U.S. patent number 3,773,461 [Application Number 05/157,937] was granted by the patent office on 1973-11-20 for golf-ball heater.
Invention is credited to Minoru Arimoto, Takao Fukui.
United States Patent |
3,773,461 |
Arimoto , et al. |
November 20, 1973 |
GOLF-BALL HEATER
Abstract
A device for controlled heating of golf-balls, equipped with a
compact cylindrical main body with a top-trap and lower
ball-ejecting hinged door. The main body having in its bottom part
a heating device with which to apply necessary heat to the
golf-balls stored in a vertically lined-up way in the cylinder.
Cold balls are inserted from above, in turn, in order to eject, by
the action of a curved spring installed therein, properly heated
balls at the lower opening.
Inventors: |
Arimoto; Minoru (Nagata-ku,
Kobe, JA), Fukui; Takao (Nagata-ku, Kobe,
JA) |
Family
ID: |
22565977 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/157,937 |
Filed: |
June 29, 1971 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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Mar 30, 1971 [JA] |
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46/22711 (UTILITY MODEL) |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
432/185; 432/192;
126/263.01; 221/256 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B
47/005 (20130101); A63B 37/0003 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63B
47/00 (20060101); F23d 021/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;221/15H,251,256,257,271,289,306,311 ;126/263 ;263/4,5R
;165/47,80,186 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Antonakas; Manuel A.
Claims
We claim:
1. A heater for golf-balls comprising
a cylindrical main body having an inner wall slightly larger in
inner diameter than the diameter of golf-balls,
a top-trap, on the top of said main body through which golf balls
are to be inserted,
a heating means at a bottom portion of said main body,
said cylindrical main body having an opening above an adjacent said
heating means,
a door hinged adjacent said opening, and
a curved spring means mounted at one end thereof in said main body
to said inner wall at a position slightly higher than said door,
said curved spring means for operatively vertically sustaining a
lowermost golf-ball being held in position by said curved spring
means in a storage condition.
2. The heater, as set forth in claim 1, further comprising
a pan secured to said door disposed above said heating means and
below said curved spring means and holding said lowermost ball in
cooperation with said curved spring means in an ejection
condition,
said curved spring means mounted so as to urge said lowermost ball
toward said door in said ejection condition, and
said pan serving as a heat shield protector for said
golf-balls.
3. The heater as set forth in claim 1, wherein
said spring means further for laterally pressing said lowermost
golf-ball against said door for opening said door and ejecting said
lowermost golf-ball in an ejection condition upon pressingly
inserting another golf-ball into said main body through said top
thereof.
4. The heater, as set forth in claim 3, wherein
said spring means constitutes a spring having a substantially
horizontally oriented portion for holding said lowermost golf-ball
in said storage condition, and
said spring is mounted so as to bend downwardly upon pressingly
inserting said another golf-ball into said main body for lowering
said lowermost golf-ball and pressing the latter laterally against
said door.
5. The heater, as set forth in claim 4, wherein
said spring is biased concavely upwardly and generally oriented
horizontally in said storage condition,
said spring is pressed substantially linearly inclined downwardly
in said ejection condition.
6. The heater, as set forth in claim 4, further comprising
a pan means secured to said door for receiving said lowermost ball
when said another golf-ball is pressingly inserted into said main
body.
7. The heater, as set forth in claim 6, wherein
said pan means having upwardly depending edges for holding said
lowermost golf-ball after said door is opened.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Golf-balls manufactured with gutta-percha cores have a tendency to
change their elasticity along with changes in the atmospheric
temperature. Especially during cold seasons this elasticity drops
down to such an extent as to result in possible errors of various
kinds including shorter runs, directional miss-shots, etc. on the
golfcourse. Since golf-plays, naturally, require very delicate
control of shots, this elasticity factor of the ball plays a vital
part in cold climate in particular. This invention, in this
connection, provides here a highly handy means of a long-awaited
counter-measure against the above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an entirely new device for heating
golf-balls, being designed to provide a golf-player in cold seasons
with properly heated balls with the full elasticity, and is
characterized by a handy container of compact size equipped with a
heating device and ball-storage and ejection means so as to
facilitate easy loading/heating of cold balls and obtaining
appropriately heated balls.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings, showing by way of an example one form
of the embodiment of this invention,
FIG. 1 shows the front view of the invention;
FIG. 2 shows the side view thereof;
FIG. 3 shows the cross-sectional side view along A--A line of FIG.
1;
FIG. 4 shows the cross-sectional view of the invention in the
process of heating golf-balls;
FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional perpendicular view of the invention
whereby the ball, ready-heated, is about to be ejected therefrom
through addition of a spare ball from the upper opening;
FIG. 6 likewise shows the said cross-section after the heated-ball
has been ejected.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings, an embodiment of this invention for
heating golf-balls, by way of an example, is illustrated as
comprising in combination,
A CYLINDRICAL MAIN BODY 1 WHICH IS SLIGHTLY LARGER IN ITS INNER
DIAMETER THAN GOLF-BALLS AND EQUIPPED WITH A TOP-TRAP 2 AND SEVERAL
PROTRUDING VERTICAL STREAKS 10 ON THE INNER WALL OF THE CYLINDER
1;
A HEATING DEVICE 4 WITH ITS HEATER 3 OPEN UPWARDLY;
AN OPENING 5 WITH AN UPPER ARC-SHAPED PART THEREOF, CUT OUT IN THE
CYLINDRICAL WALL 1 ABOVE THE HEATER 3, PREFERABLY FITTED WITH A
HINGED DOOR 6 AND A PAN 7 DESIGNED TO RECEIVE A HEATED BALL WHEN IT
IS TO BE EJECTED;
A SPRING 8, CURVED UPWARDLY AND FITTED AT ONE END TO THE INNER WALL
OF THE CYLINDER 1 AT A POSITION SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THE PAN 7,
SERVING TO SUSTAIN, SEVERAL GOLF-BALLS INSERTED FROM ABOVE IN
TURN.
In accordance with the present invention, the heater 4, easily
dismantled, is ignited with fuel, e.g. benzine, etc.. Of course,
the heater can alternatively be operated electrically without any
use of inflamable fuel therein. This device of the present
invention, contains several balls therein in series, the lowermost
ball being sustained by the curved spring 8. The device is easily
portable with its hook 11, mounted on the outer cylindrical wall 1,
and can be hitched to a golf-bag or waist belt of the player either
directly or by a strap.
Golf-balls 9 contained in the cylinder 1 are heated in turn by the
heater 3 from underneath, and as a necessary means of preventing
the ball directly above the heater 3 from being heated directly and
also excessively beyond a reasonable limit, the receiving pan 7,
when preferably provided, serves its protective purpose against
scorching of the balls by intercepting the direct heat from the
heating source 4.
Now in taking out the heated ball from the device of the present
invention, the trap 2 can be opened and a space golf-ball 9
inserted into the cylinder 1, whereby the golf-balls 9 already in
the cylinder 1 will bear against the curved spring 8, the lowermost
ball 9 pushing down the curved spring 8 (FIG. 5) and at the same
time being pushed outwardly toward the direction of the lower
opening 5.
With the receiving pan 7, the heated ball 9 is received onto the
pan 7, whereby immediately the hooked state of the hinged door 6,
so hooked by the upper arc thereof, is disengaged, and the
resilient force of the spring 8 automatically opens the door 6,
thereby ejecting the heated ball 9 out of the cylinder 1. The
heated ball, in the presence of the pan 7, can be securely received
by the pan 7, the perimeter of which is bent upwardly for this
purpose, more conveniently than in the absence of such pan.
After the ejection, the curved spring 8 springs back to the
original state (FIG. 4) and holds the balls in the cylinder 1.
The balls 9, while in the cylinder 1, are constantly pre-heated by
the circulation of air inside, heated by the heater 4, and receive
more heat as they are pressed down toward the bottom and, in the
lowermost position, after long pre-heating, they have received
ample heat so as to be maintained approximately about the
designated temperature required when in use on the golf-course,
thereby obtaining high heat efficiency as well.
In addition, element 12 are ventilation openings formed on the
cylinder wall 1 for preventing overheating, and a hole 13 is formed
in the hook 11. The cylinder may be covered with insulating
materials, e.g. asbestos, etc., and the main body may be made of
any materials, e.g. metal, plastics, etc.
From the foregoing, it will be clear that, according to the present
invention, golf-balls are ready-heated in the cold seasons in order
to maintain the desirable elasticity thereof for play on the golf
course, thereby keeping experienced golfers, let alone beginners,
from making miss-shots and constitutes a large contribution to
golf.
Particularly the special characteristics of superior and novel
performance were not heretofore known, e.g., the device is compact,
light-weight and portable; when spare balls are pushed into the
cylinder 1, properly heated balls are readily obtainable in turn,
and can be securely received by the pan 7 of the door 6; the balls,
as they draw near the ejecting position, receive more heat, and
consequently the balls, hot enough as well as appropriately hot,
are always obtainable.
Furthermore, other advantages include easy removal of heated balls;
no untimely dropping of balls nor uneven heat given to respective
balls; simple structure and inexpensive cost thereby contributing
remarkably to the golf.
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