Marking device for golf balls

Abstract

The device disclosed aids the application of a wider and longer line on top of the small line printed on a golf ball by the balls manufacturer. The device disclosed is a cylinder with an open top and partially closed bottom, into which a ball is inserted. The disclosed device differs from existing art in that the inside diameter of the cylinder is larger than the golf ball and there is a low friction peg supporting the ball. Unlike existing art in which the ball is secured by the frame or supported by the walls of a cylinder, the features of the device disclosed allow the ball to spin freely inside the cylinder. A method of loading, positioning and unloading the ball is disclosed.

1 . a cylinder with an open top that has an inside diameter that is slightly larger than a golf ball allowing the ball to sit loosely in the cylinder on a peg disclosed in  claim 2 . 
     
     
         2 . the cylinder in  claim 1  supports the golf ball solely on a single straight round peg. 
     
     
         3 . the straight round peg disclosed in  claim 2  is centered within the cylinder disclosed in  claim 1  thus connecting to the walls of the cylinder at points 180 degrees apart. 
     
     
         4 . the straight round peg disclosed in  claim 2  transverses the cylinder disclosed in  claim 1  in the direction parallel to the open top of the cylinder. 
     
     
         5 . a multi step system for loading, unloading and precisely aligning the small line or arrow manufacturers print on the ball, using only one hand.
 (a) The cylinder is held in one hand with the open end up.   (b) The cylinder is held using the middle finger to pin the cylinder against the palm of the same hand holding the device.   (c) The index finger and thumb of the same hand holding the device are free to pick up the ball, while still holding the device between the palm and middle finger and drop the ball into the open end of the cylinder.   (d) The thumb and index finger on the hand holding the device are free to rotate the ball into position for drawing a line precisely on top of the existing line or arrow printed on the ball by the manufacturer of the ball.   (e) The ball is unloaded by turning the device upside down and allowing gravity to eject the ball while releasing all control of the ball with the index finger and the thumb and continuing to hold the device with the palm and middle finger.