AU733274B2 - Golf putting green repairer - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT GOLF PUTTING GREEN REPAIRER The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- The present invention relates to a device for the repair of golf putting greens, and especially to a device for repairing pitch marks, i.e. indentations on the putting green caused by the impact of a golf ball.

When a golf ball pitches onto the putting green, an indentation is formed and the grass in that area may be killed by the impact. A neglected or poorly repaired pitch mark may form a scar on the putting 10 surface for about two weeks, creating an undulation which can affect the ball roll.

Treating pitch marks by lifting the depression simply levels the surface, leaving the dead patch. This dead patch remains a likely spot for weeds, such as wintergrass, and disease to get a foothold.

The present invention provides a device for repairing pitch marks in a putting green or other grassed sports 20 surface, including means for removing a core of material from the green and means for penetrating the green surface at locations radially surrounding the core to be removed and moving radially inwards to draw grass and/or earth into the void formed by removal of the core.

In one preferred form, the core removing means comprises a hollow coring tine actuated.to penetrate the green surface and retract to remove the core, and.

-2the penetrating means comprises a series of blades radially disposed about the coring tine, actuated to penetrate the green surface and move radially inwards.

Further preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic elevation of the device in its resting position; Fig. 2 shows the device of Fig. 1 in a partly actuated position; and Fig. 3 shows the device of Figs. 1 and 2 in its fully actuated position.

The illustrated device is of a size readily transported by a single person, and consists generally 20 of an upright handle 10 with a blade mechanism 12 and a coring mechanism 14 attached to the lower end thereof.

For ease of reference, in Figs. 1 to 3 the blade 25 mechanism is shown in solid lines while the coring mechanism is shown in dashed lines, to better illustrate the function and interaction of the two mechanisms.

30 The handle 10 consists of a vertical tube 16 open at its lower end, with a cross-piece 18.at its top end.

Attached to the bottom of the handle are first and second fixing blocks 20, 22 for attachment respectively of the blade and coring mechanisms.

The blade mechanism is supported by a base 23 including a base ring 24 for engaging the ground surface surrounding the pitch mark, a pair of opposed foot plates 26 to be held under the user's feet during operation, and a series of radially inwards and upwardly extending supports 28 leading to a central support block 30. Directly above the support block is attached a star-shaped pivot block 32 having a series of radial arms each with a horizontal pivot pin 34 for pivoting attachment of a blade actuating lever assembly 36. A number, for example six, of blades 37 and a corresponding number of blade actuating lever assemblies are radially disposed about the centre line of the device. For simplicity, only-two areshown in Figs. 1 to 3.

Each blade actuating lever assembly consists of a triangular lever 38 pivotably attached at its radially innermost apex to the pivot block 32, at its uppermost apex to an elongate lever arm 40 and at its lowermost apex to a ground engaging blade 37. The upper end of the lever arm is pivotably attached to the first fixing block 20, which it will be recalled is fixed to the handle *.Thus, as the base ring is engaged with the ground surface and the handle 10 is depressed by the user (Figs. 1 to 3 in sequence) the vertical distance between the first fixing block 20 and pivot block 32 attached to the base diminishes. The triangular levers rotate about their respective pivot points 34 .ally 30 and force the blades to penetrate and move radially inwards through the green.

A pair of lugs 42a, 42b on each blade act against the triangular lever to limit the angle of the blades to the desired range illustrated in Figs. 1-3.

A central shaft 44 of the blade mechanism is telescopically received inside the handle tube 16 as the handle is depressed. A trip member 46 mounted on this shaft interacts with the coring mechanism, as will be discussed later. A series of guide sleeves 47 on the pivot block 32 slide along rods 50 in the coring mechanism to guide relative axial movement of the two mechanisms, as will also be discussed later.

The coring mechanism, shown in dashed lines in Figs. 1-3, includes a series of angularly displaced two-part collapsible struts 52 pivoted part-way along their length and lightly biased by springs 54 towards their load bearing extended position at which a lug 56 on the upper section 52a of the struts contacts the lower section 52b. Again, for simplicity, only two of these struts are shown. It will also be appreciated that the struts and other moving components of the coring mechanism will be displaced angularly from the levers of the blade mechanisms so that the two mechanisms do not interfere with each other.

Attached to the lower end of the struts is an annular plate 58 which can slide axially along the central shaft 44 of the blade mechanism. A helical 25 compression spring 60 surrounds the shaft 44 and .acts between the annular plate 58 of the coring mechanism and the pivot block 32 of the blade mechanism.

Extending down from and rigidly fixed to the annular 30 plate 58 are a series of angularly spaced rods passing through the tubular guide sleeves 47 on the pivot block 32. These rods support a coring tine support plate 62, in turn supporting a hollow, cylindrical coring tine 64.

The maximum separation of the annular plate 58 and the pivot block 32 is limited by the length of the rods The depth of penetration of the coring tine 64 is determined by the vertical location of the trip member 46. The location of the trip member 46 is adjustable vertically to suit varying types of grass and soil and variations in the moisture content thereof and to ensure that a cohesive plug of grass and soil is removed. In an unillustrated modification, the-coring tine 64 may be removable e.g. by a screw fit and several different coring tines of varying depths and diameters may be provided with the device.

Fig. 1 shows the device at its fully extended resting position, positioned centrally above an indentation (not shown) on the golf putting green 68 caused by pitching of a golf ball onto the green.. The user places his feet on the foot plates 26 on both sides of the device and holds the handle 10 by the cross piece 18. The blades 37 lightly engage the green surface in a radial pattern about the pitch mark. The base ring 24 sits on the green surface, while in this resting position the coring tine 64 is just above ground level. Compression spring 60 is at maximum extension.

The user then presses down on the handle cross-piece 18, causing the handle 10 and both fixing blocks 22 to move down relative to the shaft 44 and base 23.

Shaft 44 telescopes into the handle tube 16. This 30 compression causes pivoting of the blade lever mechanism, causing the blades to start moving radially inwards towards the indentation as discussed above.

At this stage, the collapsible struts 52 are held in their extended, load bearing position and thus transfer the thrust through the annular plate 58 and rods 50 to the coring tine 64, causing the coring tine -6- 64 to enter the putting green surface and the helical compression spring 60 to be compressed.

As the collapsible struts move down with compression of the device, their trip projections 70 approach the trip member 46 on the shaft 44, which remains-at all times in fixed position relative to the putting green surface. Fig. 2 shows the trip projections 70 about to come into contact with the trip member 46.

When the handle is pressed down a little more than. in Fig. 2, the trip projections 70 and trip member 46 come into contact and force the collapsible struts 52 outwards so that they collapse under the compressive force of the compression spring 60 (Fig. The release of this compression spring forces retraction of the coring assembly, withdrawing a plug of damaged grass and earth from the putting green where the indentation was. Continued compression of the device, S"20 which becomes easier because the load on the compression spring has been released, continues the "convergence of the blades 37 towards the void left by the coring tine, to bring soil and viable living material into the void. This action aerates the area and cuts the grass stolons thus creating more growing points.

.o.ooi After withdrawal of the device, the putting green surface may be levelled simply by the user tapping the 30 area with his foot.

While the illustrated device is hand operated, it will be appreciated that the principles of the.present invention may also be embodied using mechanical, electrical or pneumatic devices, within the scope of the invention.

-7- In an unillustrated embodiment, the coring tine arrangement may be adapted to eject the plug of removed material through the rear end of the coring tine, or arranged such that the plug of removed.

material passes up through the handle and subsequently can be tipped out of the device.

While particular embodiments of this invention have been described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments and examples are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all modifications which would be obvious to those skilled in the art are therefore intended to be embraced therein. For example, while predominantly intended for use on golf putting greens, the device also may find application in the repair of 20 other grassed sports surfaces.

e o go' ogo

Claims (14)

1. A pitch mark repairer device for a golf putting green or other grassed sports surface, including means for removing a core of material from said green and means for penetrating a green surface at locations radially surrounding said core to be removed and moving radially inwards to draw grass and/or earth into a void formed by removal of said core.

2. A pitch mark repairer device according to claim 1 wherein said core-removing means includes a hollow coring tine actuated to penetrate said green surface and retract to remove said core.

3. A pitch mark repairer device according to claim 2 wherein said coring tine is biased to a retracted position and supported by one or more collapsible struts, said core-removing means further including i strut collapsing means such that said struts in a load-bearing configuration force said penetration of 20 the coring tine into the green surface and then collapse upon actuation by the collapsing means to i ~allow said retraction of the coring tine.

4. A pitch mark repairer device according to claim 3 wherein said collapsing means includes a trip member and trip formations on said struts, said trip formations contacting the trip member as the coring tine penetrates the green surface by a predetermined amount.

A pitch mark repairer device according to claim 4 wherein said trip member is located on a central shaft of the device, the struts being moved past said trip member until the formations contact the trip member. -9-

6. A pitch mark repairer device according to claim wherein the trip member is movable along the central shaft to adjust said predetermined amount of coring tine penetration.

7. A pitch mark repairer device according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said penetrating means includes a series of blades radially disposed about said core-removing means, actuated to penetrate said green surface and move radially inwards,.'

8. A pitch mark repairer device according to claim 7 wherein the blades are supported by respective pivoting blade actuating levers.

9. A pitch mark repairer device according to claim 8 wherein each said blade actuating lever includes a '0 triangular lever pivotably attached at a radially, innermost apex thereof to a fixed support. o• o:

10. A pitch mark repairer device according to claim 9 wherein each triangular lever is attached at an uppermost apex to an actuating lever and at a io2 lowermost apex to the blade. S11. A pitch mark repairer device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the device is actuated by depression of a handle which moves relative to a i e •fixed central shaft.

S

12. A pitch mark repairer device according to claim 11 wherein the central shaft carries a trip member for retraction of the core-removing means and a support for pivoting attachment of said penetrating means.

13. A pitch mark repairer device according to claim 12 wherein depression of the handle causes axial movement of the core-removing means and pivoting of the penetrating means relative to the central shaft.

14. A pitch mark repairer device according to claim 2 in which said core-removing means is adapted 7o eject said core of removed material through the rear end of said coring tine. A pitch mark repairer device according to claims 1 and 2 in which said core-removing means is arranged such that said core of removed material is passed up through a handle of said device. A picch mark repairer device substantially described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. 20 Dated this 26th day of February 2001. JOHN GANNON CLOUSTON, ROBERT WARWICK ASHES, GEOFFREY FRANCIS EVERETT, WALTER RAYMOND FOWLER AND ROGER CLYDE MORRIS By their Patent Attorneys Halford Co. *o Z