Golf ball teeing device

Abstract

A golf ball teeing device comprises a base member, a hopper, and a golf ball delivery track mounted on the base member for pivotal movement between a vertical rest position and a horizontal ball teeing position. A support receives the golf balls from the hopper and presents each golf ball for delivery to the track. A vertical motion transfer member moves with the proximal end of the golf ball delivery track. An actuation mechanism comprising a paddle mounted for pivotal movement in a rotational direction opposite to the golf ball delivery track. The actuation mechanism moves the vertical motion transfer member, to thereby move the golf ball delivery track from the vertical rest position to the horizontal ball teeing position and back again, and permits selective delivery of the golf balls onto the golf ball delivery track for subsequent placement on the tee.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A golf ball teeing device for placing serially dispensed golf balls onto a tee one at a time, said golf ball teeing device comprising: 
 a base member;    a hopper mounted on said base member for receiving and retaining a plurality of golf balls;    a golf ball delivery track having a proximal end and a distal end, and operatively mounted adjacent said proximal end on said base member for pivotal movement in a first rotational direction about a substantially horizontal track pivot axis between a substantially vertical rest position and a substantially horizontal golf ball teeing position, and having a golf ball placement aperture disposed adjacent said distal end, wherein a golf ball disposed on said golf ball delivery track rolls to said is golf ball placement aperture when said golf ball delivery track is in said substantially horizontal golf ball teeing position;    support means for receiving said golf balls in seriatim from said hopper and presenting each received golf ball for subsequent delivery to said track; and,    manually operable actuation means for moving said golf ball delivery track from said substantially vertical rest position to said substantially horizontal golf ball teeing position and subsequently back to said substantially vertical rest position, and for selectively delivering said golf balls presented by said support means sequentially onto said golf ball delivery track for subsequent placement on said tee, said actuation means comprising at least one paddle operatively mounted on said base member for pivotal movement in a second rotational direction about a substantially horizontal actuation pivot axis that is substantially parallel to said track pivot axis, which pivotal movement in a second rotational direction about said substantially horizontal actuation pivot axis causes said actuation means to move said golf ball delivery track from said substantially vertical rest position to said substantially horizontal golf ball teeing position, wherein said first rotational direction is opposite to said second rotational direction.    
     
     
         2 . The golf ball teeing device of  claim 1 , wherein said actuation means further comprises a substantially horizontally disposed axle pivotally mounted on said base member, and said at least one paddle projects transversely from said substantially horizontally disposed axle and is disposed exteriorly to said housing, and at least one transfer member actuating arm projects transversely from said substantially horizontally disposed axle.  
     
     
         3 . The golf ball teeing device of  claim 1 , wherein said support means comprises an elevated golf ball supporting platform having a golf ball receiving aperture therein, for receiving golf balls in seriatim from said hopper, said golf ball receiving aperture having a effective diameter smaller than the diameter of said golf balls.  
     
     
         4 . The golf ball teeing device of  claim 3 , wherein said elevated golf ball supporting platform has a track-facing opening therein in communication with said golf ball receiving aperture, for assisting in directing golf balls onto said golf ball delivery track.  
     
     
         5 . The golf ball teeing device of  claim 1 , wherein said golf ball delivery track is spring biased toward said substantially vertical rest position.  
     
     
         6 . The golf ball teeing device of  claim 1 , wherein said hopper has a helically-shaped storage and delivery channel for receiving golf balls thereon.  
     
     
         7 . The golf ball teeing device of  claim 6 , wherein said hopper comprises a plurality of modules stacked vertically one on top of another, each module has a helically-shaped storage and delivery channel for receiving golf balls thereon.  
     
     
         8 . A golf ball teeing device for placing serially dispensed golf balls onto a tee one at a time, said golf ball teeing device comprising: 
 a base member;    a hopper mounted on said base member for receiving and retaining a plurality of golf balls;    a golf ball delivery track having a proximal end and a distal end, and operatively mounted adjacent said proximal end on said base member for pivotal movement in a first rotational direction about a substantially horizontal track pivot axis between a substantially vertical rest position and a substantially horizontal golf ball teeing position, and having a golf ball placement aperture disposed adjacent said distal end, wherein a golf ball disposed on said golf ball delivery track rolls to said golf ball placement aperture when said golf ball delivery track is in said substantially horizontal golf ball teeing position;    support means for receiving said golf balls in seriatim from said hopper and presenting each received golf ball for subsequent delivery to said track;    a vertical motion transfer member mounted in sliding relation on at least one support post and so as to engage said proximal end of said golf ball delivery track, and for travel with said proximal end of said golf ball delivery track between a lowered position corresponding to said substantially vertical rest position of said golf ball delivery track and a raised position corresponding to said substantially horizontal golf ball teeing position of said golf ball delivery track; and,    manually operable actuation means for moving said vertical motion transfer member from said lowered position to said raised position and subsequently back to said lowered position, thereby moving said golf ball delivery track from said substantially vertical rest position to said substantially horizontal golf ball teeing position and subsequently back to said substantially vertical rest position, and for selectively delivering said golf balls presented by said support means sequentially onto said golf ball delivery track for subsequent placement on said tee.    
     
     
         9 . The golf ball teeing device of  claim 8 , wherein said actuation means further comprises a substantially horizontally disposed axle pivotally mounted on said base member, and said at least one paddle projects transversely from said substantially horizontally disposed axle and is disposed exteriorly to said housing, and at least one transfer member actuating arm projects transversely from said substantially horizontally disposed axle so as to engage said vertical motion transfer member.  
     
     
         10 . The golf ball teeing device of  claim 9 , wherein said golf ball delivery track is operatively mounted on said base member for pivotal movement in a first rotational direction about a substantially horizontal track pivot axis between a substantially vertical rest position and a substantially horizontal golf ball teeing position.  
     
     
         11 . The golf ball teeing device of  claim 10 , wherein said at least one paddle is operatively mounted on said base member for pivotal movement in a second rotational direction about a substantially horizontal actuation pivot axis that is substantially parallel to said track pivot axis when said actuation means moves said golf ball delivery track from said substantially vertical rest position to said substantially horizontal golf ball teeing position, wherein said first rotational direction is opposite to said second rotational direction.  
     
     
         12 . The golf ball teeing device of  claim 8 , wherein said support means comprises an elevated golf ball supporting platform having a golf ball receiving aperture therein, for receiving golf balls in seriatim from said hopper, said golf ball receiving aperture having a effective diameter smaller than the diameter of said golf balls.  
     
     
         13 . The golf ball teeing device of  claim 12 , wherein said elevated golf ball supporting platform has a track-facing opening therein in communication with said golf ball receiving aperture, for assisting in directing golf balls onto said golf ball delivery track.  
     
     
         14 . The golf ball teeing device of  claim 8 , wherein said vertical motion transfer member includes a golf ball engaging portion extending outwardly towards said support means, wherein said golf ball engaging portion is vertically aligned with said golf ball receiving aperture, so as to permit said proximal end of said golf ball delivery track to lift a golf ball out of said golf ball receiving aperture in said elevated golf ball supporting platform, when said golf ball delivery track travels to its substantially horizontal golf ball teeing position, such that said golf ball falls onto said golf ball delivery track.  
     
     
         15 . The golf ball teeing device of  claim 14 , wherein said golf ball engaging portion includes a upwardly protruding portion disposed thereon so as to contact a golf ball, to thereby lift said golf ball out of said golf ball receiving aperture, as aforesaid.  
     
     
         16 . The golf ball teeing device of  claim 15 , wherein said upwardly protruding portion includes a forwardly facing sloped top face for contacting a golf ball disposed in said golf ball receiving aperture in said elevated golf ball supporting platform, and urging said golf ball forwardly past said track-facing opening.  
     
     
         17 . The golf ball teeing device of  claim 8 , wherein said golf ball delivery track is spring biased toward said substantially vertical rest position.  
     
     
         18 . The golf ball teeing device of  claim 8 , wherein said vertical motion transfer member is spring biased toward said lower position.  
     
     
         19 . The golf ball teeing device of  claim 8 , wherein said hopper has a helically-shaped storage and delivery channel for receiving golf balls thereon.  
     
     
         20 . The golf ball teeing device of  claim 19 , wherein said hopper comprises a plurality of modules stacked vertically one on top of another, each module has a helically-shaped storage and delivery channel for receiving golf balls thereon.