US2051253A - Golf ball teeing device - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 18, 1936. E. E. GOEHLER ET Al.

GOLF BALL TEEING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 4, 1935 ATTORNEY.

Aug- 18, 1936- E. E. Gol-:HLER Er A1. 2,051,253

GOLF BALL TEEING DEVICE Filed March 4, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 5L/*1ER E. 60E/MER ATTORNEY,

Aug. 18, 1936. E. E. GOEHLER ET AL 2,051,253'

GOLF BALL TEEING DEVICE Filed March 4, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 :E Ell INVENTOR. IMEI? E. GOEHLER ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GOLF BALL TEEING DEVICE Elmer E. Goehler and Paul Amort,

Portland, Orcg.

iluence of a slight vacuum we are enabled to use a tee of smaller diameter, hence greater flexibility and with less liability of the eiect of the drive being modified by resistance oi the tee when the ball is struck.

Using a tee of small diameter, great exibility and holding the ball thereon by vacuum of small degree permits the ball being touched by the player as he addresses the ball preparatory to his driving stroke, without displacing it. l

Holding the ball to the tee by slight vacuum makes available an ideal force for operating control apparatus for motor devices to reciprocate the tee, the impulsion of air when the vacuum is broken by the drive.

.Vacuum apparatus of small capacity being required for each tee operated, a moderate sized vacuum producing device may operate a considerable number of tees and may be widely spaced therefrom resulting in an entirely noiseless operation of the device to the end that the player is not distracted as by the hum of an individual motor of the electric type such as ha been heretofore used.

Apparatus of the character described hereinafter is little or nothing subject to interference by moisture, requires no periodic oiling or other attention, made of inexpensive materials and not requiring extra critical workmanship it can be distributed for a small fraction of the makers cost of apparatus heretofore known, thus making it available for a much larger use.

Realization 'of the advantages heretofore stated and others that will be apparent from this disclosure is thel purpose of our present invention. DrawingsV accompany and form a part of the disclosure herewith, illustrating the best form of apparatus as"now contemplated but it is to be understood that they are illustrative and not. limiting and 'that by certain obvious changes, air pressure can be substituted for vacuum in the main motor; or any motive force can be substituted for either air pressure or vacuum in the main motor upon suitable modication of the control device which will still be itself controlled by our vacuum tee, hereinafter described in detail.

Fig. I is a longitudinal vertical section of the preferred form of our invention, partly in section and showing the apparatus in its normal or de-energized position; 5

Fig. II is a view taken on the same plane as that in Fig. I, sectioned in a different manner, and shows the apparatus energized and holding a golf ball in driving position relative to a-playing iield; l

Fig. III is a section on the line III- III of Fig. II;

Fig. IV is a section on the line IV-IV of Fig. II; and

Fig. V is a section taken as indicated by the l line V-V in Fig. II.

Referring to Fig. II. A tee member I, made of highly resilient soft rubber, has a vacuum cup 2, formed on its ball engaging end, and an internal passageway 3, which communicates with the bent tube 4, which also constitutes the arm for raising a golf ball G, from storage to playing position.

Flexible tubes 5 and 6, are in communication with a vacuum producing device not shown and the tube 5, is connected to the bent tube 4, at 6. Thus in the position shown in Fig. II, vacuum of small degree will exist in the hollow of the tube 4, designated by 4a, and this will be applied to the golf ball G, shown resting on the vacuum cup 2, and will also exist in the chamber 1. 'I'he amount of vacuum required is quite low.

Referring now to Fig. I and assuming that vacuum effect is about to be applied. If the vacuum cup 2 were open, that is no ball G in place, vacuum would be satisfied through the passageway 3, 4a, 6, etc. But as soon as a golf ball takes its place on the vacuum cup 2, it closes the pasageway 3,-not necessarily perfectly 40 air tight, but suiciently so that vacuum will appear in the chamber 1. This causes a deflection of the diaphragm 8, from the position shown in Fig. I to that. shown in Fig. II, which moves .the slide valve 9, and causes the ports I0 and II, 45

to be placed in communication by relative movement of the D slot I2.

As before mentioned the flexible tube 6, is connected to the same vacuum source as 5, and vacuum therefore will be felt through the passageway 6a, be transferred by the D slot I2 to the port III and thence through the tube I3 to the rubber bellows I4, which partially-collapses from the position shown in Fig. I to that shown in- Fig. n.

The bellows I4, is anchored at Il so that it is capable, at that point, of a relatively small longitudinal movement, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained. The whole apparatus or head I6, is pivoted at I1. The axis of the pivot I1 is approximately at right angles to the axis oi' the tube 4.

Collapsing of the bellows Il, after the manner indicated, therefore swingsA the head I6, on the pivot I1, and raises the tee I, from the position showninY Fig. I to that shown in Fig. II, carrying 'the golf ball G with it.

A stop I8, which may be conveniently made ad- Justable, limits the upward movement of the tee v I, by arresting the movement of the tube l. It is evident that the vacuum being maintained on 5 and 8, and the golf ball G being elevated to the position shown in Fig. II, the ball will remain there until driven from the tee I, or otherwise removed.

As soon as the golf ball G is struck or otherwise displaced from the vacuum cup 2, vacuum in the vacuum cup 2, and in all passages conynected thereto, and particularly in the chamber 1, is satisiled by the impulsion of air through the passageway la. The diaphragm 8, being made of resilient rubber, will resume the position shown in Fig. I, moving the slide valve 9, so that the D slot I2 is out of registration with the port II and places the port III in operative registration with the vent port 20, which then satisfies the vacuum in the interior of the bellows I4, which accordingly relaxes and the tee I, and its connected parts drop to the position shown in Fig. I, ready to receive another ball if any be present in the chute 2l. Thus the cycle may be repeated indennitely, smoothly and noiselessly so long as the vacuum is maintained by the vacuum producing means and so long as balls are available to consecutively take their places on the vacuum cup 2,A as the tee I, drops into ball receiving position, thence to be raised to ball delivering position and held there until driven therefrom.

Ihe anchor I5, of the bellows I4, is connected to reachrods 25 and 26, which are in turn connected to the plate 21, provided with cam slots 28 and 29. These cam slots 28 and 29 engage the lower ends of gate wires 30 and 3| which are plvoted to swing at 32.

In Fig. V the gate, composed of the wires 30 and 3i, is shown closed, which will be the same position indicated in Fig. II with the ball in raised position. It opens to admit a ball to the tee as the bellows I4, finishes its relaxing movement.

The plate 21, containing the cam slots 28 and 29, is arranged to move very easily and when vacuum energy starts to collapse the bellows I 4, it will move rst and close the gate wires 30 and 3| together to stop additional balls from rolling down the chute 2i. When it has reached the limit of its movement, then additional collapsing movement of the bellows I4 will swing the head on its pivot and raise the tee I as hereinbefore described, and obviously since the plate 21 moves lrst upon energizing of the bellows I l, it will be moved last when the tee drops to ball receiving position.

A vent I0, communicates with the diaphragm chamber on the opposite side of the diaphragm 8, from the chamber 1, so that influence felt in the chamber 1, will not be impaired or interfered with.

Almost innumerable modications may be made without departing from the operative principles hereinbei'ore described. We therefore do not desire to limit ourselves to the speciilc device shown, nor operating after the specinc manner shown, but what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

1. In a golf apparatus, a movable tee, a vacuum ball holder on the tee that is adapted to retain a ball on said tee and vacuum producing means operatively connected to the ball holder through the tee.

2. In golt apparatus, a reciprocable tee arranged to hold a. ball in driving position by vacuum and means movable to reciprocate said tee and replace a ball driven therefrom, a reciprocation cycle of said movable means being initiated by breaking the vacuum in driving the ball from the tee.

3. Golf bali apparatus for successively replacing a ball on a tee in driving position, defined in part as a reciprocable tee member, a vacuum ball holder terminating said tee and vacuum producing means operatively connected to said ball holder.

4. Golf apparatus comprising a reciprocable tee, vacuum operated means for reciprocating said tee, pneumatic valve means for controlling said last named means and means whereby atmospheric pressure is rendered eiective to move said pneumatic valve when a ball is driven from said tee.

5. In golf apparatus, a reciprocable tee adapted to hold a ball in driving position and pneumatic means for reciprocating said tee to replace a driven ball, pneumatic control means for said reciprocating means and means operable by air impulsion to move said control means upon breaking contact of a ball with said tee.

6. Golf apparatus defined in part as a resilient tee, a vacuum cup in ball holding position on said tee and vacuum producing means connected to said vacuum cup.

7. Golf apparatus for automatically replacing a ball driven from a tee, comprising in combination a reciprocable tee, a pneumatic motor for reciprocating said tee, a valve for controlling operation cycles of said motor and pneumatic means for moving said valve to control said motor that are rendered operative by breaking contact of a ball with said tee.

8. Golf apparatus for automatically replacing a ball driven from a tee, comprising in combination a vacuum motor, a tee reciprocable by said motor, a valve apparatus adapted to control said motor to reciprocate said tee by cycles and vacuum means for retaining a ball on said tee, the said valve being movable by impulsion of air when vacuum is broken by driving av ball from said tee.

9. Golf apparatus for automatically replacing a ball driven from a tee, comprising in combination a pneumatic motor, a tee reciprocable by said motor, a valve apparatus adapted to control said motor to reciprocate said tee by cycles and vacuum means for retaining a ball on said tee, the said valve being movable by impulsion of air when vacuum is broken by driving a ball from said tee.

10. Golf apparatus for automatically replacing a ball driven from a tee, comprising in combination a motor, a tee reciprocable by said motor, control apparatus for said motor that limits its movement to one recipocation cycle of the tee and vacuum means i'or retaining a ball yon said tee, the said control apparatus being arranged to act by impulsion of air when vacuum is broken by driving a ball from the tee.

11. Golf apparatus comprising a tee reciprocable to successively replace balls driven therefrom, pneumatic motor means for reciprocating said tee to replace a ball driven therefrom and stop with the ball in driving position, control meansior said motor and vacuum means for retaining a ball on the tee, the said control means being adapted to move to control said motor under the influence of air impulsion when aV ball is driven from the tee.

12. Golf apparatus comprising a tee automatically movable to ball receiving position and reverse to ball driving position after receiving a ball, vacuum ball holding means on the tee and vacuum means connected to said ball holding means, the reverse movement of the tee to driving position being dependent upon closure of the vacuum ball holding means by a ball and establishment of vacuum thereunder.

13. Golf ball apparatus for cyclic reciprocation of a golf tee between a bail receiving position and ball striking position. including means for stopping the tee in driving position until a ball is driven therefrom, said means including a vacuum passage that is closed by the ball and motor controlv apparatus operatively connected to said vacuum passage that is movable under the influence of vacuum in said passage to energize a motor.

14. Golf apparatus comprising a guilt tee. vacuum ball retaining means on the ball engaging end of said tee and vacuum producing means operatively connected to said ball retaining means.

15. In a teeing device. a reciprocable ball holding tee, pneumatically operated means for re- 16. In a golf ball teeing device, a reciprocable tee, a vacuum bellows arranged to reciprocate said tee. control means for said bellows and means that are rendered operable to energize said control means by driving a ball from the tee.

17. A teein'g device dened in part as a reciprocable tee, a vacuum Abellows arranged to 20 reciprocate said tee, control means for said bellows, vacuum producing means positioned to activate said bellows through said control means, the said control means being arranged to cause vacuum activation ot said bellows when a bail is 25 in piace on said-tee.

ELMER E. GOEHLER. PAUL AMORT.

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