GB2073563A

GB2073563A - A portable bunker rake for golf courses

Info

Publication number: GB2073563A
Application number: GB8012215A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1980-04-14
Filing date: 1980-04-14
Publication date: 1981-10-21

Abstract

A portable rake for bunkers in golf courses comprises a shaft (1) and an elongated levelling member (3) which is pivotally mounted at one end of the shaft. The member (3) is movable between the parallel position shown (for storage in a golf bag) and a transverse (in-use) position, and is releasably locked in these positions by a spring-loaded ball (14) engaging in selected recesses (7, 8, 9) in a cam surface (6) which moves with the levelling member. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A portable bunker rake for golf courses THIS INVENTION relates to a leveller for use by golfers for levelling the sand in bunkers.

Many golf courses throughout the world require golfers to level the sand in bunkers after play. To this end rakes are often provided and these rakes are simply left beside the bunker in question. Often, however, rakes are not provided or are otherwise misl'aid.

Fold-up sand levellers have been provided in the pastforgolfers to carry in their golf bags. These levellers are however generally not easily usable by golfers who have found them more of a hindrance than a help.

It is thus an object of this invention to provide an improved, small, portable sand leveller which may be carried by golfers in their golf bags.

According to the invention a portable sand leveller suitable for use by golfers comprises an elongated shaft with an elongated levelling member pivotally mounted on one end thereof and movable between a position in which it is substantially parallel to the length of the shaft and a position in which it is transverse thereto; and means for locking the levelling member in either of the positions, the invention being characterised in that the locking means comprises: a curved cam surface attached to and rotatable with the levelling member, the surface including a first locking formation corresponding to the parallel position of the levelling member and a second locking formation corresponding to the transverse position ofthe levelling member; and an automatic engaging member mounted to the shaft and biased to bear on the cam surface, and releasably engage in the first or second locking formation.

Further according to the invention the cam surface is pivotable in a slot in the shaft and the engaging member is located within a socket co-axial with the shaft.

Still further according to the invention the locking formations of the cam surface are depressions, the depressions are part circular, and the engaging member is correspondingly part circular.

Still further according to the invention the engaging member is a sphere, and the engaging means is biased by means of a compression type coil spring.

Still further according to the invention the cam surface is semi circular and the levelling member is pivotally mounted at a point midway along its length.

A preferred embodiment of the invention, described by way of example only, follows with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is an elevation of a sand leveller with the levelling member in a position substantially parallel to the shaft; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the sand leveller with the levelling member transverse to the shaft; Fig. 3 is an enlarged and partly sectioned view of the locking means.

In this embodiment a sand leveller comprises an elongated shaft.1 which is preferably of lightweight tubular material. At one end of the shaft is a turned wooden handle 2, whereas a levelling member 3 is pivotally mounted to the other end of the shaft.

This levelling member comprises an elongated metal rod of circular cross-section the two ends 4 of which are slightly curved towards the same direction.

A mounting plate 5 is fixed, by welding, to the member3 at a point midway along its length. The plate is generally co-planar with the member and projects in the same direction towards which the ends 5 ofthe member are curved.

As may be seen in figure 3 the end of the plate 5 remote from the member 3 is radius to provide it with a substantially semi circular cam surface 6. This cam surface 6 carries three spaced locking formations in the form of part circular recesses numbered 7, 8 & 9. While formations 7 and 9 are diametrically opposed and lie on a diameter of the cam surface which is parallel to the length of the member 3, formation 8 is located on a radius which is perpendicu lartothe length of the member 3.

The mounting plate 5 is located in a slot 13 in the end ofthe shaft 1 and is held in position by a pivot pin 10 which passes through the shaft and through the plate in a position corresponding to the centre of the circle of which the cam surface 6 is part.

It may easily be seen that the levelling member 3 may be moved about the pin 10 between a position in which it is substantially transverse to the shaft and a position on each of two opposite sides of the shaft in which it is substantially parallel to the shaft. In each of these positions one of the three recessed locking formations 7, 8 and 9 will be located in the shaft 1.

Located within the shaft 1 and spaced a short distance towards the handle 2 from the member 3 is a plug 11 which forms a socket 12 in the end of the shaft and adjacent the cam surface 6.

Within the socket 12 is a compression type coil spring 13 which biases an engaging member in the form of a steel ball 14 into contact with the cam surface.

The cam surface 6 may be rotated easily past the ball 14 until one of the locking formations is located opposite the ball. At this stage the ball engages in the locking formation, thus holding the levelling member 3 in one of the aforementioned positions.

The bias of the spring may be overridden and the ball disengaged from any locking formation by simply exerting sufficient rotational force on the levelling member 3.

It will be appreciated that rotational movement of the member may be relatively easily effected while providing automatic locking thereof in the desired positions.

Other embodiments are envisaged with the scope of the invention and include other designs or configurations of the leveller and its component parts.

Thus for example the pivot point of the levelling member may be spaced closer to one end thereof than the other.

Claims

1. A portable sand leveller suitable for use by golfers comprises an elongated shaft with an elongated levelling member pivotally mounted on one end thereof and movable between a position in which it is substantially parallel to the length of the shaft and a position in which it is transverse thereto; and means for locking the levelling member in either of the positions, the invention being characterised in that the locking means comprises: a curved cam surface attached to and rotatable with the levelling member, the surface including a first locking formation corresponding to the parallel position of the levelling member and a second locking formation corresponding to the transverse position of the levelling member; and an automatic engaging member mounted to the shaft and biased to bear on the cam surface, and releasably engage in the first or second locking formation.

2. A sand leveller as claimed in claim 1 in which the cam surface is pivotable in a slot in the shaft.

3. A sand leveller as claimed in claim 2 in which the engaging member is located within a socket co-axial with the shaft.

4. Asand leveller as claimed in anyofthe preceding claims in which the locking formations of the cam surface are depressions.

5. A sand leveller as claimed in claim 4 in which the depressions are part circular, and the engaging member is correspondingly part circular.

6. A sand leveller as claimed in claim 5 in which the engaging member is a sphere.

7. A sand leveller as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the engaging means is biased by means of a compression type coil spring.

8. A sand leveller as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the cam surface is semi circular

9. A sand leveller as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the levelling member is pivotally mounted at a point midway along its length.

10. A sand leveller as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 in which the levelling member is pivotally mounted at a point located closer to one end than the others.

11. A sand leveller substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.