US3434721A - Golf putting target - Google Patents

Description

March 25, 1969 A. M. TRAVERS com" PUTTING TARGET Sheet Filed Feb. 15. 1967 L is FIG.

FIG. 2

ALPHONSO M. TRAVERS INVENTOR.

March 25, 1969 Filed Feb. 1a. 1967 A. M. TRAVERS GOLF PUTTING TARGET Shee t 2 of2 ALPHONSO M. TRAVERS INVEN'TOR.

United States Patent 3,434,721 GOLF PUTTING TARGET Alphonso M. Travers, 350 Burncoat St., Worcester, Mass. 01606 Filed Feb. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 615,823 Int. Cl. A63b 57/00, 67/02, 71/00 US. Cl. 273-480 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention The prior art is replete with devices that permit a golfer to practice putting indoors; not only is putting a critical part of the golfers skill which must be constantly worked on, but such devices can be used as a game in themselves. In some cases, such devices have been installed in a business executives office to assist him in unwinding, in expending excess nervous energy, and in giving him a mild physical activity to promote cogitation. These devices have ranged from a simple arrangement consisting of a drinking glass lying on its side to complex and ingenious apparatus having tracks and tunnels with automatic scoring mechanisms. For the most part, however, these devices of the past have failed in at least one important respect, i.e., they fail to duplicate the curvature, slope, and feel of the outdoor putting green. Furthermore, many of them have been quite expensive and, therefore, not adapted to general use. In many cases, they have required structural modification of the room in which they are to be located. In using many of them, retrieving the ball after putting has been difficult and frustrating, thus defeating the relaxed and beneficial mental attitude that the device is intended to promote. These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art devices have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.

Objects It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention to provide a golf game which approximates the physical charactertistics of an outdoor putting green.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a golf game which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and capable of a long life of useful service.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a golf game in which the retrieval of the ball is relatively easy and nonfrustrating and in which retrieval can be accomplished by using the putter without the user bending over.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide a golf game in which the ball is either returned to the golfer or is stored in a readily accessible pocket.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a golf game which can be used either by a single person for practice in putting or by more than one perosn for a competitive game.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

3,434,721 Patented Mar. 25, 1969 Description of the invention The character of the invention, however, may be best understood by reference to one of its structural forms, as illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a golf game embodying the principles of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the game,

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the game taken on the line I'I IIlI of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the game taken on the line IVIV of FIG. 1.

Referring first to FIG. 1, which best shows the general features of the invention, the golf game, indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, is shown in use by a golfer 11 who is using a putter 12 to strike a golf ball 13. The game comprises a main body 14 having an upper surface 15, a rear surface 16, and a bottom surface 17 (see FIG. 2). The upper surface 15 is of a somewhat complex dome-like shape which, at its highest point, is substantially higher than the diameter of the golf ball 13. In plan view, it has a semi-circular periphery 18 and a straight edge 19, this semi-circular plane figure being the exact shape of the bottom surface 17; in vertical elevation, it is shown (in FIG, 2) as represented by a plane figure having a straight lower edge 21 and a flat curved edge 22, this last figure being the shape of the rear surface 16. The ourved edge 22 is a segment: of a circle with a radius much larger than the height of the upper surface 15 above the bottom surface 17 and the edge 21 is its chord. The upper surface 15 is, therefore, a three-dimensional, curved surface joining the curved edge 18 of a horizontal, semi-circular; plane figure (the bottom surface 17) to the curved edge 22 of a vertical plane figure (the rear surface 16) mounted at a right angle to the firstnamed figure; it would, therefore, be geometrically classified as a warped surface. In any case, the diameter of the imaginary circle, of which the edge 22 is a segment, is very great, so that the edge 18 of the upper surface 15 intersects the bottom surface at a very low angle, as is evident in FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 shows how the? game 10 rests with its bottom surface 17 contacting a floor 23, preferably one which is provided with a rug 24.-Extending upwardly from the rear of the upper surface 15 is a vertical back board 25 which extends from one side to theother in the general plane of the rear surface 16. Extending into the uppermost portion of the main body 14 adjacent the back board 25 is a vertical hole or cup 26 having a diameter somewhat larger than that of the standard golf ball 13. At one side of the main body 14 is an elongated storage pocket 27 which is connected to the lower part of the cup 26 by a downwardly sloping passage 28. Similarly, another storage pocket 29 is provided at the right side of the main body and is connected to the cup by a sloping passage 31. The main body is also provided with a circular depression or trap 32 which is located down the slope from the cup 26 and is capable of catching and holding the golf ball 13 on occasion. A curved vertical wall 33 partially encircles the trap and lies down the slope from it. The wall faces up the slope toward the cup 26 and the trap 32 lies between the wall and the cup; it is somewhat less than a semicircle and is generally concentric of the trap. A similar trap 34 and a corresponding wall 35 are located at the right side of the main body 14. Extending upwardly from the upper edge of the back board 25 is a flag 36 carrying the indicia l. A similar flag 37 carrying the indicia 12 extends upwardly from the top of the wall 33, while a similar flag 38 carrying the indicia 13 is carried at the top of the wall 35.

The structure of the main body 14 can be seen from an examination of FIGS. 3 and 4. The bottom surface 17 is the lower surface of a semicircular plywood element 39, the rear surface 16 is the outer surface of a similar plywood element, and the upper surface 15 is provided by the outer surface of a plywood element 41 which has been formed to its complex curved shape by steaming or the like and which has been covered by a layer 42 of felt, preferably colored green to give at least an approximation of the appearance of grass. The three ply-Wood elements, therefore, are fastened together to form a rigid, dome-like box which is rendered even more rigid by the provision of a central web element 43 which extends between the upper element 41 and the bottom element 39. The cup 26 hangs downwardly from a suitable aperture in the plywood element 41 and is formed of sheet metal or the like. Similarly, the passages 28 and 31 are defined by sheet metal conduits 44 and 45, respectively. These conduits are suitably connected to the cup 26 for easy passage of a golf ball from the cup into one of the conduits and each slopes downwardly from the cup to its respective storage pocket 27 or 29.

Operation The operation of the invention will now be readily understood in view of the above description. The golfer 11 stands in front of the game and faces toward the front surface of the back board 16. He strokes the golf ball 13 with the putter 12 and attempts to get the ball in the cup 26. The ball rolls over the upper surface of the rug 24 and passes onto the upper surface 15 of the main body 14. Because of the narrow angle between the outer peripheral area of this upper surface and the bottom surface 17 (and, therefore, between the surface 15 and the upper surface of the rug), the ball is subjected to very little shock during this passage. For that reason, it is not deflected from the path on which it was sent by the golfer. It then rolls smoothly up the slope toward the cup 26. If the golfers aim is good, the ball will fall into the cup and pass downwardly through one of the conduits 44 or 45 into one of the storage pockets 27 or 29, respectively. On the other hand, the ball may miss the cup, strike the back board 25, and fall into one of the pockets 27 or 29, anyway. Also, the ball, after striking the back board, may accidentally (or on purpose!) fall into one of the straps 32 or 34, it being helped into a trap by its respective wall 33 or 35. Of course, it is often tune that the ball will rebound from the back board, roll down the slope over the surface 15 onto the rug, and return in the general direction of the golfer.

It can be seen, then, that the game provides not only putting practice that resembles real golf very closely, but it can be a source of entertaining competition. The ball is prevented by the back board from passing over the main body and traveling away from the golfer; this means that it is never necessary to chase the ball. On the contrary, the ball either ends up in one of the storage pockets (from which it can be easily retrieved with the putter without bending over) or it rolls onto the rug, rolls toward the golfer, and stops in position for another stroke. The construction is simple and rugged, so that it will last a long time without any particular maintenance. This simplicity combined 'with the absence of frustrationinducing elements makes it particularly suitable for use as a mild tranquilizing physical activity.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, however, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A golf putting target comprising a first planar bottom surface, a second planar rear surface, and a third substantially dome-shaped upper surface having a peripheral edge, said rear surface extending upward from a juncture with said bottom surface and being at a right angle to said bottom surface, the juncture of said bottom and rear surfaces forming a substantially straight laterally elongated edge having first and second ends forming the lower edge of said rear surface and the rear edge of said bottom surface, said bottom surface including a forwardly extending peripheral edge forming a semicircular are connecting said first and second ends, said rear surface including an upwardly extending peripheral edge forming a semicircular arc connecting said first and second ends, the peripheral edge of said dome-shaped upper surface including a first edge portion joined 'with and following the curvature of said upwardly extending peripheral edge of said rear surface, and a second portion joined with and following the curvature of said forwardly extending peripheral edge of said bottom surface, the radius of curvature of said dome-shaped upper surface being such that said upper surface approaches its juncture with said bottom surface at a very low angle permitting a golf ball to roll smoothly up said upper surface from a horizontal surface supporting said bottom surface, a backboard, lying generally in the plane of said rear surface, extending between the first and second ends of said substantially straight laterally elongated edge, the height of said backboard at any position therealong being substantially greater than the height of the upper surface contiguous thereto, a vertical hole in the uppermost part of said upper surface adjacent said backboard for receiving a putted golf ball, a golf ball storage pocket in said upper surface adjacent the juncture of said upper and bottom surfaces, and a golf ball passage extending from a communicating relationship with said hole to said storage pocket.

2. A putting target as recited in claim 1, wherein the upper surface is provided with at least one depression capable of retaining a golf ball and a curved wall extending generally vertically from the upper surface, the depression being located a substantial distance down the slope from the said vertical hole, the wall being located down the slope from the depression and generally concentric therewith.

3. A putting target as recited in claim 1, wherein the entire upper surface is covered with a felt-like material.

4. A putting target as recited in claim 3, including flags bearing scoring indicia, one of said flags being located adjacent said hole and another of said flags being located adjacent said depression.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,736,447 10/ 1928 Kindt et a1. 27-3180 3,114,556 12/1963 Miller 273-178 3,275,325 9/1966 MacKenzie 273-180 X GEORGE I. MARLO, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

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