Golf ball retriever
First Claim
1. A golf ball retriever comprising a plurality of generally circular discs arranged side by side along a common general central axis, a plurality of tie rods extending slidably through said plurality of discs, each of said tie rods being parallel to and radially spaced from said central axis, a plurality of tubular spacers of equal length slidably received on each of said tie rods, said spacers alternating with said discs along the length of each tie rod to space said plurality of discs equally one from the next along said common axis, means at the opposite ends of each tie rod for restraining said discs and said spacers from movement axially of said tie rods and for thereby holding said discs, said spacers and said tie rods in assembly with one another as a roll unit, two separate stub shafts located respectively at opposite ends of said roll unit, each of said stub shafts extending slidably through less than one-half of said plurality of discs along said central axis and having a portion extending axially outwardly beyond the one of said discs at the associated end of said roll unit, a frame, two spaced bearing means on said frame for supporting said roll unit from said frame for rotation relative to said frame about said central axis, each of said bearing means engaging with said outwardly extending portion of a respective one of said stub shafts, and means for releasably restraining each of said stub shafts against movement axially relative to said discs through which it passes, each of said stub shafts and its associated one of said bearing means being so constructed that when the associated releasable restraining means is conditioned to release said stub shaft said stub shaft may be shifted axially relative to the discs through which it passes and relative to said associated bearing means to disengage it from said associated bearing means and to thereby free the associated end of said roll unit from said frame.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A golf ball retriever has a picker roll comprised of a plurality of thin discs spaced one from the other along a common central axis by a uniform spacing slightly less than the diameter of a golf ball. The picker roll is readily removable from its supporting frame and, after such removal, the discs making up the roll may be successively disassembled from either end thereof to reach and remove a damaged or broken disc when repairing the roll. The retriever may be particularly designed for use in retrieving balls from water hazards or for retrieving balls from land. In either case, it is highly efficient in retrieving balls, especially from depressions or pockets in the bottom surface of the water hazard or in the surface of the land over which it is moved.
37 Citations
16 Claims
- 1. A golf ball retriever comprising a plurality of generally circular discs arranged side by side along a common general central axis, a plurality of tie rods extending slidably through said plurality of discs, each of said tie rods being parallel to and radially spaced from said central axis, a plurality of tubular spacers of equal length slidably received on each of said tie rods, said spacers alternating with said discs along the length of each tie rod to space said plurality of discs equally one from the next along said common axis, means at the opposite ends of each tie rod for restraining said discs and said spacers from movement axially of said tie rods and for thereby holding said discs, said spacers and said tie rods in assembly with one another as a roll unit, two separate stub shafts located respectively at opposite ends of said roll unit, each of said stub shafts extending slidably through less than one-half of said plurality of discs along said central axis and having a portion extending axially outwardly beyond the one of said discs at the associated end of said roll unit, a frame, two spaced bearing means on said frame for supporting said roll unit from said frame for rotation relative to said frame about said central axis, each of said bearing means engaging with said outwardly extending portion of a respective one of said stub shafts, and means for releasably restraining each of said stub shafts against movement axially relative to said discs through which it passes, each of said stub shafts and its associated one of said bearing means being so constructed that when the associated releasable restraining means is conditioned to release said stub shaft said stub shaft may be shifted axially relative to the discs through which it passes and relative to said associated bearing means to disengage it from said associated bearing means and to thereby free the associated end of said roll unit from said frame.
- 10. A golf ball retriever comprising a picker roll including a plurality of circular discs arranged side by side and uniformly spaced one from the next along a common central axis, a frame, and means supporting said picker roll for rotation relative to said frame about said central axis, each of said circular discs of said picker roll being made of sheet material and having two flat faces, the spacing between said discs being slightly less than the diameter of the golf balls with which said retriever is to be used, and a plurality of elongated guides carried by said frame and each associated with a respective one of said discs, means mounting each of said guides to said frame so as to have a normal position relative to said frame and so as to be yieldably movable from said normal position by contact with a ball of the type with which said retriever is to be used, each of said guides in its normal position having its longitudinal axis located in the plane of its associated disc and having an upper end located adjacent said frame and a free lower end, said guides in their normal positions defining openings therebetween having dimensions less than required for the free passage therethrough of balls with which the retriever is to be used.
Specification