Marking device for golf balls

Abstract

The device disclosed aids the application of a wider and longer line on top of the small line printed on a golf ball by the balls manufacturer. The device disclosed is a cylinder with an open top and partially closed bottom, into which a ball is inserted. The disclosed device differs from existing art in that the inside diameter of the cylinder is larger than the golf ball and there is a low friction peg supporting the ball. Unlike existing art in which the ball is secured by the frame or supported by the walls of a cylinder, the features of the device disclosed allow the ball to spin freely inside the cylinder. A method of loading, positioning and unloading the ball is disclosed.

Description

RELATED U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

Application Number	Filing Date	Patent Number	Issue Date
61/519,548	May 25, 2011

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) from co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/519,548 which was filed by applicant Howard Weiss on May 25, 2011 and having the title “straight line marking device for golf balls”. A substitute specification sheet correcting a reference to an improperly formatted DVD disc dated Jul. 9, 2011 was also previously submitted. Ser. No. 61/519,548 is herby incorporated into this filing by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF MATERIAL ON A COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Applicable Field of the Invention

The device disclosed in this application is a marking tool that aids a golfer when drawing a wider and longer straight line on top of the small line or arrow printed on the ball by the golf ball manufacturer. Application of the line is accomplished by the unique design features of the device and unique system for loading, aligning and unloading a ball.

2. Description of Related Art

It is no secret that golfers including PGA touring professionals draw a straight line around a portion of their golf ball. The line they draw is clearly visible on close up camera shots of the ball viewed on national TV. Existing line drawing devices that are molded to fit around the ball including the Line-Em Up device (U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,587 do not allow for alignment of the ball with the same hand that holds the device. The “Line a Putt” device U.S. Pat. No. 6,324,971 results in the ball being supported by the top of the cylinder walls and a peg which is vertical. Both the noted “Line Em Up” and “line a Putt” devices result in significant friction restricting the free rotation of the ball within the device.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The device disclosed in this application consists of a cylinder (barrel) with an open end and a closed end. The device disclosed in this claimed new invention eliminates the friction that is intrinsic to the design of the existing devices identified above. The golfer loads the ball into the cylinder thru the open end thus allowing the golfer to draw a straight line approximately half way around the equator of a golf ball. The key advantage of the device disclosed in this application is that it allows a golfer to apply straight lines precisely on the equator of a golf ball, using only one hand, at a rate much faster than previously invented devices. For golfers who value their time or who have only limited time to apply a line this is a significant advantage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

There are four figures showing different perspectives of the device.

Identifying characters used in figures shown.

Golf ball                        A
Interior diameter of the cylinder ID
outer surface of the cylinder    10
round alignment peg              12
interior surface of the cylinder 14
top edge of the cylinder         16
bottom edge of the cylinder      19
direction of the cut shown in the cross 3/3′
sectional view shown in FIG. 3
direction of the cut shown in the cross 4/4′
sectional view shown in FIG. 4

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the fully intact device. The device consists of a thin walled cylinder with a round support peg. The device is tilted slightly down from top to bottom. There is a support peg “12” that is not visible from this perspective. The interior surface of the cylinder is labeled “14”. The top surface of the cylinder is labeled “16”. The outer surface of the cylinder is labeled “10”. The bottom edge of the cylinder is labeled “19”. Broken Line 3/3′ indicates the direction of the cut line shown in the cross sectional view labeled FIG. 3.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the fully intact device. This view shows the top edge of the cylinder with the peg visible. There is no ball in the cylinder. The top edge of cylinder is represented by two concentric circles. The top edge of the cylinder is labeled “16”. The round alignment peg is represented by a thick vertical line. The round alignment peg is labeled “12”. The inner wall of the cylinder is labeled “14”. The outer wall of the cylinder is labeled “10”. Broken Line 4/4′ indicates the direction of the cut line shown in the cross sectional drawing labeled FIG. 4.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the device cut in half. The device is tilted slight down. The cut is made through the center of the cylinder. The cylinder wall is labeled “10”. The top open end of the cylinder is labeled “16”. The peg is represented by a two parallel horizontal lines that are filled with small cross hatched lines. In this view the peg is also cut in half in the long direction. The round alignment peg is labeled “12”. The peg is positioned at such a depth to cause the equator of the ball to align with the top edge of the cylinder “16”. The bottom is partially closed by the round alignment peg “12” which is slightly above the bottom of the cylinder. The partially closed bottom end is labeled “19”. A ball is shown in the device. The ball is also cut in half. The ball is represented by a large circle with cross hatched lines. The ball is labeled “A”. The ball is supported only by the round alignment peg “12”.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the device cut in half perpendicular to the round alignment peg. The device is turned 90 degrees from the view shown in FIG. 3. The device is tilted slight down. The top open end of the cylinder is labeled “16”. The cut of the cylinder wall is represented by two straight vertical lines with small cross hatched lines. The outer cylinder walls are labeled “10”. The cut of the round alignment peg is represented by a circle with small cross hatched lines. The round alignment peg is labeled “12”. The internal surface of the cylinder is labeled “14”. The bottom partially closed end is labeled “19”. The inside diameter labeled “ID” of the cylinder is slightly larger than the diameter of a golf ball. The ball (not shown in this view) is supported only by the round alignment peg “12”.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The line marking device disclosed in this application consists of an approximately one inch high thin walled plastic cylinder (barrel). The inside diameter of the cylinder is slightly larger than the diameter of the golf ball. The cylinder has an open end and a partially closed end.

The cylinder can be manufactured by cutting long lengths of extruded plastic pipe to approximately one inch in lengths. Then inserting the round alignment peg through holes drilled in the cylinder walls (as described below). The device disclosed in this application can also be made in production runs using mold injected plastics. The mold injected plastic embodiment would result in a unibody device in which the cylinder and peg is a single molded end product.

Currently the device is manufactured by cutting long lengths of thin walled extruded plastic pipe into approximately one inch lengths using conventional chop saws. There is a round peg that partially closes the bottom end of the device. If the peg were removed the golf ball fits so loosely in the cylinder that the ball would fall out of the bottom of the device. A single round hard wood, metal or rigid plastic peg is inserted through opposing holes that are drilled one hundred and eighty degrees apart in the walls of the cylinder. The peg is permanently glued to the walls of the cylinder. The peg is parallel to the top open end of the cylinder and is 0.84 inches from the top. The bottom of the ball rests solely on the peg with the equator of the ball even with the top of the cylinder.

The device disclosed in this application allows a golfer to load and position a golf ball in the marking device, using only one hand. Positioning the golf ball is an important step. Most golfers do not draw the line randomly on the ball. The golfers draw a larger and thicker line right on top of an existing line or arrow that is printed on the ball by the manufacturer of the ball. Unlike previous line making devices which produce significant friction between the device and the golf ball, restricting movement of the golf ball, the device disclosed in this application allows for easy rotation of the golf ball within the device. This free rotation of the golf ball is accomplished by making the cylinder slightly larger than the diameter of the golf ball and supporting the golf ball solely on the round alignment peg.

When applying the line on the golf ball, the cylinder is held in one hand with the open end up. The cylinder is held by using the middle finger to pin the cylinder against the palm. The thumb and index finger on the hand holding the device are free to load a ball by picking it up and dropping it into the open end (top) of the device. The thumb and index finger used to pick up the ball are then used to rotate the ball into position for drawing a fine precisely on top of the existing line or arrow printed on the ball by the manufacturer of the ball. The golf ball is unloaded using only one hand. The ball is unloaded by turning the device upside down and allowing gravity to eject the ball from the device. A golfer can draw precise lines on top of the manufactures small line at a rate of six balls in forty five seconds.

Claims

1. a cylinder with an open top that has an inside diameter that is slightly larger than a golf ball allowing the ball to sit loosely in the cylinder on a peg disclosed in claim 2.

2. the cylinder in claim 1 supports the golf ball solely on a single straight round peg.

3. the straight round peg disclosed in claim 2 is centered within the cylinder disclosed in claim 1 thus connecting to the walls of the cylinder at points 180 degrees apart.

4. the straight round peg disclosed in claim 2 transverses the cylinder disclosed in claim 1 in the direction parallel to the open top of the cylinder.

5. a multi step system for loading, unloading and precisely aligning the small line or arrow manufacturers print on the ball, using only one hand.

(a) The cylinder is held in one hand with the open end up.

(b) The cylinder is held using the middle finger to pin the cylinder against the palm of the same hand holding the device.

(c) The index finger and thumb of the same hand holding the device are free to pick up the ball, while still holding the device between the palm and middle finger and drop the ball into the open end of the cylinder.

(d) The thumb and index finger on the hand holding the device are free to rotate the ball into position for drawing a line precisely on top of the existing line or arrow printed on the ball by the manufacturer of the ball.

(e) The ball is unloaded by turning the device upside down and allowing gravity to eject the ball while releasing all control of the ball with the index finger and the thumb and continuing to hold the device with the palm and middle finger.