US3756644A - Drag scoop and line for retrieval of golf balls from water hazards - Google Patents

Abstract

Golf balls, previously considered to be lost, when falling too far from the shore of a golf course water hazard, unless the golfer wades in for it, may now be retrieved by the use of a drag scoop and line.

Description

United States Patent 19 (11] 3,756,644 Rydberg 4 1 Sept. 4, 1973 [54] 3223 513: SSE ES Jf ES%T EXQ FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 453,624 6/1968 Switzerland 294/68 [76] Inventor: Rudolph C. Rydberg, 1279 Lewis St., Chehalis, Wash. 98532 Primary EXtlMlller-RlCll3fd E. Aegerter [22] Fil d: Aug- 5, 9 Assistant Examiner-Johnny D. Cherry [21] APPL No; 169,212 Attorney-Roy E. Mattem, Jr.

[52] U.S. Cl. 294/66 R, 294/19 A 57 ABSTRACT [51] int. Cl. B66c 3/06 [58] Field ol Search 294/66 R, 19 A, 68, Golf balls, previously considered to be lost, when fall- 294/69, 73 ing too far from the shore of a golf course water hazard, unless the golfer wades in for it, may now be retrieved [56] References Cited by the use of a drag scoop and line.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,276,807 10/1966 Ward 294/66 3 Chums 9 Drawmg F'gures PATENIEDSEP 4 I973 INVENTOR. kuaomu (I Prose/as ATTORNEY PATENTEDSEP 4 I975 SHEET 2 BF 2 R. mm NB Wm m? C vm 0 mV D A TTOPNEY DRAG SCOOP AND LINE FOR RETRIEVAL O GOLF BALLS FROM WATER HAZARDS The lightweight drag scoop and line, conveniently carried in the side pocket of a golfers bag, in a knockdown, collapsed or partially disassembled form, may be quickly reassembled by positioning the U-shaped brackets at right angles to each other, locking with the thumb screw fastener and wing nut, fixing the top and bottom plates in position and attaching the line to the pivotal wire.

Retrieval of the golf ball is simply a matter of casting the drag scoop out over the water to land just beyond the whereabouts of the golf ball, then moving along the bank to line up the colored retrieving line directly over the ball and then dragging the drag scoop across the bottom of the water hazard. This dragging action will scoop up the ball, prevented from falling out the back of the drag scoop by the cross members formed by the bracket, but other debris retrieved, if it is small in size, will pass through the back of the drag scoop.

The pivotal wire, attached by its ends to the legs of the larger of the two U-shaped brackets, moves up against the uppermost plate when the drag scoop is being retrieved tending to keep the open side, adjacent to the retrieval wire, facing slightly downward thereby preventing the drag scoop from tipping over and spilling the contents.

Although this drag scoop and line has been devised primarily for retrieval of golf balls from water hazards, its use for retrieval of other objects is only limited by its 7 inch by two and one-half inch rectangular opening.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Other devices for retrieval of golf balls that have fallen into water hazards have and are still being used; however, all are affixed to rods, some of which are telescoping, which by necessity of limitations on length can only reach minimal distances from a bank.

Golf balls landing in water hazards beyond the reach of the cups, nets and finger type pick up devices affixed to the ends of rods are either given up to the watery grave or the golfer, after removing his shoes and socks, wades in for it. This latter method can be hazardous to the bare feet, and in winter, extremely cold.

The drag scoop and line device described herein is only limited, in retrieving a ball, by the length of line used, the distance .it can be cast and the operator using care in lining up the colored retrieval line, over the ball prior to pulling the drag scoop toward the bank.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Many a golf ball has been given up as lost, after falling into a water hazard at a point beyond the reach of the current retrieval devices being utilized. The drag scoop and line described herein is designed to overcome that one problem. Using two U-shaped brackets and generally only two flat plates, all held in place indirectly by the use of one thumb screw fastener and wing nut, and other tapered frictional interfittings of parts, the drag scoop isdesigned for ready assembly or disassembly and to be carried in the pocket of a golfers bag along with the line.

Upon loss of a golf ball in a water hazard, the golfer removes the partially disassembled or knockdown drag scoop from the golf bag, rotates the two U-shaped brackets until they are at right angles to each other and locks them in that position with the thumb screw fastener and wing nut. The top and bottom plates are then slipped onto the tapered legs of the smaller U-shaped bracket.

Sufficient line is uncoiled, onto the ground, to reach beyond the lost ball in the water hazard. With the line held in one hand, the drag scoop is cast out over the water to land just beyond where the ball lies submerged. Then moving along the bank, if necessary, lines the colored retrieval line directly over the lost ball. Thereafter reeling the line in scoops up the golf ball and other debris; however, the pivotal wire, attached by its ends to the legs of the larger of the two U-shaped brackets, moves up against the uppermost plate and when the drag scoop is being retrieved tends to tilt the opening down thereby preventing the drag scoop from tipping over and spilling the contents. Collectable small debris tends to fall through the open frame work of the drag scoop while the golf ball and any debris of like size is retained by the cross members formed by the bracketry.

DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1, shows in perspective, the preferred embodiment being used to retrieve a golf ball from a water hazard;

FIG. 2, shows in perspective, the assembled scoop ready for use;

FIG. 3, shows in detail, the larger of the two U- shaped brackets which receive the pivotal wire to which the drag line is secured;

FIG. 4, shows in detail, the smaller of the two U- shaped brackets which support the top and bottom plates;

FIG. 5, shows in detail, the large plate, with punched out clip, used for the top and bottom of the drag scoop;

FIG. 6, shows in perspective, the two U-shaped brackets affixed together by one thumb screw fastener and wing nut;

FIG. 7, shows a plan view of the pivotal wire with wire bent at its center to form a U-shape;

FIG. 8, shows in side view how the pivotal wire raises up to bear against the top plate during the dragging operation; thereby tending to tilt the open face downward;

FIG. 9, shows in perspective, the drag scoop and line in a knockdown or disassembled state ready for packaging in a plastic pouch.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The preferred embodiment 20 is particularly suited to carrying, in a knockdown or partially disassembled state, in the side pocket of a golf bag, and quickly assembled for use in retrieving golf balls 21 from water hazards.

The drag scoop and line assembly 20 has as its principal members a large U-shaped bracket 22, positioned horizontally a small U-shaped bracket 24, positioned vertically and a pivotal wire 26, adjoining the legs 28 of the large U-shaped bracket 22 which when fixed together, as shown in FIG. 8, support all other detail parts.

The larger of the U-shaped brackets 22 has a hole 30 drilled at the mid point of the base and holes 32 drilled part way along each leg 28. The inner surface of U- shaped bracket 22 is recessed 34 by milling to receive the smaller U-shaped bracket 24 when assembled at right angles to each other. The smaller U-shaped bracket 24 has a hole 36 drilled at the mid point of the base, to match the hole 30 drilled in the larger U- shaped bracket 22, and each leg 38 tapered with its narrowest point at the free end.

Plate 40 used for both the bottom and the top of the drag scoop and line assembly has at its center point a clip 42 formed by punching an indentation in the surface of the plate 40 and shearing the two parallel sides 46. The other two sides 48 are tapered to fit tapered leg 38 of the small U-shaped bracket 24. A pivotal wire 26 bent at the center to form a U-shape 52 is bent outwardly at its free ends 53 to fix into holes 32 drilled in legs 28 of large U-shaped brackets 22.

The colored retrieval line 56, is attached by one end to a swivel joint 58 which in turn is fitted to the U-shape 52 in the center of pivotal wire 26. The colored retrieval line 56 is preferably wound on a spool 66 and held thereon by a plastic or equivalent retainer 68.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY To assemble, the two U-shaped brackets 22 and 24 respectively are held together and at right angles to each other by a screw fastener 60 passed through aligned holes and 36 and held in place by wing nut 62. The top and bottom plates are then pushed onto the tapered legs 38 of the small U-shaped bracket 24. Pivotal wire 26, with colored retrieval line 56 attached via the swivel 58 to the U-shape 52 of the pivotal wire 26 is retained in place in holes 32 in legs 28 of large U- shaped brackets 22 by pal nuts 54 pressed on to the bare ends 53, of the pivotal wire 26.

To pack the drag scoop and line after use into a knockdown or partially disassembled configuration, the thumb screw fastener 60 is loosened by rotation of wing nut 62 and bracket 24 is rotated through ninety degrees to be in the same plane as bracket 22. Pivotal wire 26, with colored retrieval line 56 wound on spool 66 and retained thereon by retainer 68, is rotated inwardly to be within the confines of the large U-shaped 4 bracket 22. The top and bottom plates 40 are placed on either side or both on one side of the packed brackets and the whole assembly 20, when in its knockdown configuration, is placed in its plastic pouch and stowed in the golf bag or other area.

I claim:

1. A drag scoop and line carryable, when in a knockdown configuration, in the (side) pocket of a golf bag, and usable for retrieving golf balls from water hazards, comprising a. two U-shaped brackets, one bracket being longer than the other bracket, held together by a fastener combination such as a bolt and wing nut and rotatable with respect to each other to either lie in the same plane or to be at ninety degrees to each other; b. top and bottom plates with clips formed in their base metal to fit over the legs of the U-shaped bracket, which is longer than the other bracket;

0. a pivotal wire attached to the legs of the longer of the two U-shaped brackets and retained in position as the respective wire ends are passed through holes in this U-shaped bracket and thereafter held in place by pal nuts pressed onto each bare end of the wire and having its mid wire length portion formed in a small U-shape; and

d. a retrieval line, approximately fifty feet long, at-

tachable to the midpoint small U-shape on the pivotal wire via a swivel and wound on a spool and retained thereon by a retained thereon by a retained clip.

2. A drag scoop and line, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the legs of the shorter U-shaped bracket and the clips in the top and bottom plates are tapered to facilitate their fitting and retention.

3. A drag scoop and line, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retrieval line is colored to contrast vividly with the water and be seen when submerged in order to facilitate lining up of the retrieval line with the lost ball.

Claims (3)

1. A drag scoop and line carryable, when in a knockdown configuration, in the (side) pocket of a golf bag, and usable for retrieving golf balls from water hazards, comprising a. two U-shaped brackets, one bracket being longer than the other bracket, held together by a fastener combination such as a bolt and wing nut and rotatable with respect to each other to either lie in the same plane or to be at ninety degrees to each other; b. top and bottom plates with clips formed in their base metal to fit over the legs of the U-shaped bracket, which is longer than the other bracket; c. a pivotal wire attached to the legs of the longer of the two U-shaped brackets and retained in position as the respective wire ends are passed through holes in this U-shaped bracket and thereafter held in place by pal nuts pressed onto each bare end of the wire and having its mid wire length portion formed in a small U-shape; and d. a retrieval line, approximately fifty feet long, attachable to the midpoint small U-shape on the pivotal wire via a swivel and wound on a spool and retained thereon by a retained thereon by a retained clip.

2. A drag scoop and line, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the legs of the shorter U-shaped bracket and the clips in the top and bottom plates are tapered to facilitate their fitting and retention.

3. A drag scoop and line, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retrieval line is colored to contrast vividly with the water and be seen when submerged in order to facilitate lining up of the retrieval line with the lost ball.

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