Abstract:
A combination golf tool comprises a clubhead brush including a bristle portion mounted in or on a housing portion; an extendable, retractable measuring tape being disposed in the housing portion for selective deployment.

Description:
The priority of provisional Application No. 60/648,066, filed on Jan. 28, 2005, is claimed. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The game of golf has enjoyed widespread popularity over the past 120 years, resulting in many innovations and improvements in the equipment used to play the game, namely golf clubs, golf balls, and accessories used by golfers. It is a new and improved accessory tool for golfers to which the present invention is directed. 
   Among existing accessory tools employed by golfers are tee holders, ball holders, club holders, ball markers, ball cleaners, club cleaners, divot repair tools, spike cleaning tools, and cigar holders. Various combinations and permutations of these devices have been long available to the golfing world. 
   SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
   Among the challenges often facing golfers is the determination on the putting green as to who is “away,” i.e. which golfer&#39;s ball is farthest from the hole. While more often than not this determination may be made by simple observation or by pacing off the questioned distance, this is not always sufficient when two or more balls appear to be generally equidistant to the hole. This problem may be resolved by resort to use of a tape measure, a tool not traditionally carried by or otherwise available to golfers. It is noted that tape measures may on occasion be present on or near putting greens when a “closest to the pin” contest is being conducted. 
   It is a simple and efficient solution to this problem that the present invention is directed. Moreover, the solution employs the usage of a common tool often carried by golfers in their golf club bag, namely a club cleaning brush. 
   The present invention is a new combination clubhead brush and measuring tape, formed by making the brush handle itself or the brush holder a repository for a retractable measuring tape. The entire new unit is compact; easy to handle and to use; and is readily mountable on the golfer&#39;s belt or clothing by appropriate mounting mechanisms. 
   For a more complete understanding of the present invention and for a greater appreciation of its attendant advantages, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and following detailed description of the invention. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a front elevational view of a first embodiment of the new brush/measuring tape golf tool of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a rear elevational view of the new tool of  FIG. 1  with parts broken away to show details of construction; 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 : 
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the first embodiment of the new golf tool of the invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of an alternate preferred embodiment of the invention; and 
       FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of the alternate preferred embodiment of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , a first embodiment of the new golf tool  10  generally comprises a compact brush handle  11  and a circular brush element  9 . The handle  11  is hollow and formed from opposed shell members  12 ,  13  ( FIG. 3 ), which abut at the centerline  14  of the handle. The shell members are connected by screws  15  ( FIG. 2 ). 
   More specifically, the handle  11  includes a front wall  16 ; a rear wall  17 ; sidewalls  18 ,  19 ; a curved top wall  20  extending between the side walls; and a bottom wall  21 , also extending between the side walls. 
   These handle walls  16 - 21  circumscribe the brush element  9  and are of sufficient width to be readily grasped for manipulating the brush tool  10  against the surface of a clubhead to be cleaned. 
   The brush element  9  itself is comprised of a mounting plate  22 , advantageously a thermoplastic sheet into which a series of outwardly projecting bristles  23 , which may be plastic such as nylon or metallic, are permanently attached by heat welding, force fitting into predrilled holes or otherwise. The bristles  23  may be arrayed in discrete clusters as shown in  FIG. 4  or otherwise arranged in predetermined patterns for engaging grooves in clubhead faces. Plastic mesh may be used in lieu of bristles. The plate  22  is secured to the front wall  16  by a rivet  25  or alternatively the plate may be fastened to the wall  16  by a layer of epoxy adhesive. 
   If desired, the grippability of the handle walls  16 - 21  may be enhanced by forming gripping protrusions or ribs  26  on the exterior surface or otherwise providing a separate friction layer. 
   As shown in  FIG. 2 , the handle  11  for the brush element  9  includes an extendable/retractable measuring tape  27 . In accordance with the invention, the forwardmost end of the tape has a specially configured L-shaped end-piece or stop  28  which may be grasped to extend the tape in known fashion. 
   The tape  27  is biased by a coil spring  29  (shown schematically) attached to the inner end of the tape. The end wall  18  has a slot  30  through which the tape  27  is deployed for extension and retraction in known manner. 
   A locking bar  31 , deployed in opening  34 , is actuated by a pivoting lock lever  32  supported on a pivot bar  33  to selectively lock the tape in extended positions. 
   This type of retractable tape measure mechanism is well known where the coiled tapes are formed from plastic or metal strips and are housed in plastic or metal casings and biased by coil springs. Examples, including tape measures with locking features, are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,474,340; 4,194,703; and 5,210,956, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
   The entire new golf tool  10  may be readily mounted on the belt or clothing of the golfer by a spring clip  35  attached to the rear wall  17  by one of the screws  15 . Other fastening or holding devices such as magnetic clip-on mechanisms or mini-holsters also may be used to secure the tool to the person of the golfer. The important features of the new tool are the compactness and ready availability of the brush/tape tool for usage when needed and quick stowage when the required task is completed. 
   As a specific feature of the new tool, the end-piece  28  has an elastomeric liner  36  adhered thereto for engaging the earthen lip of the putting green cup in a safe manner. Moreover, the end-piece may be configured to be congruent with the cup, i.e. to have a curvature having a radius of 2.125 inches. 
   The end-piece  28  and liner  36  may be sandwiched about the end of the tape  27  by rivets  37  or other suitable fasteners. 
   As will be understood, the new tool  10  may be carried by a golfer by securing it through the clip  35  to the golfer&#39;s clothing. When needed, the tool may be removed for cleaning a clubhead and/or measuring the distance of a ball to the hole on a putting green by engaging the contoured end-piece  28  through the elastomeric element  36  to the cup and extending the tape  27  to the ball. The tool may be quickly stowed after usage. 
   An alternate preferred embodiment of the golf tool of the invention is shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6  in which an independent brush  48  is supported in a separate housing  41 . This embodiment of the new tool  40  generally comprises an annular housing  41  having a metallic (ferrous) mounting ring  43  secured to wall  57  of the housing by adhesive or welds (not shown). The ring  43  defines a brush-receiving aperture  44 . A coiled measuring line  45 , of plastic monofilament or the like, is rolled or wound over a spring biasing mechanism  46  and is secured within the housing  41  for selective withdrawal therefrom through circular opening  46 ′ by grasping an end piece  47  (which may be identical to end piece  28  if desired). The monofilament is a measuring tape that operates in the manner of the tape  27  described hereinabove. It may be deployed and retracted to measure distances of balls on the putting green from the hole. 
   The golf club brush  48  includes a magnetized, stepped, circular plate  49 . A bristle-holding plate  50  into which a plurality of bristles  51  (of the same type as any of the bristles  23  described hereinabove) is attached to the magnetic plate  49 . 
   In accordance with the invention, the brush is magnetically held in the aperture  44 , as will be understood. Parallel grasping tabs  52  are attached to the outer surface  53  of the stepped magnetic plate  49 . The tabs are grasped for inserting the brush  48  into or removing it from the opening  44  in the housing  41 . Thus, when a golfer wishes to utilize the brush  48  the tabs are used to remove the brush and to overcome the magnetic locking attraction between the plate  49  and ring  43 . It will be further understood that while both the plate  49  and the ring  43  are ferrous, only one of the two elements need be magnetized. 
   As an additional feature of this preferred embodiment of the invention, the tabs  52  will function either as a cigar holder or to hold the shaft (3 in phantom in  FIG. 5 ) of a golf club above the grass (keeping the grip dry) when the brush  48  is set down on the bristles  51  to be freestanding on a grassy surface. 
   As with the first embodiment of the invention, the alternate preferred embodiment includes a spring clip  55  for securing the new golf tool to the belt  56  or clothing of the golfer or to a golf club bag itself. The brush  48  may be removed when needed by grasping the tabs  52  to separate the brush  48  from the housing  41 . If the brush  48  is set upright on a surface, it may hold a cigar or support a golf club. Should a measurement of distance to the hole (cup) need to be made, the housing can be removed from its support and the measuring filament extended by grasping end piece  47 , which will engage the lip of the hole, and extending the filament  45  to the ball. The filament may be indexed in any units as is standard for measuring devices. 
   Although the foregoing description of the new golf tool has been presented by way of two preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that other forms of the invention falling within the ambit of the following claims are contemplated. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following claims in determining the full scope of the invention.