US2950748A - Golf club and ball carrier - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 30, 1960 1.. D. OLINGHOUSE GOLF CLUB AND BALL CARRIER Filed Jar x. 2, 1959 slim INVENTOR. Lamsu Z7. az/lva/ausr,

United States Patent GOLF CLUB AND BALL CARRIER Lowell D. Olinghouse, 927' Devon St, Indianapolis, Ind. Filed Jan. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 734,773

4 Claims. (Cl. ISO-1.5)-

This invention relates generally to golf club and ball carriers and in particular to a carrier of this type adapted to be attached to conventional golf carts.

A conventional form of golf cart is comprised essentially of a central post having an inclined upper portion at the end of which a rubber hand grip may be suitably positioned. A foldable wheel structure is hinged to the central post, the hinged mounting for the wheels permitting folding of the carrier into a relatively small space. Conventionally, a golf bag is secured to the post, the bag holding the clubs, balls and tees.

The present invention is embodied in an assembly of generally vertically disposed tubes each adapted to accommodate a golf club, the assembly being attached to the carrier post thus replacing a conventional golf bag. The assembly also includes a tube adapted to carry a supply of balls and provided with a ball dispensing means. This tube is further provided with a removable two-section compartment for carrying tees, change, tickets and the like.

' The primary object of the present invention is thus to provide a light Weight golf club and ball carrier attachment for golf carts, the carrier housing the clubs individually and being provided with a convenient ball dispensing means. a

This and other objects of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: a

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a carrier embodying the present invention and shown installed upon a conventional club cart. 7

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the carrier of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the carrier of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a side view partially in section showing a portion of the carrier of the present invention.

Referring initially to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a conventional golf cart including a central post having an inclined upper portion provided with a hand grip 11. Centrally upon the post 10 there is mounted a wheel structure which includes the inclined members 12 supporting rubber tired wheels 13. The wheels supporting structure is secured to the central portion of the post 10 by a hinge 14. It will be understood that the structure so far described is conventional and the hinge support for the wheel structure permits folding the wheels into a stowed position when the cart is not in use.

The golf club and ball carrier of the present invention includes a base plate 16 encircled by an aluminum band 19. A screw 18 extends through the band 19 and is threaded into a tapped hole in the side of the post 10.

Extending upwardly from the base plate and disposed within the band 19 are a series of aluminum tubes 22 which are of various lengths and are each adapted to receive the shaft of a golf club. One of the tubes 23, located at the front of the array, is adapted to hold and dispense golf balls as will subsequently be described.

Bolts 24 extend through the band 1? and are threaded into the adjacent ones of the tubes 22, thereby fastening the band to the tubes. As may be seen in Fig. 2, the base plate 16 is provided with apertures 26 to provide drainage for the tubes. At their base ends the tubes in each of the three parallel banks of tubes may be welded together and screws 29, extending through the base plate and into the weld metal, serve to secure the base plate to the tube assembly.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the tubes have interposed therebetween and adjacent their upper ends are abutting spacer plates 27 and 27a. The tubes and plates are held in assembled relation by means of an upper band 28 which is clamped to the post 10 by means of bracket 30 and bolts 29. The clamping structure is disposed to the rear of the cart post 10 and elfectively binds the tubes to the post. The spacer plates 27 and 27a are proportioned so that the tubes are spread apart somewhat, thereby inclining the axes of the outer tubes away from the central row of tubes. This disposition of the tube provides added convenience in removing or replacing golf clubs in the tubes.

The tube 23 and its golf ball storing and dispensing feature will now be described with reference to Figs. l4. As may be seen in Fig. 4, the tube 23 houses a coiled compression spring 31 which bottoms on the base plate 16. At its upper end the spring rests against a movable piston 32 having sidewardly extending pins 33 protruding therefrom. The pins extend through diametrically opposed, longitudinal slots in the tube 23 and provide a means for manually lowering the piston 32 within the tube and also provide a visual indication of the piston within the tube.

Spaced somewhat above the uppermost position of the piston, the tube 23 has an aperture 34 sized somewhat larger than a golf ball. The aperture is provided with a suitable cover 36 which may be formed of a material such as transparent, and somewhat flexible Lucite or the like, the cover being slidable along the tube to open and close the aperture 34. Just above the aperture 34 the tube 23 is provided with a transverse partition 37.

As will be evident from Fig. 4, the assembly is such that golf balls, indicated at 38, may be positioned in stacked relation above the piston 32. The portion of the tube 23 extending beyond the partition 37 receives a tubular container 38A having a removable base 39 and a transverse central partition 41. The upper end of the tube 23 is closed by a snap-on cover 42. The tubular container 38A is thus provided with an upper compartment 43 and a lower compartment 44, access to the lower compartment being accommodated by removal of the container 33A from the tube 23. The compartments 43 and 44 may be utilized to carry tees, change, tickets and the like.

As previously mentioned, the required golf clubs may be inserted into the ends of the tubes 22 and golf balls may be dispensed from the tube 23 through the aperture 34 upon removal of the aperture cover 36 from the aperture. The pins 33 give a visual indication as to when the last ball in the tube is positioned in the aperture' 34 and also provide a means whereby the piston may be lowered in the tube to permit loading thereof. To load the tube 23, the piston 32 may be moved downwardly by means of the pins 33 and the desired number of balls inserted into the aperture 34. Release of the piston then will urge the balls upwardly in the tube 23 and will present the balls one by one at the aperture 34 from whence they may be manually removed for use.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the golf club and ball carrier of the present invention is of relatively simple construction and is easily and conveniently assembled. The tubes, upper and lower hands, and plates are formed of aluminum and the entire assembly is thus broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. A golf. club and ball carrier adapted for attachment to the central post of a golf cart, said carrier comprising a series of tubes arranged in side by-side relation, each of said tubes having a drainage aperture in a lower end thereof, a base plate on which said tubes are bottomed,

- a lower band encircling the base portions of said tubes,

spacer plates and an upper band disposed adjacent the upper ends of said tubes and adapted to hold said tubes out of engagement with each other, whereby the axes of and adapted to underlie a stack of ballsraccommodated in said one tube, a compression spring within said one tube urging said piston upwardly, a ball dispensing aperture in the side Wall of said one tube, said piston thereby feeding balls to the level of said aperture for removal therethrough, and an element carried by said piston and extending through an accommodating slot in said one tube, whereby said piston may bemanually lowered for loading. '1'

3. A golf cluband ball carrier adapted for attachment to the central post of a golf cart, said carrier comprising a series of tubes arranged in side-by-side relation, a base 1 plate on which said tubes are bottomed and means holding said tubes in engagement at their base, spacer plates said tubes are inclined outwardly from base to top, means i for fixing said upper band to the central post of a golf cart, a piston movable within one of said tubes and adapted to underlie a stack of balls accommodated in said one tube, a compression spring within said one tube urging said piston upwardly, a ball dispensing aperture in the side wall of said one tube located just above the position assumed by said piston when said spring is uncompressed, and a removable closure for said aperture, said piston thereby feeding balls to the level of said aperture for removal therethrough, and an element carried by said piston and extending through an accommodating slot in said one tube, whereby said piston may be lowered for loading and the position of said piston within said one tube maybe visually ascertained from the exterior of the -tomed, a lower band encircling the base portions of said tubes, spacer plates and an upper band disposed adjacent the upper ends of said tubes and adapted to hold said tubes out of engagement with each other, whereby the a golf cart, a piston movable within one of said tubes axes of said tubes are inclined outwardly from base to top, 7

.means for fixing said upper band to the central post of disposed adjacent the upper ends of said tubes and adapted to hold said tubes out of engagement with each other, whereby the axes of said tubes are inclined outwardly from base to top, means for fixing said upper band to the central post of a golf cart, a piston movable within one of said tubes and adapted to underlie a. stack of balls accommodated in said one tube, resilient means within said one tube urging said piston upwardly, a ball dispensing aperture in the side wall'of said one tube and a removable closure for saidaperture, said piston thereby feeding balls to the level of said aperture for removal therethrough.

' 4. A golf club and ball carrier comprising a series of tubes arranged in side-by-side relation, means for fixing said tubes to the central post of a golf cart, a base plate on which said tubes are bottomed and means holding said tubes in engagement, a piston movable within one of said tubes and adapted to underlie a stack of balls aocommodated in said one tube, a compression spring within saidone tube urging said piston upwardly, a ball dispensing aperture in the side wall of said one tube located just above the position assumed by'said piston when said spring is uncompressed, and a removable closure for said aperture, said piston thereby feedingballs to the level of said aperture for removal therethroughJ References Cited in' the file of this patent V V UNITED STATES PATENTS

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