US1976316A - Golf tee - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 9, 1934. R `M WHlTE-LAW 1,976,316

GOLF TEE Filed June 21, 193s w- MATT LPatented Oct. 9, 1934 NETE STATES 1,976,316V GOLF 'mit Roy Melsyd Whitelaw, Brighton Beach, Victoria, Australia Application June 21, 1933, seriaiNo. 676,856 ,Y

In Australia December 17, 1932 6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved golf tee which is adapted to assist expert players and to improve the game of learners and others having less skill.

One object of this invention is to provide a tee whereby a golf ball is resilicntly supported and which will offer no resistance to the follow through of the club head, even when the ball is struck low.

A further object of this invention is to provide a tee which when struck will not be displaced thus diminishing the distraction caused by the fear of the club head meeting a solid resistance or of losing a tee, causing players to strike the ball with more coniidence and greater accuracy than with known tees, and tending to improve their game.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tee part oi which is visible at the rear of the ball thus providing an indication of the correct striking point,

The characteristic feature oi this invention is an inclined member or ramp of resilient material, which, when struck by a club head, is adapted to be depressed so that the ball is struck cleanly and without resistance. The ramp upper end carries a ball support and its lower end enters or is located close to the ground surface, the inclination and length of the ramp being such that the part adjacent to the said surface will be visible to the player.

But in order that this invention may be more clearly understood, practical embodiments thereof will now be described with reference to the acn companying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view oi one form of tee.

Fig. 2 is a side sectional view of the tee in Fig. 1, in position in the ground and supporting a golf ball.

40- Fig. 3 is a plan of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 2 but showing also part of a club head which is travelling in a plane lower than desirable for making a good shot.

' Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modied form of tee.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a tee similar to that in Fig. 5 but with the head and stern made separately and connected to each other.

Fig. '7 is a perspective View of a further modined form of tee.

A golf tee according to this invention includes an inclined member or ramp 8 of suitable resilient material such as Celluloid or thin spring steel.

- Ramp 8 may be plane as in Figs. 1, 2, 5, and 7 or it may be curved longitudinally as in Fig. 6. Adjacent to the upper end of ramp 8 is a horizontally extending ball Vseat 9 of suitable size and shape, such as a ring of arcuate cross section.

The length of ramp 8 is such that its lower part 8fL is visible from above when the tee is in use and when a ball l0 is supported on seating 9. Preferably the tee is formed of brightly coloured material or has a brightly coloured coating so that the part 8a is readily visible to provide the player with a point on which to concentrate so that the ball will be accurately struck.

Ramp 8 is adapted to be supported so that its lower end is close to the ground surface, and in one case it is contiguous to an oblique spike 11 which is of such shape that it has suiiicent stability to enable it to be forced into the ground and when in'position, to resist displacement if the ramp is struck by a clubhead. The spike ll may be angular in cross section, with a central ridge l2 which extends from the ramp lower end. The upper end l2@L of ridge 12 is adjacent to part 8a and provides a convenient means for gauging the correct depth of entry into the ground for normal use but the spike may be so located that the ball will be higher or lower as desired by the user. In a modied form the spike may be at and be reinforced by a rib as 12b.

In another form the lower end of the ramp 8 extends from a member 13 which is at the upper end of a spike 11a. Member 13 may be integral with spike 1la as shown in Fig. 5 or it may be separate therefrom and be xed to a lug 11b at the upper part of the said spike by a rivet 14.

In a further modied form there may be a ramp 8 extending from opposite sides of seating 9 and each said ramp may have at its lower end a spike llc.

In use, the spike is forced into the soil until the seating 9 is a suitable distance above the ground surface, with the ramp 8 extending in the same direction as that in which the club head will travel. When the spike is inclined, the shoulder l2a indicates the normal correct depth of entry into the ground but when the spike is Vertical it will be adapted to enter the soil until the lower end of the ramp 8 contacts with the soil surface. A ball as l0 will be resilicntly supported by the seating and the ramp 8 oiers no resistance to the follow through of a club head as C after the ball is struck truly. If the club head is so low that the ramp is struck before the ball (see Fig. 4), the ramp will be forced downwardly causing the seating 9 to move downwardly also, allowing the ball to fall so that the and provided with a longitudinal ridge onVV its' transverse surface to form a rigid spike andhaving ts intermediate portion substantially flat and flexible and disposed obliquely in4 a'. downward direction from said ball seat to form.

a ramp thereto.

2. A golf tee made of a blank of thin resilient' material having one of its ends',v formed; into a1Y cup-shaped ball seat and its other enditaper'ed to a point and formed with an angular` section vwhereby to constitute a rigid spike and having' its intermediate portion substantially flat and flexible and disposed obliquely in a downward direction from said ball seat to form a ramp thereto.

3. A golf tee according to the preceding claim, composed of a Celluloid-like, non-metallic material.

4. A- golf tee according to claim 2, in which the boundary between the spike and the ilexible portionis dened by shoulders whereby to designate how much of the tee is to be embedded in the' ground.

' 5l A golf tee according to claim 2, in which the spike and the exible portion are in alignment.

61 A' golf tee according to claim 2, in which the' blank is turned back on itself at the lower endothe flexiblelportion and the spike extends downwardly from the turned-back portion.

ROY MELSYD WHITELAW.

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