U.S. patent number 3,622,157 [Application Number 05/010,888] was granted by the patent office on 1971-11-23 for golf green repair tool and golf ball marker assembly.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Hatch Stamping Co., Inc.. Invention is credited to Raymond R. Hatch.
United States Patent |
3,622,157 |
Hatch |
November 23, 1971 |
GOLF GREEN REPAIR TOOL AND GOLF BALL MARKER ASSEMBLY
Abstract
A golf ball position marker is frictionally connected to a golf
green repair tool. The marker includes a thin circular head and an
integral elongated stem. The tool includes a flat handle at one end
and prongs at the other end. An aperture is provided in the repair
tool midway of the ends thereof for frictionally retaining the stem
of the marker. The repair tool may be made from plastic or aluminum
and, when made from aluminum, the aperture therein may include a
resilient grommet. By locating the marker between the end portions
of the repair tool, advertising space is provided on the handle end
of the repair tool.
Inventors: |
Hatch; Raymond R. (Dexter,
MI) |
Assignee: |
Hatch Stamping Co., Inc.
(Dexter, MI)
|
Family
ID: |
21747890 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/010,888 |
Filed: |
February 12, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/406; 473/408;
273/DIG.26 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B
57/50 (20151001); Y10S 273/26 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63B
57/00 (20060101); A63b 057/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/32,162 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Marlo; George J.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A golf green repair tool and golf ball marker assembly
comprising a flat body member having a first end portion of a width
to fit the thumb and a second fork shape end portion having prongs,
said body member having means between said end portions providing a
retaining opening, a marker having a circular head and an integral
elongated stem, said stem being extended through said retaining
opening in frictional retained engagement with said means forming
said opening.
2. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein said means providing
said opening is a grommet formed of a resilient material and having
flanges engaged with opposite sides of said body.
3. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein said body is formed of
plastic and said marker stem is extended through said body.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The general concept of a golf green repair tool and golf ball
marker assembly is known, as evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 3,120,388
which illustrates an assembly of this general type. However, the
assembly illustrated in the aforementioned patent requires the use
of a magnet to retain the tool and the ball marker in assembly
relation and does not provide adequate space at the grip end of the
tool for inclusion of desirable advertising or other information
thereon. It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide
an improved assembly of this general type which is economical to
manufacture, is readily adaptable to mass production procedures,
and provides a repair tool of improved shape adapted for the
inclusion thereon of advertising or other informative printed
information.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one form of the assembly of this invention, the repair tool is
formed of anodized aluminum and consists of a flat body member
having a first enlarged end portion of a width to fit the thumb and
a second fork shape end portion having prongs for digging into the
turf. The body member has a rubber grommet installed thereon
between the end portions, the grommet having a through opening of a
size in which the integral elongated stem of a conventional ball
marker can be frictionally retained. In another form of the
invention, the tool, which is of the same shape as the metal tool,
has a through hole of a size to frictionally retain the ball marker
stem. The tool, in both forms of the invention, is readily
manufactured in large quantities at economical costs and provides
adequate space on the first end portion for the inclusion of
advertising or other informative printed information. It is to be
understood, however, that in general the tool of this invention can
be made out of metal or plastic or any other suitable material.
Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will
become apparent from a consideration of the following description,
the appended claims, and the accompanying drawing in which:
FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of one form of the golf green
repair tool and golf ball marker assembly of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the assembly of this
invention as seen from substantially the line 2--2 in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of another form of the golf
green repair tool and golf ball marker assembly of this invention;
and
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the assembly of this
invention as seen from substantially the line 4--4 in FIG. 3.
With reference to the drawing, the golf green repair tool and golf
ball marker assembly of this invention, indicated generally at 10,
is illustrated in FIG. 1 as consisting of a body 12 of flat plate
shape configured so that it has a flat hand grip portion 14 at one
end and a fork portion 16 at the opposite end which terminates in a
pair of ground engaging prongs 18. Intermediate the hand grip
portion 14 and the fork portion 16, the body 12 is formed with a
through hole 20, and a grommet 22, formed of a resilient material
such as rubber, is extended through the hole 20.
As shown in FIG. 2, the grommet 22 has flanged ends 24 which engage
the body 12 so as to maintain the grommet 22 in a fixed position
within the hole 20. A conventional golf ball marker 26 having a
flat circular head 27 and a stem 28 is assembled with the body 12
by pushing the stem 28 through a central opening 30 in the grommet
22 to a position in which the circular head 27 engages a grommet
flange 24. The stem 28 is of a diameter sufficiently large relative
to the opening 30 in the grommet 22 to cause the grommet 22 to
expand so that it resiliently and frictionally grips the stem 28
and retains the marker 26 in the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2
until removal of the marker 26 for use is desired.
In the use of the assembly 10, an indentation in a golf course
green can be readily repaired by gripping the portion 14 of the
body 12 between the thumb and forefinger and inserting the prongs
18 into the green turf at an inclined angle relative to ground
level. The body 12 is then manipulated so as to pry the indentation
in the green upwardly by the application of force on the body 12
with the thumb. Whenever it is desired to mark the position of a
golf ball on the green, the marker 26 is readily pried loose from
the grommet 22 and used in the conventional manner.
The body 12 is preferably formed of an anodized aluminum material
and the broad thumb sized portion 14 of the body 12 provides
adequate space for advertising or other informative printed
material.
The modified form of the assembly of this invention, indicated
generally at 10a in FIG. 3, includes a body 12a which is of a shape
identical to the shape of the body 12. The body 12a thus has
portions 14 and 16 and prongs 18 like the corresponding portions of
the body 12. The body 12a also has a through hole 40 located
between the portions 14 and 16. The body 12a differs from the body
12 in that it is formed of a plastic material instead of aluminum.
The plastic from which the body 12a is formed has sufficient
rigidity to enable it to be used like the body 12 to pry up
portions of a golf green, but the body 12a will yield sufficiently
to enable the stem 28 of the ball marker 26 to be frictionally
inserted through the opening 40 in the body 12a. To provide
additional length to the opening 40, and thus additional friction
retaining surface for the stem 28, the body 12a can be provided
with a bulb portion 41 at the opening 40, as shown best in FIG. 4.
Thus, in the assembly 10a, the ball marker 26 is readily assembled
with the body 12a by forcing the stem 28 through the opening 40 to
a position in which the ball marker head 26 engages one side of the
bulb portion 41 on the body 12a. The assembly 10a can then be used
like the assembly 10.
From the above description it is seen that in both the assembly 10
and the assembly 10a, the repair tool 12 and 12a, respectively, is
of a shape to be readily manufactured in large quantities at an
economical cost. In both cases, the end portion 14 is of a size to
provide substantial space on which advertising or other informative
printed information can be placed. This latter advantage is due to
the disposition of the ball marker 26 between the end portions 14
and 16 instead of in the end portion 14, as is the case with prior
art devices.
* * * * *