Automatic golf ball dispenser and teeing apparatus

• US 5,282,628 A
• Filed: 09/25/1991
• Issued: 02/01/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Taito Corporation (Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Taito Corporation (Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Matsushita, Shuichi, Komori, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Theatrice
• Application Number:
  US07/765,914
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 273/201, 273/33, 273/207, 273/209
• US Class Current: 473/136
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/30 Maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/002 Devices for dispensing balls, e.g. from a reservoir automatic teeing devices A63B57/0006; devices for projecting balls A63B69/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/0006 Automatic teeing devices devices for automatically dispensing balls in general A63B47/002

Abstract

An automatic golf ball dispenser dispenses golf balls to a tee for driving or directly to a mat for iron shots. The dispenser includes a breakaway captive setting arm that sustains minimal damage when hit by a club. The dispenser also includes a series of baffles and means for rotating stored golf balls to prevent clogging. A stopper retards balls in a supply chute while one ball is being teed, and while a setting arm is being returned to a ball-receiving position. This avoids interference with setting arm movement by the supply of balls. In addition, an automatic countdown sequence regulates the number of balls dispensed in accordance with a card reader that checks prepaid user cards.

Claims

1. An automatic golf-ball supplying device comprising:

storage means for storing a plurality of golf balls;

a ball chute;

a set arm;

means for lining up golf balls from said storage means on said ball chute;

means for swinging said ball chute in a vertical direction between first and second angles;

said first angle being effective for permitting a ball to move onto said set arm;

said second angle being effective for preventing a ball from moving toward said set arm;

said set arm including a ball-receiving end and a ball-supplying end;

means for rotating said set arm between a home position and a tee position;

mixing means for mixing balls in said storage means, and

means for synchronizing said mixing means with a swing of said ball chute.

2. The automatic golf-ball supplying device of claim 1, wherein said mixing means includes:

a mixing bar;

means for rotatably supporting said mixing bar with one end thereof in a vicinity of a ball exit of said storage means,

said means for synchronizing including a connection between said ball chute and said mixing bar, whereby said mixing bar is rotated in synchronism with a swinging of said ball chute; and

at least a portion of said mixing bar moving toward and away from said ball exit during motion thereof.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said at least a portion moves at least partly through said ball exit into said storage means.

4. An automatic golf ball supplying device comprising:

means for storing a plurality of golf balls;

a ball chute;

means for swinging said ball chute between first and second vertical angles;

means for discharging one golf ball when said ball chute is in said first vertical angle;

a rotatably mounted set arm having a home position and a teeing position;

means for horizontally rotating said set arm from said home position to said teeing position;

means associated with said set arm for receiving said one golf ball, when said arm is in said home position;

means for setting said one golf ball on one of a tee and a practice mat when said set arm is in a teeing position;

a plurality of partition plates dividing an inside of said means for storage; and

said partition plates being positioned to let said plurality of golf balls flow smoothly from a top to a bottom of said means for storing.

5. An automatic golf ball device comprising:

means for storing a plurality of golf balls;

a ball chute;

means for swinging said ball chute between first and second vertical angles;

means for discharging one golf ball when said ball chute is in said first vertical angle;

a rotatably mounted set arm having a home position and a teeing position;

means for horizontally rotating said set arm between said home position and said teeing position;

means associated with said set arm, for receiving said one golf ball when said set arm is in a home position;

means for setting said one golf ball on a tee when said set arm is in said teeing position; and

said means for setting including means for permitting said one golf ball to roll from said means for receiving into a position over a tee.

6. An automatic golf-ball supplying device comprising:

means for storing at least one golf ball;

a ball chute;

means for swinging said ball chute between first and second vertical angles;

means for discharging one golf ball when said ball chute is in said first vertical angle;

a set arm having a home position and a delivery position;

means associated with said set arm for receiving said one golf ball, when said set arm is in said home position;

means for delivering said one golf ball to a using position when said set arm is in said delivery position;

said delivery position being one of a first delivery position and a second delivery position;

means, when said set arm is in said first delivery position, to deliver said one golf ball on a tee; and

means, when said set arm is in said second delivery position, to deliver said golf ball on a mat, whereby practice with an iron is enabled.

7. An automatic golf-ball supplying device comprising:

a stocker unit;

said stocker unit including means for storing a plurality of golf balls;

a ball chute;

said ball chute including means for permitting lining up golf balls supplied from said stocker unit;

means for swinging said ball chute between first and second vertical angles;

means ;

for discharging one golf ball when said ball chute is at said first vertical angle;

a set arm;

said set arm including a ball-receiving end and a ball-supplying end;

means for moving said set arm between a home position and a tee position; and

agitation means, synchronized with swinging of said ball chute, for giving a back-and-forth shaking to golf balls lined up on said ball chute.

8. The automatic golf-ball supplying device of claim 7, wherein said agitation means includes:

a sliding rail slidably in said ball chute;

a stationary cam;

said stationary cam engaging said sliding rail; and

said stationary cam including a shape effective for providing said back-and-forth motion as said ball chute swings between said first and second vertical angles.

9. An automatic golf-ball supplying device comprising:

a stocker unit;

means in said stocker unit for storing a plurality of golf balls;

a ball chute;

means for lining up a plurality of golf balls on said ball chute;

means for swinging said ball chute between first and second vertical positions;

means for discharging one golf ball when said ball chute swings to said first vertical position;

a set arm;

said set arm including a ball-receiving end and a ball-supplying end;

means for horizontally rotating said set arm to position said ball-supplying end between a home position and a teeing position; and

a holding means for holding said set arm at said home position and at said teeing position.

10. An automatic golf-ball supplying device comprising:

a stocker unit capable of storing a plurality of golf balls;

a chute unit including means for lining up golf balls from said stocker unit on a ball chute rotatably supported on said chute unit and for discharging golf balls, one ball at a swing of said ball chute;

a set arm including first and second ball delivery positions;

said set arm receiving discharged golf balls from said ball chute;

means, effective when said set arm is in said first ball delivery position, for delivering a ball on a tee; and

mat-delivery means, effective when said set arm is in said second ball delivery position, for delivering at least one ball on a mat.

11. The automatic golf-ball supplying device of claim 10, wherein said mat-delivery means includes means for discharging a predetermined number of golf balls, one ball per swing of said ball chute, while said set arm remains stationary at a home position.

12. The automatic golf-ball supplying device of claim 10, further comprising means for selecting said predetermined number of golf balls.