surface adjacent neck 42, which enables its lever members to move freely upon relative axial movement of actuator member 36 within the housing. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, head portion 4%) of actuator 36 includes four radially extending cars 46, which project into arms 22a of cavity 22, and prevent relative rotation of the actuator within housing 16. The cars also serve to limit upward travel of the actuator within housing 16, as they prevent the head of the actuator from moving up into the cylindrical portion of cavity 22.

A coil spring 48 positioned within the cylindrical portion of cavity 22 at one end engages the wall defining the top of the cavity, and at its other end abuts the top of head portion 40. The spring biases the actuator and base plate downwardly relative to housing 16, and thus serves to urge the inner ends of lever members 24 toward each other nd fingers 28 into their vertical position.

Movement of the base plate and actuator 36 downwardly from the housing in FIG. 4 is limited by collars 35 joined to the top ends of the rods 32. Divergent move-,

ment of figures 28, beyond the vertical position shown in FIG. 2, is prevented by their outer broad faces abutting against the outer edges of slots 35 through which the fingers project.

In operation, the tool is centered over an indentation to be removed. Then, as shown in solid outline in FIG. 5, the vertical fingers are pushed into the ground, by exerting a downward pressure on handle 14 and frame section 10. The fingers penetrate the ground freely, until base plate 30 engages the surface of the ground. Thereafter, continued downward pressure on handle 14 causes lower end 20 of the housing to approach the base plate, against the biasing of coil spring 48. This causes actuator member 36 to move upwardly in the housing, and in turn produces the pivoting of the lever members, whereby they shift to the positions indicated in dotted outline in FIG. 2. This converges the outer ends of fingers 28 toward the axis of the tool and along a path indicated by arrows 50 in FIG. 5. As a result, sod in the indentation is pushed upwardly, with removal of the indentation. An indentation can never be overfilled by the tool, since plate 30 ex tends as a flat expanse over the indentation, and this plate is flushed with the top of the ground throughout converging movement of the fingers. After removal of the indentation, the tool is easily removed from the ground without disturbing the green surface by releasing the downward pressure exerted on handle 14. This results in spring 48 returning the fingers to their vertical positions.

The tool may then be lifted from the ground, which frees the fingers entirely.

It should be noted that there is no substantial force producing converging of the fingers below the base plate until the base plate comes into ground contact. Thus convergence of the fingers is always with the fingers at uniform ground penetration.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the operating cycle of the tool is both simple and quick, requiring merely a downward pushing against the tool handle to remove the indentation, followed by a release and vertical lifting of the tool to remove the tool.

Having illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention permits of modification in arrangement and detail. I claim as my invention all such modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim: V

1. A tool for removing indentations from putting greens comprising an elongated normally vertical frame structure including a handle adjacent the upper end thereof and a housing adjacent the lower end thereof, 7 a a base plate mounted on said housing beneath said lower end for movement toward and away from said housing, said base plate being normally biased outwardly, away from said lower end, 7 at least two spaced apart ground penetrating fingers pivotally mounted within said housing and arranged symmetrically about the axis of said frame structure,

4. said fingers projecting outwardly of said lower end and through openings in said base plate in a direction normally parallel to said axis, and

finger actuating means within said housing operatively connecting said base plate to said fingers for converging the outer ends of said fingers in response to relative movement of said housing toward said base plate.

2. A tool according to claim 1, wherein said finger actuating means includes an axially slideable actuator member mounted centrally within said housing and-connected to said base plate, and lever means connected to said fingers and operable in response to axial sliding of said actuator member for displacing the outer ends of said fingers inwardly.

3. A tool for removing indentations from putting greens comprising an elongated, normally vertically disposed frame structure including a handle adjacent the upper end thereof and a housing adjacent the lower end thereof, said handle, housing and connective frame structure comprising a single rigid unit, 3 a base plate slideably mounted on said housing outwardly adjacent said lower end for relative movement toward and away from said lower end, at least a pair of normally vertically disposed fingers pivotally mounted within said housing and arranged on opposite sides of the axis of said frame structure, said fingers projecting outwardly from said lower end and through openings in said base plate, and

finger actuating means within said housing operatively' connecting said base plate to said fingers for converging the outer ends of said fingers toward one another in response to relative axial displacement of said frame structure toward said base plate against the pressure'of said spring means.

4. A tool for removing indentations from putting greens comprising an elongated, normally vertical frame structure including a handle rigidly mounted on said frame structure adjacent the upper end thereof, a ltlousing adjacent the lower end of said frame strucure,

a base plate slideably mounted on said housing beneath said lower end for movement toward and away from said lower end,

axially reciprocal actuator means mounted centrally within said housing and aifixed to said base plate,

lever members within said housing, one end of each said lever members engaging said actuator means and the opposite end thereof being pivotally connected to said housing,

a plurality of ground penetrating fingers fixedly attached one to each of said lever members at said opposite ends, said fingers projectingdownwardly from said lever members through said lower end and through openings in said base plate, and

spring means within said housing engaging said actuator means for biasing said'fingers in a vertical dis-. position and said base plate away from said lower' end, I a said fingers being pivotable inwardly toward one another in response to axial movement of said frame structure toward said base plate and pivotable outwardly to a vertical disposition upon subsequent each said lever members for biasing saidfi'ngers to a' vertical position and for converging the outer ends of said fingers upon axial displacement of said actuator means relative to said housing.

6. A tool according to claim 4, wherein said actuator means comprises a head portion engaging said spring means, a generally cylindrical body portion spaced from said head portion and rigidly aflixed to said base plate, and an intermediate neck portion connecting said head and body portions and defining a circumferential notch for receiving said one end of each said lever members.

6 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,245,924 11/17 Johnson 294-50.9 5 2,585,298 2/52 Coelho 471 2,869,915 1/59 Good 29450.6

T. GRAHAM CRAVER, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A TOOL FOR REMOVING INDENTATIONS FROM PUTTING GREENS COMPRISING AN ELONGATED NORMALLY VERTICAL FRAME STRUCTURE INCLUDING A HANDLE ADJACENT THE UPPER END THEREOF AND A HOUSING ADJACENT THE LOWER END THEREOF, A BASE PLATE MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING BENEATH SAID LOWER END FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID HOUSING, SAID BASE BEING NORMALLY BIASED OUTWARDLY, AWAY FROM SAID LOWER END, AT LEAST TWO SPACED APART GROUND PENETRATING FINGERS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID HOUSING AND ARRANGED SYMMETRICALLY ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAID FRAME STRUCTURE SAID FINGERS PROJECTING OUTWARDLY OF SAID LOWER END AND THROUGH OPENINGS IN SAID BASE PLATE IN A DIRECTION NORMALLY PARALLEL TO SAID AXIS, AND FINGER ACTUATING MEANS WITHIN SAID HOUSING OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID BASE PLATE TO SAID FINGERS FOR CONVERGING THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID FINGERS IN RESPONSE TO RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID HOUSING TOWARD SAID BASE PLATE.