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Golf tee marker system

Golf tee marker system description/claims

The present invention relates to the field of markers and especially to golf tee markers.

On tee boxes of golf courses, markers are used to indicate the tee off positions for golfers of different sex, age, ability etc. The markers are often moved so as to prevent excessive wearing of certain areas on the tee box and to provide a particular hole with a different length or degree of difficulty. The markers are also temporality removed by groundskeepers in order to mow or otherwise maintain the tee boxes. As such, it is important to have markers which are easily picked-up and placed into the ground and effective means to accomplish the same and to store the markers when not in use.

The following patents are considered to be of general relevance to the subject matter of the present invention and are not believed to anticipate or render the present invention obvious, whether taken alone or in any combination.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,855 (Jamieson et al.) entitled GOLF TEE MARKER AND RECEPTACLE discloses a marker for spiking into a tee box area having indicated thereon the distance to the hole and the position of the hole on the green or other information. Two removable spikes are preferably used so that the marker is not inadvertently turned since such turning would result in the display of false information. The marker comprises a circular opening on its top surface leading into a cavity in the form of an inverted cone for holding broken tees. The bottom of the cavity has a small opening to allow drainage of any liquid.

U.S. Design Pat. No. D 346,634 (Evers) entitled COMBINED BROKEN TEE RECEPTACLE AND TEE MARKER illustrates a flower-shaped tee box marker. The marker is open at its top and has a single spike for placement into the ground.

U.S. Design Pat. No. D 311,431 (Weber) entitled COMBINED GOLF TEE MARKER AND RECEPTACLE illustrates a half spherical marker having a single spike.

Aspects of the present invention relate generally to stackable markers which are easily picked-up and placed into the ground.

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a golf tee marker which comprises a ground engaging portion; a body surmounting the ground engaging portion and having in a top surface thereof a well for receiving therein a ground engaging portion of another marker for stacking markers; the well having a drain hole to avoid accumulation of liquid therein.

The well may be configured to facilitate entry and fitting of the ground engaging portion, such as a spike, for instance by having inwardly inclined side walls. Disposed beneath the body, within the body's perimeter and at a distance therefrom, there may be a flange parallel with the underside of the body. The flange may or may not be separated from the body. Since the flange is within the perimeter of the underside of the body, there is a rim around the underside of the body which provides a surface for lifting the marker out of the ground. The flange may assist with the placement of the marker. Beneath the body there may be disposed a protective member such as a rubber washer to cushion impact and prevent direct contact between the bodies of the markers upon stacking and thereby mitigate wear.

The spike well may be slightly deeper than the portion of a spike of another marker which may be inserted in the well, for instance, about 2 mm deeper. The drain hole may advantageously run from the bottom of the well to the rim on the underside of the body. The exit of the drain hole is advantageously positioned such that, when markers are vertically stacked, liquid exiting the drain hole will not enter into the marker below. The ground engaging portion may be a spike which is threadingly engaged into the underside of the body.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a golf tee marker which comprises at least one spike for spiking into the ground; a body surmounting the at least one spike having a spike well in an upper surface thereof for receiving therein a spike or spikes of another marker for stacking; the spike well having a drain hole to avoid accumulation of liquid therein; the spike well having inwardly inclined side walls to facilitate entry and fitting of a spike; a fixed or detachable flange attached beneath the underside of the body and within the body's perimeter, to assist placement of the marker; a resilient washer disposed beneath the body for inhibiting direct contact between the bodies of stacked markers.

The marker may be a golf tee box marker or otherwise, such as markers for delineating a temporary or permanent pathway or driveway, for instance on a grass field or other surface. The markers could be used for delineating lawn bowling lanes. The markers could have means of illumination or means of receiving illuminating means for improved visibility in low light, for instance for night golf. The marker could have slots therein to accommodate yellow warning tape or the like for enhanced delineation.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pick-up and placement cylinder for stacking golf tee markers as described above which comprises an elongated cylindrical housing for housing markers therein and having an opening at an end thereof for allowing ingress and egress of markers; and means to selectively gather and place the markers.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pick-up and placement cylinder for stacking markers of the type described above which comprises a housing for housing markers in a cavity formed by the housing and having a closed end and an opening at an opposite end thereof for allowing ingress and egress of the markers; a gear disposed at the closed end for rotating a plurality of gears attached to a plurality of rods running lengthwise of the housing and outside of the cavity; a plurality of top and bottom catches connected to each of the rods for allowing selective entrance, exit and manipulation of the markers by jutting in and out of the cavity, the bottom catches being adjacent to the cylinder opening and the top catches being spaced therefrom a distance less than the height of a marker; the catches having first, second and third positions, wherein in the first position, the bottom catches are retracted to allow a marker to enter and exit the cylinder and the top catches jut out into the cylinder cavity to act as a stop for markers having their undersides below the level of the top catches; in the second position, the top catches are retracted to allow a marker to drop down which will be caught by the bottom catches jut out; and in the third position the bottom catches jut out so as to be positioned between a flange and an underside of a marker and bear down upon the flange, pushing the marker into the ground.

According to a still further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transport and storage tube for stacking golf tee markers of the type described above, comprising a cavity for holding stacked markers therein, a handle pivotably attached to an open end of the tube for receiving markers therein, the tube having a closed end having a recess formed therein for receiving a spike of a marker.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cabinet for storing the transport and storage tubes, the cabinet having compartments for receiving the transport and storage tubes. The cabinet may be mounted on wheels and towed behind a vehicle or handled with a forklift, sling or the like.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a golf course vehicle attachment for pick-up and placement of golf tee markers of the type described above, the attachment comprising a three dimensionally movable arm for pivotable attachment to the vehicle attachment and means for holding a pick-up and placement cylinder and means for selectively manipulating the markers therein as required to pick-up up and place the markers.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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