TEE INSERTER
A tee inserter includes a housing and an adjusting body, which is movable in the housing. The lower side of the housing has a surface against which the tee head is applied and the lower side of the adjusting body has a surface for placement on the ground or, in the alternative, the lower side of the adjusting body has the surface against which the tee head is applied and the lower side of the housing has the surface for placement on the ground. With the aid of this inserter, a golfer can readily push a tee into the ground to the same depth in accordance with a setting for the inserter. The upper side of the tee head, for supporting the ball, is always at the same optimum height above the ground, so that the player can tee the ball off from the best position for the player.
The invention relates to a tee inserter.
In the sport of golfing, a tee is understood as a T-shaped pin having a flat head with a concave top on which the ball is placed to be teed off at the beginning of the game. Up to now, the tee has been inserted into the ground by hand, which naturally means that it is inserted to varying depths with the consequence that the ball when placed on the tee can have a differing distance from the ground surface. Experience has shown, however, that the length and precision of the ball's tee-off is enhanced if the ball is teed off at the same height from the ground surface every time. Due to the various factors which have to be taken into consideration with each tee-off anyway, it would be advantageous if the golfer could always tee off the ball from a height above the ground surface that is optimal for him.
The invention relates to the object of creating a device making it possible for the golfer to tee off the ball always from the same height above the ground. In particular, the object is a device permitting to always insert the tee sufficiently deeply into the ground that the upper side thereof against which the ball is applied is always at the same height above the ground so that the ball can always be teed off from the height that is best for the golfer.
This object is achieved by a tee inserter characterized by a housing and an adjusting body which is movable in the housing, the lower side of the housing being arranged as the surface against which the tee head is applied and the lower side of the adjusting body being arranged as the surface to be placed on the ground, or the lower side of the adjusting body being arranged as the surface against which the tee head is applied and the lower side of the housing being arranged as the surface to be placed on the ground. Thus the tee inserter according to the invention comprises two embodiments wherein the functions of housing and adjusting body are reversed.
According to the first-mentioned embodiment of the tee inserter, the lower side of the housing is the surface against which the tee head is applied, the adjusting body being a shaft extendable from the housing at different lengths adjacent to the said surface against which the tee head is applied. In order to use the inserter, the shaft is extended out of the housing as far as the tee is supposed to protrude from the ground before the ball is placed on the tee for tee-off. Subsequently, the upper side of the tee head is applied against the thrust face of the housing and then pressed into the ground by exerting pressure on the housing until the placement surface of the housing is placed on the ground thereby preventing the tee from being inserted further into the ground. The inserter can be removed from the inserted tee in an upward and sideways motion without affecting the height of the surface supporting the ball above the ground. The tee inserter according to the invention thus guarantees that the tee always protrudes from the ground by the length by which the shaft is extended so that the distance of the ball on the tee from the ground is always the same. Based on his experience, the golfer therefore can be sure to tee off from this ball position without having his stroke impaired by differing heights above the ground. The shaft can be extended out of the housing by simply pushing or by rotating either step by step or continuously.
According to the preferred embodiment of the tee inserter, the shaft can be blocked at the different extended positions. This guarantees that at the end of the insertion process, once the shaft is placed on the ground, the shaft cannot move in relation to the housing.
In one embodiment of the said tee inserter, the shaft disposed in the housing is equipped with toothing capable of engaging with a latch. For this reason, the movable shaft can be blocked in its position.
In a different embodiment, the shaft is equipped with a thread wherewith it is screwed into a bore with internal thread disposed in the housing. This embodiment can work without a special blocking mechanism. Nevertheless, in this case as well, a longitudinal surface may be provided on the round shaft against which a latch can be applied so that any further screwing motion is blocked.
Preferably, the shaft is able to be blocked by a spring-loaded latch disposed and movable in the housing. Thereby, the pre-set extended position of the shaft is kept intact, in particular, when the tee is being inserted; on the other hand, the shaft can be retracted when the latch is pressed back against the force of the spring whereby the blockage is dissolved. It is suitable to enable the latch to be actuated directly or by means of a pushbutton connected non-positively to the latch and disposed on one of the lateral surfaces of the housing.
It is suitable to enlarge the placement surface of the shaft in relation to the cross section of the shaft. This prevents the shaft from also accidentally penetrating into the ground adjacent to the tee. In order to absolutely prevent this from happening, the extreme end of the shaft is advantageously constructed as a foot. The lower side of the foot then forms the above mentioned placement surface. In addition, the foot may be equipped with a cavity open on the side facing away from the shaft and broader than the shaft diameter of the tee. Consequently, when the tee is applied against the thrust face, the foot will not be an impediment, while on the other hand, the device is stably supported under its center of gravity when the foot is placed on the ground.
It is suitable to equip the housing or the adjusting body with markings indicating the position of the adjusting body in relation to the housing. The said markings enable the golfer in a simple way to always pull out the adjusting body to a certain length preferred by him, whereby the height of the surface for supporting the ball above the ground is determined.
In the embodiment mentioned above in second place, the housing is constructed in two legs, the lower side of at least one leg being arranged as placement surface, and the lower side of the adjusting body disposed and movable between the two legs being arranged as the surface against which the tee head is to be applied. When using this embodiment of the inserter, the upper part of the tee being applied against the adjusting body protrudes into the gap between the legs as far as the tee is supposed to protrude from the ground after being inserted. The tee then is inserted into the ground by exerting pressure on the housing as in the embodiment described above, until the lower sides of the housing legs are placed on the ground. The housing then can be removed from the tee by an upward and/or sideways motion.
In this embodiment, as well, the adjusting body can be blocked at varying distances from the placement surface. This ensures that the adjusting body cannot be moved during insertion of the tee and placement of the housing on the ground.
In this embodiment, the adjusting body is disposed between the legs and can be moved in longitudinal direction of the legs, while being blockable against at least one of the legs. It is suitable to also have the movable adjusting body guided by the fact that it is applied against the legs.
It is suitable to equip the adjusting body with a spring-loaded latch on one side or on both sides, said latch or latches being extendable against spring pressure by means of a pushbutton disposed on the adjusting body. The latches are normally pressed inward by the springs so that the adjusting body can be moved. By actuating the pushbutton, the latch or the latches can be caused to engage with the latch receiver or receivers provided in the legs, whereby the adjusting body is blocked in its position. By actuating the pushbutton in opposite direction, the blockage is dissolved so that the latches are automatically pulled back from their receivers in the legs by spring pressure, whereby the adjusting body regains its mobility.
In a modified embodiment of the said tee inserter, an internal thread is disposed in the housing or on the interior sides of the legs thereof, the adjusting body being equipped with an external screw thread so that the latter can be moved by a screwing motion within the housing or in the gap between the legs. The screwing motion of the adjusting body can be used to continuously adjust the surface against which the tee head is applied. Correspondingly, the insertion depth of the tee is also continuously adjustable. The adjusting body is accessible between the legs and therefore can be directly rotated with fingers for an axial adjustment.
In the different embodiments of the tee inserter according to the invention, the tee inserter can suitably serve other purposes as well. Thus, a tool having the ability to swing out may be coupled to the housing of the tee inserter. The said tool may serve the purpose of equalizing the depression resulting from the impact of the ball on the green. Furthermore, an indentation for receiving and holding a marker or a marking chip may be constructed in the housing. The said marker serves the purpose of marking the place of the ball after it stopped rolling, when the ball is taken from the place.
Below, the invention is explained in detail with reference to the drawing.
The figures show in:
According to
The sectional representations of
For a tee 3 with a mildly conical shaft 3b, the width of the cavity 6 may be constructed in such a way that the shaft 3b is jammed in the cavity when the upper side of the head 3a is at a distance from the lower side 2. During insertion, the upper side of the head 3a is applied against the lower side 2, thereby un-jamming the shaft 3b in the cavity 6. After insertion, the inserter can be pulled away from the tee in a sideways motion. Different from the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown in
According to
From
The embodiment of the tee inserter represented in
The essential core of the invention lies in the fact that the distance between the lower side of the housing and the lower side of the adjusting body and thus also the height of the upper part of the inserted tee protruding from the ground can be varied. The tee inserter according to the invention makes it possible for the golfer to set down the tee with the desired projection from the ground so that the player is able to tee off the ball from the height that is optimal for him.
The housing form shown in
Claims
1-19. (canceled)
20. A tee inserter, comprising:
- a housing having a bottom side for a head of a tee to rest against said bottom side;
- an adjusting body having a shape substantially similar to that of a shank, said adjusting body having a bottom side for contacting a playing surface and being variably extendable from said housing in close proximity to said bottom side of said housing where the head of the tee rests against said bottom side, said adjusting body being guidable in said housing and having a serration for locking said adjusting body at different extensions from said housing; and,
- a spring-loaded locking pin in said housing operable at a lateral surface of said housing for engaging said serration of said adjusting body positively connected to said spring-loaded locking pin.
21. The tee inserter according to claim 20, wherein said bottom side of said adjusting body is enlarged relative to a cross-section of said adjusting body.
22. The tee inserter according to claim 20, wherein said adjusting body includes markings for indicating a position of said adjusting body relative to said housing.
23. The tee inserter according to claim 20, further comprising a swing-out pitch fork mounted to said housing.
24. The tee inserter according to claim 20, wherein said housing includes a recess for receiving and retaining a marker.
25. A tee inserter, comprising:
- a housing having two legs with a bottom side of at least one leg of said two legs for contacting a playing surface;
- an adjusting body having a bottom side for resting against a head of a tee and displaceable in a clearance between said two legs of said housing; and,
- a spring-loaded locking pin in said adjusting body on at least one side of said adjusting body and extendable against a biasing spring pressure via a key at said adjusting body, thereby locking said adjusting body at, at least, one of said two legs of said housing.
26. The tee inserter according to claim 25, wherein said bottom side of said adjusting body is enlarged relative to a cross-section of said adjusting body.
27. The tee inserter according to claim 25, wherein said adjusting body includes markings for indicating a position of said adjusting body relative to said housing.
28. The tee inserter according to claim 25, further comprising a swing-out pitch fork mounted to said housing.
29. The tee inserter according to claim 25, wherein said housing includes a recess for receiving and retaining a marker.
Type: Application
Filed: May 23, 2006
Publication Date: Jan 15, 2009
Inventor: Alfons Guldenring (Eitorf)
Application Number: 11/916,284
International Classification: A63B 57/00 (20060101);