Golf Course Greens Cup Cover

Abstract

A temporary cover and method of use for a golf course greens cup when performing spray maintenance on a green consisting of a hand held extension pole having a magnetized disc disposed at one end and a magnetic greens cup cover disc magnetically attachable to the pole magnetized disc wherein the pole is used to place the cover disc over the cup during spraying and to remove the cover disc when spraying is completed.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention: The invention resides in the field of Golf course maintenance and more particularly relates to greens containing a golf ball receiving cup.

Description of the Prior Art: Maintenance of greens forms a substantial portion of the overall tasks of the care and upkeep golf course facilities. This involves the frequent application of sprays containing pesticides and fertilizers to promote as smooth and even field of grass as possible for the final putt for each hole. It is desirable to prevent the entrance and accumulation of these substances in the cup during the spaying process to reduce hand contact with toxic spray contents when retrieving golf balls. Currently this is accomplished by stuffing a rag into the cup. This hand contact with a rag and cup can be substantially reduced by the present invention employing a temporary cover having a magnetic component arranged to interact in combination with a hand held magnetized extension pole to place and retrieve the cover over and from the cup.

Several patents showing the structure and use of a cover for a golf cup are present in the prior art. For example, these include U.S. Pat. No. 1,612,291, Jackson, a snap fit cover; U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,698, Troiano, a flexible fingers arrangement for a tight fit cover; U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,397; Huston et al, a heavy snug fit indoor cover; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,688, Morelli, a screw-on threaded cover. All of these and others employ a mechanical assembly to connect a cover to a cup and require direct handling of the cup cover which is avoided by applicant's invention as described below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention consists of a temporary cup cover and method of use for a golf course greens cup when performing spray maintenance on a green and is composed of a hand held extension pole having a magnetized disc disposed at one end and a magnetic greens cup cover disc magnetically attachable to the pole magnetized disc wherein the pole is used to place the cover disc over the cup during spraying and to remove the cover disc when spraying is completed.

In this disclosure, magnetic means the property of being attracted to a magnet and magnetized means the property of permanent magnetization.

The cup cover has a diameter slightly larger that of a standard greens 4.25 inch greens cup, 4.75 inches for example. The cup cover disc is waterproof and preferably is composed of a thin plastic material. A quantity of magnetic material is attached to the cup cover disc preferably at the center and may consist of, for example, a pair of steel magnetic discs, one on each side of the disc.

The extension pole, having a handle at one end and a magnetized disc at the other, is used to capture a cup cover disc and position it atop a greens cup after which it removed by rolling or rotating the magnetized disc off the cover.

Advantages of the invention include minimizing contact with potentially harmful substances, providing for a rapid placement and removal of a cup cover during a process of greens maintenance, manipulating a cover from a standing position, and providing better cup coverage than the current practice of stuffing a rag in the cup.

The invention will be more fully understood from the description of the preferred embodiment in accord with the drawings which follows.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the use of the invention of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevation cross sectional view of the placement of one component of the invention of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the component of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an elevation view of an alternative design of the component of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second component of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention consisting of a cup cover disc 10 to which is attached a quantity of magnetic material 12, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and an extension pole 14 to which is attached a magnetized pole disc 16. Pole disc 16 holds cup cover disc 10 in position over greens cup 18 for placement atop cup 18 on turf 20 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 2 illustrates the method by which pole 16 and cup cover disc 10 are separated when the cup cover is in place by breaking the magnetic field force. This is accomplished by first tilting pole disc 16 on edge by moving pole 14 downward as indicated by arrow 22 and second rolling disc 16 off disc 10 by rotating pole 14 either clockwise or counter clockwise as indicted by arrow 24.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of cover 12 disposed in greens cup 18 illustrating the relative relationship between the cover, cup, and surrounding greens turf 20 including appropriate dimensions for the cup and cover. An example of magnetic material consisting of a pair of steel discs 12 disposed one on each side of cover 12 and secured by a rivet 26 is also shown.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the cover disc of the invention showing the centralized mounting of the magnetic material comprised of steel discs 12.

The above described cover assembly is most suitable for use with a motor driven ride on spray applicator employing an onboard spray reservoir wherein the spray is disposed in a downward direction with little or no lateral force. Also in use for greens spay treatment is a walk behind push unit spray applicator employing a stationary spray reservoir with a hose feed to the walk behind unit. As the unit moves about the green, the hose is similarly dragged about and when passing over the cup, may apply a lateral force to the cover moving it off the cup before maintenance procedures are completed.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the possibility of the cup cover being displaced from the cup by a lateral force such as a dragged hose can be alleviated by the addition of an auxiliary disc 28, preferably composed of a plastic material, mounted on one side of disc 10. Disc 28 will be of a diameter less than that of the cup to provide an edge 30 to interact with and be blocked by the inner surface of the cup when moved sideways.

FIG. 6 illustrates an extension pole 14 suitable for the practice of the invention having a magnetized disc 16 and a handle 32 which is commercially available from Harbor Freight Tools, Calabasas Calif.

Claims

1. A temporary cover for a golf course greens cup when performing spray maintenance on a green comprising in combination: A. a cup cover disc comprised of waterproof material of a diameter greater than that of said greens cup;B. a quantity of magnetic material attached to said cup cover disc;C. an extension pole having a hand held end and a cup cover disc attachment end; andD. a pole disc comprised of magnetized material attached to said pole attachment end whereby said cup cover disc and said pole disc will be attached to one another by magnetic force when said cup cover disc and said pole disc are brought into close proximity.

2. The cover of claim 1 wherein the diameter of said greens cup is 4.25 inches and the diameter of said cup cover disc is at least 4.75 inches.

3. The cover of claim 1 wherein said magnetic material comprises a pair of opposed planer magnetic discs disposed one on each side of said cup cover disc.

4. The cover of claim 3 wherein said planer discs are affixed to said cup cover disc by an adhesive.

5. The cover of claim 3 wherein said planer discs are affixed to said cup cover disc by a mechanical assembly.

6. The cover of claim 3 further including an additional disc mounted on one side of said cup cover disc of a diameter less than that of said cup cover disc and said cup to prevent lateral movement of said cover out of said cup.

7. A method of temporarily covering a gulf course greens cup during a greens spraying maintenance operation comprising in combination: A. providing a cup cover disc comprised of waterproof material of a diameter greater than that of said greens cup, said cup cover disc having a quantity of magnetic material attached thereto;B. providing an extension pole having a hand held end and a cup over disc attachment end, said extension pole having a pole disc comprised of magnetized material attached to said pole attachment end;C. attaching said cup cover disc and said pole disc to one another by magnetic force by bringing said pole disc and said cup cover disc into close proximity;D. Employing said extension pole, placing said cup cover disc over said greens cup; andE. Separating said cup cover disc and said pole disc by rotating said extension pole towards the outer parameter of said cover disc.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the diameter of said greens cup is 4.25 inches and the diameter of said cup cover disc is at least 4.75 inches.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said magnetic material comprises a pair of opposed planer magnetic discs disposed one on each side of said cup cover disc.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said planer discs are affixed to said cup cover disc by an adhesive.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said planer discs are affixed to said cup cover disc by a mechanical assembly.

12. The method of claim 9 further including an additional disc mounted on one side of said cup cover disc of a diameter less than that of said cover disc and said cup to prevent lateral movement of said cover out of said cup.