US3740784A

US3740784A - Cleaner device for balls

Info

Publication number: US3740784A
Application number: US00192250A
Authority: US
Inventors: W Morrissey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1971-10-26
Filing date: 1971-10-26
Publication date: 1973-06-26
Anticipated expiration: 1990-06-26

Abstract

A mechanical cleaner device for brush-washing of golf balls and the like having a liquid container for receiving a golf ball is provided with rotatable brush means which defines a central ballreceiving area that is opened and closed by swinging one brush with a top container lid or door into and out of a cooperating position with respect to the other brushes. The device is capable of portable utilization and has an adjustable mounting means for positioning it in a vertically aligned relation, even when carried by a golf bag or cart in an inclined relation. A cylinder is rotatably mounted within the container and serves as a mounting and rotation effecting means for horizontally disposed brush means. A ball is cleaned within the container by a balanced type of rotation in which brushes of an opposed pair are rotated in the same direction and a right angular disposed brush or brushes of a second pair are rotated in a reverse direction.

Description

United States Patent [191 Morrissey June 26, 1973 1 CLEANER DEVICE FOR BALLS [76] inventor: William D. Morrissey, 1961 Bower Hill Road, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15243 [22] Filed: Oct. 26, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 192,250

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 870,275, Oct. 30,

1969, abandoned.

[52] U.S. Cl 15/21 A [51] Int. Cl A63b 47/04 [58] Field of Search l5/2l A, 97

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,587,068 6/1926 Dinehart 15/21 A 1,780,850 11/1930 Strong 15/21 A 1,862,437 6/1932 Signorini.... 15/21 A 3,654,655 4/1972 Mitnick 15/21 A FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 11,276 l/19ll Great Britain 15/21 A 381,301 10/1932 Great Britain 15/21 A Primary Examiner-Edward L. Roberts Attorney- Green, Miller et al.

[5 7] ABSTRACT A mechanical cleaner device for brush-washing of golf balls and the like having a liquid container for receiving a golf ball is provided with rotatable brush means which defines a central ball-receiving area that is opened and closed by swinging one brush with a top container lid or door into and out of a cooperating position with respect to the other brushes. The device is capable of portable utilization and has an adjustable mounting means for positioning it in a vertically aligned relation, even when carried by a golf bag or cart in an inclined relation. A cylinder is rotatably mounted within the container and serves as a mounting and rotation effecting means for horizontlly disposed brush means. A ball is cleaned within the container by a balanced type of rotation in which brushes of an opposed pair are rotated in the same direction and a right angular disposed brush or brushes of a second pair are rotated in a reverse direction.

16 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application Ser. No. 870,275 filed Oct. 30, 1969, now abandoned, and entitled Porta Golf Cleaner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to an improved golf ball type of cleaner that is capable of portable movement with the players equipment and that is effective and efficient in its cleaning operation. A phase of the invention deals with a ball cleaner that is adaptable to various carrying means and that has an improved and relatively simple washing-brushing action.

2. Description of the Prior Art At the present time, it is customary to provide golf ball washing units at spaced intervals along a course which are securely attached to a pole, tree or the like. Such a unit has a substantially rectangular, upwardly open, rectangular housing which has a paddlelike plunger that is adapted to carry a ball into the housing and along and between brushes therein. Vertical or up and down movement of the plunger between brushes in the housing is employed to clean a dirty ball. Such a device has a number of disadvantageous features. In the first place, its cleansing or soapy liquid is soon contaminated, it tends to provide only a superficial ball cleaning action, and each member of a golfing foursome has to wait his turn, thus materially delaying the game. In addition, it is not practical to position such aunit at every hole which would be desirable from the players standpoint. Finally, a unit of this type requires a fixed upright type of post or mounting means. It has been determined that due to the rotation of the ball, only a somewhat superficial type of cleansing action is effected, even with a plurality of reciprocating strokes. There have been other somewhat makeshift types of devices, but none have met acceptance and, as a result, the type above mentioned is conventional for golflinks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It has thus been an object of the invention to devise a new approach to the cleaning of balls, such as golf balls, both from the standpoint of improved efficiency and from the standpoint of providing a portable, always available device.

Another object of the invention has been to develop a relatively simple but highly efficient golf ball cleaning device that is particularly adaptable to portable use.

A further object of the invention'has been to provide a ball washing'or cleaning device which utilizes rotating brushes in such a manner as to maintain the ball substantially stationary while fully cleaning it about its outer periphery.

A still further object of the invention has been to develop a ball washing device in which pairs of ballengaging brushes are utilized in opposite rotative directions about the ball.

These and other objects of the invention will appear to those skilled in the art from the illustrated embodiment and the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side view in elevation of a device of the invention shown in a detachably suspended or detachably mounted position on a golf bag.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view on the scale of and of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side view in elevation on the scale of FIGS. 1 and 2, particularly showing how a device of the invention may be adjusted for vertical alignment with respect to a piece of golf equipment such as a bag, and also showing in dot and dash lines how the device may be opened for inserting and removing a golf ball to be cleaned.

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged vertical section in elevation showing details of the construction of the device.

FIG. 5 is a horizontal section on the scale of and taken along the line V-V of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a section on the scale of and corresponding in position to FIG. 5, but illustrating a slightly modified brush arrangement in which a pair of opposed horizontal brushes are employed.

FIG. 7 is a fragmental horizontal view on the scale of FIGS. 4 to 6 showing a figure eight drive connection between stud shafts which enables a reverse movement of vertical with respect to horizontal brushes.

And FIG. 8 is a side view in elevation on the scale of FIG. 1 showing a device of the invention as utilized with a modified form of vertical alignment-adjusting means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference to the drawings, a device A of the invention is shown removably carried on a piece of golf equipment, such as a bag B or a cart, by means of a connecting mount C, see particularly FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive. In FIG. 8, a slightly modified form of connecting mount C is shown. If desired, a towel hanger D and a club scraper E may be secured to project from the unit A.

The connecting mount C of FIGS. 1 to 3, inclusive, is shown as having a part 10 which serves as a front wall thereof and which has a pair of projecting fingers, one 10a of which is adapted to slidably fit over a strap 9 of the bag B, and the other 10b of which is adapted to slide or fit under the strap 9 to securely hold the part 10 in position. The part 10 has an upper horizontal leg portion 11 and a lower horizontal foot portion 12. A hook or spring bracket 13 is shown secured to the upper part 11 to latch-over the mouth or rim portion ofa piece of golf equipment, such as the bag B. The leg portion 11 is swingably secured to a second part 20 by means of a hinge 14.

The second part 20 is' secured on container wall 30 of the unit A. An intermediate leg 15 extends from the part 10 and carries a locking set screw 16. The second part 20 has a horizontal shelf or foot portion 21 that is adapted to slidably fit on the bottom foot 12 of the part 10 and to be slid thereon (see FIG. 3) when, for example, it is desirable to maintain the unit A in a vertical position, where the piece of golf equipment such as the bag B is being carried or positioned at a slightly offvertical position. The set screw 16 is adapted to engage the shelf or foot portion 21 to hold it in any desired adjusted position, such as the extreme position shown in FIG. 3.

In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the mounting connector C has an upper swing latching lug part that is hinged at 250 on the enclosing wall of the cleaning device or unit A. A mounting lug 26 projects from the bottom portion of the container wall and carries a threaded adjustment screw 27 which at its end has a dual-part clip 28 that is rotatably carried thereon. The clip 28 has an outer portion 28a and an inner portion 28b to cooperate with the strap of the bag B in the same manner as the

portions

10a and 10b of the connector C of FIG. 1.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the cleaner unit or device A has an outer enclosing container 30 that is closed-off at its upper end by a swing cover or door 31. One end of the door 31 is swingably hinged at 32 to the container 30 and the other end has a spring clutch 33 that is adapted to latchover a button 34 that projects from an adjacent portion of the container wall 30. For drainage purposes, a drain plug 35 is shown in the bottom wall portion of the container.

A sleevelike open-end or cylinder part is operatively positioned for rotative movement within the container 30. As shown particularly in FIG. 4, one form of mounting the rotating basket or cylinder 40 is to provide the inner side of the container wall 30 with a pair of vertically spaced-apart upper and lower triangularshaped, supporting

rings

36 and 37 upon which similarly shaped

rings

46 and 47 of the cylinder 40 are adapted to rotatably rest. These cooperating upper and

lower ring pairs

36, 46 and 37, 47 serve as bearing supports. The cylinder 40 carries a horizontally projecting and opposed cylindrical brush means 41' (see FIG. 5) or a pair of bristle brushes or the like 41 and 42 (see FIG. 6) that aresecured within inner side walls thereof and have a concave inner shape that corresponds to the curvature of a golf ball G to be cleaned. A second pair of

brushes

43, 44 of the same general construction is positioned to extend vertically and, to with the cylindrical brush 41 or the pair of brushes 41, 42 (see FIG. 6), define a centrally disposed ball-receiving open area within the cylinder 40.

Upper brush 43 is secured to project downwardly from a stud shaft which'is journaled at 51 within the swing door or cover 31 and which has a crank or handle 52 for mechanically operating or rotating it. A pulley 53 is secured on the shaft 50 and is aligned with and cooperates with a similar pulley 54 that is secured centrally on a second upper stud shaft 55. It will be noted that the stud shaft 55 is journaled within the door 56 to project inwardly therefrom and has a pinion 57 at its lower end that meshes with a ring gear 60. The ring gear 60 is secured within the open, upper mouth or end portion of the cylinder 40 for rotating it through the agency of the stud shafts 50 and 55 and a cable, steel wire or belt 58, see particularly FIG. 7. By mounting the belt 58 in a figure eight pattern, a reverse direction of movement may be accomplished between the brush 43 and the cylinder 40.

The lower end of the container 30 carries a second pair of

stud shafts

65, 66 that are respectivelyjournaled by

bearings

67 and 68 within the bottom wall of the container 30 to project upwardly inwardly therefrom. The shaft has a pinion 70 on its innermost end which meshes with a ring gear 61 about the inner wall of the bottom opening or mouth of the cylinder 40. It will thus be apparent that when the pinion 57 actuates the cylinder 40 in one direction, then the cylinder, in turn, actuates the pinion 70 and the shaft 65 as well as a pulley 71 that is carried on the shaft 65. The second lower stud shaft 66, at its innermost end, carries lower brush 44 and actuates it through the agency of a pulley 69. The pulley 69 is actuated by a cable, steel wire or belt 72 which interleaves between the pulley 69 and the actuating pulley 71 in the figure eight pattern shown for the belt 58 in FIG. 7. This causes the shaft 66 to rotate in the same direction as the upper aligned stud shaft 50 to actuate the vertical pairof brushes 43 and 44 in the same direction, such as clockwise, upon a clockwise rotation of the crank 52. At the same time, the belts '58 and 72 cause a reverse or counterclockwise movement or rotation of the cylinder 40 and brush means 41 or 41, 42.

Normally a suitable soap or other cleaning solution is carried within the container 30 and, in this connection, it is preferable to provide the lid 31 with a sealing type of closure (not shown). As shown in FIG. 1, the container wall edges may be joined together by weld metal w. A dirty ball G is introduced into the device A by releasing the catch 33 and swinging the door 31 to the upper dot and dash position of FIG. 3. By reason of the mounting of the upper pair of stud shafts 50 and 55 on the door 31, both of them are swung'to an upper position, thus bringing the upper brush 43 out of its cooperating ball-cleaning position of FIG. 4 to the dot and dash line position of FIG. 3. At this time, a golf ball G can be dropped into position in the cylinder 40 between the

brushes

41 or 41, 42 and 44. At this time, the lid or door 31 may be moved to a closed position and the crank handle 52 rotated to produce counter balancing rotational forces on the golf ball G. Such force results in a retention of the ball G in a stationary position while the vertical and horizontal brushes rotate in different directions thereabout to accomplish a quickly effected and thorough cleaning action thereon.

It will be apparent that any desired direction of rotation of the brushes may be effected by utilizing different operating connections between the cooperating pulley pairs 53, 54 and 69, 71. For example, the belt 58 may have a straight loop connection between the

pulleys

53 and 54 such as to provide the same direction of movement of the brushes 41 (or 41, 42) and 43 and at the same time provide a reverse direction of movement of the brush 44. On the other hand, the belt 72 may be a straight loop so as to produce a similar direction of rotation of the brushes 41 (or 41, 42) and 44. Finally, both the

belts

58 and 72 may be of a straight loop-type of connection between their respective pulleys to produce the same direction of rotation of all the brushes. However, for msot effective cleaning action, the type of rotation which was first described and which involves a reverse rotation of the brush pairs 43 and 44 with respect to the brush means 41 or pairs 41 and 42 has been preferable. The device A of the invention may also be utilized by providing it with a direct, non-adjustable mounting with respect to a golf cart or golf bag, thus eliminating the adjustable type of mounting, such as provided by the units C or C.

The present invention marks a highly important step in golf ball cleaning devices, in that it enables each player to have his own personal device which is available at all times during the game. He does not have to use a dirty ball until he approaches a hole having a cleaning unit and does not have to wait his turn in cleaning the ball.

With reference to FIG. 4, the ring 37 is shown of a concave V-shape to provide a complementary fit with the ring 47 and is removably secured in position within the inside of the outer enclosing container wall by peripherally spaced-apart screws or bolts 38. This assures that the cylinder is retained in an operating position. To facilitate endwise insertion and removal of the clyinder 40, the upper ring 36 may also (as shown) be of the same general construction and removable mounting as the lower ring 37. Although the device A is shown provided with a hand-operated crank 52, it may be operated by any suitable mechanical means, including a small battery energized electric motor operatively connected to one of the

shafts

50, 55, 65 or 66. The

rings

36 and 37 may be of any suitable frictionminimizing, bearing material or metal.

I claim:

1. In a portable type of golf ball cleaner that may be used with a piece of golf equipment in the nature of a bag or a cart, an upright liquid container, means for suspending said container from the piece of golf equipment, a group of rotatable brushes operatively positioned in a cooperating ball receiving and retaining position within said container, means for opening said container to insert and remove a ball from a washing position between said group of brushes, mechanical means operatively connected to said brushes for rotating them about the outer periphery of a ball positioned therewithin, said group of brushes having a first pair and a second pair of opposed brushes, and said mechanical means having operative connections for rotating said first pair of opposed brushes in one direction and for simultaneously rotating said second pair of opposed brushes in an opposite direction.

2. In a cleaner as defined in claim 1, the brushes of said group having concave brushing faces defining a substantially spherical ball carrying area therebetween.

3. In a cleaner as defined in claim 1, said means for opening said container being a door, and one brush of said group being carried on said door for movement into and out of a cooperating ball-receiving position with respect to the other brushes of said group.

4. In a cleaner as defined in claim 1, said suspending means having means for adjusting said container with respect to the piece of golf equipment on which it is suspended to align said container in a substantially fully vertical position.

5. In a cleaner as defined in claim 4, said adjusting means being mounted on a lower end of said container for transverse in and out adjusting movement with respect to the piece of golf equipment from which said container is suspended.

6. In a cleaner as defined in claim 4, said adjusting means having an upper hinge part, having a pair of lower adjustable slide parts, and having a set screw for retaining said adjustable slide parts in a selected position with respect to each other.

7. In a portable type of golf ball cleaner that may be used with a piece of golf equipment in the nature of a bag or a cart, an upright liquid container, means for suspending said container from the piece of golf equipment, a group of rotatable brushes operatively positioned in a cooperating ball receiving and retaining position within said container, means for opening said container to insert and remove a ball from a washing position between said group of brushes, mechanical means operatively connected to said brushes for rotating them about the outer periphery of a ball positioned therewith, said group of brushes having a first opposed brush means and a second opposed brush means, a cylinder mounted for rotation within said container, said second opposed brush means being secured on the inside of said cylinder, said mechanical means comprising a first pair of drive shafts rotatably mounted within said container at opposite ends thereof, a second pair of drive shafts rotatably mounted within said container at opposite ends thereof, said first opposed brush means being carried on said first pair of drive shafts for rotative actuation thereby, one of said first pair of shafts extending outwardly from said container, said mechanical means being connected to actuate said outwardly extending shaft, and means operatively connecting each drive shaft of each said pair with an adjacent drive shaft of the other pair and the drive shafts of said second pair to said cylinder for simultaneously rotating said first and second brush means.

8. In a cleaner as defined in claim 7, said connecting means including means for effecting a reverse rotational movement of said second opposed brush means with respect to said first opposed brush means.

9. In a cleaner as defined in claim 8, the brushes of said first and second means being positioned in a cruciform relationship within said cylinder and having inner concave faces defining a substantially fully enclosing spherical area for receiving a golf ball therein.

10. In a cleaner as defined in claim 8, said mechanical means having a crank.

11. In a cleaner as defined in claim 7, said container having a door that is swingably mounted for opening and closing movement, an upper drive shaft of each of said first and second brush means being operatively carried by said door, an upper brush of said first brush means being swingable with said door, whereby said upper brush may be swung to an outward position for insertion and removal of a golf ball within the container.

12. In a cleaner as defined in claim 7, said cylinder having a pair of annular gear teeth rings thereabout, a gear meshing with each of said rings, each shaft of said second pair of shafts being a stud shaft for carrying each of said gears, and drive means connected between said pair of stud shafts and said first pair of drive shafts for actuating said stud and drive shafts simultaneously in opposite directions.

13. In a golf ball cleaner that may be carried on a piece of golf equipment in the nature of a bag or cart, an upright container for washing liquid, means for suspending said container from the piece of golf equipment, a group of brushes operatively positioned within said container and facing towards each other to define a central ball-receiving area therebetween, an upper door carried by said container and mounting one brush of said group for movement therewith into and out of a cooperating relation with the other brushes for opening and closing-off said central ball-receiving area, mechanical means operatively connected to said group of brushes for rotating them with respect to each other to clean a golf ball positioned within said central area, said mechanical means having a crankshaft operatively mounted on said door to extend outwardly and inwardly therefrom, and said one brush being secured on the inner end of said crankshaft for rotative actuation thereby.

14. in a cleaner as defined in claim 13, said door being swingably mounted on said container for opening and closing movement with respect thereto, said mechanical means comprising an actuating shaft extending through said door and having means on its outer end for rotating it and having one brush secured on an inner end portion thereof for rotation therewith, stud shafts operatively mounted within said container, and means within said container for rotating the other brushes of said group simultaneously with the rotation of said one brush through the agency of said actuating shaft and said stud shafts.

15. In a cleaner as defined in claim 14, a cylinder having open top and bottom ends rotatably positioned within said container in a spaced relation with respect to its inner wall, said group of brushes comprising a vertically opposed pair that include said one brush and a horizontally opposed brush means, said horizontally opposed brush means being secured on and within said cylinder, the lower brush of said vertically opposed pair being secured on a lower one of said stud shafts for rotation therewith, a lower second of said stud shafts being positioned within the bottom end of said container adjacent said one stud shaft and having a lower pinion thereon, said cylinder having a circular gear ring about its lower end in meshing engagement with said lower pinion, drive connecting means between said one and second lower stud shafts for imparting rotation of said cylinder through them to said lower brush of said vertically opposed pair, said actuating shaft being operatively carried by said door and having an inner end constituting an upper third stud shaft, an upper fourth of said stud shafts having an upper pinion mounted thereon, said cylinder having a ring gear about its upper end in meshing engagement with said upper pinion, and driving connections between said upper third and fourth stud shafts for simultaneously rotating said one brush and said cylinder and through said cylinder for simultaneously rotating said horizontally opposed brush means and said lowerbrush of said vertically opposed pair.

16. In a cleaner as defined in claim 15, said driving connections between said stud shafts being a figure eight belt type for rotating said pair of brushes and said brush means in opposite directions.

Claims

10. In a cleaner as defined in claim 8, said mechanical means having a crank.

15. In a cleaner as defined in claim 14, a cylinder having open top and bottom ends rotatably positioned within said container in a spaced relation with respect to its inner wall, said group of brushes comprising a vertically opposed pair that include said one brush and a horizontally opposed brush means, said horizontally opposed brush means being secured on and within said cylinder, the lower brush of said vertically opposed pair being secured on a lower one of said stud shafts for rotation therewith, a lower second of said stud shafts being positioned within the bottom end of said container adjacent said one stud shaft and having a lower pinion thereon, said cylinder having a circular gear ring about its lower end in meshing engagement with said lower pinion, drive connecting means between said one and second lower stud shafts for imparting rotation of said cylinder through them to said lower brush of said vertically opposed pair, said actuating shaft being operatively carried by said door and having an inner end constituting an upper third stud shaft, an upper fourth of said stud shafts having an upper pinion mounted thereon, said cylinder having a ring gear about its upper end in meshing engagement with said upper pinion, and driving connections between said upper third and fourth stud shafts for simultaneously rotating said one brush and said cylinder and through said cylinder for simultaneously rotating said horizontally opposed brush means and said lower brush of said vertically opposed pair.