US3191939A - Swing indicator attachment for golf clubs including spaced electric light bulbs - Google Patents

Description

June 29, 1965 F. G. HOOPER 3,191,939

SWING INDICATOR ATTACHMENT FOR GOLF CLUBS INCLUDING SPACED ELECTRIC LIGHT BULBS S Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 27, 1962 F. G. HOOPER June 29, 1965 SWING INDICATOR ATTACHMENT FOR GOLF CLUBS INCLUDING SPACED ELECTRIC LIGHT BULBS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 27, 1962 ""J'I'A I I III I I I 3,191,939 LUDING June 29; 1965 F. G. HOOPER SWING INDICATOR ATTACHMENT FOR GOLF CLUBS INC SPACED ELECTRIC LIGHT BULBS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 27, 1962 3,191,939 c Patented June 29, 1965 This invention relates to a sporting device which is usable for the purpose of training sportsmen in the correct stroking of bats, forexample, cricket bats, tennis racquets,

golf clubs, baseball bats and the like.

When a ball is being struck by a bat, for example, a golf club, it isusual for a player to sweep the bat through an arc and the striking instrument continuously changes its angular relationship with reference to a ball, and if the players eye is stationary, it follows that the angular relationship will alsovary with reference to the players eye. a I

In many sports the angular relationship of the bat to the ball at the time of impact is a matter of'very great importance, and in the striking of a golf ball by a golf club, for example, becomes of paramount importance.

The main object of this invention is to provide means which will assist a sportsman or professional coach in determining the characteristics of the swing of a bat.

In its simplest form the invention consists of a bracket, bat-engaging clamp means on the bracket, globe-retaining means on the bracket, a pair of spaced globes in the globeretaining means, and a flexible cable electrically connected to both globes and extending from the bracket, the globes being arranged in a fore and aft relationship with each other so that they intersect at impact between a ball and a bat to which the bracket is clamped.

An embodimentof the invention wherein it is applied to a golf club is described hereunder in some detail with referenceito and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: 1

FIG. lis a perspective view showing the sporting device of this invention secured to the lower end of a golf club, i 7' FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the bracket of the device when clamped to a club,

FIG. 3 is a section on line 33 of FIG. 2,. i r

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section of an end of the boo showing the mounting arrangement for a globe,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the globe-retaining member, 1

FIG.'6 is an elevation of the inner half case of the battery case, and

FIG. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of FIG. 6, but illustrating both the inner and outer half cases when in their assembled condition.

The sporting device comprises a bracket 10, the bracket 10 being connected by means of a flexible cable 11 to batteries 12 in a battery case 13;

The bracket 10 comprises two main portions, one being a sheet metal boom 15 and the other a support member 16. The support member 16 has on its one end a sheet metal boom engaging portion 17 which engages over one end of the boom 15 (see FIG. 2). The sheet metal used for both the boom and support member is coated with polyvinyl chloride or other thermoplastic material either before or after pressing, and the contiguous surfaces of the two members are held together while heat is applied to thereby eflect a weld between the adjacent surfaces of polyvinyl chloride.

The support member 16 has a boom-engaging portion 17 which extends in the direction of the normal path of travel of a bat to which it is attached, and extending to one side of the boom-engaging portion 17 is a horizontal portion 18, the horizontal portion 18 merging into a batengaging clamp portion 19. The bat-engaging clamp portion 19 includes a pair of spaced diverging walls 21, and each of these walls 21 are turned at their edges through nearly 180 to form upturned flanges 22. The walls 21 constitute bat-engaging clamp means, while the upturnerd flanges 22 are engaged by inturned lips 23 on a saddle 24, the saddle 24 carrying a clamping screw 25 which is engageable against the stem 26 of a bat, which in this embodiment is shown as the golf club 27. i V

The boom 15 has two spaced apertures 30 and 31 which are illumination apertures, the aperture 31 being aligned with an aperture 32 in the boom engaging portion '17, and in this embodiment these apertures are so arranged that upon correct swing of the golf club 27, the paths of light established by globes visible through the apertures 30 and 31 intersect at the point where the ball is normally struck. The boom 15 has inwardly directed horizontal flanges 33, the flanges defining a parallel opening beneath the boom 15. A globe-retaining member 34 is formed of a strip of polyethylene of constant cross-section, and includes a pair of oppositely disposed flange-engaging grooves 35. These flange-engaging grooves 35- are atthe bases of upwardly converging side walls 36, so that the globe-retaining member 34 can be clipped into position in theopening defined by the inturned horizontal flanges 33 of the boom'15.

The upper surface 38 of the globe-retaining member 34 has a central globe-retaining groove 39 flanked on each side by a conductor-retaining groove 40. A pair of transverse narrow slots 41 and 42 interconnect the globeretaining groove 39 with the two conductor-retaining grooves 40, and a pair of pear- shaped globes 43 and 44 are disposed within the groove 39. Each of the globes 43 and 44 has its connection wires disposed for a short distance adjacent the globe within the globe-retaining groove 39, and then passing through a transverse narrow slot and being positioned along the conductor-retaining groove 40. Conductors are disposed within the grooves and these are connected to the ends of the twin flexible cable 11. v j

' FIG. 4 shows the arrangement wherein the globe-retaining member 34 is positioned within the boom 15, and is retained against end movement by thespring member 47. The spring member 47 engages a positioning plate 48 which is arranged to engage the striker surface 49 of the golf club 27. The positioning plate 48 is constituted by the front end of the boom engaging portion 17 turned downwardly.

The battery case 13 comprises an inner half case 52 which mates edge to edge with an outer half case 53, the inner and outer half cases 52 and 53 beingreleasably retained together by means of a retaining screw 54 which is threaded into a threaded boss 55 on the inner face of the inner half case 52.

The battery case 13 carries a pair of dry cell batteries 12 which engage at one end a lower contact bridging strip 58, one of the batteries 12 engaging at the other end a fixed contact 59'while the other battery engages a second fixed contact 60, the fixed contact 60 having a tongue 61 which co-operates with a moving spring contact 62, the moving spring contact being controlled by a pin 63 on the inside of a finger switch 64. The finger switch 64 retains a spring index plate 65 which slides along the inner surface of the outer half case 53 releasably engages over an index plate engaging projection 67 on the inner face of the outer half case 53. When the finger switch 64 is moved, the pin 63 rides up a ramp face on the moving spring contact 62 urging it into electrical engagement with the tongue 61.

The manner in which the invention is used is as follows:

The golf club is swung in a partly illuminated area while the globes are illuminated by the batteries. A line or mark on the ground indicates the intended line of flight and a designated spot indicates the position of the ball. The user takes his stance in relation to these points. As the club moves through its arc, the two small light sources impress upon the brain, through the persistence of vision, the illusion of two streaks of light, and the distance between the two streaks of light at any point is a function of angle of the club face. This angle of course changes continuously during the swing of the club, the forward end of the club being further out away from the eye of the user at the beginning of the stroke, but closer in toward the eye of the user at the end of the stroke, than the rear end of the club. By a correct movement or swing of the golf club, two streaks of light will be observed by the user of the club which will converge and intersect at the instant of impact with a ball if the club has been correctly swung. This corresponds to a stroke wherein no spin is imparted to the golf ball. By noting the movement of leading light only in relation to a ground mark or intended line of flight an inside-out or outside-in swing is readily detected by the user. The trailing globe can be readily occluded or covered, if desired, to simplify the detection of this action. The path of travel of each light globe is readily determined due to the users persistence of vision.

If the streaks of light appear to the user to intersect before the point of impact this will indicate an outside-in swing while if they appear to intersect after the point of impact the inside-out swing will be indicated. This gives a ready means of determining the exact nature of the swing of the club.

The invention can be extended to be used with other striking instruments where it is desirable to know the position of the striking instrument at the point of impact.

If it is desired, the globes may be replaced by reflectors of known type as light directing members, the reflectors being secured to the boom, and co-operating with an external light source to indicate their paths of travel.

What I claim is:

1. A sporting device comprising a support member and a boom secured thereto, horizontal flanges on said boom directed towards each other, said horizontal flanges having edges defining a parallel-sided slot beneath the boom, a globe-retaining member of constant cross-section and including upwardly converging side walls having lower terminal edges provided with longitudinally extending flangeengaging grooves, said flange-engaging grooves releasably engaging said edges of the horizontal flanges, said globeretaining member having an upper surface provided with a central globe-retaining groove extending therealong, and a pair of conductor grooves disposed one on each side of the globe-retaining groove, a pair of spaced globes in the globe-retaining groove, the globes being disposed one behind the other lengthwise of the globe-retaining groove, said boom having an upper surface and a pair of illumination apertures in said upper surface aligned with the globes whereby the latter are visible through said apertures, a pair of conductors one in each conductor groove electrically connected to said globes, and a twin flexible power cable connected to said conductors.

2. A supporting device comprising a support member and a boom secured thereto, a positioning plate on one end of the boom, horizontal flanges on said boom directed towards each other, the flanges having edges defining a parallel-sided slot beneath the boom, a globe-retaining member of constant cross-section and including upwardly converging side walls having lower terminal edges provided with longitudinally extending flange-engaging grooves, said fiange-engaging grooves releasably engaging said edges of the horizontal flanges, said globe-retaining member having an upper surface provided with a central globe-retaining groove extending therealong and a pair of conductor grooves disposed one on each side of the globe-retaining groove, a pair of spaced globes in the globe-retaining groove, the globes being disposed one behind the other lengthwise of the globe-retaining groove, said boom having an upper surface and illumination apertures in the upper surface of the said boom aligned with the globes whereby the latter are visible through said apertures, a pair of conductors one in each conductor groove electrically connected to said globes, and a twin flexible power cable connected to said conductors.

3. A sporting device comprising a support member and a boom secured thereto, a positioning plate on one end of the boom, horizontal flanges on said boom directed towards each other, said horizontal flanges having edges defining a parallel-sided slot beneath the boom, a globeretaining member of constant cross-section and including upwardly converging side walls with lower terminal edges provided with longitudinally extending flange-engaging grooves, said flange-engaging grooves releasably engaging said edges of the horizontal flanges, said globe-retaining member having an upper surface provided with a central globe-retaining groove extending therealong and a pair of conductor grooves disposed one on each side of the globeretaining groove, a pair of spaced globes in the globe-retaining groove, the globes being disposed one behind the other lengthwise of the globe-retaining groove, said boom having opposite ends and an upper surface provided with a pair of illumination apertures adjacent said ends, said globes being located in the globe-retaining groove in alignment with the apertures and being thereby visible through said apertures, a pair of conductors one in each conductor groove electrically connected to said globes, and a twin flexible power cable connected to said conductors for supplying electrical power thereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,158,211 5/39 Aitken 273l86 2,787,470 4/ 5'7 Barrus et al 273l86 3,070,373 12/62 Mathew et a1 273-183 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A SPORTING DEVICE COMPRISING A SUPPORT MEMBER AND A BOOM SECURED THERETO, HORIZONTAL FLANGES ON SAID BOOM DIRECTED TOWARDS EACH OTHER, SAID HORIZONTAL FLANGES HAVING EDGES DEFINING A PARALLEL-SIDED SLOT BENEATH THE BOOM, A GLOBE-RETAINING MEMBER OF CONSTANT CROSS-SECTION AND INCLUDING UPWARDLY CONVERGING SIDE WALLS HAVING LOWER TERMINAL EDGES PROVIDED WITH LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING FLANGEENGAGING GROOVES, SAID FLANGE-ENGAGING GROOVES RELEASBLY ENGAGING SAID EDGES OF THE HORIZONTAL FLANGES, SAID GLOBERETAINING MEMBER HAVING AN UPPER SURFACE PROVIDED WITH A CENTRAL GLOBE-RETAINING GROOVE EXTENDING THEREALONG, AND A PAIR OF CONDUCTOR GROOVES DISPOSED ONE ON EACH SIDE OF THE GLOBE-RETAINING GROOVE, A PAIR OF SPACED GLOBES IN THE GLOBE-RETAINING GROOVE, THE GLOBES BEING DISPOSED ONE BEHIND THE OTHER LENGTHWISE OF THE GLOBE-RETAINING GROOVE, SAID BOOM HAVING AN UPPER SURFACE AND A PAIR OF ILUMINATION APERTURES IN SAID UPPER SURFACE ALIGNED WITH THE GLOBES WHEREBY THE LATTER ARE VISIBLE THROUGH SAID APERTURES, A PAIR OF CONDUCTORS ONE IN EACH CONDUCTOR GROVE ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO SAID GLOBES, AND A TWIN FLEXIBLE POWER CABLE CONNECTED TO SAID CONDUCTORS.

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