US3558170A

US3558170A - Ball retrievers

Info

Publication number: US3558170A
Application number: US718778A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stephen Stanworth
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1967-04-11
Filing date: 1968-04-04
Publication date: 1971-01-26
Anticipated expiration: 1988-01-26
Also published as: GB1125353A

Abstract

A BALL RETRIEVER COMPRISING A PLASTICS TUBE HAVING AN OPEN INLET END AND A DEFORMABLE PORTION AT SAID INLET END FOR ALLOWING THE PASSAGE OF BALLS INTO SAID TUBE.

Description

Jan. 26, 1971 s. STANWORTH BALL RETRIEVERS Filed April 4, 1968 INVENTOR: 5mm Sihmwoam E am/6 United States Patent 3,558,170 BALL RETRIEVERS Stephen Stanworth, Albert Mills North, Barrowford, Lancashire, England Filed Apr. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 718,778 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Apr. 11, 1967, 16,522/ 67 Int. Cl. A47f 13/06 US. Cl. 29419 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A ball retriever comprising a plastics tube having an open inlet end and a deformable portion at said inlet end for allowing the passage of balls into said tube.

This invention relates to a ball retriever and carrier, which is in particular intended to be used by golfers, although it could be used in other sports where balls are used, or indeed in any situation where it is required to pick up balls.

According to this invention a ball retriever comprises a plastics tube, and a plastics body part, said body part being in the form of a tube of larger diameter than said plastics tube; said body part surrounding an upper part of said plastics tube to define an annular collecting chamber therewith, and extending above said tube, the top of said tube being open to permit balls to escape from said tube and to fall therefrom into said annular collecting chamber; part of said tube extending below said body part, the lower extremity of said tube being open but deformed to present an obstacle to the entry of balls into said tube, said lower extremity being capable of distending within its own elastic limit to permit a ball to pass obstacle into said tube when said tube is pressed down over a ball.

A golf ball retriever embodying the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-section through a retriever embodying the invention,

FIG. 2 is a view in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a view of a lid in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is a detail view to a larger scale of the lower extremity of the retriever.

A ball retriever primarily intended for golf balls is formed of three main parts all of which are made of a synthetic plastics material. First there is a tube 23 hav ing a bore slightly larger than the outside diameter of a golf ball. (In practice, the bore of the tube 23 should be large enough to accept the United States Standard golf ball.) It will be noted that the tube 23 is long enough to hold a series of golf balls (say fifteen) placed in a row inside the tube.

The second main part is a body part 22, which is also formed as a tube, but this body part is of considerably larger diameter than the tube 23, and part of the latter extends up into the body part which part projects below the lower end of the body part. At its lower end, body part 22 is joined to the outside of the inner tube 23, and thus there is produced an annular collecting chamber 28 between the two tubes. Since the body part extends above the top of the inner tube (which is open) it is possible for the balls passing out at the top of the inner tube to fall into the chamber 28.

The third part is a cover 24 for the otherwise open top end of body part 22.

Both ends of tube 23 are open, and the lower end is intended to be used as a ball inlet, while the upper end acts as a ball outlet. Since it is desirable to be able to see how many balls are in the retriever, it is preferred to make the body part 22 of transparent or translucent material, and it may be tinted to improve its appearance.

The inlet end of the tube 23 is formed by rolling over the extremity to provide a reinforced portion, and then this end portion is deformed, while heat is applied to it, to form the inlet end into the shape illustrated (see especially FIG. 4). After deformation, the end of the tube is generally a hollow square 12, although the sides of the square lie on a diameter slightly smaller than that of the plain portion of the tube 23 as indicated at 25 and the corners of the square are radiused as shown at 26.

The internal dimensions of the square 12 are such that a golf ball 51 cannot pass through the inlet hole. However, if the inlet end of the tube 23 is pressed hard over the ball (when the latter is supported as it would be when resting on the ground) the sides of the square 12 distend towards a circular formation until the ball 15 is able to pass through the inlet into the tube 23. The design characteristics of the inlet end of the tube must be such that in so distending the walls of the deformed part of the tube do not pass the elastic limit of the material, and consequently as soon as the equitorial plans of the ball has passed the construction produced by square portion 12, the walls will contract again and the ball is held on the inside of the inlet. Moreover, the deformed portion should be capable of retaining its formation against a steady load applied to it by the weight of balls in the tube when the retriever is full.

It should be understood that the exact shape of the deformed portion is not critical. :In fact it could be any noncircular shape, so long as it is possible of distending towards the circular in order to allow a ball to pass. It is important however, to deform the tube itself to produce the inlet constriction, as this provides a very neat and cheap retriever. In use the lower end of the tube is jabbed on to a ball to provide the force required to open the inlet end. As one ball follows another into the tube, the balls form a column within it.

In a zone where the relatively small diameter tube 23 merges into the relatively larger diameter body part 22, there is a frusto-conical portion 27 which is almost cylindrical so that the tube 23 can be securely fixed within the body 22 by friction welding, that is to say, by spinning one part relative to the other part whilst they are held in contact. The annular space 28 is wide enough to accept a plurality of United States standard golf balls as shown in chain-dotted lines in FIG. 1. A lower end of said body part is radiused as shown in FIG. 1 and merges with the lower end portion of the tube 23 at such an angle that a lowermost layer of balls in the annular space cannot become jammed.

The upper end of the tubular body part is reinforced by being rolled over as shown at 29 and 30 in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, this rolling over varies around the periphery of the end so that the relatively narrow portions 29 alternate with the relatively wide portions 30. Similarly the outer edge of the cover 24 is reinforced by being rolled over at 31 and has three equally spaced local flats 34. The arrangement is such that the cover can be placed upon the upper end of the body part and turned to bring the flats 34 into underlying relation with the portions 30 as shown in FIG. 1. The cover is then securely connected to said body part until being turned relative to said body part to permit its release therefrom. The cover is of generally conical shape so that golf balls emerging from the upper end of the tube 23 can fall into the annular space surrounding said tube despite the fact that the latter extends almost to the same height as the top of the tubular body part. It has a relatively short cylindrical portion 32, having a bore with a smaller diameter than the balls, and the end of the cylindrical portion is rolled over at 33.

In use, when the lower or inlet end of the tube 23 is pressed hard over a ball, the end of the tube is distended and the ball is able to pass into said tube (and it may simultaneously push a column of previously retrieved balls up the tube 23 for a topmost ball to fall into the annular space 28). The deformable end portion of the tube is capable of retaining the balls within that tube, but of course the weight of any balls in the annular space 28 is not imposed upon the constricted lower end of the tube 23.

When it is desired to release a ball or balls from the retriever it is merely necessary to remove the cover 24 for the ball or balls to be rolled out.

What I claim is:

1. A ball retriever comprising a plastics tube and a plastics tubular body part, said body part being of larger diameter than said tube and surrounding an upper part of said tube to define therewith an annular collecting chamber disposed within the body part and extending above the top of said tube, said top of said tube being open to permit balls to escape from said tube and to fall therefrom into said annular collecting chamber, said tube having a lower extremity extending below said body part and being open at its lower end but deformed to present an obstacle to the entry of balls into said tube, said lower extremity being capable of distending within its own elastic limit to permit a ball to pass said obstacle up into said tube when the open end of said tube is forcibly pressed down over a ball, said body part having a cover for closing its upper end, and said body part and cover having interengaging parts whereby said cover can be placed upon the upper end of said body part and turned relative to said body part to secure it thereon.

2. A ball retriever according to claim 1, wherein aid body part has a cover for closing its upper end, said body part and cover having interengaging parts whereby said cover can be placed upon the upper end of said body part and turned relative to said body part to secure it thereon.

-3. A ball retriever according to claim 1, wherein at least said body part is made in a transparent plastics material whereby balls contained therein are visible.

4. A ball retriever according to claim 1, wherein said lower extremity of said tube is deformed to a substantially hollow square cross-section, the perpendicular distance between opposite sides of said hollow square being less than the diameter of said tube.

5. A ball retriever according to claim 1, wherein said body part and tube are integrally united.

6. A ball retriever comprising a plastics tube and a plastics tubular body part, said body part being of larger diameter than said tube and surrounding an upper part of said tube to define therewith an annular collecting chamber disposed within the body part and extending above the top of said tube, said top of said tube being open to permit balls to escape from said tube and to fall therefrom into said annular collecting chamber, said tube having a lower extremity extending below said body part and being open at its lower end but deformed to present an obstacle to the entry of 'balls into said tube, said lower extremity being capable of distending within its own elastic limit to permit a ball to pass said obstacle up into said tube when the open end of said tube is forcibly pressed down over a ball and said body part having a snap-on cover for closing its upper end.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,203,170 6/1940 MacDonald 294--l9(.1)

2,760,807 8/1955 Watson 294-l9(.l)

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,429,211 4/1965 France 294l9(.l)

682,899 11/1952 Great Britain 29419(.1)

EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner D. D. WATTS, Assistant Examiner