U.S. patent application number 10/148051 was filed with the patent office on 2002-12-05 for combination golf apparatus.
Invention is credited to Malcolm, George Edward.
Application Number | 20020183138 10/148051 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 22614047 |
Filed Date | 2002-12-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020183138 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Malcolm, George Edward |
December 5, 2002 |
Combination golf apparatus
Abstract
The invention is combination adjustable golf tee setter and
divot tool with a golf ball marker comprising a case, a screw, and
a divot tool. The case comprises a retainer for retaining the divot
tool the screw comprises a head with includes a magnet for
retaining a golf ball marker. The head of the screw includes a
recess for facilitating removal of the golf ball marker as
required.
Inventors: |
Malcolm, George Edward;
(Salem, KY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BOWERS HARRISON LLP
GARY K. PRICE, ESP.
25 RIVERSIDE DRIVE
PO BOX 1287
EVANSVILLE
IN
47706-1287
US
|
Family ID: |
22614047 |
Appl. No.: |
10/148051 |
Filed: |
May 22, 2002 |
PCT Filed: |
December 4, 2000 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US00/32972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/386 ;
473/408 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 57/0037 20130101;
A63B 57/207 20151001; A63B 57/353 20151001; A63B 57/50
20151001 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/386 ;
473/408 |
International
Class: |
A63B 057/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 4, 1999 |
US |
60169042 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A device for setting a pin into a substrate at a controlled
height, such as a golf tee into the ground, comprising: a case and
a screw, wherein the screw is contained within the case and
interconnected by means of a projection and protrusions into a
helical groove, so that rotating the screw with respect to the case
results in linear travel of the screw with respect to the case,
wherein the case has a clearance to receive the screw, wherein the
screw can be adjusted linearly within the case, wherein there are
either height indicators or a reference on the case with either a
reference on the screw to match the height indicators on the case
or height indicators on the screw to match a reference on the case,
wherein, once the screw is adjusted within the case to an
appropriate setting, the screw is placed onto the pin and the pin
pushed into the substrate until the case touches the substrate,
resulting in the pin inserted to a desired repeatable installed
height.
2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a divot tool which is
contained within the case.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the screw has a head with a magnet
for retaining a ball marker.
4. The device of claim 3 wherein the screw has a head with a recess
that facilitates removal of a retained ball marker.
Description
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS: U.S. Provisional
[0001] Application for Patent No. 60/169,042, filed Dec. 4, 1999,
with title, "Combination Adjustable Golf Tee Setter and Divot Tool
With Golf Ball Marker Retainer" which is hereby incorporated by
reference. Applicant claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. Par.
119(e) (i).
[0002] Statement as to rights to inventions made under Federally
sponsored research and development: Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] 1. Field of the Invention
[0004] This invention relates to an adjustable device for setting a
pin, such as, but not restricted to, a golf tee into a substrate at
a controlled height. In the preferred embodiments, the device
enables a golfer to set a golf tee at an exact height, that can be
adjusted in accordance with which club will be used to hit a golf
ball. It incorporates a divot tool as an accessory item as well as
a golf ball marker retainer.
[0005] 2. Background Information
[0006] This inventor is of the opinion that a key to successful
golf is setting a ball on a tee at an exact height, predetermined
in accordance with which club will be used to hit the ball. It is
very desirable to control said height so that it is repeatable.
[0007] A golf ball set high for a given club will tend to loft when
struck with said club.
[0008] A golf ball set low for a given club will tend to skip along
the ground when hit with said club.
[0009] Professional golfers tend to properly set their tees
instinctively. For the unprofessional golfers, there is no
convenient mechanical apparatus available, or known to the trade,
to exactly set a golf tee to correspond to a given club, on a
repeatable basis.
[0010] A divot can be defined as a piece of turf gouged out with a
club in making stroke. For the typical golfer, divots are a
problem. A golfer is expected to repair his divots. A divot tool
tends to be one more piece of hardware distracting from a serious
golfer's focus on his game.
[0011] Convenient access to a ball marker is desirable for a
golfer. The distraction of reaching and searching for a ball marker
in one's pocket can detract from a serious golfer's
concentration.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The present invention, a combination adjustable golf tee
setter and pivot tool assembly with a ball marker retainer, is a
device comprising a case, a screw, and a divot tool. The case
comprising a case, a screw, and a divot tool. The case comprises a
means for retaining the divot tool, a case reference, a protrusion,
projections, and a clearance for accepting the screw. The screw
comprises a shank, a head, a thread, tee height indicators, a
recess, grooves, a magnet, a sloped recess, and a convex surface to
match a golf tee head. The magnet is set in the recess as a
provision for retaining a ball marker. The sloped recess enables a
golfer to press on an edge of the ball marker to flip up the marker
for removal from the magnet. The protrusion and projections in the
case match up with the grooves in the screw so an elevation of the
screw with respect to the case sets the convex surface of the screw
with respect to the case, so when the convex surface is placed
against a head of a golf tee, and the tee is inserted into a ground
surface until the case makes contact with the ground, the golf tee
is set at a fixed repeatable height with respect to the ground,
predetermined by the setting of a given tee heights indicator with
respect to a case reference. The head comprises said tee height
indicators, representing alternate golf clubs. A helical groove in
the case which results in a one and one quarter inch of linear
travel per rotation of the screw just happens to correlate with
settings ranging from a wedge, through number 1, 2, and 3 woods,
through number 4 through 9 irons. An individual golfer, with
practice, soon learns that a given fractional setting might work
better for him or her i.e. instead of the exact setting of a height
indicator on the case reference, a fractional turn such as a one
half or a one quarter setting of a height indicator before or
beyond the case reference, as an example.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates the various embodiments of the present
invention.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention, and
illustrates a divot tool and ball marker.
[0015] FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 6 illustrate the various embodiments of
the present invention.
[0016] FIGS. 7, 7A, 8, and 8A indicate a correlation of height
indicators versus tee placement.
[0017] FIGS. 9, 10, and 11 illustrate preferred embodiments of the
present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the preferred embodiment of the present
invention, a combination golf apparatus 1 comprising a case 2, a
screw 3, and a divot tool 4.
[0019] Referring to FIG. 2, the case 2 comprises a clearance 2A, a
divot tool clearance 2B, ledges 2C, a protrusion 2D, projections 2E
(shown in FIG. 3), and a case reference 2F (shown in FIG. 1). The
ledges 2C in conjunction with the divot tool clearance 2B serve to
contain the divot tool 4. When repairing a divot, the divot tool 4
can be moved downward from the case 2 sufficiently to use it to
work on the divot to replace it into the turf from which the divot
was dislodged by a golfer.
[0020] Referring to FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6, the screw 3 comprises a
head 3A, a recess 3B, at least one helical groove 3C, a magnet 3D,
a sloped recess 3F (shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6), a convex surface
3G, and tee height indicators 3H. The golfer places a metallic ball
marker 3E on the magnet 3D for convenience in carrying said ball
marker 3E. The ball marker 3E is usable to mark the position of a
ball on a green when said ball needs to be removed from said green
so another player can putt. The sloped recess 3F permits a golfer
to press down on an edge of the ball marker 3E for ease of the ball
marker 3E removal from the magnet 3D. The at least one groove 3C
matches up with the protrusion 2D and the projections 2E to control
the linear position of the screw 3 within the case 2. In the
preferred embodiment of the present invention, the helical groove
3C with one and one inch of linear travel per rotation of the screw
3 within the case 2 works well for ten settings corresponding to
ten common golf club variations running from a wedge, through
number 1, 2, and 3 woods, through numbers 4 through 9 irons.
[0021] In operation, after a golfer has selected his club, the
golfer rotates the screw 3 within the case 4 until the club number
indicated by the tee height indicator 3H matches the case reference
2F of the case 2. Referring to FIG. 4, the device 1 is inserted
over a golf tee 5 so that the convex surface 3G of the screw 3
mates with the golf tee 5. The golf tee 5 is inserted into the
ground 100 (shown in FIG. 7) until the case 2 touches the ground.
The golf tee 5 is now set at a height with respect to the ground
100 in accordance with the height setting determined by the
matching of a tee height indicator 3H and the case reference 2F.
Arrow A in FIGS. 7, 7A, 8, and 8A illustrate a correlation between
golf tee height settings and tee height indicators 2F. An advantage
of the device 1 is that it permits repetitive settings at a
repeatable given height. This is important for consistent golf ball
striking. If a golfer finds that for his clubs and optimum
performance is set the tee height indicators 2F slightly different
for his club performance, this is easily accomplished by eyeballing
a Kentucky windage factor, i.e. setting a tee height indicator 3H a
fractional turn ahead of, or behind, the case referenced 2F. A
prime advantage of the device 1 is that it permits repeatable
settings.
[0022] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the
combination of at least one helical groove 3C in the screw 3 and
the protrusion 2D and projections 2E in the case 2 work well. An
alternate embodiment of threads in both the case 2 and the screw 3
was not as convenient for manual manipulation of the device 1 in
operation.
[0023] Except for the magnet 3D, the preferred material of
construction of the present invention is an injection moldable
structural grade plastic. The magnet 3D can be made of any suitable
magnetic material.
[0024] Although the description above contains many specificities,
these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the
invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the
presently preferred embodiments of this invention.
[0025] For example, while the invention is discussed in terms of
setting golf tees into the ground at predetermined heights, the
basic mechanism may well have other applications, such as setting
pins in a substrate, such as nails in wall for picture hanging, or
setting studs at varying heights, or nails for temporary structures
such as concrete forms where it is desirable to have the nails
driven in completely so as to facilitate teardown. Currently this
is accomplished with a special double headed nail, which is more
expensive than a conventional nail.
[0026] Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the
appended claims in the formal application and their legal
equivalents, rather than by the examples given.
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