US683244A - Means for forming tees for golf-balls. - Google Patents

Description

No. 6353244.v Patented sept. 24, |901. w. K. & w. J. BUDA.

MEANS FUR FORMING TEES FOR GULF BALLS. (Appnmion med mr. `11, 1901.)

(No Model.)

supports.

VUNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

WILLIAM K. BODA ANDl 'WILLIAM J'. BODA, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

MEANS FOR FORMING TEES FOR GOLF-BALLS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N o. 683,244, dated September 24, 1901.

i Application filed March 1li, 1901. Serial No. 50,541. (No model.)

erence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention Vcomprises an implement or device for teeing golf balls.

ground for a drive shot. l-Ieretofore :it has been the custom for the players to form with the finge-rs these little elevations of sand called sand tees, upon Which the ball isplaced, also other means yfor elevating and= supporting the ball have been devised in the form of Celluloid, rubber, and paper The former of these-to Wit, the hand-made sand tee-is objectionable, owing to the fact that a perfect tee can rarely be formed by the fingers. They are seldom of the same height and shape and do not always provide a reliable or` steady support for the ball. Again, in forming the sand tee With the fingers more or less moist sand is retained on the fingers,Which soils the hands and clothing of the player, and more or less sand is transferred to the grip of the club. The lastnamed forms of tee-to wit, the celluloid, rubber, and paper supports-are objectionable from the fact that when a good driver is not made or when the ball is struck at a point above the center these forms of tee often act as an impediment to the proper movement of the ball and deilect the ball from its proper course. In the case of the sand tee this lastnamed difficulty is notan objection, owing to the fact that When such an impact is made Those fa- Imiliar with the technical terms of golf understand the word .tee to mean a pot or1 small elevation of sand upon which the ball l is placed in a position to be struck. ground is the space marked out Within the limits of which the ball must be teed. The purpose of teeing a ball is to get it up off the by the ball the sand readily crumbles. The sand tee is therefore the much preferred form of ball-support; but more or less objection is found With the hand-formed sand tee, due principally to the causes heretofore mentioned.

Our invention provides means for automatically forming sand tees and mounting the ball thereon, and principally among the advantages thereof may be mentioned the fact that the hands and clothing of the player cannot be soiled by the use of our means of forming the tees, as no part of the person comes in contact With the sand. The grip of the club I for the same reason is always free from sand.

The tees formed by means of our invention are always uniform in height and width. Therefore the player is enabled to make a true and perfect swing of the club. This point will be readily appreciated When it is borne in mind that in forming sand tees by the lingers the height and shape of the tees are seldom the same. The player is therefore compelled to constantly vary the swing of the club; and, further, it may be stated as another advantage of the present invention that the tees formed thereby oder a reliable and steady support for the ball, there being no danger of the ball rolling off, as is often the case with hand-made tees, when the player is in the act of making a swing.

Preceding a detail description of our invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings, of Which- Figure l is an elevation of our improved implement, showing the same ready to mold asand tee and mount the ball thereon. Fig. 2is a bottom plan view of the implement. Fig. 3 is a view showing the implement ready to be removed from the ball, the sand tee having been molded and the mold-jaws removed from the sides thereof. Fig. et is an elevation of a finished sand teesupporting the ball.

Similar referenceletters indicate corresponding parts.

The sand tee A is molded in a two-part cone-shaped mold B and B', which separate at the vertical center. The part B has two ears or guides b on opposite sides thereof. When the parts of the mold are brought together by the action of the spring C, the part B' is guided into proper position with the part ICO through the hub Gr and has a fixed connec tion with such hub, so that both the legs H and the hub have a fixed connection with said rod. The lower end of the rod I is screwthreaded and receives an adjustable clamp J, which fits against the top of the ball and holds said ball rigidly between it and the upper end of the two-part mold, as shownin Fig. 1. The jaws D and D have slots K and K in their upper straight portions.

L designates a yoke, the ends L of which are slotted to receive the upper ends of the jaws D and D', and passed through said ends and the slots K and K are pins M and M', which form a sliding connection between the jaws D and D and the yoke L. The hub portion L" of the yoke has a xed connection with a tubular rod N, through which the rod I passes. The upper ond of this tubular rod N has a finger-piece N. The rod I projects beyond the upper end of this tube and receives a knob I. Between this knob and the finger-piece N the coil-spring O is placed, the expansion of which normally keeps the yoke L in its lower position. Such position is that wherein the studs or pins M and M are in the lower portion of the slots K and K in the jaws, and said jaws are thus firmly held together. shown in Fig. 1. When it is desired to open the mold-jaws D and D to form the sand tee, as shown in Fig. 3, the thumb is placed upon the knob I and the fingers are placed beneath the finger-piece N. Pressure of the lingers is then exerted upon said knobf I', which draws the tubular rod N upwardly to spread the mold-jaws Dland D'.

The operation of forming a sand tee and i simultaneously mounting the ball thereon is asffollowsz; The golf-ball is placed between the mold and the clamp l. The clamp is adjustable on the rod I to suit the difiierent sizes of balls. The hall being placed in such position, the clamp is then screwed tightly against it,V thereby holding said ball, which becomes part of the mold-that is to say, the ball projecting into the top of the mold causes a c'oncavity to be formed in the top of the'tee, which forms a seat for the ball when the implement is removed. When the ball is thus clamped, the implement maybe handled or operated by catching hold of the knob I. The lower end of the implement or the end containing the mold is pressed into the suitably-moistened sand or earth,care being taken to give thel necessary pressure and to turn the implement two orthree times while the'lend is inserted in the sand, the objectv This normal position of said parts is being to ll the mold with the sand and to sufciently compress the sand therein. This operation of molding the sand tee requires but little effort. The form of the mold being of tapering or conical shape it readily admits of the sand entering said mold, and owing to this form ot' mold a Wider base is given the sand tee. The implement is then taken to the place where it is desired to deposit the tee and pressure is exerted upwardly upon the Iinger-piece N This causes the jaws D and D',with the molds, to separate, as shown in Fig. 8, the molds separating from the sides of the tee. The ball is left in position on the tee and an upward removal of the implement Afrees said ball and leaves it supported on the tee, as shown in Fig. 4:. The legs H project a slight distance below the lower end of the mold in order that the separation of the parts comprising the mold may be effected without said parts coming in contact with the ground. These legs also relieve the ball or" any of the weight of the implement when the mold is removed from the tee. The implement, as shown in the drawings, is full size. The rods I and N, it will be understood, are of sucient length to enable the operator to manipulate the same in a standing position.

While we have minutely described the various mechanical features of our invention,we do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to the precise construction shown and described; but we desire to claim, broadly, mechanical means for automatically forming a sand tee and supporting the ball thereon.

Having described our invention, we claim- 1. The combination with a ball, of a mold adapted to form a support for such ball, meansfor supporting the hall on the mold i whereby said ball isA caused to form an inclosure for the top of the mold during. the l; formation of said support, said support bei ing thereby provided with a concavi'ty in its the removal of the mold.

2.. In a device for th-e purposes-specified?, the combination with a handle, of pivotal 4varms attached the-reto, a two-part mold se-V .'cured to said pivotal arms and adapted to form a sand tee,` the said mold providing a lsupport for a ball during the formation of i the tee, and which ball is supported on said i tee after the removal of the mold.

3. In an implement for the purposes speci- `fied, the combination with a handle, of pivotal arms attached thereto, a two-part mold yconnected to said arms and adapted to form a sand tee,said mold providing a support for the ball during the formation of said tee, and means for holding the ball in such supported position and from which position the said vball is subsequently deposited onsaid tee by the removal of the mold.

4. In an implement for making sand tees, the combination with a handle, jaws manipulated by such handle, the lower end of such f, upper end in which the ball is supported after' IOS) essaie jaws being provided with a mold wherein a sand tee is formed,sueh mold providinga support for a ball during the formation of said tee, and an adjustable clamp adapted to hold the ball between itself and the mold in rigid contact with the mold during such operation of forming the sand tee.

5. In a device for molding sand tees,the combination with a ball, of a handle, jaws connected thereto and manipulated thereby, said jaws having a parting mold at their lower ends which in conjunction with said ball is adapted to form a sand tee, means acting from above for rigidly supporting said ball during the formation of a tee, and in a position to be deposited upon such tee after the removal of the mold, by such removal, the ball being left in a supported position on the tee.

6. In a device for forming sand tees or golfball supports, the combination of a handle or rod, jaws pivoted thereto, such jaws having a mold at their lower ends adapted to forma sand tee, a tubular handle inclosing said rod, a connection between such tubular handle and said jaws by means of which the latter are opened, a clamp secured to such rod and whereby a bali is held in position during the formation of the sand tee and in a position to be subsequently deposited on said sand tee after the latter has been formed, the said ball forming its seat in the tee during the formation of said tee.

7. In a device for forming sand tees or ballsupports, a handle consisting of two independently-movable parts, spreading jaws operated by one of said parts, the lower ends of said jaws being provided with a mold, a connection between the other member of said handle and said jaws whereby such jaws are manipulated, and means for holding a ball `in rigid contact with the mold in a position to coperate with said mold in the formation of a sand tee or ball-support.

8. An implement for forming sand tees and depositing a ball thereon, said implement comprising two spreading members, a tw0- part mold, means for opening and closing said spreading members to form a sand tee and to deliver said sand tee with a ball thereon, and means for holding such ball above the sand tee during the formation of such sand tee.

9. In a device for forming sand tees for golf balls, the combination of acone-shaped mold, a spring-controlled telescopic handle there-` for, the said handle providing means for ma nipulating the mold in forming a sand tee, and for subsequently delivering said sand tee from the mold, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we aiX our signad tures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM K. BODA. WILLIAM J. BODA.

Witnesses:

R. J. MCCARTY, C. M. THEOBALD.

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