GB2471597A

GB2471597A - Golf ball collecting device

Info

Publication number: GB2471597A
Application number: GB1016300A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martin Ball
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-04-07
Filing date: 2006-04-07
Publication date: 2011-01-05
Anticipated expiration: 2026-04-07
Also published as: GB201016300D0; GB2471597B

Abstract

A device and method for collecting golf balls. The device comprises a frame 3 carried by at least a front and a rear gang of rotatable discs 4, 5, 6, one or more golf ball containers 17, 18, 19 supported by the frame serving each disc gang, means 20, 21 for releasing golf balls wedged between the discs and delivering them to the ball containers, a power source supported by the frame for rotating the discs of at least one disc gang, and means for remotely controlling the movement of the device across the ground, wherein the device does not include a tyre for supporting the device on the ground and/or for the collection of golf balls.

Description

Collecting Device The present invention relates to a novel device for collecting golf balls. It is particularly useful for collecting golf balls from golf practice ranges.

Various golf ball collecting devices are already used on golf practice ranges. Normally they have one or more wheels fitted with rubber tyres and are driven by a machine attached to the ball collector which itself may have three or four wheels fitted with rubber tyres. The problem with these known devices is that, when the ground is wet, the wheels of both the collector and the machine chum up the ground and damage the turf In WO 03/080196 there is described a moving practice golf green pick-up and return apparatus, which, in one version, is fitted with a golf ball collector. This is a self-propelled device but is still provided with separate wheels.

According to the present invention there is provided a golf ball collecting device Q comprising: a frame carried by at least a front and a rear gang of rotatable discs, the discs in each C\J gang being spaced-apart such that golf balls lying on ground over which the device is transported are wedged between adjacent discs, and at least one of the disc gangs being articulated to allow the device to move in different directions; one or more golf ball containers supported by the frame serving each disc gang; means for releasing golf balls wedged between the discs and delivering them to the ball containers; a power source supported by the frame for rotating the discs of at least one disc gang; and means for remotely controlling the movement of the device across the ground, wherein the device does not include a tyre for supporting the device on the ground and/or for the collection of golf balls.

The tyre may include for example a pneumatic or solid rubber tyre.

The gangs, or rows, of discs will normally comprise, for example, six or more discs and typically about thirteen discs. In one embodiment, there are two disc gangs at the rear of the device mounted on half-shafts which are driven via a differential gear and a propeller shaft by the power source. Having a differential gear in the rear drive axle enables the device to turn in restricted areas without damaging the ground it is travelling over, particularly when the ground is soft and wet.

Each disc may have a ground contact edge of about 0.5 to 15 mm, for example about 1-mm or about 3-8 mm. In one embodiment, the edge of each disc is about 6 or 7 mm.

The height of each disc may be about 200 to 400 mm, for example 250 to 350 mm or about 300 to 305 mm.

Conveniently there is one front disc gang which preferably comprises a left-hand and right-hand array of discs separated by an independent central disc. This arrangement allows the front left-and right-hand array of discs to move independently of the central disc and of one another thereby facilitating the turning movement of the device and avoiding ground damage. Otherwise the discs of the front left-and right-hand disc arrays and of the two rear disc gangs are fixed relative to one another on common axles.

The front disc gang is conveniently mounted on an articulated front assembly connected to the frame by a pivot and steering joint. The device is thereby steered by pivoting of the front assembly. Steering may be achieved by any suitable steering means such as a chain drive, a rack and pinion mechanism or any other commonly used mechanical device.

The front disc gang is suitably positioned in front of and intermediate the two rear disc gangs so that together they form an uninterrupted row of discs across the width of the device.

Disc gangs suitable for use with the present invention are of a known type and more detailed information about their construction may be gathered from commercially available equipment, such as the SL9O Series of lightweight ball pickers available from Wittek Inc. It will be appreciated that other disc gang arrangements may be employed. For instance, the collecting device may be steered by a pivoted rear disc gang instead of by a pivoted front disc gang and the front disc gang, or both the front and rear disc gangs, may be driven by the power source.

One golf ball container is conveniently positioned immediately in front of each disc gang and may take the form of an open-topped collection basket suitable for receiving balls released from between the discs during forward movement of the device.

The means for releasing golf balls wedged between the discs is suitably a series of rigid ball-release arms, one arm extending between each pair of adjacent discs. The arms extract the balls from between the discs as the discs rotate and direct them into the ball containers.

The power source for rotating the discs of at least one of the disc gangs (and hence driving the device) is conveniently an electric motor powered by a rechargeable battery, but any other suitable power source may be used. Thus, a petrol, diesel or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) engine, for example a 10 horse power petrol engine, could equally well be used to save the device having to return to a battery re-charging station.

The means for remotely controlling the movement of the device is conveniently a standard radio wave receiver fitted to the device, which receives signals from a remote, suitably hand-held, radio wave transmitter. However, any remote control means may be employed which uses any type of wave energy, including radio, sound and light energy.

Alternatively, a Global Positioning System or other mapping system may be used to eliminate the need for a person having to control the movement of the device.

The device may be amphibious. For example, the device may function to a liquid (such as water) depth of about 10-60 cm, such as about 45 cm (about 18 inches).

The device may further comprise a self-emptying system. This would enable the device to return to a ball management room or unloading station to self-empty, for example by tipping, the bails from the golf ball containers into hoppers and return to the golf range outfield to continue collecting golf-balls. Such a device would be able to operate totally without human intervention.

In one embodiment, the device may further comprise a golf ball cleaning means. The cleaning means may for example include a liquid washing system within the golf ball containers. Alternatively, golf balls released from the discs may be delivered into a cleaning means before being transferred into the golf ball container.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a wheel-less and/or tyre-less golf ball collecting apparatus. In preferences to one or more wheels or tyres, the apparatus comprises collection discs. The wheel-less apparatus may further comprise features as defined herein for the golf ball collecting device.

In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for collecting golf balls, comprising the step of using a golf ball collecting device as defined herein.

The invention will now be particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings, drawn on a scale of 1:10, in which: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of a golf ball collecting device according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view looking down on the collector shown in Figure 1; Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the collector shown in Figures 1 and 2; and Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the collector shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

In the Figures, a golf ball collecting device 1 comprises a housing 2 mounted on a frame 3 fitted with two rear disc gangs 4 and 5 and a front disc gang 6. The rear disc gangs, each of which comprises thirteen spaced-apart discs 7, are mounted on half-shafts 8 and 9 connected to a differential gear 10. The front disc gang, which comprises left-and right-hand disc arrays 11 and 12, each having six spaced-apart discs 13 separated by an independent central disc 14, is mounted on an articulated front assembly 15. The articulated front assembly is connected to the front end of the frame by a pivot and steering joint 16. n front of each of the two rear disc gangs and the front disc gang are positioned collection baskets 17, 18 and 19, which, between them, can carry up to 3000 golf balls. Ball-release arms 20 and 21, which extend between each pair of discs of the front and rear disc gangs, provide a means for extracting golf balls wedged between the discs and delivering them to the collection baskets.

An electric motor and battery power source (not shown) mounted in the housing 2 behind a rear hinged motor cover 22 drives a propeller shaft (not shown) connected to the differential gear 10 and hence the half-shafts on which the rear disc gangs are mounted. The movement of the whole device is controlled from a standard remote control handset, the device receiving a radio signal from the remote controller via an aerial 23.

The device is constructed mainly of light-weight aluminium and is about 5 ft (1.5m) wide and 5 ft (1.5m) long. It is self-propelled and travels across the ground only on its collecting discs, its entire weight being spread evenly over the discs. This enables the device to be used to collect balls from the outfields of golf ranges no matter how wet the ground becomes. It is capable of travelling across water-logged areas and through water up to depths of 18 inches (45 cms) and is still able to pick up all submerged balls.

Furthermore, it does not require the assistance of any wheels, whether or not fitted with rubber tyres, other than the collecting discs themselves, and consequently limits any damage to soft turf surfaces.

In operation, the golf ball collecting device is manoeuvred round a golf practice range using the remote control handset. Golf balls lying on the ground are wedged between adjacent discs as the disc gangs pass over them and are extracted from between the discs as they meet the ball release arms and delivered into the collection baskets.

It will be understood that the golf ball collecting device described with reference to the drawings is only one example of the present invention. Amongst possible modifications included within the scope of this invention are, as indicated above, the replacement of the battery power source with any other suitable power source, such as a petrol, diesel or LPG engine, for example a 10 horse power petrol engine, to save the device having to return to a battery re-charging station; and the use of a Global Positioning System or other mapping system to eliminate the need for a person having to control its movement.

It may also be possible to modify the device by installing a self-emptying system. This would enable the device to return to a ball management room or unloading station to self-tip the balls from the collection baskets into hoppers and return to the golf range outfield to continue collecting golf-balls. Such a device would be able to operate totally without human intervention.

All documents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

Claims

Amendments to the claims have been made as follows: Claims 1. A device (1) for collecting golf balls, comprising: a frame (3) carried by at least a front and a rear gang of rotatable discs (4, 5, 6), the discs (7, 13) in each gang being spaced-apart such that golf balls lying on ground over which the device is transported are wedged between adjacent discs, and at least one of the disc gangs being articulated to allow the device to move in different directions; one or more golf ball containers (17, 18, 19) supported by the frame serving each disc gang; means (20, 21) for releasing golf balls wedged between the discs and delivering them to the ball containers; a power source supported by the frame for driving and rotating the discs of at least one disc gang; and means for remotely controlling the movement of the device across the ground; wherein the device is self-propelled and travels across the ground only on the rotatable discs without requiring assistance from any other wheels.
2. The device according to claim 1, in which there is one front disc gang (6) comprising left-and right-hand arrays of discs (11, 12) that move independently of a central disc (14) separating the left-and right-hand arrays and of one another.
3. The device according to claim 2, in which the front disc gang is mounted on an articulated front assembly (15) connected to the frame by a pivot and steering joint (21).
4. The device according to any preceding claim, in which the front disc gang is positioned in front of and intermediate the two rear disc gangs so that together they form an uninterrupted row of discs across the width of the device.
5. The device according to any of the preceding claims in which one golf ball container in the form of an open-topped collection basket (17, 18, 19) is positioned immediately in front of each disc gang for receiving balls released from between the discs during forward movement of the device.
6. The device according to any of the preceding claims in which the means for releasing golf balls wedged between the discs is a series of rigid ball-release arms (20, 21), one arm extending between each pair of adjacent discs.
7. The device according to any of the preceding claims in which the power source for rotating the discs and hence driving the device is an electric motor powered by a rechargeable battery.
8. The device according to any of the preceding claims in which the means for remotely controlling the movement of the device is a radio wave receiver which receives signals from a remote radio wave transmitter.
9. The device according to any of the preceding claims in which the device is amphibious.
10. The device according to any of the preceding claims further comprising a self-emptying system. a)
11. A golf ball collecting device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
12. A method for collecting golf balls, comprising the step of using a golf ball collecting device as defined in any of claims 1 to 11 to collect golf balls.
13. A method for collecting golf balls substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.