US3239264A

US3239264A - Ball scoop

Info

Publication number: US3239264A
Application number: US356351A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert N Dupont
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-03-25
Filing date: 1964-03-25
Publication date: 1966-03-08
Anticipated expiration: 1983-03-08

Description

March 8, 1966 R. N. DUPONT 3,239,264

BALL SCOOP Filed March 25. 1964 INVENTOR.

United States Patent O 3,239,264 BALL SCOOP Robert N. Dupont, 14 Hilton Ave., Worcester, Mass. Snbstituted for abandoned application Ser. No. 105,106, Apr. 24, 1961. This application Mar. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 356,351

5 Claims. (Cl. 294-19) This application is a substitute Iapplication for applicants abandoned application iled April 24, 1961, Serial No. 105,106.

The present invention relates to a ball scoop or ball pick-up device, and more particularly to a device for use in picking up a ball such as a golf ball.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a ball pick-up device which is adapted to be attached to an end of a golf club Iso that for example after a ball has been putted into a cup, the usual position of the golf club can .be reversed in order to permit the scoop of the present invention to be used for conveniently picking up the ball from the cup without the necessity of bending over and manually retrieving or picking up the ball.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a ball pick-up device which consists of a member that is adapted to be readily attached to an end `of a golf club, and wherein the pick-up device of the present invention may be made of an integral construction so that it embodies a resilient or yieldable sleeve having an integral chink with a generally circular ball pick-up member integral therewith, or else the ball pick-up device may be made in the form of a yieldable sleeve having a separate shank portion 4or support member aiiixed thereto and with the circular element formed integral with Ior secured to the shank portion as desired or required.

Still another object is to provide such a ball pick-up device of the type stated that can be used with different types of articles such as various types of golf clubs r the like, and wherein the ball pick-up device of the present invention is economical to manufacture and efcient in operation and which is rugged in structure and foolproof in Iuse.

Another .object is to provide a device of the character described that may be utilized speedily and with precision by even inexperienced operators.

Further objects and advantages are to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in a device of the character described that is economical to produce, durable in form, and conducive to the most economical use of materials and uniformity `of members formed therefrom.

Still further objects and advantages will become apparent in the subsequent description in 'the specification.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view illustrating a golf club equipped with the ball pick-up device or scoop of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the ball pick-up device separated or detached from the golf club handle.

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view taken at right angles to the view shown in FIGURE 2 and showing the ball pick-up device or scoop per se.

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the ball pick-up device of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary elevational view illustrating the use of the present invention.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary elevational view, with parts broken away and in section, illustrating a modication.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGURES 1 through 5 of the drawings, the

ice

numeral 1li indicates a conventional golf club such as a putter which includes the shaft 11 that has a grip 12 on one end thereof, and the golf club lil is further provided with the usual head 13.

According to the present invention there is provided a ball pick-up device or scoop which is indicated generally by the numeral 14, and the ball pick-up device 14 embodies a sleeve 27 that is adapted to be conveniently and snugly mounted on an end of the grip 12, and as shown in FIGURE 2 for example the sleeve 27 of the ball pick-up device 14 is shaped to include an annular wall portion 15 as well as a Hat wall section 16, and the wall section 16 thus closes oif yone end of the sleeve 27 while the other end of the sleeve is open. The interior of the sleeve 27 is shaped to define a chamber or recess 17 which has a generally tapered formation so that the portion of the chamber 17 in the vicinity of the open end as indicated by the numeral 1S is of less diameter than the portion of the chamber 17 in the vicinity of the wall section 16 in order to insure that the sleeve 27 will tit snugly on the grip 12.

The numeral Ztl indicates a shank portion or support portion which is adapted to be secured to the wall section 16 as for example by means of suitable securing elements such as a bolt and nut assembly 21, and the numeral 22 indicates a generally circular bracket or scoop element which is secured to or formed integral with the shank portion 20, and as shown in the drawings the bracket 22 is arranged angularly with respect to the wall section 16. The bracket or scoop element 22 has a generally hollow formation and wherein there is defined or provided

opposed openings

24 and 23 which dene a tapered configuration for the scoop element 22, and the scoop element 22 thus has an inner generally tapered seat 25 for snugly engaging or receiving a ball such as the golf ball 26 which may be positioned in a cup such as the cup 28 that is arranged in the ground 29 in the usual manner, FIGURE 5.

Referring now to FIGURE 6 of the drawings there is illustrated a modified ball pick-up device which is indicated generally by the numeral 14', and it will be seen that the ball pick-up device has a unitary construction and is adapted to be made of a suitable yieldable or resilient material such as a suitable rubber or plastic substance. The ball pick-up device 14 is shown to comprise a sleeve 27 that has the same general construction and purpose as the previously described sleeve 27, and the sleeve 27 includes an open end, while the opposite end of the sleeve 27 is closed by the Wall section 16, and the numeral 20 indicates a shank that is formed integral with the wall section 16'. A rounded or generally circular bracket or scoop element 22' is formed integral with the wall section 16. A rounded or genis arranged at an angle with respect to the wall section 16 so as to facilitate the picking up of a ball such as the golf ball 26 whereby it will not be necessary for the player to bend over and pick-up the ball si-nce the golf club with the present invention mounted thereon can simply be reversed and the ball can thus be readily retrieved or picked-up from the cup in which it is positioned. The sleeve and shank and scoop element of the device of FIGURE 6 may all be made of a suitable material such as rubber or plastic, while in FIGURES 1 through 5, the sleeve 27 may be made of a yieldable material, but the shank 2li and scoop element 22 may be made of metal or lthe like.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided a ball pick-up device which is especially suitable for use with a golf club, and in use with the parts arranged as shown in the drawings, and in particular as shown in FIGURES l through 5 of the drawings, it will be seen that the ball pick-up device includes the sleeve that is provided with the inner chamber 17 which is of a size to snugly receive and engage the upper end of the gripping portion 12 of the golf club 10, and since the sleeve is made of a yieldable or resilient material, it will have la tendency to remain in its proper position on the golf club grip. Also, the chamber 17 is tapered so as to conform to the usual tapered configuration of the grip 12, and the wall section 16 functions as a stop member to prevent the sleeve from being pushed down too far on the grip 12. The shank 20 is adapted to be secured to the wall section 16 as at 21, and the scoop element 22 is formed integral with or secured to the outer portion of the shank 20, and the scoop element 22 is arranged at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve, as for example as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, so that when a ball such as the golf ball 26 is to be retrieved or picked up from the cup 28, and with the device of the present invention mounted on the golf club, the golf club can be reversed from its usual playing position to a position such as that shown in FIGURE 5. With the parts in the position as shown in FIGURE 5, the scoop element 22 can be arranged in engagement with the golf ball 26, and the scoop element 22 is of a size in configuration with the golf ball 26 will be snugly held and seated therein whereby upon lifting of the golf club the golf ball will be lifted so that it can be readily manually removed from the member or element 22 and then the golf ball can be used again in the usual manner. Thus, the present invention eliminates the necessity of bending over and manually picking up the golf ball from a golf cup such as the cup 28 In the modification of FIGURE 6, the ball pick-up device is shown made of a unitary integral one piece formation and wherein the entire device may be made of a suitable resilient material such as hard rubber, plastic or a suitable composition or the like, and the device of FIGURE 6 is adapted to be used in substantially the same manner Aas the previously described ball pick-up device of FIGURES 1 through 5. The scoop element 22', by being made of a yieldable material provides an improved gripping surface for a golf ball 26 so as to facilitate the scooping up or picking up of the ball from the golf cup. In both forms of the invention the

scoop element

22 or 22 is arranged at such an angle that when the golf club is reversed and positioned as shown in FIGURE 5, the scoop element will be able to engage behind or below the golf `ball in order to conveniently or readily remove or pick-up the golf ball from the cup.

The parts can be made of any suitable material and in different shapes or sizes.

The ball pick-up device of FIGURE 6 which is adapted to be made in one unit can be made of a suitable plastic such as polyethylene.

In both forms of the invention the ball pick-up device consists of a sleeve for attaching the scoop to the golf club, and the sleeve is adapted to be slid or positioned over the end of a golf club -such as a putter so that it is conveniently ready for use. After a golfer puts his ball in the hole, the golfer reverses the club and scoops the ball out of the hole, and with the present invention positioned on the golf club, it is of such a size and shape that it will not interfere with the golfer while in play.

Some of the advantages of the present invention are that it will facilitate the playing of a game of golf since it will not be necessary to bend down to pick the ball up at every hole, and in addition the present invention will facilitate the playing of golf by older persons who still get around and enjoy the game. The present invention can be made of metal, plastic, wire or the like.

.With further reference to the device of FIGURES 1 through 5, it will be seen that the securing element 21 embodies a flat head bolt, FIGURE 2, and the head of the bolt is on the inside with the nut on the outside so that there will be no damage done to the golf club when the device is attached to the golf club. In addition the present invention can be readily put on and taken off of the club very easily by slipping the rubber sleeve on or off the club.

While certain embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail, it will be obvious that the invention may be otherwise embodied and the dimensions and interelation of parts changed so long as the objects of the invention are attained.

What is claimed is:

1. In a ball pick-up device for a golf club of the type that includes a shaft having a grip on one end thereof and a head on the other end thereof, said ball pick-up device comprising a sleeve of yieldable material shaped to include an annular wall portion which has an inner chamber for snugly receiving the outer end portion of the grip, one end of said sleeve being open, a wall section closing the other end portion of said sleeve, a shank member affixed to said wall section, and a circular scoop element affixed to said shank member with the center of said element in substantial alignment with the longitudinal axis of said sleeve.

2. In a ball pick-up device for a golf club of the type that includes a shaft having a grip on one end thereof and a head on the other end thereof, said ball pick-up device comprising a sleeve of yieldable material shaped to include an annular wall portion which has an inner chamber for snugly receiving the outer end portion of the grip, one end of said sleeve being open, a wall section closing the other end portion of said sleeve, a shank member affixed to said wall section, and a circular scoop element affixed to said shank member, said scoop element being arranged angularly with respect to said wall section with the center of said element in substantial alignment with the longitudinal axis of said sleeve.

3. In a ball pick-up device for a golf club of the type that includes a shaft having a grip on one end thereof and a head on the other end thereof, said ball pick-up device comprising a sleeve of yieldable material shaped to include an annular wall portion which has an inner chamber for snugly receiving the outer end portion of the grip, one end of said sleeve being open, a wall section closing the other end portion of said sleeve, a shank member affixed to said wall section, and a circular scoop element atiixed to said shank member, said scoop element being arranged angularly with respect to said wall section with the center of said element in substantial alignment with the longitudinal axis of said sleeve, said scoop element having an inner tapered seat for snugly receiving therein a portion of a golf ball, and wherein the diameter of the seat is less than the maximum diameter of the golf ball being picked up.

4. A ball pick-up device comprising a sleeve of yieldable material shaped to include an annular wall portion which provides an inner chamber that has a tapered formation, one end of said sleeve being open, a wall section closing the other end portion of the sleeve, the portion of the chamber in the vicinity of the wall section being of greater diameter than the portion of the chamber remote from the wall section, a shank member affixed to said wall section, with the center of said element in substantial alignment with the longitudinal axis of said sleeve, and a circular scoop element affixed to said shank member, said scoop element being arranged angularly with respect to said wall section, said scoop element Ihaving a generally tapered inner seat thereon.

5. As a new article of manufacture, ia golf ball pick-up device fabricated of a single piece of yieldable material and shaped to include a sleeve which embodies an annular wall portion, one end of the sleeve being open and the other end of the sleeve being closed by a flat wall section, a shank integral with said wall section, and a generally circular scoop element integral with said shank, said scoop element, being arranged angularly with respect to said 5 6 Wall section, With the center of said element in substan- References Cited bythe Examiner tial alignment with the longitudinal axis of said sleeve, UNITED STATES PATENTS said scoop element having 'an inner tapered seat for snugly 1 674 294 6/1928 Rourke 294 19 receiving and engaging a ball to be retrieved or picked 214321906 12/1947 ming1er 294 19 up, and wherein the diameter of the seat is less than the 5 maximum diameter of the ball being picked up. GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.