Golf ball retriever

• US 5,997,062 A
• Filed: 12/09/1998
• Issued: 12/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nathan Schwartz
• Original Assignee: Nathan Schwartz
• Inventors: Schwartz, Nathan
• Primary Examiner(s): CHERRY, JOHNNY DAN
• Application Number:
  US09/208,730
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 294/19.2, 294/55, 294/66.1, 294/99.1, 37/316, 56/328.1, 56/332, 56/400.01, 56/400.04, 56/400.11, 473/286
• US Class Current: 294/19.2
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 47/02 for picking-up or collecting

Abstract

A golf ball retriever which is attached to an elongated holder for retrieving golf balls from water hazards. It consists of a combination of two sections. The first section straddles and confines the ball laterally, and the second section is a trailing cage having a pair of hooks used to entrap the ball when the hooks are pulled under the ball, and which, when inverted, becomes a ball-carrying basket.

Claims

1. A golf ball retriever comprising a combination of an advance and a trailing compartment, said compartments being separate but interconnected and sequentially operated, said combination of compartments attached to an extendable length holder, said advance compartment comprising straddling elements to laterally confine a ball, said advance compartment having an opening between the straddling elements, said opening being totally clear of overhead elements, whereby said opening prevents pressing down on and burying a ball being retrieved, and said trailing compartment comprising a pair of upper and a pair of lower elements and a central backup element, said elements being so disposed as to be a ball-entrapment cage, and said lower elements being a ball seat having a pair of hooks at the cage entrance, said hooks having substantially rounded leading ends, whereby the movement of said retriever across the bottom of a water hazard is smoothed, said ball seat having the shape of a circular rim around a space slightly smaller than the diameter of a golf ball, and said cage becoming a basket when said holder is rotated about its axis one-half turn to invert said cage, whereby said basket can more securely retain a ball being transferred out of water.

2. The retriever of claim 1 wherein the width of said opening in said advance compartment is substantially greater than the width of said cage, whereby substantial leeway is provided in spotting the location of a ball.

3. The retriever of claim 2 wherein said straddling elements in the advance compartment converge toward said cage to function as ball-guiding elements.