Patent ID: 9220965
Filing Date: 2015-12-29
Classification: A63B

Abstract:
1. A tee ball stand comprising: an upright, elongate stanchion having upper and lower ends and, when in use, having an intended orientation substantially perpendicular to the ground, a ground engaging base connected to said lower end of said stanchion to support said stanchion in an upright position substantially perpendicular to the ground; and a ball holder connected to said upper end of said stanchion, said ball holder including a lower base fitting removably connected to said upper end of said stanchion, and also including a substantially frusto-conical ball support member having upper and lower ends and being formed from a thin, rolled, and flexible sheet material with a uniform thickness where said lower end thereof is secured to said base fitting and said upper end thereof is adapted to support a sports ball; said base fitting having top and bottom sections with said top section having an increasing taper around which is wrapped said lower end of said sheet material, and with said bottom section having an opening therein to receive said upper end of said stanchion; said top section of said base fitting also including a longitudinal abutment edge on the surface of said taper to contact and align said lower end of said sheet material wrapped around said base fitting; whereby said frusto-conical ball support member is sufficiently rigid to support a sports ball in an upright position when not subjected to a side impact force but is also sufficiently flexible to readily deform from its frusto-conical shape when subjected to a side impact force and then return to its original frusto-conical shape.