Supports: racks – Special article – Article includes elongated portion
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-04
2003-06-17
Gibson, Jr., Robert W. (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Special article
Article includes elongated portion
C248S156000, C473S282000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06578719
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
There are a number of devices for supporting golf clubs and other golf accessories.
One example of such a device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,471 (Ruggeri) which teaches a portable golf club support comprised of a steel rod, a rotatable club support and a flared lower end which assists the user in pressing the device into the ground.
Another device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,980 (Weisenstein) which teaches a device having a point at one end thereof for piercing the ground and at the other end thereof a head having a u-shaped section perpendicular to the main frame for supporting a golf club.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,390,916 (Govoni) discloses a combination golf club holder and hook section to support a club, in the example, a wedge.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,990 (Engel) teaches a golf club rest with a mechanism to attach the golf club rest to the golf bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,087 (Thompson Jr.) teaches a golf club rest which includes a turf repair device on the piercing end.
Presently some seventy percent or more of golfers utilize carts which are generally not allowed to approach the green closely or are actually required to follow a certain path to minimize wear and tear on the area near the green. A golfer then must carry more than one club from the cart to where his ball lies. Often clubs become wet when laid down next to the green in wet conditions or are forgotten after the hole is completed, and the golfer has to go back to the hole and bend over to retrieve his club.
Also, there is a significant number of golfers with arthritic or other conditions which do not allow the golfer to manipulate a tricky golf support.
Prerequisites for an ideal golf club support include ease of use which includes light weight, durability, grip stability and a design which minimizes entanglement with the clubs or the golfbag or fouling of the clubs by wet conditions or freshly cut grass near the green. Additional desirable characteristic would include that it be aesthetically pleasing, simple to use and economical to manufacture.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
I have discovered an improved golf club support device which comprises an elongated shaft means having an upper end portion and a lower end portion. I prefer that the circumference of the elongated shaft means be such that it can be grasped and not merely held by the golfer's fingertips.
A handle means, preferably a substantially ball-shaped handle means, is connected to the upper end portion of the elongated shaft means whereby a golfer may grasp my improved golf support device and insert it into the ground. I prefer that the ball-shaped handle means be made from a rigid material, particularly wood, however, other materials such a thermoplastic or other foam may be utilized to adjust the density of the ball-shaped handle means to accommodate a golfer with an arthritic condition.
A ground-penetrating means is connected to the lower end of the elongated shaft means for penetrating the ground to a pre-determined depth. I prefer, a spike which penetrates the ground to a depth of six inches or more is utilized. Also preferably, but optionally, the spike has a series of grooves spiraling around the outside thereof which when the spike penetrates the ground assist in maintaining stability of my improved golf club support.
Golf club support means are connected to the elongated shaft means at a height whereby one or more golf clubs can be temporarily supported. Prefereably, but optionally the club support means can include means to support other golf paraphernalia such as golf towels, brushes etc.,. I prefer the golf club support means to extend outwardly and upwardly so that any golf club will not roll off. In the preferred embodiment I disclose an outwardly and upwardly extending hook means where there is more than one outwardly and outwardly extending hook in each club support means. A golf club can be supported on one of the hooks and a golf towel with a clip attached or other golf accessory can be hung from the other hook.
Upright supporting means are annularly disposed about and connecting to the elongated shaft means adjacent the ground penetrating means and extending outwardly form the elongated shaft means in a substantially circular foot portion thereof which, in use, contacts the ground and whereby the elongated shaft means is supported thereby in an upright position. I prefer the upright supporting means to be circular and to include a collar which extends upward from a lower end of said upright supporting means to an upper end thereof to further support the elongated shaft means in an upright position. I prefer that said upright supporting means define a hole therethroughfor the ground penetrating means to pass through and connect to the elongated shaft means. Other shapes of the upright supporting means are contemplated and anticipated.
Preferably, but optionally, a hook means is provided to detachably connect my improved golf club support to a golf bag so that it can be readily carried with the golf bag and kept from fouling with the clubs.
Before explaining one embodiment of my invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. My invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which the disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as the basis for designing other structures methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of my invention.
It is the object of my invention to provide an improved golf club support device which while including many of the advantages of the devices mentioned before also includes many novel features which have not been anticipated by any of the prior golf club support devices. My invention provides numerous advantages over those of the prior art.
It is an object of my invention to provide a improved golf club support device that can be easily handled and readily inserted into the ground by any golfer even one who suffers from arthritis.
It is an object of my invention that my improved golf club device can be readily fitted into or attached to a conventional golf bag and can be detached and reattached without fouling or snagging with the gear or the clubs.
It is another object of my invention that my improved golf club supporting device will be stable in use.
These and other objects of my invention will become apparent when viewed in light of the accompanying drawings and following detailed description.
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patent: 1443230 (1923-01-01), Luckett
patent: 2275870 (1942-03-01), Sheldon
patent: 2453565 (1948-11-01), Barden
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patent: 3076557 (1963-02-01), Husted et al.
patent: 4071062 (1978-01-01), Ianetta
patent: 5080239 (1992-01-01), Rowland
patent: 5417334 (1995-05-01), Wu
patent: 5474191 (1995-12-01), Bergeron et al.
patent: 6383088 (2002-05-01), Kershner
Gibson , Jr. Robert W.
Killion Joseph H.
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