US3740054A

US3740054A - Golf practice device

Info

Publication number: US3740054A
Application number: US00233274A
Authority: US
Inventors: T Arkin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-03-09
Filing date: 1972-03-09
Publication date: 1973-06-19
Anticipated expiration: 1990-06-19

Abstract

A golf ball practice device includes a horizontal arm having inner and outer ends. The inner end of the arm is mounted in a support which permits the arm to be elevated and lowered to adapt same for use with golf club irons and woods, respectively. A pair of plates are hinged to each other and secured to the outer end of the arm. A coil spring is provided to bias the plates toward each other and maintain the plates substantially parallel. The upper plate is secured to the outer end of the arm by a stud having a pointed end and extending in a direction away from the lower plate. A golf ball is secured to the lower plate. The pointed stud is adapted to be inserted into the ground when the arm is in a lowered position and the device is used with golf club woods.

Description

United States Patent 1 Arkin GOLF PRACTICE DEVICE [76] Inventor: Theodore E. Arkin, 32 00 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Ill. [57] [22] Filed: Mar. 9, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 233,274

[4511 June 19,1973

Primary Examiner-George J. Marlo Attorney-Max R. Kraus ABSTRACT A golf ball practice device includes ahorizontal arm having inner and outer ends. The inner end of the arm is mounted in a support which permits the arm to be elevated and lowered to adapt samefor use with golf club irons and woods, respectively. A pair of plates are hinged to each other and secured to the outer end of the arm. A coil spring is provided to bias the plates to ward each other and maintain the plates substantially parallel. The upper plate is secured to the outer end of the arm by a stud having a pointed end and extending in a direction away from the lower plate. A golf ball is secured to the lower plate. The pointed stud is adapted to be inserted into the ground when the arm is in a lowered position and the device is used with golf club 9 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures astrnununnanuwnunuuwnvnwn.

GOLF PRACTICE DEVICE BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One of the objects of this invention is to provide a golf practice device with a captive ball supported on an articulated joint which may be used in the home or outdoors for practicing with iron clubs and may be used outdoors for practicing with driver clubs.

Another object of this invention is to provide a golf practice device with a captively held golf ball wherein the golf ball may be positioned to be supported adjacent or in close proximity to the ground or the base so that an iron club may be used, or it may be positioned in an elevated position of the approximate height of a golf tee so that a driver club may be used to strike the ball.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the practice device set up for use inside the home, for use with an iron club.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing in dotted lines the position of the hinge and the golf ball when struck.

FIG. 4 is a section view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the. device set up and arranged for practice outdoors for use with an iron club. a

FIG. 6 is a view of the device set up and arranged for practice outdoors for use with a driver club.

FIG. 7 is a rear end elevational view taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 through 4 inclusive, the device is shown set up for practicing with an iron club inside the home.

The device or unit is generally indicated at 10 and may be used in connection with a supporting stand generally indicated at 12, such as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, where it may be used inside the home or the like. The device or unit may also be used with ground anchoring means, such as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, wherein it is used outdoors.

The supporting stand 12 comprises a flat base 14 preferably of rectangular shape, the underside of which is covered with a rubber material 16 which when the stand is positioned on a floor or carpet surface S will tend to keep the device in a fixed unshiftable position relative to the floor surface, particularly when the ball is struck.

Suitably secured to the base 14 by fastening means 18 is an L-shaped metal upright or post 20, preferably of flat stock, having a flat vertical portion 2!. Detachably mounted on the vertical portion 21 of the upright or post is the device or unit 10 which comprises a vertically extending channel-shaped member 22 provided with spaced channels 24 and an open back. The channel-shaped member 22 is slidably positioned on the vertical portion 21 of the upright to be supported thereby. Suitable affixed to the channel-shaped member 22 is a horizontally extending arm 26, the inner end of which is threaded as at 27 to be received in an opening 28 in the channel-shaped member 22. A pair of

nuts

29 and 30 are secured to the arm 26 to secure the arm to the vertical channel member 22. The opposite end of the armis shaped to form a looped end or eyelet 32.

Supported on the eyelet 32 is an externally threaded stud 34 having a head 35 at one end and a tapered or pointed end 36 at the opposite end. An articulated joint or hinging means generally indicated at 38 is secured to said stud. The articulated joint or hinging means comprises a pair of

hinge plates

40 and 42 with the upper hinge plate 40 provided with spaced curved offset ears 43 and with the lower hinge plate 42 provided with spaced upwardly curved ears 44 which interfit with the upper ears and are hingedly connected thereto by a pin or pintle 45 extending through the alined ears. A coil spring 46, best seen in FIG. 6, is centrally positioned on said pin 45 with one end of the spring engaging the upper hinge plate and the opposite end engag ing the lower hinge plate to normally urge the hinge plates towards each other to the position shown in full lines in FIG. 3 where the hinge plates normally extend horizontally and parallel to each other.

The upper hinge plate 40 has a central opening through which the stud 34 extends, with the head 35 of the stud positioned against the underside of the hinge plate 40. The stud extends through the eyelet 32 and is secured thereto by a wing nut 48. The lower hinge plate '42 has a central opening through which extends an ex- ,temally threaded pin 50, to the opposite end of which is fixedly attached a golf ball 52. The pin 50 has a head 51 and a locking nut 53 is secured to the pin to lock it to the hinge plate 42.

With the unit or device 10 mounted, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the golf ball 52 is positioned to extend below the horizontal arm 26 and the golf ball is positioned in close proximity to the base 14. In this position an iron club may be used to strike the ball, which would cause the lower hinge plate 42 to pivot or hinge and position the ball to the dotted line position of FIG. 3. After the ball is moved to this position and the club is moved away, the lower hinge plate 42 will due to the spring 46 return to the full line position of FIG. 3 where it is positioned horizontally and parallel to the upper hinge plate 40. The golf ball 52 is held captive to the unit and the player may practice his iron club shots.

FIG. 5 shows the unit heretofore described removed from the support stand 12 and removably anchored to the ground. In this connection the device or unit 10 is removed from the upright or post 20 by sliding the channel-shaped member 22 off the post. A ground anchoring spike generally indicated at 55, best shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, is inserted in the channel upright 22. The anchoring spike has an upper slotted portion 56 which is slid past the rear end of the horizontal arm 26' and is positioned between the end nut 29 and a bossing surface 21 on the channel member 22. The slot 56 terminates at its lower end in an edge 57. The nut 30 is tightened to limit the upward movement of the anchoring spike relative to the channel upright 22. The opposite end of the anchoring spike is pointed as at 58 and is inserted in the ground G, as shown in FIG. 5. It will thus position the golf ball 52 adjacent the ground similar to the position shown in FIG. 2 when same is used for iron clubs for indoor practice. In the FIG. 5 illustration it is positioned for outdoor practice also with iron clubs.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the device 10 positioned for outdoor use for use with driver clubs. In this position the unit 10 is inverted from the previously described position and the anchoring spike 55 is inserted into the channel member 22 through the opposite end of the channel member until the edge 57 of the slot 56 engages the inner end of the rod 26 which limits its upward movement.

The device with the anchoring spike attached is then supported in the ground G by inserting the spike end 58 into the ground. The front threaded stud 34 is likewise inserted into the ground to provide support and anchorage for the device at the front and rear thereof.

The hinge member or articulated joint 38 may be rotated so that the hinging action can take place in whatever direction desired. This is accomplished by loosening the wing nut 48 and rotating the hinging member and then tightening the wing nut. This is done preferably before the device is inserted in the ground.

The device as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is in anchored position for outdoor use with driver clubs where the golf ball in normal play is positioned on a tee above the ground surface, in contrast to that previously described where the ball is positioned adjacent to or on the ground or floor surface.

The device is therefore good for indoor and outdoor practice and 'foruse with iron and driver clubs. At all times the golf ball is held captive to the device.

What is claimed is:

l. A golf ball practice device comprising a horizontally supported arm, a hinge formed by a pair of connected hinge members secured at the outer end of said arm and supporting a captive ball, spring means operatively connected to said hinge members to normally bias said hinge members to maintain said captive ball in a normal position so that when the ball is struck by a golf club the ball will be held captive to said hinge and will move in a forward direction by the hinging movement of said hinge not to exceed and said ball will v return to its normal position by the action of saidspring means.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the ball is a golf ball.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the ball is positioned so that it is contiguous to a ground surface.

4. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the horizontally supported arm is supported on a stand having a base and in which the ball is positioned contiguous to the base.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4 in which the device has means for being imbedded in the ground.

6. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the ball is supported a spaced distance from a ground surface.

7. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the horizontal arm is connected at its inner end to a vertical member which vertical member is selectively and detachably secured to either a supporting stand or to an anchoring member which is anchored in a ground surface.

8. A device as set forth in claim 7 in which the stand has a base and an upright post with the vertical member detachably secured to the post.

9. A device as set forth in claim 7 in which the vertical member is detachably secured to an anchoring spike which is removably imbedded in a ground surface.

Claims

1. A golf ball practice device comprising a horizontally supported arm, a hinge formed by a pair of connected hinge members secured at the outer end of said arm and supporting a captive ball, spring means operatively connected to said hinge members to normally bias said hinge members to maintain said captive ball in a normal position so that when the ball is struck by a golf club the ball will be held captive to said hinge and will move in a forward direction by the hinging movement of said hinge not to exceed 180* and said ball will return to its normal position by the action of said spring means.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 in which the ball is a golf ball.