Golf ball dispenser

• US 6,179,719 B1
• Filed: 05/25/1999
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kee Y. Hwang
• Original Assignee: Kee Y. Hwang
• Inventors: Hwang, Kee Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US09/318,458
• Time in Patent Office: 616 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 dispenser is comprised of a housing with a funnel for receiving golf balls which are simply poured in. A sloped track is connected between an aperture on the bottom of the funnel and a hole on a side of the housing. A lever arm has an inner end positioned through the hole and hinged to the housing. The lever arm is biased to an up position by a weight on the inner end. An agitator is positioned adjacent the aperture on the funnel and linked to the inner end of the lever arm by a rod for agitating the balls into the aperture whenever the lever arm is operated. A hump is provided at an intermediate point along the track for stopping the balls before they reach the hole in the housing. A ratcheting tab has one end hinged to the inner end of the lever arm, and another end positioned below the hump in the track. When the lever arm is pivoted down by a golf club, the golf ball at the hump is lifted by the ratcheting tab over the hump. The ball is delivered by the remaining portion of the track to the inner end of the lever arm, and delivered to the ground by the lowered lever arm.

Claims

1. A golf ball dispenser, comprising:

a funnel positioned for receiving golf balls which are poured in;

a sloped track with an upper end connected to an aperture on a bottom of said funnel for receiving said balls falling through said aperture;

a lever arm with an inner end connected to a lower end of said track for receiving said balls from said track, a distal end of said lever arm being pivotable between a raised position and a lowered position, said lever arm for delivering said balls to a ground when pivoted to said lowered position;

a movable agitator positioned adjacent said aperture on said funnel and connected to said lever arm for agitating said balls into said aperture whenever said lever arm is operated;

a hump positioned at an intermediate point along said track for stopping said balls before said balls reach said lever arm; and

a ratcheting tab with a proximal end hinged to said inner end of said lever arm, and a movable distal end positioned below said hump in said track, wherein when said lever arm is lowered, said distal end of said ratcheting tab is raised for lifting one of said golf balls on said track over said hump and onto a lower portion of said track for delivery to said inner end of said lever arm.

2. The golf ball dispenser of claim 1, wherein said agitator includes a proximal end hinged to said funnel, and a movable distal end positioned adjacent said aperture on said funnel, said agitator connected to said lever arm by a rod, so that said agitator is pivoted whenever said lever arm is pivoted for agitating said balls into said aperture.

3. The golf ball dispenser of claim 1, wherein said agitator includes a proximal end hinged to said funnel, and a movable annular distal end positioned around said aperture on said funnel for agitating said balls around said aperture with a pivoting movement.

4. The golf ball dispenser of claim 1, further including a weight attached to said inner end of said lever arm biasing said lever arm to said raised position.

5. The golf ball dispenser of claim 1, further including a bucket fixedly housing said funnel and said sloped track for convenient carrying, said funnel communicating with an open top of said bucket.

6. The golf ball dispenser of claim 1, further including a bucket fixedly housing said funnel and said sloped track for convenient carrying, said funnel communicating with an open top of said bucket, said inner end of said lever arm extending through a hole on a side of said bucket, said lever arm pivoted to said bucket adjacent said hole.

7. The golf ball dispenser of claim 1, further including a connecting rod connecting said agitator to said lever arm.