US3363940A - Seat attachment for golf bag - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 16, 1968 J. G. MILLER SEAT ATTACHMENT FOR GOLF BAG Filed July 2, 1965 JIEZ N INVENTOR.

J/IMESG MILLEZ United States Patent 3,363,940 SEAT ATTACHMENT FOR GOLF BAG James G. Miller, 1311 Barnitz St., Middletown, Ohio 45042 Filed July 2, 1965, Ser. No. 469,159 3 Claims. (Cl. 297-217) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE For golf bags, a seat attachment having a seat portion, a foot portion and adjustable bracket means to span the bottom of the golf bag and support the seat and foot portions on opposite sides of the golf bag. The bracket means is anchored to the bottom of the golf bag and serves to transmit the weight of the user from the seat portion to the foot portion when the seat attachment is in use.

This invention relates to a seat device and, more particularly, to a seat device adapted to be attached to and carried with a golf bag, however, the invention is not necessarily so limited.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved seat device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved seat device attachable to objects such as golf bags.

A further object of this invention is to provide a combination golf bag and seat device.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved seat device, so constructed as to be adjustable, whereby the seat device may be attached to objects having a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

Other objects and advantages reside in the construction of parts, the combination thereof, the method of manufacture and the mode of operation, as will become more apparent from the following description.

In the drawing, FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating a seat device embodying the present invention in attachment to a golf bag shown in fragmentary detail.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary section view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, the golf bag to which the seat device is attached being illustrated in phantom detail.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary section view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawing in greater detail, the seat device of the present invention, as best seen in FIGURE 1, comprises two separable parts and 12. The part 10 is an angular flange member having a generally rectangular and approximately flat seat portion 11 and having an integral bracket member 14 extending perpendicularly from one side margin of the seat portion 11. The bracket 14 has convergent side margins 16a and 16b, which merge to a generally rectangular tongue 18 depending downwardly when viewed as in FIGURE 1.

For reasons to be described subsequently, an elongated aperture 20 extends along the bracket 14 and into the tongue 18, the direction of extent being perpendicular to the plane of the seat portion 11.

The part 12 is a support member having a generally rectangular foot portion 22 extending parallel to the seat portion 11 and a perpendicularly disposed leg portion 24 projecting parallel to and contacting the bracket 14 adjacent the tongue 18. The length of the leg 24 is such that the leg extends beyond the area of the bracket 14 occupied by the aperture 20. The leg 24 is apertured as shown at 26 in FIGURE 2 to receive the shank of a bolt 28, the shank being threaded at one end for engagement with a nut 30. For reasons which will become apparent in the following, the size of the aperture 26 is just suffi- 3,363,940 Patented Jan. 16, 1968 cient to receive the shank of the bolt 28, thereby minimizing radial play of the bolt 28 in the aperture 26.

In the drawing, the present invention is shown in attachment to a golf bag 32. The arrangement of the aperture 20 in the part 10 and the aperture 26 in the part 12 is such that these apertures may be aligned so as to receive the bolt 28 through both said apertures and the bolt 28 then passed through a suitably located hole in the -base 33 of the golf bag. The portion of the bolt 28 projecting through the hole in the base 33 may then be engaged by the nut 30 as shown in FIGURE 2 so as to fasten the parts 10 and 12 to the base of the golf bag. In order to distribute the compressive load developed by the nut 30 over a large area of the golf bag base 33 and thereby avoid damage to the base 33, a washer 34 may be interposed between the nut 30 and the base 33, as shown in FIGURE 2.

The elongated aperture 20 in the part 10 enables adjustment of the seat device to accommodate various types and sizes of golf bags, as well as other objects to which the seat device may be attached. That is, the elongated aperture 20 permits adjustment in the separation between the seat portion 11 on the part 10 and the foot portion 22 on the part 12. For reasons to be explained more fully hereinafter, it is preferred that the seat portion 11 and foot portion 22 abut or contact diametrically opposite peripheral portions of the base 33 as shown in FIGURE 1.

Golf bags are not ordinarily provided with the described hole in the base thereof and, accordingly, the desired fit between the foot portion 22 and the periphery of the base of the golf bag is achieved by boring the described hole in the base of the golf bag a distance from the periphery of said base approximately equal to the separation between the aperture 26 in the part 12 and the foot portion 22 of the part 12. The close fit between the bolt 28 and aperture 26 ensures that the foot portion 22 will then substantially abut the outer periphery of the base 33. The aperture 20 in the part 10 permits the seat portion 11 to be positioned at substantially the periphery of the base 33 on the opposite side thereof, as shown in FIGURE 1.

By suitably tightening the nut 30 onto the bolt 28, it is possible to produce a sufiicient friction between the leg 24 and the bracket 14 that the desired separation between the foot portion 22 and the seat portion 11 will be maintained during normal use of the golf bag and attached seat device. To ensure adequate friction, particularly when the base 33 is recessed partly into the golf bag, suitable spacers, not shown, may be introduced between the leg portion 24 and base 33. However, it is a common experience that with a threaded fastening such as the one developed between the nut 30 and the bolt 28, vibration, shocks and jars can result in a loosening of the threaded connection, which, in the present invention, would permit an undesirable tilting of the seat 11 as the user places his weight thereon.

To preclude such undesirable tilting, it is preferred in the present invention 'to provide serrations on the c0nfronting surfaces of the tongue 18 and leg 24. Thus serrations 36 on the leg 24 and interfitting serrations 38 on the tongue 18 are illustrated in the drawing.

As further illustrated in the drawing, it is preferred that the serrations 36 and 38 occupy two spaced rows extending parallel to the aperture 20 and on opposite sides of the aperture 20, the rows of serrations 36 in the leg 24 being disposed on opposite sides of the aperture 26 therein. It is also preferred that the serrations 36 and 38 extend transverse to the rows which they define. With such arrangement the interfitting serrations 36 and 38 prevent slippage between the parts 10 and 12, such as will change the adjustment therebetween fixed by the bolt 28 and at 3 the same time prevent tilting of the seat portion 11 about the axis of the bolt 28.

By providing the serrations 36 and 38, the tension loading on the bolt 28 established by the nut 30 becomes less critical and, accordingly, the susceptibility of this threaded connection to loosening from vibration and the like is materially reduced.

In the preferred construction, the separable parts and 12 are fabricated of a sheet metal such as aluminum or steel, or any other material capable of supporting the load. Light weight materials are preferred to minimize the weight added to the golf bag or other object to which the sea-t device is attached. It is important, of course, that the materials from which the parts 10 and 12 are fabricated have a strength or gauge productive of a structural rigidity adequate to support the weight of the user. To enhance the structural strength, it is preferred to provide corrugations or grooves 40 located in the seat portion 11 and extending continuously through the bracket 14 and tongue 18. These grooves 40 tend to increase the rigidity of the seat portion 11 and also retard bending of the seat portion 11 relative to the bracket 14.

To further retard bending of the seat portion 11 relative to the bracket 14, it is preferred, as previously mentioned, that the seat portion 11 abut the periphery of the base 33 of the golf bag. This abutting relationship provides for some transfer of the weight of the user to the golf bag itself when the load applied to the seat 11 is excessive. It is preferred, however, that the parts 10 and 12 be formed of a sheet metal of suflicient gauge to support normal loads without a fiexure sufficient to transfer any substantial part of a normal load on the seat 11 to the golf bag.

In the use of the present seat attachment when applied to a golf bag, the golfer carries his golf clubs in the bag in the normal fashion. Due to the fact that the seat attachment closely fits the golf bag and is of light weight, the normal use of the golf bag is not appreciably affected by the presence of the seat attachment.

When there is a delay in the golfers game, as frequently occurs, the golfer merely lays his bag on the ground, or other suitable support, seeking a hard surface where available so that when sitting on the seat portion 11 his own weight will be transferred directly to the supporting surface through the part 12.

There will, of course, be instances in which a hard surface is not available, in which case the bag can be laid on the relatively soft turf of a golf course. In such case the users weight applied to the seat portion 11 will not be transferred directly to the supporting surface through the part 12, but rather will be transferred partly to the part 12 and partly through the base 33 of the golf bag, the base 33 in this case assisting to distribute the users weight over a comparatively large area of the supporting surface or turf. This minimizes disturbances or depressions in the turf. By placing the foot portion 22 in abutting relation to the periphery of the base 33, this de sirable distribution of the users weight over a large area is facilitated and, at the same time, any formation of divots, which would result from the foot portion 22 becoming embedded in the ground, is avoided.

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generally stated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In combination: a golf bag comprising an elongated body member having a base at one end thereof, a seat portion confronting one side of said body member, a foot portion confronting an opposite side of said body member, and means extending diametrically across said base to support said foot and seat portions in fixed spaced relation, said means including a fastener device engaging the base portion of said golf bag to fixedly attach said seat and foot portions to said golf bag.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said means extending diametrically across said base comprises separable parts secured against separation by said fastener means engaging said base.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said base and foot portions are generally planar members disposed in abutting relation to diametrically opposite peripheral parts of said base.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 817,564 4/1906 Howe 248226.2 1,577,807 3/1926 Orwick 297252 1,617,670 2/1927 Cyr 248226 1,617,805 2/1927 Hansen 297252 2,536,157 1/ 1951 Campanelli 297252 2,986,366 5/1961 Wesson 248316 FOREIGN PATENTS 73,655 4/1930 Sweden.

WILLIAM T. DIXSON, IR., Primary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Examiner.

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