Golf teaching aid apparatus

• US 3,918,073 A
• Filed: 03/18/1974
• Issued: 11/04/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James F. Henderson, Stephen D. Gaffaney
• Original Assignee: James F. Henderson, Stephen D. Gaffaney
• Inventors: Henderson, James F., Gaffaney, Stephen D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Horan, John M.
• Application Number:
  US05/452,437
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 354/60,88,110,120 352/46,84
• US Class Current: 396/335
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2071/0647 Visualisation of executed movements
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2220/807 Photo cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/70 Coin-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/74 with powered illuminating means, e.g. lights
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0003 Analysing the course of a movement or motion sequences during an exercise or trainings sequence, e.g. swing for golf or tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 69/36 for golf

Abstract

An apparatus is disclosed herein for enabling a golfer to analyze his own golf swing for the purpose of determining how he may improve his game. The apparatus is utilized to produce a teaching aid in the form of a permanent visual representation of the golfer, sequentially illustrating his entire golf swing through a series of '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'stop action'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' photographs produced on a single visual aid blank. The apparatus includes a platform for supporting the golfer and for angularly orienting him relative to a plurality of cameras held within an enclosure facing the platform. The apparatus also includes an automatic shutter operating means that initiates a timed release of a plurality of camera shutters as the golfer begins his backswing motion. An adjustment is provided that allows the golfer to selectively set the elapsed time of the exposure sequence to match his golf swing speed. During each operational cycle, mechanisms within the enclosure automatically feed a single visual aid blank to the cameras, release the blank after exposure to a developing tank, automatically develop the exposed blank, and present the finished visual aid to the golfer.

Claims

1. A golf teaching aid apparatus for assisting a golfer in analyzing and improving his golf swing, comprising:

a platform for supporting a golfer;

a hitting surface on said platform simulating the location of a golf gall and the intended direction of flight of the golf ball, to orient the golfer in prescribed hitting condition as he swings a golf club from a backswing movement, rearward and upward from the hitting surface, a down swing movement forward and downward toward the hitting surface, and a follow-through movement forward and upward from the hitting surface;

an enclosure facing the platform;

a plurality of cameras having lenses and shutter assemblies arranged in a rectangular array within the enclosure wherein each assembly has a separately operable shutter;

said plurality of cameras having a common exposure chamber spaced from the lenses defining a focal plane common to the lenses where separate images are focused by the lenses, said images being separated over a prescribed rectangular area;

shutter operating means for sequentially operating the shutters over a desired time interval;

a visual aid blank having dimensions complementary to those of the exposure chamber and having a photo-sensitive surface thereon of areal dimension exceeding said prescribed rectangular area;

means for feeding the visual aid blank to the exposure chamber;

a mirror situated within the enclosure for reversing the image of a golfer on said platform to the cameras thereby enabling the cameras to project a direct positive image of the golfer onto the photo-sensitized surface of the visual aid blank feed to the exposure chamber;

control means responsive to movement of the golf club head from the hitting surface during an initial portion of the back swing to activate the shutter operating means to sequentially project positive images of the golfer onto different areas of the photosensitive surface to form a plurality of positive latent images thereon during the golfer'"'"''"'"'s back swing, down swing and follow through;

means for releasing the exposed visual aid Blank from the exposure chamber and transferring it to a developing section contained within the enclosure;

means for developing the exposed visual aid blank in the developing section; and

means for presenting the developed visual aid blank for access by the golfer.

2. The apparatus set out in claim 1 wherein the platform is comprised of:

a horizontal support surface;

a reference grid located on the support surface enabling the golfer to locate his feet on the platform at specific positions; and

wherein the hitting surface is comprised of a portion of the support surface extending outwardly from the reference grid.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the cameras are held within a lightproof compartment with each lens being associated with an individual lightproof compartment;

said compartments having open ends facing said exposure chamber so as to form one side of said exposure chamber;

said exposure chamber further including an upright plate adjacent the open ends of said lightproof compartments, said plate being supported for movement between an operative position, wherein the photo-sensitized surface of said visual aid blank held within the exposure chamber is urged against the open ends of the lightproof compartments, and an inoperative position, spaced from the open ends of the lightproof compartments.

4. The apparatus set out in claim 3 wherein the lightproof compartments are lined with a dark colored felt material.

5. The apparatus set out in claim 1 wherein the shutter operating means is adjustable to facilitate separate adjustment of the time elapse between actuation of said shutters.

6. The apparatus set out in claim 1 wherein the means for feeding a visual aid blank to the exposure chamber comprises:

an upwardly open rectangular tray having an open end adjacent an upper end of the exposure chamber for receiving a stack of said visual aid blanks therein in a substantially horizontal orientation;

a friction wheel operatively connected to the tray and positioned therein to engage the top surface of the top blank in the stack;

drive means for selectively rotating the friction wheel to thereby slide the engaged blank off the stack; and

a guide plate for guiding the blank gravitationally into the exposure chamber.

7. The system set out in claim 1 wherein the control means includes an electronic proximity detector for detecting the presence of a golf club head adjacent a sensing plate located beneath the hitting surface wherein the proximity detector is operable upon motion of the club head away from the sensing plate to activate the shutter operating means to release the camera shutters over the desired time interval.

8. The apparatus set out in claim 1 wherein the release means comprises a slidable plate movably supported below the cameras, the plate having an elongated slot formed therethrough;

said slidable plate being movable between an inoperative position wherein a blank presently in said exposure chamber rests on said plate and an operative position wherein the slot is moved into alignment with the blank, thereby allowing the blank to fall freely therethrough.

9. The system set out in claim 8 wherein the upright plate is pivotably mounted to the slidable plate.

10. The apparatus set out in claim 1 wherein the developing means includes an upright developing tank located within the enclosure below the exposure chamber;

said tank having an upper opening facing the exposure chamber, and elongated paper guides extending from the opening toward the exposure chamber for receiving and guiding the exposed visual aid blank into the developing tank as it falls gravitationally from the exposure chamber in response to operation of said release means.

11. The apparatus as set out in claim 10 wherein said developing means further includes processing chemical supply means for sequentially applying developing chemicals to the exposed photo sensitive surface of the visual aid blaNk held within the developing tank.

12. The apparatus set out in claim 11 wherein the processing chemical supply means comprises:

an individual storage tank located within the enclosure below the developing tank for each chemical;

a pump;

a supply hose leading from each tank to the pump;

valve means located between the supply hoses and the pump selectively operable to permit passage of the chemicals separately and in a prescribed sequence through said pump;

a delivery hose extending from the pump to the developing tank;

a spray nozzle connected to the delivery hose and exending into the developing tank toward the visual aid blank held therein for directing the chemicals against the exposed sensitized surface of the blank; and

chemical recovery means connecting the developing tank and the chemical storage tank for recovering chemical sprayed onto the exposed surface and for recycling the chemicals back to their respective storage tanks.

13. The apparatus set out in claim 12 wherein the chemical recovery means comprises:

a drain tube mounted to a lower end of a developing tank;

a chemical return hose leading from each chemical storage tank; and

drain valve means interconnecting the drain tube and the return hoses, operable to route each chemical received from the drain tube through its individual return tube and thus back to its respective storage tank.

14. The apparatus set out in claim 11 wherein the developing means further includes a re-exposure light located within the developing tank operable to re-expose the photo-sensitized surface.

15. The apparatus set out in claim 11 further including drying means for drying the visual aid blank after it has been developed.

16. The apparatus set out in claim 15 wherein the drying means includes an air blower connected to the developing tank by an air hose, said air hose being mounted to the developing tank adjacent to a visual aid blank therein to direct an air current across the blank.

17. The apparatus set out in claim 1 wherein the means for presenting the developed visual aid blank for access by the golfer comprises:

an elongated plate movably mounted within the developing tank, for initially supporting the blank;

an elongated slot in said plate;

an elongated slot formed through the bottom of the developing tank below the elongated plate and directly below the visual aid blank supported on the elongated plate;

drive means for moving the elongated plate between an inoperative position, wherein the elongated slot is vertically offset from the elongated slot in the developing tank, and an operative position, wherein the slot is aligned with the slot in the developing tank, whereby the visual aid blank is free to fall gravitationally through the aligned slot; and

an access slot formed in the enclosure directly below the developing tank for receiving the developed visual aid blank, having an outwardly facing opening to allow access to the said blank by the golfer.