Patent ID: 6190265
Filing Date: 2001-02-20
Classification: A63B

Abstract:
A ball retrieval apparatus, comprising:(a) a shaft having a longitudinal axis, a first and a second end, a hollow portion at least at said second end of said shaft, said hollow portion extending longitudinally within said shaft, said shaft having an opening at said second end of the shaft which opens into said hollow portion of said shaft,(b) a first plug being located in said hollow portion of said second end of said shaft and being dimensioned to enable said first plug to be inserted through said opening into said shaft and into said hollow portion, said first plug being capable of moving longitudinally within said hollow portion of said shaft,(c) a plurality of wires of generally equal length, wherein the plurality is greater than 4, all of which have a first and a second end with said first end being anchored in said first plug and the second end extending outwardly of said shaft through said opening in said shaft, said wires being capable of moving longitudinally within said hollow portion of said shaft to two positions, said first position exposing said wires outside of said second end less than fifty percent of their length, and said second position exposing said wires outside said second end more than fifty percent of their length, said wires in said second position being capable of being extended sufficiently out of said shaft to enable them to be pressed over and around a ball to grip said ball and pick up said ball by lifting said shaft,(d) a second plug, said second plug being fixedly located in hollow portion of said end at a distance from the opening in said second end to prevent said first plug and wires from penetrating into said hollow portion more than that which will place said wires in said first position within said second end, and(e) a thread encircling all the wires and being attached to each wire proximate the second end of said wires with sufficient thread laid out from wire to adjacent wire to permit said ball to fit between said second ends of said wires, but said thread being limited in length to prevent the ball from extending as a maximum more than 75 percent of the balls diameter past the ends of the wires in order to avoid the pressing of the ball against the wires and the resultant spreading of said wires apart more than is necessary to grip said ball.