Golf ball dispenser and tee apparatus
First Claim
1. A golf ball dispenser and tee apparatus comprising hopper means for carrying a plurality of golf balls;
- feed means in said hopper means for dispensing golf balls one at a time;
first drive means for operating said feed means;
tube means for receiving golf balls one at a time from said feed means;
stop means at an open free end of said tube means remote from said hopper means movable between ball retaining and release positions for releasably retaining said golf balls in said tube means;
gripper means for gripping a golf ball at said open free end of said tube means;
slide means carrying said gripper means for moving a golf ball out of said tube means, whereby said stop means is moved to the release position, and upon release of a golf ball from said tube means immediately returns to the ball retaining position;
tee means remote from said open free end of said tube means for receiving a ball from said gripper means;
second drive means for operating said slide means to cause said gripper means to move between a retracted ball pick-up position and an extended ball depositing position above said tee means;
first, coin actuated control means for controlling operation of said first drive means to deposit a predetermined number of golf balls in said tube means; and
second, user operated control means for controlling operation of said second drive means to cause said slide means and gripper means to move to the ball depositing position, and to cause said gripper means to release a ball onto said tee means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A golf ball dispenser and tee apparatus includes a cylindrical hopper for carrying a plurality of golf balls, a rotatable disc mounted in the hopper above the floor thereof with a plurality of holes, a cover for covering one of the holes when the hole is aligned with an opening in the floor of the hopper, so that the golf balls are discharged one at a time into an inclined tube, a motor for rotating the disc in the hopper, a coin operated switch for initiating operation of the motor, a gripper mounted on a slide at the end of the inclined tube for gripping a golf ball when actuated by a switch which is operated by the head of a club, and a second motor for moving the slide with the gripper outwardly to a position where the ball is deposited on a tee, and returning the slide and gripper to the rest position for gripping another ball. The gripper is operated by a solenoid and operation of the slide motor is achieved by microswitches.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A golf ball dispenser and tee apparatus comprising hopper means for carrying a plurality of golf balls;
- feed means in said hopper means for dispensing golf balls one at a time;
first drive means for operating said feed means;
tube means for receiving golf balls one at a time from said feed means;
stop means at an open free end of said tube means remote from said hopper means movable between ball retaining and release positions for releasably retaining said golf balls in said tube means;
gripper means for gripping a golf ball at said open free end of said tube means;
slide means carrying said gripper means for moving a golf ball out of said tube means, whereby said stop means is moved to the release position, and upon release of a golf ball from said tube means immediately returns to the ball retaining position;
tee means remote from said open free end of said tube means for receiving a ball from said gripper means;
second drive means for operating said slide means to cause said gripper means to move between a retracted ball pick-up position and an extended ball depositing position above said tee means;
first, coin actuated control means for controlling operation of said first drive means to deposit a predetermined number of golf balls in said tube means; and
second, user operated control means for controlling operation of said second drive means to cause said slide means and gripper means to move to the ball depositing position, and to cause said gripper means to release a ball onto said tee means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
- feed means in said hopper means for dispensing golf balls one at a time;
Specification