Golf ball feeder for use in golf practice court

• US 6,174,243 B1
• Filed: 06/23/1999
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jin Jae-Sam
• Original Assignee: Myung Choi
• Inventors: Choi, Myung
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US09/338,361
• Time in Patent Office: 573 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 golf ball feeder includes a hopper for storing a plurality of golf balls therein. The hopper has an opening. A guide chute is positioned below the hopper to receive the golf balls from the opening of the hopper. The golf balls flow along the guide chute. An outlet chute is connected to the guide chute to pass over the golf balls flowed from the guide chute to the outside. A stopper is formed in a boundary region between the guide chute and the outlet chute to stop flowing of the golf balls. A golf ball lifting unit is positioned below the stopper to free one of the golf balls from the stopper. The golf ball lifting unit has a rod. A tee up member is hinged at an outlet side of the outlet chute to receive the golf ball from the outlet chute and put the golf ball on a tee. The golf balls are liable to be stuck in the hopper. Therefore, the golf ball feeder further includes a golf ball releasing unit to release the stuck state of the golf balls in connection with the rod of the golf ball lifting unit.

Claims

1. A golf ball feeder comprising:

a hopper for storing a plurality of golf balls therein, the hopper having an opening;

a guide chute positioned below the hopper to receive the golf balls from the opening of the hopper, the golf balls flowing along the guide chute;

an outlet chute connected to the guide chute to deliver the golf balls flowed from the guide chute to the outside;

a stopper formed in a boundary region between the guide chute and the outlet chute to stop flowing of the golf balls;

a golf ball lifting unit positioned below the stopper to free one of the golf balls from the stopper; and

a tee up member hinged at an outlet side of the outlet chute to receive the golf ball from the outlet chute and put the golf ball on a tee;

wherein the golf ball lifting unit comprises a rod capable of rotating by an external force, a pushing member fixed to the rod to be rotated with the rod as a single unit, and a lift dynamically connected to the pushing member to be elevated by the rotation of the pushing member and to free the golf ball from the stopper.

2. A golf ball feeder comprising:

a hopper for storing a plurality of golf balls therein, the hopper having an opening and the golf balls capable of being stuck in the hopper;

a guide chute positioned below the hopper to receive the golf balls from the opening of the hopper, the golf balls flowing along the guide chute;

an outlet chute connected to the guide chute to deliver the golf balls flowed from the guide chute to the outside;

a stopper formed in a boundary region between the guide chute and the outlet chute to stop flowing of the golf balls;

a golf ball lifting unit positioned below the stopper to free one of the golf balls from the stopper, the golf ball lifting unit having a rod;

a tee up member hinged at an outlet side of the outlet chute to receive the golf ball from the outlet chute and put the golf ball on a tee; and

a golf ball releasing unit positioned below the opening of the hopper to release the stuck state of golf balls in connection with the rod of the golf ball lifting unit;

wherein the golf ball releasing unit comprises a plurality of link members dynamically connected to the rod of the golf ball lifting unit to be rotated, a pushing member moved up and down by the rotation of the link members, and a release plate fixed to the pushing member to be moveable with the pushing member as a single unit, the release plate having an end hinged at the guide chute and an opposite free end for releasing the stuck state of the golf balls.