Abstract:
A powder dispenser useable as a golf accessory includes a body of flexible material for housing a quantity of powder and a cap for controlling discharge of the powder. The cap includes an orifice for discharging the powder and a gate controlled by rotating the cap relative to the body to provide selective fluid communication with the powder within the body.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to golf equipment, and, more particularly, to apparatus for sensing the wind direction and velocity. 
     2. Description of Related Prior Art 
     The game of golf requires a golfer to hit a ball off the tee toward the green and ultimately sink the ball in a cup located somewhere on the green. The selection of a club for the tee shot and additional strokes toward the green is a function of the loft of the club and the speed of the club head at the point of impact with the ball. Any wind present will affect the decision of which club to use as a function of the loft of the club head in order to take advantage of a tailwind and minimize the effect of a headwind. Additionally, if the wind is from the left or the right, the direction of the intended trajectory of the ball will have to be adjusted to increase the likelihood that the ball will land on the fairway and not in the rough or in a bunker. 
     To provide information to a golfer about the wind direction and velocity, various procedures have been exercised. The simplest exercise is that of wetting one&#39;s finger and holding it vertically above one&#39;s head. The resulting evaporation of the fluid on one&#39;s finger will cool the finger facing the wind and a sense of direction of the wind can thereby be obtained. Additionally, the rapidity of cooling can be correlated to the velocity of the wind. Necessarily, this type of determination of the wind velocity and direction is a gross determination and not very accurate as it depends on multiple variables, including the sensitivity of the epidermis of the raised wetted finger. 
     Another procedure involves the golfer tossing blades of cut grass upwardly and watching the direction and speed of the grass as it descends. This determination is also a gross determination as the descent rate of the grass is a function of whether it is freshly cut blades of grass or dried blades of grass and the difference determines how long the grass remains airborne to provide an indication of the wind velocity and direction. 
     At some lies off the fairway, or even on the fairway, grass or other similar indicators may not be readily available to the golfer. A distant wind indicator, such as the pennant mounted on the pole extending from the cup in the green, is often too far away to provide an accurate indication translatable to the location of the golfer since the local wind will have different directions and velocities as a function of surrounding trees, structures and terrain. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a dispenser for dispensing, on command, a puff of finely ground powder, preferably white. The puff of powder will float with the wind for a significant distance before descending to the ground. The direction and velocity of the puff of powder will provide an accurate indication of both the direction and velocity of the wind as the powder is carried by the wind. With this knowledge, the golfer would select a higher loft club to hit the ball on a higher trajectory and take advantage of a tailwind to obtain further distance. Alternatively, with a headwind, a lower loft club might be selected to reduce the effect of a headwind. These considerations are due in part to the fact that at ground level the wind is usually less strong than higher up. Were the wind coming from the left or the right, the golfer would adjust his/her stance to hit the ball somewhat into the wind to compensate for the wind. 
     It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an indication to a golfer of the present wind velocity and direction. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide an accessory useable by a golfer at any time anywhere along a golf course to obtain an indication of the wind velocity and direction. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser for dispensing a puff of powder to inform a golfer of the wind velocity and direction. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a relatively small pocket portable dispenser for dispensing a puff of powder into the atmosphere. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide an eco-friendly powder dispenser for use on a golf course to determine the wind velocity and direction. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide a golfer with a powder dispenser to mark the location of a ball on the green. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a golf bag transportable powder dispenser for use by a golfer to obtain a sense of the wind velocity and direction and to mark the location of his/her ball on a green. 
     These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description thereof proceeds. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be described with greater specificity and clarity with reference to the following drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of the powder dispenser; 
         FIG. 2  is a partial cross-sectional view of the powder dispenser; 
         FIG. 3  is an end view taken along lines  3 - 3 , as shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an internal element serving as a gate for controlling the discharge of powder; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the dispensing head of the powder dispenser in the closed position; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  6 - 6 , as shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the dispensing head of the powder dispenser in the open position; and 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view taken along lines  8 - 8 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is illustrated a powder dispenser  10  particularly useful to a golfer to determine the direction and velocity of the prevailing wind prior to a golf shot. The dispenser includes a body  12  of flexible plastic and a rotatable cap  14  rotatable 90 degrees from the closed position shown to an open position. In the open position, powder may be dispensed from within body  12  through orifice  16  contained in cap  14  by momentarily squeezing the body. Upon dispensation of the powder, it will be carried by the wind to provide an indication of the direction of the wind and the velocity of the wind. This information is useful to a golfer to plan and execute the next golf shot. 
     Referring jointly to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , powder  20 , such as talcum powder, or the like, of fine consistency is stored within body  12 . Generally, an open space or cavity  18  exists between the top surface of powder  20  and end wall  24  of body  12 . A cylindrical port  22  extends from end wall  24  to not only convey powder when the powder is expelled, but also to support cap  14  and accommodate 90 degree rotation of the cap relative to body  12  and generally about longitudinal axis  26 . Gate  28  is non-rotatably lodged within cylindrical port  22 . An annular ridge  30  extends about the cylindrical port to retain cap  14  mounted on body  12  yet accommodate rotation of the cap about the longitudinal axis. Ribs  32 ,  34  and  36  engage with a rib within cap  14  to restrain the cap in the closed position and yet accommodate 90 degree rotation of the cap relative to the body and about axis  26 . The bottom of container  12  may be defined by a central depression  38  forming a peripheral ridge  40 . 
     Referring jointly to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , gate  28  will be described in further detail. The gate includes a circular skirt  50  defining a slot  52 . A disc  54  is disposed at the top of the skirt and extends diametrically from the perimeter of skirt  50  to define a lip  56  extending laterally from the skirt. A passageway  58  extends through the disc into fluid communication with the interior spaced defined by skirt  50 . As particularly shown in  FIG. 3 , a land  60  extends radially inwardly from the cylindrical surface of port  22  for mating engagement with slot  52  in gate  28 . Whereby, rotation of gate  28  relative to port  22  about axis  26  is precluded and the location of passageway  58  is fixed relative to body  12 . 
     Referring jointly to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , details attendant cap  14  will be described. The cap includes a skirt  66  extending laterally and downwardly toward body  12 . Orifice  16  interconnects with a passageway  68  through which the powder to be dispensed is channeled. Cavities  70 ,  72  and  74  are formed within the cap for manufacturing purposes and have little functional bearing. However, the ends of the walls thereof serve as means for preventing movement of the gate along the longitudinal axis. Cylindrical section  76  within cap  14  may include an annular detent  78  for receiving annular ridge  30 . Additionally, an annular ridge  80  is located about the lower end of cylindrical section  76  for engagement with an annular space  82  disposed intermediate annular ridge  30  and end wall  24 . Thereby, a snapfit engagement is provided between port  22  and cylindrical section  76 . As particularly illustrated in  FIG. 5 , disc  54  closes the bottom end of passageway  68  to prevent communication between the passageway and the interior of body  12 . As particularly shown in  FIG. 6 , a rib  84  is disposed on the inner surface of cylindrical section  76  for engagement intermediate ribs  32  and  36  when cap  14  is in the closed position. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , cap  14  is shown as having been rotated 90 degrees relative to body  12  to provide fluid communication between the interior of body  12  and passageway  68  leading to orifice  16 . As the cap is manually rotated about longitudinal axis  26  (see  FIG. 2 ), rib  84 , extending from cylindrical section  76  is forced past rib  34  extending from port  22  to a position essentially adjacent rib  36 . As illustrated, the depth of rib  34  is preferably less than the depth of either ribs  32  and  36  to facilitate translation of rib  84  past rib  34 . The depth of ribs  32  and  36  is sufficient to prevent translation of rib  84  past either of ribs  32  or  36 . The combination of rib  84  and ribs  32 ,  34  and  36  serve in the manner of a detent or detent means. Upon rotation of cap  14 , passageway  68  will become coincident with passageway  58  in disc  54  of gate  28 . As reflected by arrow  86 , movement of cap  14  relative to body  12  is essentially in the counter-clockwise direction to establish fluid communication between the interior of body  12  and orifice  16  in the cap. To close powder dispenser  10 , cap  14  is rotated in a clockwise direction whereby disc  54  closes the lower end of passageway  68  within the cap and dispensation of powder will be precluded. 
     To operate the powder dispenser, a user simply rotates the cap 90 degrees in the counter-clockwise direction to establish fluid communication between the interior of body  12  and orifice  16 . Upon squeezing of the flexible body, powder is forced into passageway  68  and expelled from the orifice. The expelled powder will be blown by the wind to indicate the direction of the wind as well as its velocity. Thereafter, a golfer may select the appropriate club to take advantage of or compensate for the prevailing tail wind, depending upon its direction and velocity. 
     When the golfballs of two or more golfers are on the green, it is conventional for a golfer whose ball may interfere with the putt of a golfer whose ball is further away to mark the location of his/her ball and pick it up. Conventionally, a coin or the like is used to mark the location of such a picked up ball. The powder dispenser may be used for this purpose by squeezing the body after cap  14  has been rotated 90 degrees and deposit a puff of powder coincident with the location of the picked up ball.