Golf ball retriever

Abstract

A golf ball retriever having a plurality of resilient, ball-pinching disks secured to a rotating central axle. The axle is supported at opposite ends by the opposed end portions of a “U”-shaped frame attached to an extendable handle, forming a rake-like device. The disks are octagonal in shape, uniformly sized and aligned so as to provide traction during the retrieving action. The disks are spaced along the axle, forming ball-receiving cavities for gripping golf balls for retrieval from a hazard. The threaded axle holds the adjustably spaced disks by pairs of retaining nuts and washers, the width being adjusted to the size of differing golf balls. In a preferred form, at least four disks are provided, defining three ball-receiving spaces.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/635,442, filed Dec. 14, 2004.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to retrieving devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to hand-held golf ball retrieving devices.

2. Description of the Related Art

Golfers often encounter the misfortune of hitting a golf ball into a water hazard such as a lake, swamp, or stream. In fact, it would appear that the designers of golf courses intentionally place water hazards in locations likely to be visited by a wayward golf shot. In most instances, the golfer is resigned to replace the ball, leaving the lost ball in the water hazard. Those persons privy to the course during off hours or maintenance often find it of pecuniary advantage to retrieve the balls and place them for sale or for driving range use.

Heretofore, rolling disk type retrievers have been useful in a driving range environment pulled or driven by a tractor. Handheld devices are known which employ this technology, however they are not adjustable to retrieve balls of differing size. The difference between an American ball such as that approved by the United States Golfing Association (USGA) and a smaller British ball used in the United Kingdom and other countries is of such magnitude that a disk-type ball retriever useful for one size ball is not useful for retrieving balls of another size.

With this in mind, it would be desirable to provide a hand-held disk-type ball retriever which is adjustable and thus useful for retrieving balls of differing sizes from water, swamps, or streams. The retriever is particularly useful when carrying out a recovery from hazards where the balls are obscured by murky water, the retriever being distinctly effective in covering large underwater areas where a number of golf balls have collected but their individual locations cannot be easily determined.

No known inventions, taken either singly or in combination, are seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a golf ball retriever solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The golf ball retriever of the present invention is hand operated, having an extendable handle for reaching the necessary distance into a water hazard to retrieve abandoned golf balls therefrom while providing collapsible capability for storage. The golf ball retriever of the present invention has a “U”-shaped frame attached to the extendable handle and supporting a rotatable central axle having plurality of spaced resilient, ball-pinching disks mounted to the axle. The disks are uniform polygons having aligned peripheral flats so as to provide traction with the bottom of the water hazard as the disks roll therealong during the retrieving action. The disks are of such a minimum diameter as to easily receive golf balls between the periphery of the disks and the rotating axle. The disks are adjustably mounted along the rotating axle so that the disks are spaced slightly less than the diameter of the golf balls sought, the resilience of the disks providing for ball gripping action as the disks are drawn, rotating along the bottom of the water hazard.

The golf balls generally have a resilient character and are of such weight relative to the gripping power developed between the disks and the balls as to allow them to be retrieved from the water hazard. The golf balls may easily be removed by the user by pulling the trapped balls by hand.

The preferred configuration of the axle and disks includes a threaded axle having disks spaced therealong and held in place by pairs of retaining nuts and washers. The position of each disk may be changed along the threaded axle by loosening, adjusting, and tightening the pairs of retaining nuts. The spacing of the disks may then be easily adjusted to the size of golf ball sought. In a preferred form, at least four disks are provided, defining three ball-receiving spaces.

It is an aspect of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a golf ball retriever according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the invention of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the golf ball retriever of FIG. 1 with golf balls held in retriever.

FIG. 4 is a partially exploded view of the golf ball retriever of FIG. 1.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The golf ball retriever of the present invention is hand held and has a plurality of resilient, ball-pinching disks secured to a rotating central axle. Each of the disks includes a periphery with multiple straight sides, preferably being octagonal in shape, so as to provide traction with the bottom of the water hazard as the disks roll therealong during the retrieving action.

Referring to the Figures, ball retriever system 10 is shown deployed in a water hazard W having golf balls G along the bottom B of the water hazard W. Ball retriever system 10 includes an extendable, nested tubing handle 12 of conventional design attached to the “U”-shaped frame 14 at handle attachment 16 centrally located along the “U”-shaped frame body. A retriever assembly 18 is supported for rotation between the end portions 15 of “U”-shaped frame 14 within bores 17.

Retriever assembly 18 includes a retriever central threaded axle 20 held in axial position by frame attachment nuts 22. Octagonal disks 24 are centrally secured and spaced along threaded axle 20 by adjustment nuts 30 along with flat washers 26 and lock washers 28 such that the peripheral flats 34 of octagonal disks 24 are aligned as shown. Octagonal disks have central mounting bores 25 therethrough and are preferably four in number as shown, although the number of disks may be varied as desired. Octagonal disks 24 as shown in the Figures are spaced and are of sufficient diameter to form three ball-receiving cavities 32, therebetween. The octagonal disks may be of spring steel or resilient plastic or other appropriate material as desired.

In operation, the user drags or pushes the ball retriever 10 along the bottom of the water in a raking motion. The handle 12 may be adjusted in length as desired. To adjust the width of the ball-receiving cavities 32 the adjustment nuts 30 may be loosened, the location of octagonal disks 24 adjusted along the length of threaded axle 20 and adjustment nuts 30 tightened appropriately at the adjusted positions. The width of ball-receiving cavities may also be adjusted to differ along the threaded axle 20 to retrieve different size balls simultaneously, however, it is likely that a similar size ball is used at a particular course.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A golf ball retriever, comprising:

a “U”-shaped frame having opposing end portions and a central handle attachment;

an extendable handle attached to said central handle attachment of said “U”-shaped frame; and

a ball retriever assembly rotatably supported by said “U”-shaped frame and extending between said opposing end portions thereof.

2. The golf ball retriever according to claim 1, wherein said ball retriever assembly comprises a central axle supported for rotation between said end portions of said “U”-shaped frame and a plurality of resilient disks spaced along said central axle, said plurality of resilient disks being of such diameter and so spaced as to form golf ball receiving cavities to receive and retain a plurality of golf balls therein, said resilient disks being adjustably located along said central axis so as to adjust the width of said ball receiving cavities.

3. The golf ball retriever according to claim 2, wherein said disks are octagonal in shape, forming peripheral flats, said disks being so located that their respective peripheral flats are aligned.

4. A golf ball retriever, comprising:

a “U”-shaped frame having opposing end portions and a central handle attachment;

an extendable handle attached to said central handle attachment of said “U”-shaped frame; and

a ball retriever assembly rotatably supported by said “U”-shaped frame and extending between said opposing end portions thereof;

said ball retriever assembly comprising: a central axle supported for rotation between said end portions of said “U”-shaped frame; and a plurality of resilient disks spaced along said central axle; said plurality of resilient disks being of such diameter and so spaced as to form golf ball receiving cavities to receive and retain a plurality of golf balls therein; said resilient disks being adjustably located along said central axis so as to adjust the width of said ball receiving cavities;

whereby, upon movement of said handle forward or reverse relative to the bottom of a water hazard, said ball retriever assembly is rotated therealong, receiving and retaining golf balls within said ball receiving cavities for removal from said water hazard; and

whereby said width of said ball receiving cavities may be adjusted to retain golf balls of differing diameters therein.

5. The golf ball retriever according to claim 4, wherein said disks are octagonal in shape, forming peripheral flats, said disks being so located that their respective peripheral flats are aligned.