US2708955A - Divider strap for golf bag - Google Patents

Description

May 24, 1955 H. J. WILKENS 2,708,955

' DIVIDER STRAP FOR cow BAG Filed Oct. 19, 1951 2 Sheeos-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

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32. 51 ATTORNEYS.

May 24, 1955 H. J. WILKENS 2,708,955

DIVIDER STRAP FOR GOLF BAG Filed Oct. 19, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 B'y y w d, 14 w ffirww.

A TTOQNEYS United States Patent DIVIDER STRAP FOR GOLF BAG Howard J. Will tens, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to Mac- Gregor Sport Products Inc., a corporation of Ohio Application October 19, 1951, Serial No. 252,151

2 Claims. (Cl. ISO-1.5)

This invention relates to golf bags, and is particularly directed to a novel divider strap which is placed in the mouth of a golf bag to divide the bag into separate compartments for accommodating various groups of clubs.

Many golfers carry from ten to fourteen clubs in their bag making it very desirable to provide some method of separating these clubs so that, for example, the woods are kept together in one place, the longer irons in another, and the chipping clubs in still another. By separating the clubs in this manner, the selection of the proper club for each shot is facilitated and the damage to the clubs caused by their jarring against one another, as the bag is carried over the course, is greatly reduced.

While a player may carry as many as fourteen clubs with him, certain clubs are used only rarely while others are in frequent use. A No. 4 wood, for example, may be used only once in a round, or once in several rounds, while a putter and a club such as a 'No. 9 iron, used for chipping onto a green are used on practically every hole. The concept of the present invention is to provide a golf bag having large compartments for accommodating groups of clubs, and additionally, two small pockets, each adapted to receive a single club, in which the two most frequently used clubs may be placed. Thus, two clubs such as a putter and a chipper, which are most often needed, may be segregated from the remainder and carried in a place where they are readily accessible.

Generally, a golf bag embodying my invention includes a divider strap which is inserted at the mouth of the bag. The strap extends across the mouth and passes outwardly through two oppositely disposed openings. The two exterior segments of the strap then reenter the bag through a second pair of openings which are placed adjacent to the first pair and extend angularly across the mouth of the bag to emerge from a third pair of apertures placed in a portion of the bag removed from the second pair of openings. The two ends of the strap may be joined by any suitable means such as a buckle or snap fastener. In the preferred embodiment of my invention, the divider strap is secured in a substantially trapezoidal configuration, the longer base of the trapezoid extending directly across the mouth of the bag, the two skew sides cutting off small portions of the mouth to define the two single club pockets and the smaller base of the trapezoid lying between the third 'pair of openings, at the juncture of the two strap ends, A single divider strap is thereby effective to divide the bag into two relatively large compartments, each of which is adapted to receive a group of clubs, and two smaller pockets each adapted to carry a single club. If an additional large compartment is desired, a second strap may be placed across the mouth of the bag substantially parallel to the segment of the divider strap forming the base of the trapezoid, and on the opposite side of it from the pockets.

One of the principal advantages of the present invention is that, while it provides a convenient method of separating clubs, it adds very little to the cost of an ordinary golf bag.

To equip a golf bag with my divider strap it is only necessary to punch or cut the six openings in the bag, slip grommets or other fittings into them, and then thread the strap in the manner indicated. No stitching or riveting is required, nor does the bag require any special reenforcing members to support the strap. Moreover, should the strap wear out or become damaged it may bereadily replaced by the owner; the old strap simply being pulled .out through' the opening adjacent the buckle and a new strap threaded in its place.

While the construction just outlined works exceedingly well with bags of an oval," rectangular or keystone configuration, it is not well adapted for use with round bags, since in bags ofthis shape the angularly disposed segments of the strap pass too close to the side wall of the bag to form pockets of usable size.

Accordingly, I have found it advisable when using my divider strap construction in conjunction with round bags to'employ a rigid pocket former which fits in the mouth of a bag and is embraced by the strap. The pocket former is configurated to form a pocket of the desired size and is supported in place by the strap which is threaded across the mouth of the bag in the same manner as before. The preferred embodiment of my pocket former comprises a strip of fiber, metal or plastic formed in the desired shape of the pocket such as a semicircle or V. The strip is provided with two feet adapted to reside against the wall of the bag and a slit is made in each of the feet. A loop or some equivalent gripping means, is provided in the central portion of the pocket former so that the strap may pass inwardly through the bag, and the slit in one of the feet, follow the contour of the pocket former, engaging the centrally disposed gripping means, and finally pass outwardly through the slit in the opposite foot and an opening in the bag. The pocket former is thus held in place by the strap, and requires no additional fastening members.

These and other advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a further consideration of the following detailed description of the drawings in which a typical embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

In thedrawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a golf bag provided with a divider strap constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the golf bag shown in Figure 1. illustrating details of my divider strap construction.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a pocket former.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of a round bag fitted with a modification of the divider strap construction, employing pocket formers.

As shown in Figure 1, a golf bag embodying my .1212: tion constitutes a bag portion 10 which is of conventional construction and includes an open mouth 11 and a closed end 12. The bag is formed of canvas, leather or other suitable material, and is provided with a reenforcing cuff 13 at its lower end, and a second cuff 14 secured about the periphery of the mouth. The cuffs are preferably constructed of heavier material than the bag, and include some means, not shown, such as a metallic strip for giving to the bag avcharacteristicshape.

A flexible strap 15 is provided for carrying the bag and is secured at one end to the upper cuff and at the other end to the side of the bag. A buckle 16 is provided for adjusting the length of the strap to suit the individual player. A ball pocket 17 is secured to the body of the bag, and is provided with a slide fastener 18 for opening and closing it. Suitable pockets, such as pocket 20 may be provided for receiving clothing or a hood which covers the open mouth of the bag during storage or inclement weather.

As best shown in Figur e 2, a divider strap 21, prefer: ably constructed of leathenor some other flexible material, is fitted through suitable openings in cuff 14 and divides .the mouth into two relatively large compartments 22 and '23 for receiving groups of clubs, and two smaller "pockets 24 and 25 'for receiving single clubs.

- In the embodiment shown, a second strap 26 is also reenter the. bag through a Second pair of openings 34 and 35, preferably =placed adjacent !the firstipairnof openings '28 and 30. Tl'le two segments "-of's'tr'ap-36 and 37, entering through openings 34 and 35, :extend angulai-ly across thernouth'of the bagfi0to1athird1pair of openingsr38 and '40 which "arezplaced ini-arportion-bf'the cufi remote from openingsrh tz'arid 35. .The ends of strap- 21 emerging'fro'm openings'38 and-40 arejoind as by buckle 41tohold :thestrap firmly -in place... I f a It can thus "be seen that, in the "preferred 'embodiment,

divider strap 21 is config'ufa'ted ina substantially trapc- -zoidal "shape, 'in such a planner that the larger base 42 of th'e trapezoid extends directlymcross 'the bag and divides-it mm the two 'lar' ger compartments -22 and-23. The skew 'sides' of 'the-trapezoidareformed by segments 36 and 37 which rcut 'angularly across the corners of the, bag to define the'smaller pockets '24-and 25. The sm'aller base ofthetrapezoid'iswconstituted'by the ends ofstrap 21 'which'are fastened'together as'by buckle 41. As shown in=Figure 3,'a pocket "former 42for use in a modified embodiment of my divider strap'construction,

comprises asubstantially'rigid strip '43 of fiber, plastic ormetal which isconfiguratedto'form a central area 44 correspondingto'the-desired shape-of poclret. Theends 45 of the strip 43'are tuined outwardly and-constitute bag engaging feet. slit"46 and preferably a central :portion of strip '43 is stamped to form loop'47-or. other grippingmeans.

Figure 4 shows the manner in which pocket-formers 42 are employed with my divider strap-construction. In this-modification a circular bag '48, of 'a conventional type, is provided with openings 50, 51, 52, 53, 54 and 55 and .gromrnets'56arefittedthrohgh theseopenings as in the preferred embodiment. A divider 'strap 57 -is placed across the mouth "of ;the bag and extends outwardly through openings 50 and 51. The exterior portions of the strap'reent er the' bag-throughopenings"52- and '53, and

NllQSithroughglits {6 iirjhe pocket-former feet 45, which 'slitsare disposed in registry with-openings 52 and 53. Segments 58 and'59'of strap-57 extend arcuately across the mouth of the-bag, followingthe-contour of the pocket formers, passin'gthrough loops 47 and emerging through slits 46 and openings 54-and'55. The ends 60, 61 of strap 57 are then joined as in'the preferred embodiment by buckle 62. a g

The divider strap of this-invention can be inexpensively incorporated in' any golf bag by firstforming the necessary Each of the feet 45 -is provided with a openjngs, fitting suitable grommets into these openings,

and finally threading a flexible strap through the grommets. If pocket formers are to be used they are inserted by simply placing the slits in their feet in registry with the bag openings and threading the strap through the slits and central loop. No rivets or other securing means are needed to hold the pocket'formers in place. Furthermore, if the strap becomes damaged or worn out it can be replaced without'any special tools 'by merely unbuckiing buckle 62 and pulling the strap outwardly through opening A new strap can then 'be threaded through the grommets and buckled in place.

Having des'c'rihed my invention, I claim:

Z. In a golf bag having a reenforcing cuff at the mouth thereof, means for dividing the bag into a plurality of compartments and a plurality of pockets, each of said compartments being adapted to receive a group of clubs, and each 'of said (pockets being adapted 'to receive a single club, said means comprising a '"flexible strap extending-aeross said mouth andpas'sing'outwardly through a first pair of-openings in said 'cuif, ithezportion of said strap disposed-intermediate said first \pair of 'openings'being 'efi'e'ctive to divide thermouthzof the bag into compartments, the 'iportions -of -said strap-emerging from said openings, ipas'singl a :poi'tion =-of the Way. around said cuff and inwardly ithrorighra =seeond jpair -:of 'bpen- 'in'gs "disposedadjacnt rtolsaid firs't pair --.ofropenings :and extending across vsaid :moirth to athird pair of topenlngs in said cums-aid third :pair'of openings being disposed remotely from said se'cond :pair of 'openings, the 'por- 'tions of said straps disposed intermediate the ise'cond and third pairs of op'eriiiigs bein'g enecnve I-to define with the'cuti said plurality 'of-i'pockets. 7.

2. -In agbltbag having'ai'eenforcing cuffnadjacentsthe mouth thereof; said *reenforcingicufr'dncluding ea first pair of openings disposed at=opposite sides of-said mouth, a second pair of openings disposed adjacent :said first pair, and a third -pair "of openings spaced from said sec'o'nd pair of openings, adivider 'stra'p extendingacross said mouth to 1 divide it into a plurality of compartments, and having exterior portions passing noutwardly'through each of said first pair of openin'gs, saideXteridraportions of said divider "stra'p passih'g inwardly through sa-idsecond pair of hpeningsfsaid divider strap havingtwowiegments extendingangula'rly from s'aid second -pair of openings to said third pairof openings fo form" aiplurality 20f; pockets, the ends of "said *strap passing outwardly i-through said third 'pair of openings, and being releasably' secured-to each other at a -point intermediate said third :pair of openings. I

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