US2510266A - Golf practicing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

June 6, 1950 B. c; TAYLOR GOLF PRACTICING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 1, 1948 W 9 W m m w mm .w- 4

Patented June 6, 1950 UNITED STATES hAT ENT FF ICE GOLF PBAGTICINGABBARA'EUS Basilv C. Taylor; Detroit," Mich.

Application; September 1, 1948-; Serial No; 475209 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a golf practicing apparatusand has for one ofits objects to provide a practical, instructive and interesting device of this character.

Another object of the invention is-toprovide a golf practicing, apparatus, employing a captive ball,,so that the device can be usedindoorsor outdoors.

The foregoing aswell as other objectsandadvantageswill be-ma'de. more apparent as: this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is an enlarged fragmentary. sectional view, with certain other parts being brokenaway, showing a support or mounting for, the captive ball;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational view, with one of the parts in section, showing a modified form of means for rendering the ball captive to its support;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.;

Figure 4 is a, fragmentary sectional view showing another modified meansfor attaching-theball to its support;

Figure 5 is a detailed view of thetee upon which the ball is mounted before being struck.

Referring to the drawings the apparatusconsists of a platform It] which may be formed of any suitable material, as for instance, plywood or the like.

The reference character l3 designates the supportforthe golf ball which support will be more fully described later. The golf ball I A isattached to thesupp'ort. l3 and rendered captive by a link or connector indicated generally by the reference character l5, several forms of which will be described more in detail hereafter.

It will be noted that the support i3 is in the form of a mooring mast. It may be and preferably is formed of a casting having an upright conical-shaped portion 22 terminating at the upper end in a thickened portion 23 and at its lower end in a horizontally disposed annular flange 24. This mooring mast is secured to the platform ID by means of bolts, or the 1ike, 25 extending through the flange 24 and a, mat 26 of soft material, such as rubber of the like, is interposed between the mooring mast and the platform H], to minimize noise when the ball is struck and to provide a limited degree of resilience between the mooring mast l3 and the platform II]. For the purpose of strengthening the structure, webs or 2. ribsll may. be provided at the juncture of the conical wall 22 and the annular flange 2,4.

Apost. 28 is rigidly secured in the thickened portion 23 of the mast and extends upwardly therebeyond. This post may v be prQVided. with. serations 29 to assist in, rigidly securing the post 28. to the mast. Mounted on the projected end of. the post 28 are a pair of bearing members. 30, the inner sleeves 39a, of the bearing .members rigidly fixed to, the. post 2Bv by means. of a cap-nut Slivhich is engaged on. the threaded end of the post 28.. A look washer 3,2 vis interposed between the nut 3! and the upper inner sleeve member 36a of these. bearings, By' removing the nut. 3| the bearing members and the parts supported thereby may be remo.ved, if desired, fOrrepair or replacement.

The, outer sleeve members 3%. of: the bearings are adapted to be engaged by, the end, of .the link or connecttor l5. which in theform of'construction. being described isfor-med of. spring wire. In forming this connection, the end of thewire link or connector I5. islooped twice around the sleeve members 30b. asindicated attii and the free end isthen wound around the main. portion of the link as indicated att. to. insure against disengagement ofthelink when the ball is struck.

At some place in its length, thelink 4-5 is formed into. a tension spring, 35. andthe free end is provided witha hook or other enlargement .36 Which is embedded in. the. ballby. molding the. same therein when the ballisformed. The tension springfifif will provide'a degree of resilience in the connector or link. l5 which takes up the first force of. impactof the. blow on the ball.

It will be obvious-from the description thus far that when the ball is struck, for instance by a right hand golfer, it will swing freely in a clockwise direction around the post 28 of the mooring mast I3, the actuating sleeves 30 h of the bearings moving with the link or connector l5 during the swinging movement.

In Figures 2 and 3 another form of link or connector is illustrated. In this form of construction, the link is formed of two parts, 3! and 38. The part 3'! is provided with loops 33 which extend around the bearing members as described in connection with the form of construction illustrated in Figure 1. The free end of the part 38 is imbedded in the ball 3% as previously described. In this form of construction, the spring portion of the link is a compression spring. In order to accomplish this, the end of the part 31 is formed into a compression spring 31a and the part 38 is formed into a compression spring 38a. The ends of the parts 31 and 38 overlap and their respective spring portions 310, and 38a lie on opposite sides of a washer or abutment 39. This washer or abutment 39 shown in detail in Figure 4 is provided with a centrally arranged elongated slot 40 through which the straight portions of the link parts 31 and 38 extend. When the ball M is struck the tendency of the link member to elongate is resisted by these compression springs as will be obvious.

In Figure 4, another form of link or connector is illustrated. In this form of construction, the link consists of a flexible cord ii impregnated with rubber which fills the interstices of the cord and forms a sleeve or rubber wall 42 on the outside. The end of the flexible sleeve may be enlarged as shown at 43 and imbedded in the ball I4 when the latter is molded or formed. The other end of the link has molded thereto a bearing cap 44 in the form of an annular sleeve which is shown as substantially L-shaped in cross-section. In this form of construction, only a single hearing 45 need be used and the bearing cap 44 is engaged with the outer sleeve 45a of the bearing by a press fit. The cord 4| of the link or connector may be formed of nylon thread, fibre glass or any other suitable, flexible material which will have suflicient strength to resist the force of the blow upon the ball.

In using the device, the ball is placed upon a tee 46 such as illustrated in Figure 5. This tee may be in the form of a sleeve formed of rubber or other suitable flexible material. It is permanently mounted in the platform i 9. One convenient means for mounting the tee in place consists of providing a plug 41 secured within the interior of the sleeve-like member and in cementing the lower end of the tee in an opening 48 formed in the platform I0.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the arrangement, combinations and construction of the various parts of my improved apparatus without departing from the spirit of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims such as may be reasonably included Within the scope thereof.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A golf practicing apparatus comprising a base adapted to be mounted in fixed position, a vertically disposed shaft fixedly mounted in said base, a pair of bearing members mounted on said shaft, means securing said bearing memberls against movement axially of said shaft, said bearing members including portions adapted to rotate relative to said shaft and having spaced axially presenting flanges defining an annular and radially outwardly opening channel, an arm comprising a wire having a plurality of turns at its inner end received in and having a combined axial extent substantially filling said channel between said flanges, and a golf ball secured to the outer end of said arm.

2. A golf practicing apparatus comprising a base adapted to be mounted in fixed position, a vertically disposed shaft fixedly mounted in said base, a pair of bearing members mounted on said shaft, means securing said bearing members against movement axially of said shaft, said bearing members including portions adapted to rotate relative to said shaft and having spaced axially presenting flanges defining an annular and radially outwardly opening channel, an arm comprising a Wire having a plurality of turns at its inner end received in and having a combined axial extent substantially filling said channel between said flanges, the end portion of said wire making a plurality of turns about the main portion of the wire outwardly of said first men tioned turns for securely anchorin said end portion, and a golf ball secured to the outer end of said arm.

3. A golf practicing apparatus comprising a base adapted to be mounted in fixed position, a vertically disposed shaft fixedly mounted in said base, bearing means rotatably supported on said shaft and having spaced axially presenting flanges defining an annular radially outwardly opening channel, an arm comprising a wire having a plurality of turns at its inner end received in and having an axial extent substantially filling said channel between said flanges, and a golf ball secured to the outer end of said arm.

BASIL C. TAYLOR.

REFERENCES CITED fhe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PikTEN'IS Number Name Date 649,190 Zimmerman May 8, 1900 1,211,026 Yeager Jan. 2, 1917 1,419,636 MacDonald June 13, 1922 1,690,158 Currie Nov. 6, 1928 1,975,368 Mikesell Oct. 2, 1934 2,074,146 Hewel Mar. 16, 1937 2,283,277 Modine May 19, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 10,349 Great Britain A. D. 1906 447,316 Great Britain May 5, 1936

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