US3891130A

US3891130A - Golf tee carrying and dispensing device

Info

Publication number: US3891130A
Application number: US384983A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edward N Brennan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: CHAMPAINE LEO
Priority date: 1973-08-02
Filing date: 1973-08-02
Publication date: 1975-06-24
Anticipated expiration: 1992-06-24

Abstract

Presented is a device for use by golfers in carrying a quantity of golf tees, and which incorporates means for readily dispensing the golf tees one-by-one when needed by the golfer.

Description

United States Patent [19] Brennan June 24, 1975 1 1 GOLF TEE CARRYING AND DISPENSING DEVICE [76] Inventor: Edward N. Brennan, 1490 Windsor Dr., Thousand Oaks, Calif. 91360 [22] Filed: Aug. 2, 1973 [2]] Appl. No.: 384,983

[52] US. Cl. 224/5 C; 273/32 D [51] Int. Cl. A45c l/04 [58] Field of Search 224/5.4, 5.13, 26 R, 26.2, 224/45.l5; 206/38 R, 37 R, 46 GT, 56 AC;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,955,559 4/1934 Narrow 221/310 2,667,906 2/1954 Stiller 206/37 R 3,360,170 12/1967 Scannell et a1 224/5 C 3,412,897 11/1968 Slater 221/309 Primary E.raminerRobert .1. Spar Assistant Examiner1(enneth Noland Attorney, Agent, or FirmJohn .l. Leavitt 57 ABSTRACT Presented is a device for use by golfers in carrying a quantity of golf tees, and which incorporates means for readily dispensing the golf tees one-by-one when needed by the golfer,

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 'One of the items of equipment used by golfers, both professional and amateur, is the conventional golf tee.

This device is used to support a golf ball at selected' SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In terms of broad inclusion, the golf carrying and dispensingdevice of the invention comprises a hollow heights above the turf so that the golfer may more I,

readily strike the ball. Golf tees vary in design however the most common golf tee is fabricated from wood or plastic and comprises an elongated body that is symmetrical about a longitudinal axis and is provided with a relatively sharp point at one end and an enlarged and recessed head at the other end. Overall, the golf tee is about 1% to 2 inches long, and because golf tees are susceptible to being lost or broken, a quantity of them are carried by a golfer while playing a round of golf.

Additionally, because golf tees are frequently lost or broken, the supply must continually be replenished from time to time. One of the problems that is encountered in connectionwith golf tees isthe problem of storage and retrieval. In some instances, golfers place a quantity of the golf tees in one of the pockets of their golf bags, and must therefore walk twenty or thirty feet to where they have deposited their golf bag if they have not anticipated the need for a golf tee, or if the tee they have been using has broken. This increases the time that is requiredfor-a golfer to play a round of holes, and thereby limits the number of people that may play a given course on=a given day. With the increase in popularity of the game of golf, it has become necessary for country clubs and golf courses to devise ways 'and means by which more people may be served on the course in a given day. Accordingly, any device that increases the speed with which a round of golf may be played has received immediate acceptance. A good example of such devices is the'golf cart, whether it be the motorized version capable of carrying two or more golfers, or the type that may be pulled by the golfer.

To eliminate the necessity of a golfer returning to his bag to secure another golf tee, it is preferable that the golf tees be carried by the golfer at all times. Because the golf tees are elongated and sharp, it is impractical for men to carry a quantity in their trouser pockets because before long the tees will poke through the fabric and eventually rip the pocket and be lost. Women generally do not wear clothes having pockets so an even greater problem is encountered. Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a golf tee carrying device that may be attached conveniently to a golfers belt, to his golf bag or to a golf cart, so that it is always conveniently accessible, and which carries a multiplicity of tees that may be easily withdrawn from the device for use.

Golfers as a class tend to dress in colorful clothing. Accordingly, another object of the invention is the provision of a golf carrying and dispensing device which may be tailored to compliment the attire chosen by a golfer on a given day.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be apparent from the following description and the drawings. It is to be understood however that the invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated and described as it may be embodied in various forms within the scope of the appended claims.

spherical body having a multiplicity of apertures formed in a lower half thereof so that golf tees disposed within the hollow interior of the spherical carrier will indiscriminately extend through the various apertures in the sphere whereby the golfer may grasp the shank of a golf tee and by gently tugging on the shank, pull the head of the golf tee through the aperture in the carrier. The carrier is equipped with a strap so that it may be attached conveniently to the belt of the user, to a golf bag, or to a golf cart.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevational view, a portionof the strap being broken away to reduce its length.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In terms of greater detail, the golf tee carrier and dispensing device of the invention comprises a generally spherical body designated generally by the numeral 2, and preferably fabricated from one of the synthetic resinous materials commonly called plastics. A plastic material having a flexible and resilient characteristic as opposed to a brittle .characteristic is preferred. As shown, the golf tee carrier and dispensing device is approximately actual size and is constructed with an upper semi-spherical portion 3 and a lower semispherical portion 4 joined together along a median line 6 as illustrated. g

The spherical body is hollow, having a wall thickness of only about one thirty-second inch or less. Addition ally, the hollow spherical body is preferably molded in a single operation, with the median line 6 defining the upper and lower halves of the sphere corresponding to the parting line of the mold. It is convenient to so fabricate the device for the reason that the upper and lower halves of the sphere may be different in color so that a golfer may coordinate his golf tee carrier with the clothes that he is wearing for the day. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the upper half or semi-sphere 3 of the carrier is provided with a wall section 7 having a slit 8 therein relieved at each end by apertures 9 and 9'. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the slit 8 is useful for depositing golf tees within the interior of the hollow sphere. It has been found that when the wall thickness of the sphere is approximately one thirty-second inch it possesses an inherent resilience tending to maintain a spherical configuration. Nevertheless, when a slit 8 is provided in the wall, a portion of the wall 7 above the slit may be deformed slightly and resiliently so as to temporarily enlarge the opening and admit a quantity of tees into the interior of the hollow shell.

The lower half of the sphere is provided with a multiplicity of apertures 12, each sized so as to be somewhat golf tees project through the apertures and depend from the carrier, being held by the heads thereof which are somewhat larger than the apertures.

To support the carrier, the upper half 3 of the sphere is provided with a leather thong 16 having a ring 17 on the end thereof through which a belt may be looped.

Alternatively, the thong may be utilized to tie the carrier to a belt loop or a belt so that the carrier is always readily accessible to the golfer. The thong passes through an aperture 18 in the upper half of the sphere,

and is retained attached to the sphere by means of a knot 19 formed on the inner end of the thong.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that all that is required for a golfer to have a plentiful and readily accessible supply of tees is to deposit the desired quantity within the hollow interior of the carrier through the slit 8 provided for that purpose. The carrier may then be attached to the belt, and whenever a tee is needed, all that is required is that the golfer reach around and grasp the shank ofa projecting tee and exert a slight tug thereon. The thickness of the plastic material from which the hollow spherical carrier is fabricated and the size of the aperture 12 are correlated to the size of the head 13 of the tee so that only a gentle tug need be given on the tee to cause the material to elastically expand to permit the tee to be withdrawn. Once withdrawn from an aperture, the aperture returns to its normal size and shape.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed to be novel and sought to be protected by letters patent is as follows:

I claim:

1. A golf tee carrier and dispensing device compris- 1. a body having a hollow interior defined entirely by a resiliently deformable wall;

b. means including a slit formed in said wall adapted to selectively provide an opening into the interior of said hollow body through which an entire golf tee may be inserted into the hollow interior of said body for containment therewithin;

c. means forming a part of said wall for containing a golf tee therewithin and enabling its removal therefrom and including a multiplicity of apertures formed in said wall through each of which the shank of a golf tee contained within the hollow interior of said body may freely project and a resilient web surrounding each aperture, each said aperture being proportioned to be slightly smaller than the head ofa golf tee so as to normally prevent the tee head from passing through the aperture, the resilience of the web surrounding each aperture being such as to permit resilient enlargement of the aperture to permit the tee head to pass through when the shank is pulled; and

d. means secured to said hollow body for suspending the carrier and dispensing device.

2. The combination according to claim 1, in which said means for suspending the golf tee carrier and dispensing device comprises a flexible thong.

3. A golf tee carrier and dispensing device comprisa. a body fabricated in spherical form from a deformable plastic material and having a hollow interior defined by a resiliently deformable wall; I

b. means formed in said wall adapted to selectively provide an opening into the interior of said hollow y;

c. a multiplicity of apertures formed in said wall through each of which the shank of a golf tee may freely project; and

4. A golf tee carrier and dispensing device comprisa. a body having a hollow interior defined by a resiliently deformable wall constituting complimentary semi-spheres;

b. a slit formed in one of said semi-spheres adapted to selectively provide an opening into the interior of said hollow body;

c. a multiplicity of apertures formed in the wall in the other of said semi-spheres and through each of which the shank of a golf tee may freely project; and

d. means secured to said hollow body for suspending the carrier and dispensing device:

Claims

1. A golf tee carrier and dispensing device comprising: a. a body having a hollow interior defined entirely by a resiliently deformable wall; b. means including a slit formed in said wall adapted to selectively provide an opening into the interior of said hollow body through which an entire golf tee may be inserted into the hollow interior of said body for containment therewithin; c. means forming a part of said wall for containing a golf tee therewithin and enabling its removal therefrom and including a multiplicity of apertures formed in said wall through each of which the shank of a golf tee contained within the hollow interior of said body may freely project and a resilient web surrounding each aperture, each said aperture being proportioned to be slightly smaller than the head of a golf tee so as to normally prevent the tee head from passing through the aperture, the resilience of the web surrounding each aperture being such as to permit resilient enlargement of the aperture to permit the tee head to pass through when the shank is pulled; and d. means secured to said hollow body for suspending the carrier and dispensing device.

3. A golf tee carrier and dispensing device comprising: a. a body fabricated in spherical form from a deformable plastic material and having a hollow interior defined by a resiliently deformable wall; b. means formed in said wall adapted to selectively provide an opening into the interior of said hollow body; c. a multiplicity of apertures formed in said wall through each of which the shank of a golf tee may freely project; and d. means secured to said hollow body for suspending the carrier and dispensing device.

4. A golf tee carrier and dispensing device comprising: a. a body having a hollow interior defined by a resiliently deformable wall constituting complimentary semi-spheres; b. a slit formed in one of said semi-spheres adapted to selectively provide an opening into the interior of said hollow body; c. a multiplicity of apertures formed in the wall in the other of said semi-spheres and through each of which the shank of a golf tee may freely project; and d. means secured to said hollow body for suspending the carrier and dispensing device.