Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B47/00—Devices for handling or treating balls, e.g. for holding or carrying balls
  • A63B47/002—Devices for dispensing balls, e.g. from a reservoir
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • A63B47/00—Devices for handling or treating balls, e.g. for holding or carrying balls
  • A63B47/002—Devices for dispensing balls, e.g. from a reservoir
  • A63B2047/004—Devices for dispensing balls, e.g. from a reservoir having means preventing bridge formation during dispensing

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a device according to the preamble to appended Claim 1.
• Devices or automatic machines for storing golf balls and dispensing a number of golf balls as needed occur to an increasing degree in the art, in particular at practice facilities (driving ranges), both outdoors and indoors.
• the frequency of use of both indoor and outdoor facilities is high.
• Automatic golf ball dispensers positioned outdoors are particularly exposed to the most varying weather conditions and, as a result, may be subject to weather-dependent operational disruptions in addition to other running problems that occur. Golfers and owners of practice facilities place extremely stringent demands on operational reliability and the rapid dispensing of a selected, desired number of golf balls.
• the task forming the basis of the present invention is to realise improvements to prior art apparatuses and automatic discharge devices.
• the present invention greatly improves operational reliability in automatic golf ball dispensers for the discharge or dispensing of a desired number of golf balls.
• the risk of damage to golf balls and parts of the machine caused by jamming of golf balls between different components in a mechanism is reduced to a minimum.
• the golf balls that are to be discharged are pivoted away at a very early stage from fixed components in the mechanism while the remaining golf balls are displaced away from the cradle with the golf balls that are to be discharged to a golfer via the discharge chute, the risk is greatly reduced of jamming of golf balls, and resultant damage to parts of the mechanism.
• Fig. 1 is a three-dimensional view of a device according to the present invention.
• Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the ⁇ evice accor ⁇ mg io me present invention illustrated in Fig. 1.
• Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the parts of the device according to the present invention encircled in the circle B in Fig. 2.
• Fig. 1 of a device according to the present invention are removable from or mountable in a suitable casing which may in principle assume any configuration whatever and have any outer appearance whatever, and which may simply be a box of aluminium sheet or the like with suitable hatches and openings for the loading of golf balls and receiving of golf balls released down into a discharge chute.
• the discharge chute as a rule leads to a discharge opening at which a container for receiving the golf balls is placed and by means of which the golf balls may be moved to a driving bay or tee.
• the parts of a device according to the present invention as shown on the Drawings are mounted on a frame 1 which comprises a number of square tubes which may be anchored in the casing of the automatic dispenser.
• the frame 1 includes an upper square tube 2 and a lower square tube 3. Between these tubes 2 and 3, there extend a left-hand end wall 4 and a right-hand end wall 5. Between the end walls 4 and 5, there further extends a watering pipe 6 whose one end is provided with a hose connection 7 or the like for connection to a suitable water source.
• the part of the pipe which extends between the end walls 4 and 5 is provided with a number of downwardly directed holes for spraying golf balls G located between the end walls 4 and 5.
• the golf balls G rest on a number of golf ball paths which are formed by a number of square tubes 8 extending between the tubes 2 and 3. That part or end portion of the square tube 8 which extends past the square tube 3 is slightly buckled or bent downwards in the discharge direction.
• the square tubes 8 are placed a suitable distance from one another so that the golf balls G do not fall down between them.
• the square tubes 8 are advantageously secured to the square tubes 2 and 3 by means of one substantially vertical diagonal and one substantially horizontal diagonal.
• the square tubes 8 are advantageously of square cross section and form a magazine floor which slopes from the square tube 2 towards the square tube 3.
• a brush roller 9 which, as is most clearly apparent in Fig. 2, has an irregular or asymmetric cross section which, in the position illustrated in Fig. 2, leaves the golf balls G free and, on clockwise rotation according to Fig. 2, will make contact with the golf balls G and move them upwards towards the square tube 2.
• a doctor or scraper blade 10 which extends between the end walls 4 and 5 and against which the outer ends of the brush roller 9 are urged during passage of the doctor blade 10 so that dirt which may possibly be located on the ends ot the brush roller is removed.
• the irregular cross section of the brush roller 9 is realised by imparting different lengths to the brush bristles so that the bristles on that side illustrated in Fig. 2 most proximal the golf balls G are not in contact with them, but only the part illustrated in the upper side of Fig. 1 when this part has been rotated to a lower position.
• a golf ball cradle 11 which has stub shafts 12 and 13 which are each journalled in a bearing 14 and 15.
• the bearings 14 and 15 are secured on the end walls 4 and 5, respectively, or some other part of the frame.
• the cradle 11 includes a rail 16 which extends between the stub shafts 12 and 13 and is secured thereon.
• the rail 16 has an edge shank 17 and an edge shank 18 and a web shank 19 interjacent and interconnecting the edge shanks 17 and 18.
• the shanks 17 and 19 form floors in the cradle 11.
• the rail 16 is secured on the stub shafts 12and 13 with the shanks 18, 19 abutting against them so that the shanks 18 and 19 extend tangentially in relation to the stub shafts 12, 13 and substantially make an acute angle between them, while the shank 17 extends substantially parallel with the downwardly bent end portion of the square tube 8 so far beneath it that the centre of a golf ball G resting on the shank 17 is located beneath the centre of golf balls G resting on the square tube 8 and the golf ball(s) G resting on the tube ends.
• the rail 21 is bent at the edges.
• the edge of the rail 21 extends past the golf ball holder 20 and the edge of the shank 18.
• the rail 21 and the golf ball holder 20 are secured on the shank 18 by means of pins or shafts 22.
• the golf ball holder 20 consists of a resiliently yieldable material and is divided into a number of fingers.
• the number of fingers corresponds to the number of golf ball paths.
• An edge tube 23 extends in between the end walls 4 and 5 at such a level above the golf ball paths that golf balls G can pass beneath.
• obstacles 24 and 25 are placed in the golf ball paths that are located most proximal the golf ball paths that are to contain golf balls G.
• the obstacles 24 and 25 may be in the form of plastic tubes of a suitable diameter, e.g. slightly less than the diameter of a golf ball G.
• the golf balls locatcu ⁇ ciwccn me ⁇ ai ⁇ cica ⁇ t and the end wall plate 4, as well as the obstacle 25 and the end wall plate 5 display end stops or blocking pins 26 and 27 which extend through the tube 26 down into the golf ball paths that are not to be used and are empty, and apart from that golf ball path in which an obstacle 24 or 25 is placed.
• the blocking pins 26 and 27 are suitably in the form of cotter pins extending down into each respective golf ball path.
• the stub shaft 13 of the cradle 11 supports an arm 28 which, via a gas spring 29, is connected to an arm 30 on a take off shaft from a motor-driven gear 31.
• the shaft 31 is coupled to a suitable electric motor 32 via a gear box 33.
• the arm 28 On rotation of the shaft 31 with the arm 30 through one revolution, the arm 28 will be pivoted counterclockwise by means of the gas spring 29 from the position illustrated in the Drawing figures through approx. 60° and preferably 35-45° for switching the cradle 11 from the reception position to the delivery position and for emptying of the golf balls down into a discharge chute (not shown) which, as a rule, is located beneath the rails 16 and leads to a collection basket or bucket via a discharge point.
• the brush roller 9 is also connected to the gear box 33 for rotation through at least one revolution, each time the cradle 11 is pivoted from the reception position illustrated on the Drawings to a downwardly directed delivery position, in which the golf balls G in the cradle are released down to a discharge chute (not shown).
• the golf ball holder 20 On switching of the cradle 11 from the position illustrated on the Drawings, the golf ball holder 20 will be urged against the golf ball G following the most proximal golf ball G in the cradle and thereby be opened so that the golf balls G in the cradle fall down into the discharge chute.
• the golf ball holder 20 will be urged against the following golf ball and possibly press the following golf ball, and possibly also the golf balls located above it, slightly further backwards up the golf ball paths and thereby release or disengage them from the golf ball paths formed by the square tubes 8. This implies that the golf balls G move more easily down to the rail 16. However, it is of major importance that it is the next golf ball following in sequence which is held in position in that the golf ball holder 20 is urged against it.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
• Coating Apparatus (AREA)
• Branching, Merging, And Special Transfer Between Conveyors (AREA)
• Discharge Of Articles From Conveyors (AREA)
• Cleaning In General (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=38997432

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Citations (4)

Family Cites Families (6)

• 2006
  • 2006-08-03 SE SE0601638A patent/SE531114C2/sv unknown
• 2007
  • 2007-07-25 US US12/309,869 patent/US20090206103A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2007-07-25 EP EP07769006A patent/EP2049208A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2007-07-25 WO PCT/SE2007/000698 patent/WO2008016322A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (4)

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