Golf ball teeing apparatus and tee
A golf ball teeing device includes an outer tube having a handle at one end, a spring-loaded inner tube slidably mounted within the outer tube and having a ball-engaging spring biased tip. A movable trigger is coupled to the inner tube for selectively moving the inner tube from a locked extended position to a retracted position. A concave ball-receiving foot is coupled to the outer tube at an end remote from the handle and positioned in spaced relationship with respect to the tip of the inner tube. When the inner tube is extended, the trigger locks the inner tube to compressibly hold a golf ball and tee between the foot and the tip of the inner tube.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) on U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/589,115 entitled GOLF BALL TEEING APPARATUS, filed on Jul. 19, 2004, by Konrad H. Marcus et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to a golf ball teeing device.
Golf has become an increasingly popular activity which individuals can enjoy throughout their life. Many golfers, as they age, incur joint problems which, although still allowing arm movement and body rotation, prevent or make it very painful to bend over. Such motion is required for teeing a golf ball as well as retrieving the ball from the cup once holed.
There have been proposed numerous devices for assisting such golfers in teeing and retrieving their golf balls. Such devices usually take the form of an extension arm which includes a ball and tee holding mechanism at one end and a ball retrieving suction cup at an opposite end. Representative of such golfing aids are those devices shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,609,198; 4,529,432; 4,589,661; 4,951,947; 5,330,177; 5,330,178; 5,439,213; 5,632,696; 5,669,646; and 5,759,117.
Although these patents represent devices which suggest some solutions to the problems encountered by many golfers, they have not met with widespread success due either to their cost, reliability over long-term use, or their difficulty or complexity to use. Thus, there remains a need for a cost effective, reliable, and easy to use golf ball teeing device and ball retriever.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONA golf ball teeing device includes an outer tube having an easily gripped handle at one end, a spring-loaded concentric inner tube slidably mounted within the outer tube and including an end with a ball-engaging spring biased tip. A movable trigger is coupled to the inner tube for moving the inner tube to a retracted position. The teeing device further includes a concave ball-receiving foot coupled to the outer tube at an end remote from the handle and positioned in spaced relationship with respect to the tip end of the inner tube. The foot is configured to hold a tee. When the inner tube is extended for holding a ball between the tee-holding foot and the tip end of the inner tube, a trigger lock holds the inner tube in place, such that the tee can be inserted into the ground. The moveable tip at the end of the inner tube is coupled to a spring for urging the tip into a ball-engaging position to provide a positive locked ball and tee engaging relationship between said foot and tip end of said inner tube. Subsequent to teeing a ball, the trigger is unlocked allowing the inner tube to be retracted to release the teed golf ball. A tee is provided which cooperates with the device and is more easily handled than standard tees.
These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description thereof together with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The golf ball teeing device 10 is shown in
Teeing device 10 further includes a foot assembly 60 mounted to the opposite end of outer tube 20 from handle 30 for selectively holding and releasing a golf ball 70 and tee 75 for the teeing of the ball in the ground, as illustrated in
The end of inner tube 50 remote from bolt 42 includes a tip assembly 54 (
The foot assembly 60 further includes a rectangular slot 66 (
Referring to
The operation of the device in loading the golf ball and tee is now presented in connection with
The user then orients device 10 in a vertical position, as shown in
Once the golfer strikes the ball, the tee can be picked up without bending over by extending the tee retrieval fork 80, as seen in
One form of a tee 75 used with a teeing device having a handle at one end and a ball-receiving foot at an opposite end includes a spike 72 and an integrally formed ball-receiving head 77. The head includes a concave ball-receiving recess 73 and has an outer diameter of about 0.75 inches. The junction of the spike 72 and head 77 is substantially orthogonal with a radius of curvature no greater than about 0.05 inches. The tee 75 is about 0.27 inches in length. This tee is somewhat oversized for ease of handing with teeing device 10 and is integrally molded of a polymeric material, such as Nylon 6/6, polycarbonate or other material, which can withstand the repeated impact forces of a driver.
One embodiment of a preferred tee of the present invention is shown in
A second alternative embodiment of the tee which can be used with the teeing device 10 is shown in
The teeing device of the present invention, which employs polymeric molded foot assembly, a trigger assembly, a handle assembly, and a pair of concentric tubes and compression springs represents a relatively inexpensive but highly reliable construction for a device which is easy to use, intuitive in its operation, and which allows a golfer with limited flexibility to enjoy the game of golf. Both the inner and outer tubes are manufactured of anodized aluminum while the tee-retrieving fork 80 was made of chromium-plated steel for durability. The springs employed are similarly treated to be weather resistant to assure long life of the device.
It will become apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications to the preferred embodiment of the invention as described herein can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. A golf ball teeing device comprising:
- a tube with a movable element for selectively engaging a golf ball; and
- a foot coupled to said tube, said foot having a concave-shaped wall including a tee-receiving slot, said wall having a radius of curvature for nestably receiving a golf ball and a recess in said slot for holding at tee therein to cooperatively hold a tee in a ball-teeing position by said movable element.
2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said foot is integrally molded of a polymeric material.
3. The device as defined in claim 2 wherein said foot includes a barrel which extends over an end of said tube to position said slot of said wall in alignment with said movable element.
4. The device as defined in claim 3 wherein said foot includes a spike-receiving channel extending in parallel relationship to said tube.
5. The device as defined in claim 4 wherein said channel includes an opening at an end of said foot in spaced relationship to said tee-receiving slot.
6. The device as defined in claim 5 and including a fork-shaped spike slidably mounted in said channel between retracted and extended positions, such that it can be employed when extended to hold the device in the ground and pick up a tee.
7. The device as defined in claim 6 wherein said fork includes a locking pin engaging said foot for holding said fork in one of an extended and retracted position.
8. A golf ball teeing device comprising:
- a tube with a movable element having a ball-engaging spring biased tip for selectively engaging a golf ball; and
- a foot coupled to said tube, said foot having a concave-shaped wall having a radius of curvature for nestably receiving a golf ball which is held in a ball-teeing position by said spring-biased tip.
9. The device as defined in claim 8 wherein said device includes an outer tube and said movable element comprises:
- an inner tube slidably mounted within said outer tube and including a tip end with said ball-engaging spring biased tip, a spring coupled to an end of said inner tube opposite said tip end for urging said inner tube into a ball-engaging position; and
- a movable and selectively lockable trigger coupled to said handle and to said inner tube for holding said inner tube in an extended position and allowing said inner tube to move to a retracted position.
10. The device as defined in claim 9 wherein said foot is integrally molded of a polymeric material.
11. The device as defined in claim 10 wherein said foot includes a barrel which extends over an end of said tube to position said slot of said wall in alignment with said movable element.
12. The device as defined in claim 11 wherein said foot includes a spike-receiving channel extending in parallel relationship to said tube.
13. The device as defined in claim 12 wherein said channel includes an opening at an end of said foot in spaced relationship to said tee-receiving slot.
14. The device as defined in claim 13 and including a fork-shaped spike slidably mounted in said channel between retracted and extended positions, such that it can be employed when extended to hold the device in the ground and pick up a tee.
15. The device as defined in claim 14 wherein said fork includes a locking pin engaging said foot for holding said fork in one of an extended and retracted position.
16. A tee for use with a teeing device having a handle at one end and a ball and tee receiving foot at an opposite end, said tee comprising:
- a ball-receiving head and a spike integrally extending from said head, wherein said head includes an upper surface and a plurality of ball supporting tines integrally formed on said head and extending upwardly from an outer periphery of said upper surface for supporting a golf ball on said tines in spaced relationship to said upper surface.
17. The tee as defined in claim 16 wherein said tines have ends remote from said head and wherein said ends are concavely curved to hold a golf ball therein.
18. The tee as defined in claim 17 wherein said ends are concavely curved with a radius of curvature corresponding to the radius of curvature of a golf ball.
19. The tee as defined in claim 18 wherein said tee is integrally molded of a polymeric material.
20. The tee as defined in claim 19 wherein said polymeric material is Nylon 6/6.
21. The tee as defined in claim 20 wherein said tee includes three tines spaced at about 120° intervals on said head.
22. The tee as defined in claim 20 wherein said tee includes four tines spaced at about 90° intervals on said head.
23. The tee as defined in claim 16 wherein said tee has a head with an outer diameter of about 0.75 inches, a length of about 2.7 inches, and wherein the junction of said spike and head has a radius of curvature no greater than about 0.05 inches.
24. The tee as defined in claim 23 wherein said tines have ends remote from said head and wherein said ends are concavely curved to hold a golf ball therein.
25. A golf ball teeing device comprising:
- an outer tube having a handle at one end;
- an inner tube slidably mounted within said outer tube and including a tip end with a ball-engaging spring biased tip;
- a main spring mounted within said outer tube and coupled to said inner tube for urging said inner tube into a ball-engaging position;
- a movable trigger coupled to said handle and to said inner tube for moving said inner tube to a retracted position;
- a foot coupled to said outer tube at an end remote from said handle and positioned in spaced relationship with respect to said tip end of said inner tube such that said inner tube, when extended, compressibly holds a golf ball between said foot and said tip end of said inner tube; and
- a trigger lock coupled to said trigger and said handle to selectively hold said inner tube in fixed relationship to said outer tube to provide a positive locked ball-engaging relationship between said foot and said tip end of said inner tube.
26. The device as defined in claim 25 wherein said inner tube is coupled to said main spring by a sliding bolt.
27. The device as defined in claim 26 wherein said trigger is coupled to said inner tube through said sliding bolt.
28. The device as defined in claim 27 wherein said outer tube includes a slot and a sear extends between said bolt and said trigger through said slot.
29. The device as defined in claim 28 wherein said trigger lock is pivotally coupled to said sear and includes a locking tip which selectively engages a wall in said handle to prevent the sliding motion of said bolt when in a locked position.
30. The device as defined in claim 29 and further including a bias spring extending between said sear and said trigger lock to urge said trigger lock into a locked position.
31. The device as defined in claim 30 wherein said trigger lock and trigger can be compressed by a user's hand to pivot said trigger lock against said bias spring such that said locking tip clear said wall and allows said trigger and inner tube coupled thereto to retract.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 30, 2005
Publication Date: Jan 19, 2006
Inventors: Konrad Marcus (Park Township, MI), Harvey Dumond (Hudsonville, MI), Marc Meeuwsen (Zeeland, MI), Benjamin Kroes (Grand Rapids, MI)
Application Number: 11/170,927
International Classification: A63B 57/00 (20060101); A63B 47/02 (20060101);