Method and apparatus for retrieving lost golf balls including golf ball picker and power drive device for moving the picker

• US 5,678,805 A
• Filed: 11/10/1994
• Issued: 10/21/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Harold E. Moser, Howard G. Moser
• Original Assignee: Harold E. Moser, Howard G. Moser
• Inventors: Moser, Howard G., Moser, Harold E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stodola, Daniel P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARCELO, EMMANUEL MONSAYAC
• Application Number:
  US08/338,021
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 254/279, 254/284, 254/283, 254/315, 254/317, 254/321, 254/388, 242/422.5, 242/388.7, 242/388.8, 212/322, 212/171, 414/434, 414/442, 414/437, 414/440, 56/328.1
• US Class Current: 254/279
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2225/60 Apparatus used in water
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/021 for picking-up automatically, e.g. by apparatus moving over the playing surface
• CPC Class Codes: B66D 1/26 having several drums or barrels

Abstract

A method and apparatus for retrieving golf balls from a submerged surface includes a power drive device which is stationed along the shore of the submerged surface of a golf course water hazard and which carries a pair of spools on which flexible line is wound. The flexible line on one spool is connected directly to a golf ball retrieving mechanism, and the line from the other spool is connected around a pulley on a deadman stake on the opposite side of the submerged surface and is then connected to the golf ball retrieving device. Accordingly, the golf ball retriever is moved along the submerged surface toward and away from the opposite shores of the water hazard by alternatively driving one of the spools and permitting the other spool to unwind. The power drive device is moved incrementally along the shore surface after each sweep of the golf ball retriever so that golf balls may be retrieved from all of the submerged surface.

Claims

1. Power drive device for moving a golf ball picker over a surface on which golf balls are lying, said power drive device including a frame, a pair of spools carried by said frame for winding and unwinding a flexible line, said flexible line being wound on each of said spools and extending from each spool to said golf ball picker, and drive means for driving one of said spools in a direction winding said line on said one spool while permitting the line on the other spool to unwind to thereby move said golf ball picker in one direction, said drive means being switchable to permit the line on said one spool to unwind while driving the other spool in a direction winding said line on the other spool to thereby move said golf ball picker in the opposite direction, said spools being mounted for rotation on a common shaft, said drive means including shiftable means for connecting and disconnecting said spools for rotation with said shaft, said shiftable means being shiftable from a first position for connecting one of said spools for rotation with said shaft while permitting the other spool to rotate relative to said shaft to a second position connecting the other spool for rotation with said shaft while permitting said one spool to rotate relative to said shaft, a hydraulic motor mounted on said frame for rotating said shaft, said hydraulic motor providing a fluid coupling with said shaft, said fluid coupling being overridden by torques in excess of a predetermined amount applied to said shaft to thereupon permit rotation of the shaft relative to the hydraulic motor, a pump mounted on said frame for supplying pressurized fluid to said hydraulic motor, a reservoir mounted on said frame for receiving fluid from said hydraulic motor and supplying hydraulic fluid to said pump, and valve means mounted on said frame for controlling communication between said pump, said reservoir, and said hydraulic motor, said frame including means for supporting said frame for movement relative to said surface, and hydraulically actuated stakes for anchoring said frame relative to said surface, said valve means controlling communication of hydraulic fluid to said stakes for operating the latter.

2. Method of recovering lost golf balls from the bed of a body of water comprising the steps of providing a power drive device having a pair of spools each having a flexible line wound thereon, placing said power drive device at a first station on the shore of said body of water, connecting the flexible line wound on one of said spools to a golf ball picker, connecting the flexible line wound on the other spool for movement relative to a deadman device secured against movement at a second station on said shore spaced from said first station and then connecting said line from the other spool to the golf ball picker, winding said flexible line on one of said spools while permitting the line on the other spool to unwind to move the golf ball picker to one of said stations, and then winding the flexible line on the other spool while permitting the one spool to unwind to thereby move the picker toward the other station, moving one of said devices to a series of incremental stations around the shore of said body of water while maintaining the other device in its station, and moving the golf ball picker between each of said incremental stations and the station of the other device by winding and unwinding said spools before moving the one device to a successive one of said incremental stations.

3. Method of recovering lost golf balls as claimed in claim 2, wherein said spools are mounted for rotation relative to a common driven rotating shaft mounted for rotation relative to said power drive device, said method including the steps of connecting one of said spools for rotation with said shaft while permitting the other spool to rotate relative to said shaft and then connecting said other spool for rotation with said shaft while permitting the other spool to rotate relative to the shaft.

4. Method of recovering lost golf balls as claimed in claim 2, wherein said power drive device carries ground anchors for securing said power drive device with said spools in each of said incremental stations, said method including the steps of actuating said ground anchors to anchor said power drive device after said power drive device is moved to any of said incremental stations.

5. Method of recovering lost golf balls as claimed in claim 2, wherein said method includes the steps of applying tension to said line as it unwinds from either of said spools.

6. In combination, a golf ball picker and a power drive device for moving a golf ball picker over a surface on which golf balls are lying, said power drive device including a frame, a pair of spools carried by said frame for winding and unwinding a flexible line, each of said spools being mounted for rotation on a common shaft, said flexible line being wound on each of said spools and extending from each spool to said golf ball picker, and shiftable drive means for connecting and disconnecting said spools for rotation with said shaft, said shiftable means being shiftable from a first position for connecting one of said spools for rotation with said shaft while permitting the other spool to rotate relative to said shaft for driving one of said spools in a direction winding said line on said one spool while disconnecting the other spool from rotation with said shaft to permit the flexible line on the other spool to unwind to thereby move said golf ball picker in one direction, said shiftable drive means being shiftable to a second position connecting the other spool for rotation with said shaft while permitting said one spool to rotate relative to said shaft, thereby permitting the line on said one spool to unwind to thereby move said golf ball picker in the opposite direction.

7. The combination as claimed in claim 6, wherein said shiftable drive means includes a hydraulic motor mounted on said frame for rotating said shaft, said hydraulic motor providing a fluid coupling with said shaft, said fluid coupling being overridden by torques in excess of a predetermined amount applied to said shaft to thereupon permit rotation of the shaft relative to the hydraulic motor.

8. The combination as claimed in claim 7, wherein said shiftable drive means further includes a pump mounted on said frame for supplying pressurized fluid to said hydraulic motor, a reservoir mounted on said frame for receiving fluid from said hydraulic motor and supplying hydraulic fluid to said pump, and valve means mounted on said frame for controlling communication between said pump, said reservoir, and said hydraulic motor.

9. The combination as claimed in claim 6, wherein said shiftable drive means includes a manually operated shift lever and a coupling member connected to said shift lever through a rotary connection therebetween, connecting means for joining said coupling member for rotation with said shaft while permitting said coupling member to slide along said shaft in response to movement of said shift lever, and cooperating means carried by said coupling member and,by each of said spools for alternately connecting each of said spool for rotation with said shaft as the shift lever is shifted between a first position coupling said one spool with said shaft through,said coupling member and a second position coupling said other spool with said shaft through said coupling member.

10. The combination as claimed in claim 6, wherein said shiftable drive means includes a shift lever and coupling means responsive to movement of the shift lever for coupling said one spool for rotation with the shaft and uncoupling the other spool when the shift lever is in one position and coupling the other spool for rotation with the shaft and uncoupling the one spool when the shift lever is moved into another position.

11. The combination as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of said spools are mounted on said shaft by bearings permitting relative rotation between the spools and the shaft.

12. The combination as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of said spools is provided with a tensioner to restrain unwinding of line from each spool.