Golf pairing apparatus and method of use

• US 6,185,850 B1
• Filed: 10/28/1998
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David Erkel
• Original Assignee: David Erkel
• Inventors: Erkel, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Melius, Terry Lee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, William L.
• Application Number:
  US09/182,744
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 406/57, 404/89, 406/00, 406/21
• US Class Current: 40/657
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0616 Means for conducting or scheduling competition, league, tournaments or rankings
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/0697 Reservation devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 7/04 the elements being secured or adapted to be secured by magnetic means

Abstract

An apparatus and method for pairing players in a golf tournament including a board with a display side having a plurality of groups bearing a predetermined number of slots. A plurality of magnetic name tag elements including a display space for receiving indicia associated with player to be paired are placed over selectively determined player slots providing a visual indication of occupied and unoccupied player slots. Changes in pairings that occur are responded to by moving corresponding name tag elements to different player slots.

Claims

1. Pairing apparatus for players in a tournament comprising:

a single board element formed with a planar display surface;

a plurality of columns overlying a first portion of said display surface, each of said columns including a plurality of spaced apart groups having four player slots and a player space adjacent each said slot;

an indicator slot positioned adjacent to one said player slot in each said group;

a plurality of rigid name tag elements dimensioned for selective positioning in a stacked relationship in respective ones of said player spaces in any one of said columns, each of said tag elements including a respective display space for receipt of an indicia associated with respective players to be paired;

a queuing area providing an open space overlying a second portion of said display surface complementing said first portion and providing temporary storage of said name tag elements and dimensioned to receive all of said name tag elements in said stacked relationship when said player spaces are uncovered; and

each of said elements including releasable attachment means for releasably attaching the respective name tag elements to said board element in said player spaces in said columns whereby selected said indicia may be placed over the respective display spaces of the respective name tag elements and said name tag elements bearing said indicia placed on the respective player space of each such group to be releasably attached to said board element so that as pairing conditions change a selected said name tag element may be removed from said player space to have a portion of said open space uncovered indicating an available pairing opening.

2. Pairing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said attachment means includes a magnet.

3. Pairing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said slots and spaces are arranged in vertical columns.

4. Pairing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said name tag elements include removable name slips.

5. Pairing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said name tag elements are channel shaped.

6. Pairing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said board element is constructed with thirty-six said groups.

7. Pairing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said board element is constructed from a ferrous based metal.

8. Pairing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said display surface includes a painted white background.

9. Pairing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said groups are centrally arranged in a table having four columns by nine rows.

10. Method for pairing players throughout a tournament comprising the steps of:

providing a single display board having a planar display surface including a first portion partially covering said display surface with a plurality of columns including a plurality of spaced apart groups, each of said groups having at least four player slots placed adjacent an indicator slot and a second portion providing a queuing area complementing said first portion;

providing a plurality of rigid name tag elements representing the number of players in the tournament in said queuing area, said name tag elements having attachment means for removably positioning said name tag elements on said display board and further being dimensioned for placement within any of said player slots in any of said columns and further including exposed edges spaced away from said planar display surface and a display space for receiving indicia associated with players to be paired throughout the tournament;

providing indicia associated with each player;

placing said indicia in said display spaces of the respective said name tag elements;

providing a group indicator in each group indicator slot;

removing a selected said name tag element from said queuing area and placing said selected name tag element in a desired said player slot in any of said columns;

repeating the removal and placement step until each group of player slots is filled with respective said name tag elements corresponding to the number of players;

as pairing conditions change, grasping said edges of a selected said name tag element and removing it from a selected said player slot leaving an empty said player slot creating a visual indication of a pairing opening;

returning said selected name tag element to said queuing area;

filling said empty player slot with a different said name tag element to achieve an alternate pairing; and

repeating said removing, returning and filling steps as necessary to complete each set of said player slots.

11. The method for pairing players throughout a tournament as set forth in claim 10 wherein:

said removal step includes grasping said exposed edges of said name tag element to be removed from said player slot and sliding said name tag element to an alternate location along said planar display surface.

12. Pairing apparatus for a predetermined number of players in a golfing tournament comprising:

a single board element formed at least partially with a ferrous based material and having a planar display surface including a pairing region and a storage region;

a set of four columns overlying said pairing region of said display surface providing a pairing area, each of said columns including a plurality of spaced apart groups having four vertically aligned player slots with a player space of a predetermined height and width adjacent each said slot;

an indicator slot positioned adjacent to one said player slot in each group;

a predetermined number of name tag elements corresponding with the predetermined number of players in the tournament, said name tag elements being dimensioned for selective positioning in stacked and covering relationship in respective ones of said player spaces, each of said name tag elements including a respective display space for receipt of an indicia associated with respective players to be paired;

a queuing column providing an open space overlying said storage region of said display surface and positioned marginally around said pairing region, said queuing column being dimensioned with a predetermined height and width to temporarily position all of said predetermined number of name tag elements in stacked relationship when all of said player spaces are uncovered; and

each of said name tag elements including magnets cooperating with said ferrous board material to releasably attach the respective name tag elements to said board element in said player spaces in said columns whereby selected said indicia may be placed over the respective display spaces of the respective name tag elements and a selected said name tag element bearing said indicia is releasably placed on each of the respective player spaces in each group to form groups of pairing sets so that as pairing conditions change a selected said name tag element may be removed from its respective said player space and positioned in said queuing column to uncover an open space indicating an available pairing opening within said pairing region.