Golf ball server

Abstract

A golf ball server having a low profile housing and miniaturized pneumatic components is positionable adjacent a driving surface and is readily connected to pre-existing gravity ball supplies or to a funnel type supply tray. The server is operated by depressing a pad on the housing with the head of a golf club. When actuated, an arm grips a ball from the housing and rotates it for positioning reliably on a tee or directly onto the driving surface. When reset, the arm rotates back into the housing pickup another ball. As the arm rotates from the teeing position to the reset position, another ball is fed into housing and positioned for pickup. A controller times the action of the gripper, arm rotation and ball feed. Alternatively, actuation can be by a photoelectric sensor which senses the absence of a ball on the tee and actuates the server.

The embodiments of the invention for which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:  
     
         1 . A portable golf ball teeing apparatus comprising: 
 a housing for positioning adjacent a driving surface, the housing having an inlet for receiving a ball from a supply of golf balls;    a pivoting means pivotally connected at a first end within the housing and rotatable from a pickup position within the housing to a teeing position at the driving surface;    a staging means for advancing a ball from the inlet to the pickup position;    a gripping means at a second end of the pivoting means and actuable between a gripping position and a released position, so that 
 when actuated to the gripping position, the gripping means grasp the ball at the pickup position and maintains a grip on the ball throughout the rotation of the pivoting means, and  
 when actuated to the release position, the gripping means releases the ball at the teeing position; and  
 control means for actuation of the pivoting means, the staging means and the gripping means between a teeing sequence and a resetting sequence; so as to 
 for the teeing sequence, substantially simultaneously actuate the gripping means to grasp the ball from the pickup position and rotate the pivoting means between the pickup and teeing positions while retracting the staging means to permit entrance of another ball at the inlet; and  
 for the resetting sequence, substantially simultaneously actuate the gripping means to release the ball at the driving surface and then advance the staging means to position the ball at the pickup position while rotating the pivoting means to return to the ball pickup position so as to permit repeating of the teeing and resetting sequences.  
 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the control means is a pneumatic manifold fluidly connected to pneumatic pivoting means, staging means and gripping means.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  further comprising triggering means for initiating the teeing and resetting sequences.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the control means further comprises: 
 a poppet valve; and  
 a delay out valve, so that when the poppet valve is actuated by the triggering means, the pivoting means, gripper means and staging means are actuated to their teeing action and when the delay out valve times out, the pivoting means, gripper means and staging means are actuated to their resetting action.  
 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the manifold further comprises: 
 a first header which is fluidly connected to a first end of the staging means, the gripping means and a first side of the pivoting means for actuating the teeing sequence wherein 
 the gripping means is caused to grip the ball in the ball pickup position;  
 the pivoting means is caused to rotate the gripping means and ball to the ball teeing position;  
 the staging means is caused to retract to permit another ball to enter the inlet; and  
 
 a second header connected to a second end of the staging means and pivoting means for exhausting the second end of the staging and the second side of the pivoting means.  
 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein, for actuating the resetting sequence, 
 the first header exhausts the gripping means to release the ball at the ball teeing position and exhausts the first end of the staging means and the first side of the pivoting means; and  
 the second header is connected to the second end of the staging means and the second side of the pivoting means wherein 
 the staging means is caused to advance another ball to the ball pickup position; and  
 the pivoting means is caused to rotate the gripping means to the ball pickup position.  
 
 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus as described in  claim 1  wherein the staging means comprises: 
 a linear actuator having a dual acting linear pneumatic cylinder connected to a ram, the ram moveable between a retracted position and an advanced position; and  
 an L-shape plate connected to the ram for advancing a ball in the ball receiving chamber to the ball pickup position and blocking the inlet in the housing, when the ram is in the advanced position.  
 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus as described in  claim 1  wherein the pivoting means comprises: 
 a pneumatic rotary actuator; and  
 a rotatable arm connected at a first end to the rotary actuator and rotatable substantially 180 degrees from a ball pickup position within the housing to a ball teeing position outside the housing at a driving surface.  
 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus as described in  claim 1  wherein the gripping means is a pair of gripping fingers wherein the fingers are moveable inward toward one another in a gripping position and away from one another in a released position.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus as described in  claim 9  wherein the gripping fingers are connected at a second end of the rotatable arm.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus as described in  claim 3  wherein the triggering means comprises: 
 a photo-electric sensor;  
 a solenoid valve; and  
 a power supply.  
 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus as described in  claim 5  wherein the fluid supplied to the pneumatic manifold is compressed air.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus as described in  claim 1  wherein a height of the housing is substantially the height of a golf ball.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus as described in  claim 1  further comprising means for limiting rotation of the pivoting means for adjusting rotation to the ball teeing position for the height of the driving surface.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus as described in  claim 14  wherein the means for limiting rotation comprises: 
 a stop block connected for rotation with the rotatable arm; and  
 a stop, the stop being moveable into a path of rotation of the stop block or out of the path of rotation of the stop block.  
 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus as described in  claim 1  wherein the supply of golf balls is a gravity feed tube supply system.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus as described in  claim 1  wherein the supply of golf balls is a gravity feed ball funneling tray connected to the ball feed inlet.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus as described in  claim 16  further comprising a back pressure eliminator to block subsequent balls adjacent the ball feed inlet for preventing pressure on a ball in the ball receiving chamber.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus as described in  claim 18  wherein the back pressure eliminator comprises a short stroke linear actuator having a piston which is moveable into and out of a hole in the gravity feed tube to alternately block passage of a ball in the tube and permit passage of the ball to the housing inlet.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus as described in  claim 1  further comprising means for positioning the housing at an optimum position adjacent the driving surface.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus as described in  claim 20  wherein the means for positioning the housing is a locator plate comprising: 
 a linear plate having a projection extending upward from a first end for insertion into a slot in the base of the housing; and  
 a tee positioned adjacent a second end and spaced from the housing at a position optimal for receiving a ball in the ball teeing sequence.