US3401970A - Golf ball pickup device - Google Patents

Description

P 1968 T. B. RUSSELL GOLF BALL PICKUP DEVICE Filed Aug. 22, 1966 IN VENTOR. THEODORE B. RUSSELL AnwAE United States Patent F 3,401,970 GOLF BALL PICKUP DEVICE Theodore B. Russell, 2190 NE. 124th St., North Miami, Fla. 33161 Filed Aug. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 574,061 3 Claims. (Cl. 294-19) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A golf ball pickup device for mounting directly on the handle of a golf club such as a putter and including two generally U-shaped loops of resilient wire each having two eyes at the base thereof. Two of the eyes are connected together by a first holder and the other two eyes are connected together by a second holder, the holders being wire integral with the eyes in a preferred embodiment. Bolts fasten the holders and loops to the handle with each bolt extending through two of the eyes, and nuts fasten the bolts to the eyes. In another embodiment, two loops of wire are supported by a cup-shaped member which fits on the end of the club handle.

This invention relates to a novel pickup device for golf balls and may be attached to the handle end of a golf club or may be attached to any form of rod that would normally be carried within the golf bag.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device will be more clearly apparent during the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein has been illustrated a preferred form of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a golf club having the invention applied thereto,

FIGURE 2 is a transverse section taken substantially on line 22 of FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows,

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the device,

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the device from one side,

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view from the opposite side, and

FIGURE 6 is a modified form of the device.

Referring specifically to the drawings, there has been illustrated a golf club or the like having a shaft 5 and the usual head 6. The shaft '5 carries the usual covered handle 7.

Clampingly fixed adjacent the upper end of the handle 7, is a yieldable gripping device having loops 8 and 9 that are arcuate and adapted to clamp upon the opposite sides of a golf ball 10. The loops 8 and 9 are formed of a single section of yieldable wire, having legs 11, that are wrapped around clamping bolts 12 and extend around the handle 7 from one side to the other and with the terminal ends of the wire being laced into adjacent loops as they extend around the bolts 12. The intermediate portions of the wire, indicated at 13 extend around the curvature of the handle 7 and are clamped by the bolts 12, securely holding the device to the handle of the golf club and permitting the device to be forced downwardly over the golf ball 10, either upon the ground or to retrieve the ball from the cup 14 and usually, the pickup device is mounted upon the handle of the golf club known as the putter and avoids the usual stooping and bending over of the player in order to retrieve the ball. The device offer no interference with the normal operation of the club and merely requires that the user invert the club and force the jaws or loops 8 and 9 downwardly over the ball.

3,401,970 Patented Sept. 17, 1968 Referring now to FIGURE 6, there has been illustrated a slightly modified form of the invention that comprises a molded rubber cup 17 into which has been molded or otherwise inserted clamping loops 15 and 16. The loops 15 and 16, correspond to the loops 8 and 9 and are flexible to the extent that a cup 17, fixed upon the shaft 7 may be forced downwardly over the golf ball in order to pick the ball up and the wires comprising the loops 15 and 16 may either be shoved through holes formed in the cup 17 or they may be molded in the ends 7 of the cup as found desirable.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fall within the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A golf ball pickup device for attachment directly to the handle end of a golf club comp-rising a pair of generally U-shaped loops of resilient wire that are arcuate and adapted to clamp on opposite sides of a golf ball, said loops each including curved leg portions conforming to the shape of a golf ball and also including a curved crossing portion interconnecting said leg portions and conforming to the curvature of a golf ball, said leg portions each being bent at the base thereof to form an eye for receiving a bolt such that each of said loops include two eyes, a first semicircular holder for connecting two of said eyes together and a second semicircular holder for connecting the other two of said eyes together, said holders being adapted to fit partially around the handle of a golf club in opposed relation to each other on opposite sides of the handle, first and second bolts for fastening said loops and holders to said handle with each of said bolts extending through two of said eyes, and nuts for fastening said bolts respectively to said eyes and said holders and loops to said handle.

2. A golf ball pickup device as claimed in claim 1 in which said holders comprise resilient wire integral with the respective eyes of said loops interconnected thereby.

3. A golf ball pickup device for attachment directly to the handle end of a golf club comprising a pair of generally U-shaped loops of spring wire that are arcuate and adapted to clamp on opposite sides of a golf ball, said loops each including curved leg portions conforming to the shape of a golf ball and also including a curved crossing portion interconnecting said leg portions and conforming to the curvature of a golf ball, said leg portions each being bent at the base thereof to form an eye for receiving a bolt such that each of said loops include first and second eyes, a first semicircularly curved holder for connecting a first eye of one loop with a first eye of the other loop, a second semicircular holder for connecting a second eye of said one loop with a second eye of said other loop, said holders being adapted to fit partially around the handle of a golfclub in op osed relation to each other on opposite sides of the handle, first and second bolts for fastening said loops and holders to said handle with said first bolt extending through said first and second eyes of said one loop and said second bolt extending through said first and second eyes' of said other loop, and nuts for fastening said bolts respectively to said eyes and said holders and loops to said handle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,302,860 5/1919 Sargent 273-194 2,204,482 6/ 1940 Filipiak 29419 2,681,822 6/1954 Daniels 29499 EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner. R. D. GUIOD, Assistant Examiner.

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