U.S. patent number 3,643,961 [Application Number 04/843,626] was granted by the patent office on 1972-02-22 for golf-practicing device.
Invention is credited to Arthur C. Schroeder.
United States Patent |
3,643,961 |
Schroeder |
February 22, 1972 |
GOLF-PRACTICING DEVICE
Abstract
A golf-practicing device having a molded, integral driven member
rotatively mounted on a substantially upright post attached to a
resilient, flexible mat. The driven member includes a head portion
rotatively mounted on the post, a ball portion at its free end
which overlies the mat in spaced relation, and a rod portion
interconnecting the head portion and ball portion and extending
laterally at the post. The molded, integral driven member is
constructed of a resilient material, the head portion and ball
portion being substantially the size of the conventional golf ball,
and the interconnecting rod portion being of sufficient cross
section to preclude permanent deformation when the ball portion is
struck by a golf club. A spacer of resilient material is located on
the post between the mat and the head portion of the driven member,
the spacer providing a bearing for the rotative head portion and
extending laterally of the post for a distance short of the ball
portion. The spacer maintains the ball portion in spaced relation
above the mat. The driven device is freely rotated on the post when
the ball portion is struck by the golf club. In one embodiment a
pair of rigid plates are provided one above and one below the mat,
the post extending through the mat and secured to the rigid plate.
This construction provides a unit that can be utilized both indoors
and outdoors. In another embodiment particularly suite for outdoor
use, an elongate sleeve, constituting a socket, is inserted into
the ground to provide a permanent anchorage. In usage, the post
extends through the mat and into the socket to secure the mat to
the ground.
Inventors: |
Schroeder; Arthur C. (Creve
Coeur, MO) |
Family
ID: |
25290552 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/843,626 |
Filed: |
July 22, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/149 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B
69/0091 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63B
69/00 (20060101); A63b 069/36 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/184,185,196,197,198,200 ;73/379TB,38A,381G |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Marlo; George J.
Claims
I claim as my invention:
1. A golf-practicing device, comprising:
a. a subjacent surface-protecting means,
b. a substantially upright post attached to the surface-protecting
means,
c. a unitary, integrally molded one-piece driven means
including:
1. an enlarged head portion rotatively mounted on the post,
2. an enlarged ball portion at its free end, the ball portion
overlying, yet spaced above the surface-protecting means, and
3. a rod portion interconnecting the head portion and ball portion
and extending laterally of the post, the driven means being freely
rotated on the post when the ball portion is struck by a golf
club,
d. the surface-protecting means being a flexible mat adapted to
conform to the contour of the subjacent supporting surface,
e. the rod portion of the integral driven means being of a cross
section to substantially preclude deformation when the ball portion
is struck by a golf club, and
f. means for holding the driven means in a substantially horizontal
position spaced above and overlying the surface-protecting
means.
2. A golf-practicing device as defined in claim 1, in which:
a pair of rigid plates are provided, one above and one below the
mat, the post extending through the mat and secured to the rigid
plates, each plate having an area smaller than the area of the mat.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There have been many different types of practice balls utilized by
golfers. Some of these balls have been made of plastic and provided
with holes so that they will not travel any appreciable distance
when hit. Of course, the disadvantage with special balls is that
the golfer has to have a number of them in order to be of practical
use and that he still has to retrieve them for subsequent use.
There are several different types of golf-practicing devices, all
of which have a complicated structure utilizing a multiplicity of
parts. In some of these units, golf balls are attached to a
separate elongate rod or to a flexible and/or elastic cord. A
separate rod is weak and is easily bent when the ball is struck by
a golf club. A flexible and/or elastic cord presents a dangerous
situation in that the cord can break easily under such impact and
the direction of ball travel is highly erratic when constrained by
such cord. These prior units cannot withstand the repeated shock
impact when struck by a golf club. Moreover, none of these units
give the golfer the realistic feel of hitting a real golf ball.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to an improved golf-practicing
device, and more particularly to a unit of this type that can be
utilized indoors or outdoors with equal facility.
The present golf-practicing device is of simple, durable
construction utilizing a minimum of parts. The molded, integral
means is resilient, yet of sufficient rigidity, so that it will
withstand the shock impact of being struck repeatedly by a golf
club without deformation, and will give the golfer the realistic
feel of hitting a real ball. The driven means will rotate freely
about a stationary substantially upright post, and eliminates the
problem of the golfer retrieving a struck ball.
In the present golf-practicing device, an integral driven means is
rotatively mounted on a substantially upright post that is attached
to a subjacent surface-protecting means. The driven means includes
an enlarged head portion rotatively mounted on the post, an
enlarged ball portion at its free end that overlies, yet is spaced
above, the surface-protecting means, and a short rod portion
integrally interconnecting the head portion and ball portion and
extending laterally of the post. The driven means is freely rotated
on the post when the ball portion is struck by a golf club.
The integral driven means is constructed of a molded, resilient
material. The head portion and ball portion of the driven means are
substantially the size of a conventional golf ball, and the
interconnecting rod portion is of sufficient cross section to
preclude deformation when the ball portion is struck by a golf
club.
A spacer is provided on the post and is located between the
surface-protecting means and the head portion of the driven means,
the spacer providing a bearing for the rotative driven means and
holding the ball portion in predetermined spaced relation above the
surface-protecting means.
The surface-protecting means is preferably a resilient flexible mat
that conforms to the contour of the supporting surface and protects
both the supporting surface and the golf club. The spacer is also
preferably constructed of a resilient material to provide a
shock-absorbing bearing for the rotative driven means.
In one embodiment, a pair of rigid plates are provided, one above
and one below the mat, the post extending through the mat and
secured to the rigid plates. This construction provides a unit that
can be utilized with equal facility both indoors and outdoors. In
another embodiment, the supporting subjacent surface such as the
ground is provided with an elongate socket. The post extends
through the mat and into the socket to anchor the mat to the
ground. This constructions provides a unit that is especially
adapted for outdoor use.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the golf-practicing device;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment especially
adapted for outdoor use, and
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment especially
adapted for both indoor and outdoor use.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now by characters of reference to the drawing, and first
to FIG. 1, it will be understood that the golf-practicing device
includes a flexible resilient mat 10, constituting a subjacent
surface-protecting means. A substantially upright post 11 is
secured to the mat 10, the post 11 rotatively mounting a molded,
integral driven means 12. A resilient spacer 13 is located about
the post 11 and located between the driven means 12 and mat 10 so
as to hold the driven means 12 in predetermined spaced relationship
above the mat 10.
The embodiment of FIG. 3 illustrates a unit that can be used
indoors and/or outdoors with equal facility. The mat 10 can be
constructed of a resilient material such as rubber, polyvinyl,
artificial turf such as ASTROTURF and the like. The mat 10 is
flexible so that it will conform either to the contour of the
ground outdoors or to a floor indoors. The resilient, durable
characteristics of the mat 10 will protect the golf club that is
used to strike the driven means 12 and will protect the subjacent
supporting surface whether it be the ground or a floor from the
impact of the club.
The substantially upright post 11 includes an elongate shank 14
having a threaded lower end 15 extending through the mat 10. A pair
of rigid metal plates 16 and 17 are located about the post 11 on
opposite sides of the mat 10. A nut 20 is fixed as by welding to
the upper side of metal plate 17 and is located in a recess formed
in the underside of mat 10. The threaded end 15 of post shank 14 is
threadedly attached to the nut 20. Another nut 21 is threadedly
mounted on the post end 15 and is clamped against the upper side of
metal plate 16. The nuts 20 and 21 clamp the metal plates 16 and 17
to the opposite sides of mat 10, and cooperate with such plates 16
and 17 to mount the post 11 in the substantially upright
position.
The upper end of post 11 is provided with an enlarged cap 22 that
prevents the driven means 12 from flying off of the post 11 when
struck by the golf club, and otherwise precludes unintentional
disassembly of the driven means 12.
Located about the post 11 and mounted over the uppermost plate 16,
is a spacer 23 constructed of a resilient material such as rubber,
polyvinyl or the like. Preferably, the underside of the spacer 23
is provided with a recess 24 that receives the nut 21.
The driven means 12 is constructed of a relatively hard, durable
yet resilient material such as rubber, polyvinyl or the like. The
driven means 12 includes a head portion 25 having a bore 26 that
receives the post shank 14. A ball portion 27 is integrally
connected to the head portion 25 by a relatively short rod portion
30. The head portion 25 of the driven means 12 is rotatively
mounted on the post 11 and engages the resilient spacer 23. The
ball portion 27 and head portion 25 approximate the size of a
conventional golf ball. The resilient spacer 23 forms a bearing for
the head portion 25 and holds the ball portion 27 in a
predetermined spaced relationship above the mat 10. The periphery
of spacer 23 terminates short of the ball portion 27 so that there
is no obstruction or interference with the club head as the club
head is moved over the mat 10 and strikes the ball portion 27.
It is thought that the functional advantages of the golf-practicing
device have become fully apparent from the foregoing description of
parts, but for completeness of disclosure, the usage will be
briefly described.
The mat 10 is placed on the floor or the ground, and the driven
means 12 is rotated in position so that the rod portion 30 is
located substantially at right angles to the direction of force of
the club head upon striking the ball portion 27. The ball portion
27 is held above the mat 10 by the spacer 23 so that there is no
necessity to tee up. The golfer swings his golf club and strikes
the ball portion 27, causing the driven means 12 to rotate freely
about the post 11. The driven means 12 is simply repositioned for
subsequent strokes.
The device enables the golfer to practice his swing and attain the
realistic feel of hitting a real golf ball. The driven means 12 is
constructed as described above to preclude deformation and can be
used for an indefinite period of time. The unit is completely
portable and can be used anywhere.
The embodiment of FIG. 2 is especially adapted for outdoor use.
With this unit, a tubular sleeve, constituting a socket 31 is
installed in the ground 32. The socket 31 can be provided by a bore
star-drilled in a concrete or asphalt slab or a hole drilled
through a block of wood. In the embodiment shown, the sleeve 31 is
permanently installed in a concrete block 33 in the ground 32.
The resilient mat 10 is provided with a hole 34 through which the
post 11 can extend. The resilient spacer 23 is located over the mat
10 and is held in position by the post 11. The driven means 12 is
of the identical construction as previously described.
To utilize this unit, the mat 10 is located on the ground with the
hole 34 aligned with the sleeve 31. Then, the post 11 is inserted
through the mat hole 34 and into the sleeve 31 to anchor the mat 10
securely in position. The unit can then be used in the same manner
as the unit of FIG. 3.
* * * * *