Golf ball and tee placement device

• US 6,338,685 B1
• Filed: 01/20/2000
• Issued: 01/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Design Mind, LLC, Idea Bank Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Design Mind, LLC, Idea Bank Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Posluszny, Frank A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US09/488,026
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 473/396, 473/286, 294/19.1, 294/19.2
• US Class Current: 473/386
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 57/0037 Devices for inserting or extracting tees

Abstract

A main tube having an actuator rod reciprocating therein having a handle portion on one end and a ball and tee holding portion on the other. The ball and tee holding portion has a ball holder or a guide attached to the actuator rod and arms holding the golf tee in position and held by spring clip or leaf springs and magnets. Upon activating the handle portion, the movement of the ball holder and guide causes the release of the pivoted arms after placement of the golf tee in the ground. The ball holder or guide is biased upward by a spring without retracting the arms, thereby permitting the golf tee and ball placement device to be removed from the teed up golf ball. Accurate and repeatable placement of a golf ball at a predetermined height on a tee is achieved with a reduced possibility that the golf ball falls off the tee upon removal of the golf tee and ball placement device.

Claims

1. A device used to place a golf ball and golf tee comprising:

a housing;

a golf ball holder movably placed within said housing;

an actuator rod attached to said golf ball holder;

an arm base attached to said housing; and

an arm pivotally attached to said arm base adapted to releasably hold a golf tee and golf ball within said golf ball holder and positioned so as to release the golf ball and golf tee upon movement of said golf ball holder by said actuator rod,

whereby the golf ball and golf tee are held within said golf ball holder by said arm and released when said golf ball holder is moved by said actuator rod causing the golf ball to remain on the golf tee placed in the ground.

2. A device used to place a golf ball and golf tee as in claim 1 further comprising:

a spring biasing said actuator rod away from said housing.

3. A device used to place a golf ball and golf tee as in claim 1 further comprising:

means for adjusting the placement height of the golf tee.

4. A device used to place a golf ball and golf tee as in claim 3 wherein:

said means for adjusting the placement height of the golf tee comprises a threaded height adjuster attached to said housing.

5. A device used to place a golf ball and golf tee as in claim 1 further comprising:

a spring clip attached to said housing and contacting said arm, whereby said arm is held in a predetermined position.

6. A device used to place a golf ball and golf tee as in claim 1 further comprising:

a first magnet placed on said arm base; and

a second magnet, having a pole to attract said first magnet, placed on said arm.

7. A device used to place a golf ball and tee comprising:

a tube body;

an actuator rod placed within said tube body;

a cylindrical golf ball holder placed on one end of said actuator rod;

a push-button placed on the other end of said actuator rod;

a housing placed around said cylindrical golf ball holder and attached to said tube body;

a pair of arms each having a width pivotally attached to said housing and positioned to be released when said cylindrical golf ball holder is pushed downward by said actuator rod, said pair of arms being de-coupled from said cylindrical golf ball holder after the golf ball and tee are released by said pair of arms,

whereby a golf ball is placed on a golf tee and prevented from falling off upon removal of the device used to place a golf ball and tee.

8. A device used to place a golf ball and tee as in claim 7 further comprising:

a height adjuster attached to said housing.

9. A device used to place a golf ball and tee as in claim 7 further comprising:

an arm base attached to said housing, said cylindrical golf ball holder sliding axially on said arm base;

a pair of spring clips attached to said arm base, one each of said pair of spring clips contacting an end of one each of said pair of arms, whereby said pair of arms releasable hold the golf ball within said cylindrical golf ball holder and the golf tee adjacent the golf ball.

10. A device used to place a golf ball and tee as in claim 7 further comprising:

a first pair of magnets placed on said arm base; and

a second pair of magnets, having a pole to attract said first magnet, placed on said pair of arms.

11. A device used to place a golf ball and tee as in claim 7 further comprising:

a pair of cut away portions in the cylindrical walls of said cylindrical golf ball holder, each of said pair of cut away portions having a width adapted to receive the width of each of said pair of arms.

12. A device used to place a golf ball and tee as in claim 9 further comprising:

a cam surface placed on the end of one each of said pair of arms,

whereby the pair of arms are controllably moved from a retaining position to a releasing position.

13. A device used to place a golf ball and tee as in claim 7 further comprising:

a hole placed in said tube body; and

a button lock attached to said actuator rod and adapted to be received by said hole when said actuator rod is in a predetermined position.

14. A device used to place a golf ball on a golf tee at a predetermined height without the user or golfer having to bend over comprising:

an elongated tube body;

an actuator rod placed within said elongated tube body;

a cylindrical ball holder placed on one end of said actuator rod, said cylindrical ball holder having a plurality of cut away portions in the cylindrical wall;

a push button placed on the other end of said actuator rod;

a motion slide attached to said push button, said motion slide fitting within said elongated tube body;

a button connected to said motion slide and biased radially outward towards said elongated tube body;

a hole in said elongated tube body adapted to receive said button, whereby said button extends from said hole locking said actuator rod in a predetermined position;

a housing placed around said ball holder and attached to said body;

a spring biasing said actuator rod away from said housing;

an arm base attached to said housing;

a pair of arms each having a width adapted to be received within the cut away portions in the cylindrical wall of said cylindrical golf ball holder, said pair of arms pivotally attached to said housing and positioned to be released when said ball holder is pushed downward by said actuator rod;

a pair of spring clips attached to said arm base, each of said pair of spring clips contacting one end of said pair of arms;

a first pair of magnets attached to said arm base;

a second pair of magnets, having a pole to attract said first pair of magnets, and positioned on said pair of arms to mate with said first pair of magnets when said pair of arms are positioned to retain the golf ball within said cylindrical golf ball holder; and

a height adjuster threaded into said housing;

whereby the golf ball and golf tee are held within said housing by the action of said pair of arms, said pair of spring clips and said first and second pair of magnets until said actuator rod is moved downward releasing the golf ball and tee resulting in the golf ball being teed up at a predetermined height ready to be hit by a golf club without the user or golfer having to bend over.

15. A device for placing a golf ball on a tee comprising:

a housing;

golf ball holder means, placed within said housing, for holding the golf ball;

retainer means, placed adjacent said golf ball holder means, for retaining the golf ball within said golf ball holder means and holding the golf tee adjacent said golf ball, said retainer means being de-coupled from said golf ball holder means once the golf ball and golf tee are released; and

actuator means, attached to said housing, for actuating the release of said retainer means,

whereby a golf ball is placed on a golf tee.

16. A device for placing a golf ball on a tee as in claim 15 further comprising:

height adjuster means, attached to said housing, for adjusting the height the golf tee is placed in the ground.