Information
-
Patent Grant
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6287212
-
Patent Number
6,287,212
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Date Filed
Tuesday, April 25, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, September 11, 200123 years ago
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Inventors
-
-
Examiners
- Gerrity; Stephen F.
- Solomon; Gary B.
Agents
- Larson & Larson, P.A.
- Larson; James E.
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 473 168
- 473 163
- 473 182
- 473 183
- 473 184
- 473 194
- 198 442
- 198 367
- 198 360
- 198 722
- 198 358
- 198 437
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International Classifications
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Abstract
Lifting golf balls in a vertical tube from a lifting station using spaced apart motorized wheels with finger projections for projecting into side openings in the vertical tube. The golf balls are allowed to fall by gravity from an apex of the vertical tube to a diverter for directing the golf balls to a particular dispenser apparatus.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a system for dispensing golf balls. More particularly, it refers to a system for cleaning, automatically transporting and dispensing golf balls to a golfer in a practice mode.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Practice golf ranges have proliferated during the past fifteen years because of the increased popularity of golf. The typical practice range uses a pick-up vehicle to retrieve practice balls. In most cases, the retrieved balls are washed and then either hand packed into wire baskets or fed by hand into a dispenser that dispenses a set number of balls in response to coins deposited into slots on the dispenser. This system is time consuming and service staff intensive.
A system is needed which will accelerate the delivery of golf balls from the pick-up vehicle to the dispenser without the need for intervention by several staff personnel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
I have invented a system for automatic direct delivery of retrieved golf balls from a cleaning station to multiple golf ball dispensers located at a practice range. My system commences at a cleaning station where golf balls have been deposited by the golf ball retriever or pick-up vehicle. After washing, the golf balls are rotated on a tray from which they fall into a channel where they are picked up by a flange projection on the outer circumference of continuously operated rollers and lifted in a tube to a height of about thirty feet, after which they fall by gravity at about 4 inches every ten feet to a diverter electromagnetically operated to direct the balls to two or more golf ball dispensers from which a player can obtain a basket of golf balls by depositing a coin into the dispensers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1
is a diagrammatic view of the golf ball delivery system of this invention.
FIG. 2
is a side elevational view of golf balls being lifted in a vertical cylindrical tube.
FIG. 3
is a side elevational view of the golf balls reaching the apex of the first vertical cylindrical tube and falling by gravity into the second inclined tube.
FIG. 4
is a side elevational view of the ball diverter directing a ball to the left side tube for delivery to a first ball dispenser.
FIG. 5
is a side elevational view of the ball diverter directing a ball to the right side tube for delivery to a second ball dispenser.
FIG. 6
is a side elevational view in section of the ball diverter according to FIG.
4
.
FIG. 7
is a side elevational view in section of the ball diverter according to FIG.
5
.
FIG. 8
is a partial side elevational view of a ball dispenser being filled with golf balls.
FIG. 9
is a partial side elevational view of a mechanism in the dispenser for determining when the dispenser is full.
FIG. 10
is a partial side elevational view of the mechanism of
FIG. 9
indicating that the dispenser is full.
FIG. 11
is an alternate diverter with a door flap closed to send a golf ball to the second dispenser.
FIG. 12
is a n alternate diverter with a door flap closed to send a golf ball to the first dispenser.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures.
Referring first to
FIG. 1
, the golf ball delivery system
10
of this invention begins when golf balls are picked up from a golf practice ground area in the conventional manner by a golf retrieval vehicle (not shown) and deposited in a cleaning house
12
where the balls are washed in the conventional manner and deposited in a tray
14
. The tray is inclined toward a bottom end of a first vertical cylindrical tube
18
. A booster device
16
includes a motorized wheel positioned over an opening at the bottom end of the first cylindrical tube
18
that lifts the golf balls into a first vertical cylindrical tube
18
. Sections of vertical cylindrical tube
18
and tube
28
are held together by sleeves
19
. The golf balls
46
are projected upwardly in the vertical cylindrical tube
18
by multiple rotating wheels
20
, spaced apart along the vertical section of the cylindrical tube. Each wheel
20
has multiple finger projections
22
from its circumference that project into a side opening
23
in the cylindrical tube
18
. The wheel
20
and projections are made of a hardened elastomer such as neoprene. Other equivalent materials can be employed in place of neoprene. These finger projections
22
lift the golf ball
46
as the rotating wheel turns clockwise. A one-eighth horsepower electric motor
24
drives each rotating wheel
20
.
Each golf ball
46
moves up the first vertical cylindrical tube
18
to the tube's apex
26
where it meets a first end
25
of a second inclined tube
28
. Thereafter, the golf ball
46
falls by gravity at approximately four inches every ten feet from the starting height of about thirty feet at apex
26
and eventually arrives at an end
27
of the inclined tube where a drop tube
29
leading to a diverter
30
is located. The apex could be higher or lower depending on the distance to the dispensers
36
and
38
. The diverter
30
operates in response to an electromagnetic switch
52
as shown in
FIGS. 4-7
to direct the golf balls
46
to go either to the first dispenser delivery tube
32
or the second dispenser delivery tube
34
. The first delivery tube
32
leads to a first dispenser
36
and the second delivery tube
34
leads to a second dispenser
38
.
Referring to
FIGS. 4-7
, the ball diverter
30
receives a golf ball
46
from drop tube
29
. As the ball
46
falls by gravity into the central housing
58
of the diverter
30
, a control bar
54
is normally pulled to the right by spring
60
which has greater tension than spring
62
, so the golf ball
46
is diverted to tube
32
, as seen in
FIGS. 4 and 6
. When dispenser
36
is filled, the control bar
54
moves to the left in response to spring
62
which is energized by an electromagnetic signal at switch
52
coming from the electrical signal generated in dispenser
36
by the lifting of lift bar
48
. Roller
66
moves in response to an upward movement of lift bar
48
causing arm
68
to move shaft
70
and close an electrical switch in box
64
. Switch box
64
is electrically connected to switch
52
. This causes electromagnetic switch
52
to be energized to pull spring
62
. As a result, control bar
54
moves to the left and golf balls fall into tube
34
. When the lift bar
48
, pivoting at point
50
, moves to a closed position shown in
FIG. 10
in dispenser
38
, the electromagnetic switch
52
is de-energized by the dispenser lift bar
48
. The control bar
54
moves back to the position shown in
FIG. 6
allowing balls to go into dispenser
36
.
The diverter
30
thereafter diverts all the golf balls again through the first tube
32
to the first dispenser
36
until such time as the lift bar
48
in the first dispenser bar comes into position shown in
FIG. 10
whereupon, the balls will no longer flow into the dispenser
36
but will thereafter start falling again into dispenser
38
until it is filled. This is a continuous process which keeps all dispensers filled based on a number of golf balls in the system sufficient to fill all available dispensers.
If the distance between the cleaning house and the dispensers is too great, it would be possible to erect a second vertical cylindrical tube having rotating wheels to lift the balls further and thereafter, allow them to fall once again into an inclined tube and thereafter, into the diverter and then to the dispensers. Additional diverters can be employed if more than two dispensers are employed.
Through the use of this system, dispenser
36
and
38
are kept continuously filled. The golf balls
46
can be viewed through viewing window
40
by the golfer and after placing a coin into the dispenser coin slot can receive golf balls through chutes
42
. Dispensers are usually mounted on support legs
44
for convenience.
Alternatively, as shown in
FIGS. 11 and 12
, a golf ball moving through tube
28
can be directed to dispenser
36
by normally closed flap door
56
. Tube
32
a
will lead directly to dispenser
36
. When dispenser
36
is filled, lift bar
48
will send an electromagnetic signal to flap door
56
which will then lift (
FIG. 11
) to prevent balls from rolling into tube
32
a
and will instead roll into tube
34
a
and thus into dispenser
38
. When dispenser
38
is filled, the electromagnetic switch is de-energized and the flap door
56
drops to the position seen in FIG.
12
.
Using the golf ball delivery system
10
, as described herein, golf balls can move from the cleaning house directly to the dispensers without having any input from any service individuals. In this manner, the entire system is automatic subsequent to delivery of the golf balls
46
to the first vertical cylindrical tube
18
.
The above description has described specific structural details of the golf ball delivery system. However, it will be within one having skill in the art to make modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept of this golf ball delivery system. The inventive concept for the methods employed are not limited to the structure you described but include such modification and equivalence as would normally be employed in such a system.
Claims
- 1. A golf ball delivery system comprising:(a) a first cylindrical tube having a diameter sufficient to accommodate a golf ball, the cylindrical tube mounted in a substantially vertical direction over a means for retaining multiple golf balls; (b) a ball booster adapted to push the golf balls upwardly into the substantially vertical tube from the means for retaining multiple golf balls; (c) a plurality of rotating wheels each having projections; a plurality of spaced apart openings in the substantially vertical tube, each of said openings receiving projections from a respective one of said rotating wheels the projections lifting a golf ball in the substantially vertical tube to a topmost apex from which the golf balls thereafter fall by gravity into a first end of a second cylindrical tube positioned at a slight incline to a surface below the second cylindrical tube; (d) a second end of the second cylindrical tube leading to a golf ball diverter, the diverter directing the golf ball to one of golf ball dispensers located in a golf practice area and from which golfers can obtain practice golf balls.
- 2. The golf ball delivery system according to claim 1 wherein the means for retaining multiple golf balls is a tray inclined towards a bottom end of the first cylindrical tube.
- 3. The golf ball delivery system according to claim 2 wherein the ball booster is a motorized wheel positioned over an opening at the bottom end of the first cylindrical tube lifting golf balls from the inclined tray into the first cylindrical tube.
- 4. The golf ball delivery system according to claim 1 wherein the golf ball diverter has a central housing containing a control bar activated by a spring responding to an electromagnetic signal from a first one of said golf ball dispensers so that the golf ball will be directed to a second one of said golf ball dispensers.
- 5. The golf ball delivery system according to claim 1 wherein each dispenser contains a lift arm that rises when the dispenser is filled with golf balls, the lift arm in a raised position actuating an electromagnetic switch when the dispenser is filled with golf balls.
- 6. The golf ball delivery system according to claim 5 wherein the lift arm activated electromagnetic switch controls the orientation of a flap door in a tube carrying the golf ball so that the flap door permits a golf ball to be directed to a specific dispenser.
- 7. The golf ball delivery system according to claim 1 wherein the rotating wheels are energized by an AC electric motor.
- 8. The golf ball delivery system according to claim 1 wherein the rotating wheels are made from an hardened elastomer.
- 9. The golf ball delivery system according to claim 8 wherein the hardened elastomer is neoprene rubber.
- 10. A method of automatically delivering a golf ball from a cleaning station to a dispenser, the steps comprising:(a) providing a first vertical cylindrical tube with an interior diameter suitable to accommodate a golf ball and having a bottom opening located in the cleaning station adjacent a golf ball repository, the golf balls inserted by a booster device into the first vertical cylindrical tube bottom opening; (b) lifting the golf balls within the first vertical cylindrical tube by multiple motorized wheels spaced apart vertically, each wheel having multiple lifting fingers projecting from an exterior circumference of the wheel into an opening along a side of the first vertical cylindrical tube, the fingers acting to lift the golf balls vertically in the first vertical cylindrical tube to an apex; (c) providing a second cylindrical tube for the golf balls, the second cylindrical tube leading from the apex on a downward slope towards a diverter, and (d) the diverter directing the golf balls to any one of two golf ball dispensers in response to an electrical signal from one of the dispensers.
- 11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the apex of the first vertical cylinder is provided about thirty feet above the cleaning station and the second cylindrical tube is provided with a downward incline of about four inches every ten feet.
- 12. The method according to claim 10 wherein a spring in the diverter is activated by an electromagnetic switch to move a control bar from a normal position directing golf balls to a first dispenser to an activated position so that golf balls fall to a second golf ball dispenser.
US Referenced Citations (6)