US3334910A - Golf cart bag - Google Patents

Description

g- 8, 1967 R. L. WILSON ETAL 3,334,910

GOLF CART BAG Filed March 7, 1966 III INVENTORS ROBERT L. WM 5 ON ANNE STEVENS ATTORNE Y5 United States Patent M 3,334,910 GOLF CART BAG Robert L. Wilson, 10047 Ave. N. 60617, and Anne Stevens, 13251 Ave. N. 60633, both of Chicago, Ill. Filed Mar. 7, 1966, Ser. No. 532,269 11 Claims. (Cl. 280-35) This invention relates to golf bags and more particularly it relates to a combination golf bag and cart.

There are presently available several types of comb-ination golf bags and carts, however, each of them is generally similar in that they include a substantially rectangular shaped frame having a number of clips, pockets or the like in which individual one of the golf clubs are retained. In other words, the golf bag is not of the construction or have the configuration of the ordinary and generally well known golf bags of the past, but is, instead, merely a frame like member which is adapted to hold the golf clubs. A pair of wheels and a handle are affixed to the frame-like member, to transform it into a cart, or more specifically, a combination bag and cart. The pair of wheels and handle are generally affixed in a fashion such as that they may be collapsed for ease of transportation.

While the combination golf bags and carts of the above described construction have certain desirable features, they also have several undesirable features. For example, most country clubs and golf courses now have motorized vehicles which the golfers drive around the coursewhi-le playing and which are adapted to carry one or more golf bag. These vehicles, however, are generally adapted to accommodate only the ordinary or the regular type golf bags and combination bags and carts cannot be carried on them, unless special mounting or retaining means are provided.

Also, these combination bags and carts are generally of a substantially rigid construction and while they may be collapsed to that they are relatively compact, difficulty is usually experienced in trying to store more than one of them in, for example, the trunk of a car. Since they are fairly rigid, they present substantially the same difficulties as encountered in trying to pack several large rigid boxes or cartons in a cars trunk. The ordinary type golf bags, however, are sufficiently flexible or resilient to permit them to be packed together so that they are more easily fitted into the trunk.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved combination golf bag and cart which includes many of the attributes of the ordinary golf bag and which overcomes the above outline, as well as many other, objectionable and/or undesirable features of most presently available combination golf bags and carts.

Another object is to provide an improved combination golf bag and cart which is generally of the same construction and configuration of an ordinary golf bag and which has a pair of wheels and a handle afi'ixed thereto which may be collapsed and/or removed to provide a compact unit. In this respect, it is further contemplated that the wheel assemblies and the handle assembly by formed integrally with the golf bag.

Still another object is to provide an improved combination golf bag and cart having a golf bag of molded plastic and wheel assemblies and a handle assembly which are integrally formed as a part of said golf bag and are adapted to be collapsed and/ or removed to provide a compact unit.

A still further object is to provide an improved combination golf bag and cart which generally resembles and can be used as an ordinary golf bag, by simply removing the wheel assemblies and the handle assembly.

Another object is to provide an improved combination golf bag and cart which has one or more pockets removably aflixed thereto, whereby said pockets can be removed for use to, for example, carry a'number of golf balls to 3,334,910 Patented Aug. 8, 1967 a practice range without having to transport the complete unit. This feature also permits the pockets to be removed for cleaning or washing. In this respect, in the case of a molded plastic bag, it is contemplated that a number of fasteners, such as snap fasteners, can be integrally molded with the bag, for removably affixing a number of pockets to it.

Still another object is to provide a handle assembly and a pair of wheel assemblies which may be easily aflixed to an ordinary golf bag to convert the same into a compact combination golf bag and cart.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a combination golf bag and cart exemplary of a first embodiment of the in which the wheel assemblies are aflixed thereto internally;

FIG. 6 is a partial view illustrating the manner in which the axle shafts for the wheel assemblies are locked in an expanded and collapsed position, and further illustrating another manner in which the golf bag can be fabricated; and

FIG. 7 is a partial view which is sectionalized to illustrate an alternate manner in which the handle assembly may be removably affixed to the golf bag.

Similar reference characters refere to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing, in FIG. 1 there is illustrated a combination golf bag and cart 10, hereinafter referred to as bag-cart 10, including a bag 12 having a pair of wheel assemblies 14 and 16 (only one of which can be seen in FIG. 1) and a handle assembly 18 aflixed thereto. The bag 12 is a regular bag of the type well knOWn and generally used by golfers and can be fabricated of nylon or canvas fabric or leather, which bag 12 has been modified to include as an integral part thereof, the wheel assemblies 14 and 16 and the handle assembly 18. The upper end of the bag 12 has a leather collar 20 afiixed thereto which is generally reinforced to provide a substantially rigid open end for the bag. Likewise, the lower end of the bag 12 is closed by means of a closed leather sleeve 22 which is also generally reinforced to provide a substantially rigid closed end to the bag.

The handle assembly 18, as can be best seen in FIG. 3, includes a substantially U-shaped bracket 24 having a pair of legs 26 and 28 which are adapted to clamp the collar 20 between them. Fastening means, such as the rivets 30 are extended through the legs 26 and 28 and the collar 20 to fixedly secure the bracket 24 to the bag 12. The

leg 28 may be substantially short so as to just overlap the top edge of the collar 20, however, the leg 26 is preferably of substantially the same length as the collar 20 so that it overlaps a major portion of it. Additional rivets 32 are extended through the leg 26 and the collar 20 to secure the lower end of the leg 26 to the collar. A tubular sleeve 34 is afiixed to the leg 26 of the bracket 24 and is angularly disposed so that its opened upper end extends upwardly at an angle of approximately 30 from the vertical axis of the leg 26. The sleeve 34 has a J-shaped slot 36 formed therein extending from its open end which is adapted to receive a pin 38 fixedly secured to a handle 40 to lockingly engage the handle 40 within the sleeve 34. A spring 42 is secured within the sleeve 34- by means of a retaining pin 44 in a position to engage the end of the handle 40 to forceably urge the handle out of the sleeve 34 to thereby efifectively lock the handle in the sleeve by forcing the pin 38 into the short tail 46 of the slot 36. The handle 40 can be of any desired length and can have a grip 4-8 (FIG. 2) on its opposite end.

It can be seen that the handle 40 can be easily secured to and removed from the sleeve 34 of the bracket 24 merely by urging the end of the handle 40 into the sleeve against the spring 42 and twisting it slightly to engage the pin 38 into the short tail 46 of the slot 36. When transporting or storing the bag-cart It), the handle 40 can be removed and stored within the bag 12 so that the only portion of the handle assembly 18 which projects from the bag-cart is the short sleeve 34.

It has been found that the bracket 24 is generally all which is needed to provide sufiicient stability to the handle assembly 18, however, withcertain bags of relatively thin material and collars 20 which are not reinforced to provide sutficient rigidity, it is desirable to fixedly secure a sturdy brace within the interior of the bag 12. The brace is secured between the legs 26 and the of the bracket 24 and extended to the bottom of the bag 12. Such a brace will function both to add rigidity to the bag 12 along its side at one point and to provide stability for the handle assembly 18.

The wheel assemblies 14 and 16 each have a tubular sleeve 50 which is extended through an aperture (not shown) formed in the closed sleeve 22 into the interior of the bag 12 between a false bottom 49 formed therein and the end of the sleeve 22. The ends of the sleeves 50 are flattened and have apertures (not shown) formed in them for receiving fastening means, such as rivets 52, for fixedly securing the flattened ends in overlapping relation to the interior periphery of the sleeve 22. The sleeves 50 may also have a collar 54 affixed to them which be fixedly secured to the sleeve 22 to provide additional rigidity. As can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the sleeves 50 extend angularly outward from one another at an angle of approximately 60 from the center line of the bag 12. Also, the sleeves 50 extend angularly upwardly with respect to a horizontal plane through the points at which they are afiixed to the sleeve 22. The angle of pitch of the sleeves 54 from the front to the rear of the bag 12 is established, in a manner described below, to provide a center of gravity so that the bagcart can be easily pulled about the golf course, with minimum effort.

The sleeves 50 each are adapted to slidably receive a shaft 56 therein which functions as an axle for a wheel 58. The sleeves 50 and the shafts 56 may be cylindrical or polygonal in shape, however they are preferably polygonal so that the shaft 56 cannot rotate within the sleeves 50. The ends of the shafts 5-6 are angularly bent so that the wheels 58 are disposed parallel to one another, and may have appropriate bearings secured thereto or the ends may be turned down to a round so that the wheels 58 may be rotatably secured thereto. The shafts 56 each have apertures 60 and 62 (FIG. 6) therein for receiving spring loaded pins 64 of lock assemblies 66 fixedly secured to respective ones of the sleeves 50. When the pins 64 are engaged with the apertures 60, the shafts 56 are in their retracted position within the sleeves 50, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. To extend the wheels 58 to an open, or working, position the spring loaded pins 64 are withdrawn from the apertures 60 and the shafts 56 pulled out of the sleeves 50. The spring loaded ins 64 are released and will snap into the apertures 62 when the shafts 56 are sufiiciently extended, to lock the wheels 58 in proper position.

In FIGS. 2 and 6, there is illustrated a combination bag-cart 79 which is fabricated in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention. The bag-cart 70 has a bag 72 which is preferably molded of a substantially heavy plastic such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The bag '72 can be molded as one piece and can have the sleeves 50 of the wheel assemblies 14 and 16 and the bracket 24 of the handle assembly 18 integrally molded with it. The bag 72 also preferably has a number of fasteners such as the snap fasteners 74 integrally formed with it during the molding process, for removably affixing one or more pockets 76 to it. Alternatively, the main body portion 78 of the bag 72 can be formed as an extruded tubular sleeves. In such a case, a heavier plastic collar 80 like the collar 20 can affixed to its upper end by means of adhesive or by heat sealing the collar 80 to the body portion 78, and the handle assembly 18 afiixed thereto in the manner described above. The lower end of the bag 72 can be formed as a solid plug 82 having the sleeves 50 integrally molded therein, as can be best seen in FIG. 6. The plug 82 is inserted within the bag 72 and affixed therein by means of adhesive or by heat sealing the bag 72 to the plug 82. The fasteners such as the snap fastener 74 can be affixed to the bag 72 so that pockets 76 can be removably afiixed thereto. With this construction, it can be seen that a combination bag-cart can be easily and inexpensively assembled.

The pockets 76 being removably affixed to the bag can be conveniently detached for cleaning or washing them or, more importantly, when going to a practice range or the like one or more of the pockets can be removed so that a number of golf balls can be easily carried without the necessity of having to transport the entire bag-cart.

In FIG. 7, there is shown an alternative method for aflixing the handle assembly 18 to a bag-cart. With this construction, a pair of U-shaped channels 86 and 88 are afiixed to the collar about the top end of the bag in spaced relation so as to slidably receive therein a fiat plate 90 which has the sleeve 34 for retaining the handle 40 afi ixed thereto. A pair of pins 92 extend through the bag and into the slot formed by the brackets 86 and 88 for securing the handle assembly 18 to the bag. The pins 92 may be affixed to a flat spring afiixed to the bag in a fashion such that the pins can be withdrawn and inserted into the slot by flexing the spring. When constructed in this fashion, the sleeve 34 as well as the handle can be detached from the bag-cart and easily stored within the bag.

The bag-carts also have a foldable pointed stem 94 pivotally secured to the bottom of the bag which functions as an anchor for the bag-cart on steep grades. When not in use, the stem 94 can be folded out of way against the bottom of the bag.

The wheels 58 can be of any desired size which permit the bag-cart to be easily pulled over the ground. The angle of pitch of the sleeves 50 is dependent upon both the diameter of the wheels and the length of the sleeves and after these dimensions are established, it can be easily determined. The angle of pitch is accordingly established to provide a proper center of gravity, for good balance.

From the above description, it can be seen that an ordinary golf bag can be easily converted into a combination golf bag and cart, by affixing the handle assembly 18 and the wheel assemblies 14 and 16 to the bag. This is accomplished by fitting the bracket 24 of.the handle assembly 18 over the collar of the bag and aflixing it with fastening means such as rivets 30 or the like. Apertures are formed in the closed sleeve at the bottom of the bag to receive the sleeves 50 of the wheel assemblies 14 and 16, and the sleeves are secured therein by fastening means such as the rivets 52 or the like. In forming these apertures, care must be taken to position them to provide a good center of gravity for the bag-cart so that it balances well for pulling. The installation can be done by an individual, or in the pro shops generally found at most golf courses.

Therefore, in accordance with the invention, a bag-cart can be easily and inexpensively fabricated by either modifying a regular golf bag, during manufacture or thereafter, or by molding a bag of plastic, to include as an integral part thereof a handle assembly and a pair of wheel assemblies. The handle can be detachable, and the wheel assemblies collapsible and removable, to provide a compact unit which can be easily stored and transported. Furthermore, the bag-cart can be used as an ordinary golf bag simply by removing the handle and wheel assemblies and, for this reason, can be fitted to most existing motorized golf vehicles. The bag-cart is also light-weight since only the handle and wheel assemblies are afiixed to a bag.

This latter point is especially appealing to women golfers. Another factor which is appealing to women golfers is that in molding the golf bag of plastic, a variety of color designs can be provided which heretofore generally could not be because of material restrictions.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efliciently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

What is claimed is:

1. A combination golf bag and cart comprising, in combination: a golf bag having a body portion in which a plurality of golf clubs can be retained, said body portion having a reinforcing collar about its upper end and a closed bottom reinforcing sleeve about its lower end for providing substantial rigidity to said upper end and said lower end, respectively; a handle assembly removably affixed to said reinforcing collar and angularly disposed with respect to the vertical axis of said golf bag; and a pair of wheel assemblies each including a sleeve which extends through said reinforcing sleeve into the interior of said golf bag, an axle shaft slidably and lockably retained in said sleeve and a wheel rotatably affixed to said axle shaft, said sleeves being angularly disposed outwardly from one another and from the centerline of said golf bag and further being angularly disposed upward from a horizontal plane defined by the lower end of said bag to provide a center of gravity to said golf bag for good balance while pulling said golf bag on said wheels, said axle shafts being extendable and retractable in said sleeves to a working and a collapsed, compact position, respectively, and further being removable whereby said axle shafts and said Wheels can be removed.

2. The combination .golf bag and cart of claim 1 wherein said golf bag is one of regular construction having a body portion of fabric or canvas material or leather and a leather or plastic reinforcing collar and sleeve, said handle assembly and said wheel assemblies being integrally formed with said golf bag and being collapsible and removable, whereby a compact combination golf bag and cart is provided without the necessity of affixing a golf cart to a golf bag.

3. The combination golf bag and cart of claim 1 wherein said handle assembly includes a bracket having a handle retaining sleeve afiixed thereto in an angularly and upwardly disposed position with respect to the vertical axis of said golf bag and a removable handle slidably and lockably retained in said handle retaining sleeve, said bracket being fixedly secured to said golf bag at its upper end, whereby said handle can be removed and stored within said golf bag while storing and transporting said combination golf bag and cart.

4. The combination golf bag and cart of claim 1 wherein said handle assembly includes a plate having a handle affixed thereto in an angularly and upwardly disposed position with respect to the vertical axis of said golf bag; and said golf bag has plate receiving means afiixed thereto at its upper end adapted to removably and lockably receive said plate therein for affixing said handle assembly to said golf bag, whereby said handle assembly can be removed and stored within said golf bag while storing and transporting said combination golf bag and cart.

5. The combination golf bag and cart of claim 1 wherein the ends of said sleeves within the interior of said golf bag are fixedly secured to said golf bag to provide additional stability to said wheel assemblies.

6. The combination golf bag and cart of claim 1 wherein the ends of said sleeves within the interior of said golf bag are affixed to one another and to said golf bag to provide additional stability to said wheel assemblies.

7. The combination golf bag and cart of claim 1 wherein said sleeves and said axle shafts are polygonal in cross- -section to prevent said axle shafts from rotating within said sleeves, a pair of apertures in each of said axle shaft in spaced relation representing a working position and a collapsed position for said wheels, respectively, and a lock assembly afiixed to each of said sleeves having a springloaded pin engageable in said pair of apertures for locking said wheels in said working and collapsed positions.

8. The combination golf bag and cart of claim 1 wherein said golf bag has a body portion fabricated of a substantial heavy plastic which has a reinforcing collar and sleeve afiixed to its upper and lower ends, respectively, whereby a light-weight, durable combination golf bag and cart is provided.

9. The combination golf bag and cart of claim 8 Wherein said golf bag is molded as one piece and said handle assembly and said wheel assemblies are integrally and removably formed therewith.

10. The combination golf bag and cart of claim 8 wherein said body portion is an extruded plastic tubular member, a reinforcing collar afiixed to one end of said tubular member, a solid plug forming a bottom for said tubular member and fixedly secured therein, said sleeves being integrally formed with said solid plug, whereby said wheel assemblies can be aflixed to said golf bag by inserting and fixedly securing said solid plug to said golf bag.

11. The combination golf bag and cart of claim 1 further including at least one pocket removably affixed to said golf bag, whereby said pockets can be removed for cleaning and washing and for transporting objects therein 1 without the necessity of carrying the entire combination golf bag and cart.

References Cited BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

L. D. MORRIS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A COMBINATION GOLF BAG AND CART COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A GOLF BAG HAVING A BODY PORTION IN WHICH A PLURALITY OF GOLF CLUBS CAN BE RETAINED, SAID BODY PORTION HAVING A REINFORCING COLLAR ABOUT ITS UPPER END AND A CLOSED BOTTOM REINFORCING SLEEVE ABOUT ITS LOWER END FOR PROVIDING SUBSTANTIAL RIGIDITY TO SAID UPPER END AND SAID LOWER END, RESPECTIVELY; A HANDLE ASSEMBLY REMOVABLY AFFIXED TO SAID REINFORCING COLLAR AND ANGULARLY DISPOSED WITH RESPECT TO THE VERTICAL AXIS OF SAID GOLF BAG: AND A PAIR OF WHEEL ASSEMBLIES EACH INCLUDING A SLEEVE WHICH EXTENDS THROUGH SAID REINFORCING SLEEVE INTO THE INTERIOR OF SAID GOLF BAG, AN AXLE SHAFT SLIDABLY AND LOCAKABLY RETAINED IN SAID SLEEVE AND A WHEEL ROTATABLY AFFIXED TO SAID AXLE SHAFT, SAID SLEEVES BEING ANGULARLY DISPOSED OUTWARDLY FROM ONE ANOTHER AND FROM THE CENTERLINE OF SAID GOLF BAG AND FURTHER BEING ANGULARLY DISPOSED UPWARD FROM A HORIZONTAL PLANE DEFINED BY THE LOWER END OF SAID BAG TO PROVIDE A CENTER OF GRAVITY TO SAID GOLF BAG FOR GOOD BALANCE WHILE PULLING SAID GOLF BAG ON SAID WHEELS, SAID AXLE SHAFTS BEING EXTENDABLE AND RETRACTABLE IN SAID SLEEVES TO A WORKING AND A COLLAPSED, COMPACT POSITION, RESPECTIVELY, AND FURTHER BEING REMOVABLE WHEREBY SAID AXLE SHAFTS AND SAID WHEELS CAN BE REMOVED.

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