US3077626A - Devices for use in cleaning golf balls - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 19, 1963 o. P. MCDONALD THOMSON 3,077,626

DEVICES FOR USE IN CLEANING GOLF BALLS Filed Dec. 2, 1960 Inventor Dav: Cl Pe'fe Mc D07'1a/d7/7Q711Son 7% MM 714% WW Attorney United States Patent 3,077,626 DEVIGES FOR USE IN CLEANING GOLF BALLS David Peter McDonald Thomson, Amulree, Wellesley Road, Methil, Fifeshire, Great Britain Filed Dec. 2, 1960, Ser. No. 73,331 Claims priority, application Great Britain Jan. 26, 1960 1 Claim. (Cl. 15-97) This invention relates to devices for use in cleaning golf balls.

According to the present invention I provide a device for use in cleaning golf balls comprising a casing having an opening through which a golf ball may be inserted, a carrier member within the casing adapted to receive the golf ball, when so inserted, and adapted to be rotated and to entrain the ball within the casing, and friction cleaning means within the casing adapted frictionally to engage the ball and to clean same when the ball is circulated within the casing by rotation of said carrier member.

A device for use in cleaning golf balls according to the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation showing the device with a golf ball inserted and about to be cleaned, and

FIG. 2 is a view showing the interior of the device, the casing of the device being shown in section on the line II-II of FIG. 1, and the carrier member within the casing being shown in plan view.

Refering to the drawing, the golf-ball cleaning device shown comprises a drum-shaped casing provided with a preferably detachable end cover 11 and forming a housing for a manually rotatable golf-ball carrier member in the form of a disc 12 mounted on a spindle 13 journalled in the ends of the casing 10. A crank handle 14 secured on the front end of the spindle 13 is operable to effect rotation of the carrier member 12. As shown in FIG. 2, the carrier member 12 is so mounted within the casing 10 that it is located nearer to the front end cover 11, than to the beak wall, of the casing 10.

The casing 10 is provided with a top U-shaped opening 15 and the member 12 is provided with a U-shaped recess 16 adapted to receive and retain a golf ball 17 introduced through the opening 15 into the recess 16, so that on rotation of the member 12 the golf ball 17 is whirled around orbitally within the casing 10.

The casing is laterally lined with friction material which, in the embodiment shown, is constituted by foamed or sponge plastic material including a front end wall lining 18, a rear end wall lining 19, and a rear end annular peripheral lining 20. The member 12 is so positioned within the casing 10 in relation to the linings 18, 19, 20 that, when a golf ball is whirled around with the member 12, the surface of the ball is frictionally cleansed by its engagement with the linings, the motion of the ball being compounded of its orbital motion and a spinning motion about its own centre, whereby all of the surface of the ball is engaged with the linings. In practice, a limited amount of water and/or detergent is introduced into the casing whereby to maintain the linings 18, 19, 20 in moist condition and so ensure proper cleansing of the ball. The boundary of the U-shaped recess 16 in the member 12 may be angled as shown at 16a in FIG. 2, with respect to the plane of rotation of the member 12, or may be otherwise shaped, in order to promote rotation of the ball about its own centre. As shown in FIG. 2, the plain-dotted circle 17a indicates a ball in position within the recess 16, and the chain-dotted circle 17b indicates the whirling position of the ball in relation to the friction linings 18, 19, 20, it being understood that these linings are interrupted at the casing opening 15.

The device shown is intended to be suspended from a golf-bag by strap means including a collar portion encircling the casing 10, or otherwise.

A cover may be provided for the opening in the casing, and there may be more than one recess provided in the disc so that a plurality of balls may be cleaned at the same time.

The device is preferably made small and portable to be suspended from a golf bag or golf bag carrier by a strap passing around the peripheral wall of the casing and' through eyes thereon, but may be made in larger sizes and be located, for example, on a tee on a golf course.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, alternatively or in addition to bristles or other material, other cleaning material, for example sponge, may be used. Thus, in the direction of rotation of the disc, the cleaning material may be in succession hard bristles, soft bristles, sponge, and a drying pad. The opening for the ball may alternatively be provided in one side of the casing only.

The device is preferably made of plastics but may be made of metal.

I claim:

In a device for use in cleaning golf balls comprising a drum-shaped casing having an opening through which a golf ball may be inserted, a carrier member within the casing having a recess for the golf ball when so inserted, and rotatable for entrainment of the ball within the casing, opposed front and rear walls forming part of said casing, sponge linings fixed to said walls for frictionally engaging the ball and cleaning same when the ball is so entrained; said carrier member being located nearer the lining on one wall than the lining on the other wall, whereby rotation of the ball about its own centre is promoted, the boundary wall of said recess being convergent transversely of the carrier member in a direction towards the lining to which the carrier is nearer, whereby rotation of the ball about its own centre is further promoted, and an annular peripheral portion on the lining further from the carrier stepped nearer the carrier member than the remainder of said lining, whereby rotation of the ball about its own centre is still further promoted.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,747,7M- Mollart Feb. 18, 1930 2,744,274 Procario et al. May 8, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 203,108 Great Britain Sept. 6, 1923

Images