U.S. patent number 3,707,268 [Application Number 05/015,692] was granted by the patent office on 1972-12-26 for article retrieving apparatus.
Invention is credited to Gerald R. Kelly.
United States Patent |
3,707,268 |
Kelly |
December 26, 1972 |
ARTICLE RETRIEVING APPARATUS
Abstract
A portable article retrieving apparatus is enclosed within a
housing having a base member mounted therein with a frame
upstanding from the base member and a storage bobbin sleeved on a
shaft which is rotatably mounted on the frame and rotated in
response to activation of power means. A flexible member has an
article to be retrieved affixed to one end thereof and the other
end affixed to the bobbin. Bobbin positioning means are operatively
connected to the bobbin to position same to receive an intermediate
portion of the flexible member in response to rotation of the shaft
for winding the flexible member around the bobbin and means
operated from outside the housing for allowing substantially
drag-free unwinding of the flexible member therefrom.
Inventors: |
Kelly; Gerald R. (Kansas City,
MO) |
Family
ID: |
21772983 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/015,692 |
Filed: |
March 2, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
242/387; 242/236;
242/225; 242/241; 242/390.1; 242/390.8 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B
69/0079 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63B
69/00 (20060101); B65h 075/00 (); A01k
089/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;242/84.21A,84.2A,54,86.5,85,84.2B,84.2R,106 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Gilreath; Stanley N.
Assistant Examiner: Walters; Gregory A.
Claims
I claim:
1. An article retrieving apparatus comprising:
a. a base member having a frame upstanding therefrom;
b. an elongated rotatable shaft spaced from said base member and
supported on said frame, said shaft having spaced opposite
ends;
c. a storage bobbin sleeved on said rotatable shaft and movable
longitudinally therealong, said storage bobbin having a pair of
spaced substantially parallel flanges and a plurality of cam
surfaces on an exterior surface of one of said flanges;
d. means operatively engaging said shaft for effecting rotation of
said shaft;
e. an elongate flexible member having an article to be retrieved
affixed to one end thereof;
f. means operatively engaging said bobbin and said shaft for
reciprocating said bobbin to thereby receive an intermediate
portion of said flexible member in response to rotation of said
shaft;
g. means mounted on said shaft for longitudinal movement relative
to said shaft and rotatable with said shaft and for guiding the
intermediate portion of said flexible member into engagement with
said bobbin for winding said intermediate portion of said flexible
member around said bobbin in response to rotation of said shaft,
said means for guiding the intermediate portion of said flexible
member into engagement with said bobbin includes a cap having a
flange enclosing a portion of said bobbin during reciprocation
thereof and movable between a position engaging one end of said
shaft and a position spaced from the one end of said shaft and a
pin resiliently mounted on said cap and movable between an extended
position having a free end of said pin extending exteriorly of said
shaft and a retracted position having the free end of said pin
within said cap and the other end between said cap and said shaft;
and
h. a portion of said pin engageable by one of said cam surfaces on
said bobbin when said pin is in said retracted position whereby
rotation of said shaft effects movement of said pin to said
extended position to guide the intermediate portion of said
flexible member into said bobbin.
2. An article retrieving apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein
said means for guiding the intermediate portion of said flexible
member into engagement with said bobbin includes:
a. a bore extending longitudinally through said shaft and coaxial
with said shaft;
b. a second shaft movably received within said bore through said
first named shaft, said cap being mounted on said second shaft and
movable therewith, said other end of said pin being in engagement
with said second shaft when said pin is in the retracted
position;
c. resilient means engaging said first named shaft and said second
shaft for urging said cap into engagement with the one end of said
first named shaft; and
d. a flat surface on said first named shaft and on said second
shaft, said flat surfaces being in engagement whereby said second
shaft and said cap and pin on said cap are rotated with said first
named shaft.
3. An article retrieving apparatus as set forth in claim 2
including:
a. a housing supported on said frame and having a portion
surrounding said first named shaft, said portion of said housing
being spaced from said cap to permit the intermediate portion of
said flexible member to move therebetween;
b. a guide aperture in said housing and spaced from said bobbin;
and
c. a guide arm mounted on said bobbin and extending outwardly
therefrom and received in said guide aperture in said housing
thereby holding said bobbin against rotation with said first named
shaft.
Description
The present invention relates to an article retrieving apparatus
and more particularly to a golf ball retriever which is highly
compact, lightweight, and extremely efficient in operation.
The principal objects of the present invention are: to provide an
article retrieving apparatus for retrieving articles, such as golf
balls, projectiles fired at targets, plumb weights and the like; to
provide such an article retrieving apparatus which is portable,
lightweight, and which minimizes drag on a line having the article
affixed thereto to simulate ordinary free flight of the article
when same is propelled or cast from the article retrieving
apparatus; to provide such an article retrieving apparatus having a
non-rotating bobbin which is reciprocated to effect even winding of
a line therearound, whereby the line is wound in a diagonal pattern
thereby substantially preventing one layer of the line from binding
between portions of a previously wound layer of line; to provide
such an article retrieving apparatus wherein the travel of the
bobbin is coordinated with the dimensions of the line receiving
space within the bobbin to effect substantially uniform winding of
the line around the bobbin and substantially drag-free unwinding of
the line from the bobbin; and to provide such an article retrieving
apparatus which is economical to manufacture, durable in
construction, efficient in operation, and particularly well adapted
to the proposed use.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent
from the following description taken in connection with
accompanying drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration
and example certain embodiments of this invention.
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an article retrieving
apparatus embodying features of the present invention with portions
broken away to better illustrate the component parts.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the article retrieving apparatus with a
portion of a housing broken away.
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of a spinner cap with
portions broken away to show cam surfaces on a bobbin.
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the spinner cap in
position to permit unwinding of the line from the bobbin.
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the spinner cap in
position for effecting winding of the line around the bobbin.
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the operative parts for
effecting rotation of a spinner cap and reciprocation of the
bobbin.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a modified article retrieving
apparatus.
FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view through the modified
retrieving apparatus.
FIG. 9 is a plan view of the modified article retrieving apparatus
with portions broken away to show a bobbin in an unwinding
position.
FIG. 10 is a transverse sectional view showing the bobbin in the
unwinding position.
FIG. 11 is transverse sectional view showing the bobbin in a
winding position.
Referring more in detail to the drawings:
The reference numeral 1 generally designates an article retrieving
apparatus enclosed within a housing 2 having upper and lower
compartments 3 and 4 respectively, with a suitable power source,
such as a storage battery 5, mounted in the lower compartment 4 and
the operative elements of the article retrieving apparatus 1
mounted in the upper compartment 3.
In the illustrated structure, an article 6 to be retrieved, such as
a golf ball, projectile, plumb weight or the like, which is to be
cast, propelled, or driven away from the article retrieving
apparatus 1 and to be returned thereto, is affixed to one end of a
suitable flexible member, such as a line or cord 7 having the other
end thereof secured to a storage bobbin 8. The storage bobbin 8 is
movably supported on a frame 9, upstanding from a base member 10
which is in the form of a generally horizontal partition or wall
separating the upper and lower compartments 3 and 4.
A motor 11 is suitably supported within the upper compartment 3, as
by being mounted on the base member 10 or the frame 9. A switch 12
is mounted on a top wall 13 of the housing 2 and is operatively
connected to the power source 5 and the motor 11 by conductors 14
and 15 respectively and a conductor 16 extends between and is
connected to the battery 5 and the motor 11 to complete a circuit
for activating the motor 11 when the switch 12 is moved to an "on"
position, as by being depressed.
A pinion gear 17 is rotated by the motor 11 and interengages with a
gear 18 mounted on a rotatable shaft 19, spaced above the base
member 10 and rotatably supported on the standard 9, as by a
suitable bearing or bushing mounted in arms 20 extending from the
standard 9 for supporting the rotatable shaft 19 intermediate its
ends.
The gear 18 is positioned on one side of arms 20 extending from the
standard 9 to balance that portion of the shaft 19 positioned on
the opposite side of the arms 20. The rotatable shaft 19 has a bore
22 extending longitudinally therethrough and coaxially therewith
and a portion of the bore 22 has a flat surface 23 for engagement
with a flat surface 24 of a spinner support shaft 25 which is
received within the rotatable shaft 19, as later described.
An exterior surface of the rotatable shaft 19 has a guide groove 26
therein arranged in a pattern to effect reciprocation of the
storage bobbin 8 within a cap 27 mounted on the spinner support
shaft 25 adjacent one end thereof for rotation with the spinner
support shaft 25. The cap 27 has an annular flange 28 enclosing a
portion of the storage bobbin 8 during reciprocation thereof. A
free edge of the flange 28 guides the line or cord 7 onto the
bobbin 8, as later described.
A spool bushing 29 is sleeved on the rotatable shaft 19 and has an
aperture 30 therein for receiving a pawl 31 which is engageable
within the guide groove 26 for travel therein to effect
reciprocation of the spool bushing 29 when there is relative
rotation between the bushing 29 and the rotatable shaft 19. The
storage bobbin 8 has a keyway 32 to receive a key such as an
enlarged portion of the pawl 31 for securing the storage bobbin 8
on the spool bushing 29.
The spool bushing 29 has a groove 34 in an exterior surface thereof
and adjacent one end to receive a retainer ring 35 for engaging one
end of the storage bobbin 8. The spool bushing 29 has an enlarged
portion 36 at the other end thereof, forming a shoulder 37, to be
engaged by the other end of the storage bobbin 8 whereby the bobbin
8 is positioned between the shoulder 37 and the retainer ring
35.
In the illustrated structure, the storage bobbin 8 has a body
portion 38 with a pair of spaced substantially parallel annular
flanges 39 and 40 extending therefrom. It is desirable to hold the
bobbin 8 against rotation during the reciprocation thereof;
therefore, a guide arm 41 is mounted on and extends outwardly from
one of the annular flanges, for example flange 40, and the arm 41
is received in an aperture 43 in a housing 44 supported on the arms
20 of the standard 9. The guide arm 41 has a length sufficient to
maintain a portion thereof within the aperture 43 during the
reciprocation of the bobbin 8 whereby the bobbin 8 is held against
rotation during reciprocation.
The cap 27 has a pin 45 resiliently mounted thereon and movable
between an extended position 46 and a retracted position 47. A free
end of the pin 45 is positioned exteriorly of the cap 27 when the
pin 45 is in the extended position 46 whereby the flexible member 7
is engaged by the pin 45 and wound around the bobbin 8 in response
to rotation of the cap 27.
A suitable resilient member, such as a leaf spring 48 is mounted on
an interior surface of the cap 27 and is adapted to urge the pin 45
toward the retracted position 47. The pin 45 is mounted on one end
of a bar 49, having the other end thereof shaped to ride on the
exterior surface of the rotatable shaft 19.
The spinner support shaft 25 is resiliently mounted in the bore 22
of the rotatable shaft 19 by a suitable resilient member, such as
an elongate helical spring 50 sleeved on the spinner support shaft
25 at one end thereof, and the spring 50 has opposite ends in
engagement with one end of the rotatable shaft 19 and one end of
the spinner support shaft 25 respectively, for urging an enlarged
portion 51 at the other end of the spinner support shaft 25, into
seating engagement within a recess 52 in the other end of the
rotatable shaft 19.
A push rod 53 has one end positioned within the housing 2 and
aligned with the spinner support shaft 25 to engage the resiliently
mounted end of the spinner support shaft 25. The push rod 53 has
the other end thereof extending exteriorly of the housing 2 with an
enlarged portion 54 thereon. When the enlarged end 54 and the push
rod 53 are moved toward the spinner support shaft 25, the spring 50
will be compressed permitting the cap 27 to be moved to a position
spaced from the adjacent end of the rotatable shaft 19. The leaf
spring 48 then urges the bar 49 between the cap 27 and the adjacent
end of the rotatable shaft to maintain the spacing therebetween and
to maintain the pin 45 in the retracted position 47.
The bar 49 has an enlarged portion 55, having, at one end thereof,
a lower surface 56 shaped and positioned to be engaged by one of a
plurality of cam surfaces 57 mounted on an exterior surface of the
annular flange 39 of the bobbin 8 to move the free end of the pin
45 to the extended position 46 in response to rotation of the
rotatable shaft 19 and reciprocation of the bobbin 8.
The cap 27 is spaced inwardly from a side wall 58 of the upper
compartment 3 of the housing 2. A sleeve 59 is mounted in the side
wall 58 and has a bore therethrough for guiding the flexible member
7 into engagement with the pin 45, when same is in the extended
position 46.
In use the housing 2 having the article retrieving apparatus 1
therein is carried to a desired location by a suitable handle 60
mounted on the top wall 13 of the housing 2. The enlarged end 54 of
the push rod 53 is moved toward the housing 2, thereby moving one
end of the push rod 53 into engagement with the end of the spinner
support shaft 25 to position the cap 27 in spaced apart relation
with the adjacent end of the rotatable shaft 19. The leaf spring 48
then urges the bar 49 between the cap 27 and the rotatable shaft 19
to move the pin 45 to the retracted position 47 within the cap 27.
The article 6 is then free to be cast, driven, or projected from
the article receiving apparatus 1, and the line or flexible member
7 is free to unwind from the bobbin 8 in a substantially drag-free
manner when the article, such as the golf ball 6, is driven from
the article retrieving apparatus 1. When it is desired to retrieve
the golf ball 6, or similar article, the switch 12 is depressed as
by pressing thereon with the foot or golf club of an operator (not
shown) thereby completing a circuit between the power source or
battery 5 and the motor 11 to effect rotation of the shaft 19 which
rotates the shaft 25 and the cap 27 mounted thereon. Rotation of
the shaft 19 effects reciprocation of the bobbin 8 which moves one
of the cam surfaces 57 thereon into engagement with the lower
surface 56 of the enlarged portion 55 of the bar 49 to overcome the
resistance of the leaf spring 48 and move the bar 49 out of the
position between the cap 27 and the end of the shaft 19 and move
the pin 45 to the extended position 46. The spring 50 moves the
enlarged portion 51 into seating engagement within the recess 52 in
the shaft 19, whereby the bar 49 is supported on the exterior
surface of the shaft 19 and the pin 45 is maintained in the
extended position 46. Continued rotation of the cap 27 winds an
intermediate portion of the flexible member 7 around the body
portion 38 of the bobbin 8 during reciprocation thereof. The
distance between facing surfaces of the flanges 39 and 40 of the
bobbin 8 is substantially equal to the length of the travel of the
bobbin 8 during reciprocation and the free edge of flange 28 of the
cap 27 is positioned to align with one of the facing surfaces of
the flanges 39 and 40 at one end of the reciprocation and to align
with the other of the facing surfaces at the other end of the
reciprocation. The speed of rotation of the cap 27 is coordinated
with the speed of the reciprocation of the bobbin 8 to effect
smooth winding of the line 7 in diagonal layers on the body member
38. When the article 6 has been moved into engagement with an
exterior surface of the side wall 58, the switch 12 may be released
to break the circuit between the battery 5 and the motor 11.
FIGS. 7 to 11 inclusive, illustrate a modified article retrieving
apparatus 61 mounted within a housing 62 having upper and lower
compartments 63 and 64 respectively, separated by a partition or
base support 65 having a frame 66 pivotally mounted within the
upper compartment 63.
A suitable power source 67, such as a battery, is mounted in the
lower compartment 64 and electrically connected to a motor 68 and a
switch 69 by conductors 70 and 71 respectively. A conductor 72
extends between the switch 69 and the motor 68 to energize or
activate the motor 68 when the switch 69 is moved on an "on"
position.
In the illustrated structure, the motor 68 is mounted on the frame
66 and is movable therewith. A shaft 73 is rotated by the motor 68
through interengagement between gears 74 and 75 mounted on the
shaft 73 and driven by the motor 68 respectively. A bobbin 76 is
sleeved on the shaft 73 and rotatable therewith.
In the illustrated structure, a knob or handle 77 is positioned
outside the housing 62 and above the top wall 78 of the housing 62
and a rod 79 extends downwardly therefrom and is fixedly connected
to the frame 66 adjacent an upper end thereof. A lower end of the
standard or frame 66 has a rod 80 pivotally mounted on the
partition 65 whereby turning the handle or knob 77 pivots the
standard or frame 66 and the bobbin 76 mounted thereon.
In the illustrated structure, the bobbin 76 has a body portion 81
and a pair of spaced substantially parallel annular flanges 82 and
83 extending therefrom. The bobbin 76 is positioned adjacent a side
or end wall 84 of the housing 62 and a sleeve member 85 is mounted
in the side or end wall 84 and has a bore 86 therethrough.
The switch 69 is preferably of the push-pull type and has a
push-pull bar 87 connected thereto. The push-pull bar 87 is
positioned outside the side or end wall 84 and has a center portion
88 parallel with the wall 84 and aligned with the bore 86 through
the sleeve member 85. The push-pull bar 87 is movable between an
extended or "on" position and a retracted or "off" position.
In using the modified article retrieving apparatus 61, the housing
62 is placed on a suitable support surface and an article 89 to be
retrieved, such as golf ball, is moved outwardly from the housing
62 and placed on a suitable support, such as golf tee 90. The knob
or handle 77 is turned to position a central axis 91 of the shaft
73 and bobbin 76 in alignment with the bore 86 through the sleeve
member 85. The golf ball 89 is then driven by a suitable club (not
shown) and a flexible line 92 having one end affixed to the golf
ball 89 is unwound from the bobbin 76 in a substantially drag-free
manner. When it is desired to retrieve the article or golf ball 89,
the knob or handle 77 is turned to align the space between the
flanges 82 and 83 of the bobbin 76 with the bore 86 of the sleeve
member 85 to thereby position the central axis 91 of the shaft and
bobbin 76 normal or perpendicular to the axis of the bore 86. The
switch 69 is then moved to the "on" position to complete a circuit
to the motor 68 which effects rotation of the shaft 73 and the
bobbin 76 to wind the flexible line 92 around the body portion 81
of the bobbin 76. When the article 89 engages the center portion 88
of the push-pull bar 87, the bar 87 is moved to the "off" or
retracted position to break the circuit to the motor 68.
It is to be understood that while I have illustrated and described
certain forms of my invention, it is not to be limited to these
specific forms or arrangement of parts herein described and
shown.
* * * * *