Golf teeing device

• US 5,647,805 A
• Filed: 04/22/1996
• Issued: 07/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert S. Tarbox Jr
• Original Assignee: Robert S. Tarbox Jr
• Inventors: Tarbox, Robert S. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Steven B.
• Application Number:
  US08/635,605
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 473/132-137
• US Class Current: 473/137
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/0006 Automatic teeing devices devices for automatically dispensing balls in general A63B47/002

Abstract

A lightweight and portable system to place a golf ball onto a tee. The present invention comprises a housing which has a hopper bin defined in the upper region thereof. The hopper is designed to accommodate up to four dozen golf balls at a time so that a golfer may "drive" numerous times without having to stop often and reload the hopper. Preferably, the interior of the hopper bin is sloped to form a rough funnel shape such that the golf balls are distributed one-at-a-time into a trough which is coupled to the hopper. Internal of the housing is the apparatus by which the golf balls are distributed single file through a delivery tube to the specialized ball placement mechanism. The most significant features of the present invention is the specialized ball placement mechanism which permits a golfer to tee their ball prior to driving at varying heights and the lever mechanism which allows a golfer to rapidly dispense a practice ball without drastically altering his stance or changing his grip. In particular, at the distal end of the ball placement mechanism is a pivotally connected roughly crescent shaped ball receptacle. This ball receptacle cradles the golf ball in two curved prongs or fingers.

Claims

1. A golf ball teeing device, comprising:

a housing coupled to a base;

a hopper, having an open top portion and an opening in a lower portion, said hopper sized to accommodate a plurality of balls, said hopper connected to said housing;

a ball delivery tube, said ball delivery tube having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end of said ball delivery tube is connected to said opening in the lower portion of said hopper, said ball delivery tube being sloped such that the second end of said ball delivery tube is lower than said first end of said ball delivery tube;

an actuating mechanism for moving a ball placement mechanism between a first position and a second position, said actuating mechanism comprising;

(a) a guide element fixed to said housing;

(b) a primary lever having distal end and a proximal end, said proximal end being pivotably mounted to said guide element, said lever capable of pivoting about an axis defined by said guide element between a rest position and an operating position; and

(c) a secondary lever having a distal and a proximal end, said proximal end of said secondary lever connected to said proximal end of said primary lever, said secondary lever being capable of pivoting between a rest position and an operating position, said distal end of said secondary lever having a slot defined therein; and

said a ball placement mechanism comprising;

(a) first and second elongate members oriented parallel to one another, wherein said first elongate member is operatively associated with said secondary lever such that pivoting of said first and second levers between said rest position and said operating position causes said first elongate member to slide between a rest position and an operating position;

(b) stop guides slidably mounted upon and joining said first and second elongate members to maintain the spatial relationship between the first and second elongate members;

(c) a ball receptacle member including a proximal end pivotally hinged to the first elongate member and pivotally hinged to said second elongate member, said pivotal hinges being spatially separated, and a distal end for receiving a golf ball;

(d) a partition fixed to said first elongate member, which partition covers said second opening of said ball dispensing tube to prevent dispensing of golf balls when said lever is not in the rest position and which uncovers said second opening of said ball dispensing tube to permit dispensing of golf balls when said lever is in the rest position;

wherein pivoting said first lever and sliding said first elongate member from said rest position to said operating position causes said partition, said second elongate member, and said ball receptacle member to slide from resting positions to operating positions, and wherein sliding said first elongate member from said operating position to said resting position causes said ball receptacle member to first pivot downwards, then to retract towards said rest position and to cause said second elongate member to return to said rest position.

2. A golf ball teeing device as in claim 1, wherein said ball receptacle member includes:

a horizontal crescent shaped ball cup coupled at the distal end of said ball receptacle member, wherein said crescent shaped ball cup is sized to cradle a golf ball.

3. A golf ball teeing device as in claim 2, wherein said crescent shaped ball cup includes two prongs which cradle a golf ball in said crescent shaped ball cup.

4. A golf ball teeing device, comprising:

a housing coupled to a base,

a hopper, having a top portion and a lower portion, sized to accommodate a plurality of balls said hopper connected to said housing,

a ball delivery tube, having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end is connected to the lower portion of said hopper, said ball delivery tube is angled slightly to the horizontal such that the second end of said ball delivery tube is lower than said first end of said ball delivery tube,

an actuating mechanism for releasing a golf ball from the ball delivery tube onto a ball placement mechanism, said actuating mechanism comprising

a primary lever, one end of which is pivotably mounted to a guide bearing surface, said guide bearing surface coupled to said housing, said lever capable of pivoting between a rest position and an operating position;

a secondary lever, having a distal and a proximal end, said proximal end connected to said primary lever, which pivots within said guide bearing surface, said secondary lever being capable of pivoting between a rest position and an operating position, wherein a slot is formed through the distal end of the second lever;

first and second elongate members, oriented parallel to one another, wherein said first elongate member is coupled to said secondary lever, the movement of said first and second levers from a rest position to an operating position acts upon said first elongate member which serves as the driving mechanism for the ball placement mechanism, wherein to maintain the spatial relationship between the first and second elongate members stop guides are slidably mounted upon the elongate members;

a means for biasing the ball placement mechanism coupled to said second elongate member,

a ball placement mechanism, said ball placement mechanism comprising

a housing defining a channel which surrounds said first and second elongate members, wherein said housing has a solid top portion and a groove defined therein; and

a ball receptacle, which is pivotally hinged at the distal end to the first elongate member, and coupled to the channel at an upper fixed pivot point, wherein said ball placement receptacle further comprises a crescent shaped ball cup coupled to the distal end of said ball receptacle, wherein said crescent shaped ball cup defines a opening through the center of said ball cup sized to cradle a golf ball,

upon actuation of said primary lever said ball placement mechanism is impelled forward, as said ball placement mechanism moves beyond center of the guide bearing surface to a fully extended position said biasing means retracts said ball placement mechanism, this rearward motion causes said ball receptacle to pivot downward and dispense a golf ball onto a tee.

5. A golf ball teeing device as in claim 4, wherein as said ball placement mechanism is retracted the ball receptacle rotates about an upper fixed pivot point mounted through said channel, as the ball receptacle pivots downward said ball cup disengages from a golf ball.

6. A golf ball teeing device as in claim 4, wherein said golf ball teeing device further comprises guide wheels affixed to said housing for guiding said housing.

7. A golf ball teeing device as in claim 4, wherein said guide wheels support and counterbalance said ball placement mechanism within said housing.

8. A golf ball teeing device as in claim 4, wherein said base further comprises a slot defined therein sized to accommodate a golf tee.

9. A golf ball teeing device as in claim 4, wherein said golf teeing device further comprises a mat coupled with said base.

10. A method for driving a golf ball from an golf teeing device by a golfer, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a golf ball teeing device, said golf teeing device comprising;

a housing coupled to a base,

a hopper, having a top portion and a lower portion, sized to accommodate a plurality of balls said hopper connected to said housing,

a ball delivery tube, having a first end and a second end, wherein said first end is connected to the lower portion of said hopper, said ball delivery tube is angled slightly to the horizontal such that the second end of said ball delivery tube is lower than said first end of said ball delivery tube,

an actuating mechanism for releasing a golf ball from the ball delivery tube onto a ball placement mechanism, said actuating mechanism comprising

a primary lever, one end of which is pivotably mounted to a guide bearing surface, said guide bearing surface coupled to said housing, said lever capable of pivoting between a rest position and an operating position;

a secondary lever, having a distal and a proximal end, said proximal end connected to said primary lever, which pivots within said guide bearing surface, said secondary lever being capable of pivoting between a rest position and an operating position, wherein a slot is formed through the distal end of the second lever;

first and second elongate members, oriented parallel to one another, wherein said first elongate member is coupled to said secondary lever, the movement of said first and second levers from a rest position to an operating position acts upon said first elongate member which serves as the driving mechanism for the ball placement mechanism, wherein to maintain the spatial relationship between the first and second elongate members stop guides are slidably mounted upon the elongate members;

a means for biasing the ball placement mechanism coupled to said second elongate member, and

a ball placement mechanism, said ball placement mechanism comprising

a channel which surrounds said first and second elongate members, wherein said channel has a solid top portion and a groove defined therein; and

a ball receptacle, which is pivotally hinged at the distal end to the first elongate member, and coupled to the channel at an upper fixed pivot point,

(b) inserting a golf tee into a slot defined in said base,

(c) taking a stance behind the ball and addressing the ball,

(d) the golfer extending the distal end of his golf club and depressing the primary lever which extends through said housing,

(e) driving the golf ball which has been dispensed onto the tee.