Hands-free golf ball teeing device

• US 5,743,804 A
• Filed: 03/11/1997
• Issued: 04/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gary E. Bacon
• Original Assignee: Gary E. Bacon
• Inventors: Bacon, Gary E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Steven B.
• Application Number:
  US08/814,202
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 473/132-137, 473/278, 473/279, 473/386
• US Class Current: 473/132
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/0006 Automatic teeing devices devices for automatically dispensing balls in general A63B47/002

Abstract

A hands-free golf ball teeing device (10) which allows a golfer to tee a golf ball, at a driving range, without having to bend over or to squat down to place the ball on the tee. The device (10) consists of a base (12) from where extends upward a structure (20). The structure (20) incorporates on one side a ramp channel (40) to which is pivotally attached a golf ball ramp (50) which includes a golf ball retaining bore (96) and a longitudinal golf ball channel (98). On the opposite side of the structure (20) is a lever plate (130). To operate the device (10) the lever plate (130) is depressed, with a golf club or the like, which then applies a force to the lower surface (62) of the golf ball ramp (50). This force is sufficient to overcome the magnetic force supplied by two permanent magnets (120,122) which are positioned to maintain the ramp (50) in a lowered position. When the ramp is in the raised position, a golf ball is easily guided up the channel (40) on the golf ball ramp (50) and into the golf ball retaining bore (96). Pressure from a golf club is then applied to the upper surface (60) of the ramp (50) to allow the ramp to be placed in the lowered position. At this time, the golf ball (170) is situated on top of the tee (150) ready to be struck by a golfer.

Claims

1. A hands-free golf ball teeing device comprising a base from where extends upward a structure, with said structure having:

a) an upper surface and a ramp channel, with said ramp channel having an open left end, a closed right end and front and rear side walls, where near the open left end is located a golf ball tee attached by an attachment means, and

b) a golf ball ramp having a front edge, a rear edge, a left edge, an open right edge, an upper surface, a lower surface, a golf ball retaining bore located inward from the left edge and over said golf ball the and a golf ball channel that commences at the open right edge and terminates at an interface with said golf ball retaining bore, a means for pivotally attaching said ramp to said ramp channel, a means for maintaining said ramp in a lowered position where said ramp is substantially flush with said structure, and a means for placing said ramp in a raised position, wherein to use said device, said ramp is initially placed in the raised position, a golf ball is then maneuvered up the golf ramp onto said golf ball retaining bore, the ramp is then lowered, at which time the ball is in position to be struck by the golfer.

2. The device as specified in claim 1 wherein said base and structure are integrally molded of a high impact plastic.

3. The device as specified in claim 1 wherein said high impact plastic is comprised of a polyurethane.

4. The device a specified in claim 1 wherein said means for attaching said golf ball tee to the ramp channel comprises a tee bore located near the open left end of said ramp channel into which is inserted said golf ball tee wherein said means allows a broken or worn tee to be easily removed and replaced.

5. The device as specified in claim 1 wherein said means for pivotally attaching said golf ball ramp to said ramp channel comprises a spring/ramp pivot pin which is located near the rear edge of said golf ball ramp and inserted into respective spring/pivot bores located on the front and rear side walls of said ramp channel.

6. The device as specified in claim 5 wherein said means for maintaining said golf ball ramp in a lowered position comprises:

a) said ramp channel having near the open left end a channel magnet cavity into which is inserted a first permanent magnet, and

b) said golf ball ramp having near the left edge and lower surface a ramp magnet cavity into which is inserted a second permanent magnet, wherein when said first and second permanent magnets interface, the golf ramp remains attached to the ramp channel in the lowered position.

7. The device as specified in claim 6 wherein said means for placing said golf ball ramp in a raised position comprises a compression spring which is positioned around said spring/ramp pivot pin wherein said spring biases said golf ramp in the raised position and function in combination with a pivot lever that is operated by a lever plate which is accessible from the upper surface of said structure, wherein said pivot lever produces an upward pressure on the lower surface of said golf ball ramp when said lever plate is depressed, wherein the upward pressure produced is sufficient to overcome the magnetic force of the first and second permanent magnets and cause said golf ball ramp to pivot to the raised position.

8. The device as specified in claim 3 wherein said means for maintaining said golf ball ramp in the raised position comprises:

a) a ramp stop pin inserted through a lateral ramp stop bore located near the right edge of said golf ball ramp wherein said pin is dimensioned to extend outward from each side of said golf ball ramp, and

b) a pair of ramp stop slots located on said structure in alignment with said ramp stop pin wherein when said compression spring biases said golf ramp in the raised direction, the travel in the upward direction is stopped when the ramp stop pin interfaces with the ramps stop slots.

9. A hands-free golf ball teeing device comprising:

A. a base having a lower surface, an upper surface, and side edges,

B. a structure which integrally extends upward from the upper surface of said base and inward from the side edges of said base, said structure having;

a) an upper surface, a front edge, a rear edge, a left edge and a right edge,

b) a ramp channel having;

(1) an open left end located at the left edge of said structure, a closed right end that terminates near the right edge of said structure, a front side wall and a rear side wall,

(2) a ramp pivot opening having a rear edge that interfaces with the rear side wall of said ramp channel and a front edge that terminates near the front side wall of said ramp channel,

(3) a spring/ramp pivot bore located near the rearward end of said ramp channel and through the front and rear side walls of said ramp channel,

(4) a ramp stop slot located near the front edge of said ramp pivot opening and the front and rear side walls of said ramp channel,

(5) a lever housing located adjacent the front side wall of said channel, wherein said housing extends downward through said structure and said base, and wherein said housing is elongated at the structure and base levels and includes along the sides a pair of pivot rod attachment slots,

(6) a tee bore located forward of the lever housing and extending through said ramp channel, said structure and said base, wherein the diameter of said tee bore is larger at said base,

(7) a channel magnet cavity located forward of said tee bore and near the open forward end of said channel,

(8) a lever cavity located between the rear side wall of said ramp channel and the left, right and rear edges of said structure,

(9) a channel entry which commences at the right edge of said structure and terminates at the rearward end of said ramp channel,

C. a golf ball ramp having;

a) a front edge, a rear edge, a left edge, a right edge, an upper surface and a lower surface,

b) a golf ball retaining bore located inward from the left edge,

c) a golf ball channel that commences at the right edge and terminates at an interface with said golf ball retaining bore,

d) a ramp magnet cavity located on the lower surface, near the left edge and in alignment with the channel magnet cavity on said ramp channel,

e) a protrusion having a left end, a right end and front and rear sides that are flush with the front and rear side walls of said ramp, wherein said right end of said protrusion is flush with the right edges of said ramp and wherein said protrusion extends downward from the lower surface of said ramp with said protrusion having near the right end a lateral spring/ramp pivot bore and having near the left end a lateral ramp stop bore,

D. a spring/ramp pivot pin inserted through said spring/ramp pivot bore on said protrusion and into the spring/ramp pivot bores on said ramp channel, wherein said pivot pin allows said golf ball ramp to pivot about said pivot pin,

E. a compression spring positioned around said spring/ramp pivot pin and located between said golf ball ramp and said ramp channel wherein said spring biases said ramp in a raised position,

F. a ramp stop pin inserted through said lateral ramp stop bore on said protrusion wherein said pin is dimensioned to extend outward from each side of said protrusion and to fit into the respective ramp stop slot on said structure wherein when said compression spring biases said golf ramp in the raised direction the travel in the upward direction is stopped when the ramp stop pin interfaces with the ramp stop slots on said structure,

G. a first permanent magnet inserted into said channel magnet cavity and a second permanent magnet inserted into said ramp magnet cavity wherein when the two magnets interface, the pivotal golf ball ramp is maintained in a lowered position,

H. a lever plate having an upper surface and a lower surface wherein said plate is dimensioned to fit into the lever cavity on said structure,

I. a pivot lever having a first side, a second side and a pivot bar that is attached across the lever with ends that extend outward from the sides of said lever, wherein the first side of said lever is attached to the lower surface of said lever plate and the second side is dimensioned to freely travel within the elongated lever housing on said structure and said base and wherein the outward extending pivot bars are attached to the respective pivot rod slots on said structure, wherein when said lever plate is depressed, the second side of the lever makes contact with and places a sufficient pressure, on the lower surface of said golf ball ramp, to overcome the magnetic force of said first and second magnets, and allow the golf ball ramp to pivot to the raised position, and

J. a detachable, resilient tee having a base section and an integral upward protruding section having a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the base section and having an upper end dimensioned to hold a golf ball, wherein said tee is inserted from the lower surface of the base where the base section fits into the larger diameter of the tee bore and the upward protruding section extends upward through the tee bore and further extends through the golf ball retaining bore on said pivotal golf ball ramp, wherein when said device is positioned for use, said two permanent magnets maintain said pivotal golf ramp in the lowered position, a golf ball is placed on the upper end of said tee and a golf club is used to hit the ball away from said device, wherein after hitting the ball the lever plate is depressed with a golf club which causes said ramp to be released from the magnetic force of said first and second magnets and move into its raised position, a golf ball is then guided by a golf club into said ball-entry channel, up said ramp channel until the ball is situated a top the golf ball retaining bore, the golf ball ramp is then pressed downward with a golf club until said two magnets interface to hold said golf ball ramp in its lowered position at which time the golf ball remains resting on the golf tee awaiting a swing.

10. The device as specified in claim 9 wherein said structures said ramp and said plate are molded from a high impact plastic.

11. The device as specified in claim 10 wherein said high-impact plastic comprise a polyurethane.

12. The device as specified in claim 9 wherein said tee is constructed of a resilient material that is able to withstand an impact from a swinging golf club.

13. The device as specified in claim 9 wherein the lower surface of said base is covered with a moisture resistant material, wherein said cover having an opening over the tee section which allows said tee to be removed and replaced as needed.

14. The device as specified in claim 13 wherein said material having means for being attached and detached.

15. The device as specified in claim 9 further comprising a device containment mat having:

a) an upper surface and a lower surface, and

b) an opening dimensioned to allow said structure to tightly fit into said opening, wherein when said structure is inserted into said opening from the lower surface of said mat, the upper surface of said base is in contact with the lower surface of said mat and the upper surface of said structure is substantially flush with the upper surface of said mat.

16. The device as specified in claim 15 wherein said mat is constructed from artificial turf.

17. The device as specified in claim 15 wherein said mat is constructed from a resilient material.