CA1258660A

CA1258660A - Golf ball holder and dispensing device

Info

Publication number: CA1258660A
Application number: CA000550876A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Victor G. Noel
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-11-03
Filing date: 1987-11-03
Publication date: 1989-08-22

Abstract

ABSTRACT
A golf ball holder and dispenser device is disclosed which has a tube for receiving a series of superposed golf balls through an open upper end, which has a resilient lip to prevent inadvertent removal of the balls if the device is turned upside down. An inwardly extending annular bead is provided at or near the lower end of the tube to prevent golf balls from passing out of said lower end, while permitting a user of the device to push the lowermost ball by his or her finger up to and through an open-ing in the side wall of the tube. A clip may be mounted on the tube for mounting it on a golf bag. A flange may be provided around the top of the tube, with holders for tees, pencil, etc.

Description

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This invention relates to a holder particularly fox golf balls which preferably may be removably clipped on to a suit-able carrier, such a golf bag, or a bag cart, but which also may be permanently mounted on such a carrier.
Carriers for golf balls are known, but they do not seem tobe commercially successful. The reason for this is that they are relatively complicated in construction and therefore expensive, and/or are somewhat difficult to manipulate or operate. In other words, the golf balls cannot be removed therefrom with sufficient ease to make them as practical as they should be.
The main object of the present invention is the provis-ion of a golf ball holder of extremely simple construction which is such that a golf ball may be removed therefrom quickly and easily without having to manipulate any parts thereof. The ball may be removed from this holder by one hand and without the necessity of even looking at the holder while this is being done.
Another object is the provision of a golf ball holder that may be permanently or removably attached to a suitable carrier, such as the top edge of a golf bag or a pocket of a golf bag, or some suitable portion of a bag carrier or cart.
This golf ball holder is such that it may be molded out of a suitable plastic material or it may be formed of any other material, such as metal.
According to the invention there is provided a golf ball holder and dispenser device comprising a body having a bore there-in defining a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of a golf :~2~6~ 72621-l ball, the top oE -the bore being open to permit the introduction of golf balls into said bore to establish a series of superposed golf balls within said bore, stop means projecting into said bore at or near the bo-ttom thereof and reducing the size of said bore to prevent passage of a golf ball entirely past said stop means, and an egress opening in the side wall of said bore above said stop means and sized to permi-t the passage of a golf ball there-through, said stop means not completely closing the bottom of said bore but leaving an opening sufficien-t to allow a user to insert his or her finger into said bore from the bottom to lift the lower-most golf ball in the bore and manipulate said ball through said egress opening.
In a preferred embodiment -the bore is in a tube for receiving a series of superposed golf balls through an open upper end, which has a resilient lip to prevent inadvertent removal of the balls if the device is turned upside down. An inwardly extend-ing annular bead is provided at or near the lower end of the tube to prevent golf balls from passing out of said lower end, while permitting a user of the device to push the lowermost ball by his or her finger up to and through an opening in the side wall of the tube. A clip may be mounted on the tube for mounting it on a golf bag. A flange may be provided around the top of the tube, with holders for tees, pencil, etc. and clips may be mounted on the side of the tube for holding a score card or the like.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in ~ S ~ 72621-1 which:
Figure l is a top view of an inventive device;
Figure 2 is a front view; and Figure 3 is a side perspective view.
The device comprises a body 1 which has a tube part 2 and an integral flange part 3, the tube l defining a bore 4 of slightly larger internal diameter than the diameter of a golf ball so that a plurality of superposed balls 5 may be accommodated therein. A resilient lip 6 extends slightly into the bore 4 so that a force greater than gravity is required to move a ball past the lip. In other words, a ball has to be pushed to get it into the bore On the other hand, it will be retained in the bore even if the device is turned upside down.
Inadvertent removal of a ball from the bottom of -the bore is prevented by an inwardly projecting annular bead 7 on the wall of the bore defining a diameter less than that of a golf ball.
The bead allows a user of the device to insert a finger in-to the bottom of the bore to push the lowermost golf ball in the bore upwardly against gravity and forwardly to exit from a hole ~ in the tube wall of slightly greater diameter than the golf ball.
A clip 9 on the back of the device enables it -to be detachably attached to a golf ball or the like and other clips 10 on the sides of -the tube can be used to retain a score card, divot repair tool or the like.
A flange ll can extend outwardly at the top of the tube and have sockets 12 for holding a pencil, tees, a ball marker and ~'~S~6~ 72621-1 a tot~el ring. A pencil sharpener 13 may be situated on the wall of -the tube between the clips 10.
It can readily be seen that the device of the invention is a very useful multi-purpose aid for a golfer which makes it very easy to retrieve a golf ball therefrom and yet, at the same time, prevents inadvertent release of a golf ball.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A golf ball holder and dispenser device comprising a body having a bore therein defining a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of a golf ball, the top of the bore being open to permit the introduction of golf balls into said bore to establish a series of superposed golf balls within said bore, stop means projecting into said bore at or near the bottom thereof and reduc-ing the size of said bore to prevent passage of a golf ball entire-ly past said stop means, and an egress opening in the side wall of said bore above said stop means and sized to permit the passage of a golf ball therethrough, said stop means not completely closing the bottom of said bore but leaving an opening sufficient to allow a user to insert his or her finger into said bore from the bottom to lift the lowermost golf ball in the bore and manipulate said ball through said egress opening.

2. A golf ball holder and dispenser device as claimed in claim 1, including retainer means mounted on said body for detach-ably attaching the body to a golf bag or golf bag carrier.

3. A golf ball holder and dispenser device as claimed in claim 1, including an inwardly extending flexible lip at the top of said bore for permitting golf balls to be pushed forcefully into said bore from the top while preventing inadvertent removal of the balls from the bore even in an upside down position of the device.

4. A golf ball holder and dispenser device as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, including a flange on said body having holders for receiving tees,a pencil, a ball marker and a towel ring.

5. A golf ball holder and dispenser device as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, including clips mounted on the exterior of said body for retaining a score card or the like.