Combination golf ball and club head cleaner

A combination golf ball and golf club head cleaner that is mounted to the fender of a golf cart or to a conveniently located post. The device includes a water-tight housing member having a first brush-lined cylindrical chamber for cleaning a golf ball and a second brush-lined parallelepiped chamber for cleaning a club head. A ball holder that retains a ball while allowing it to rotate when scrubbed is mounted for reciprocation along its vertical axis in the ball cleaning chamber. Brushes lining the first chamber scrub the ball and rotate it as the holder is reciprocated. The chambers are in fluid communication with one another so that removal of a single plug drains both chambers.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This invention relates, generally, to combination cleaning devices. More 
specifically, it relates to a manually operated device that scrubs golf 
balls and golf club heads. 
BACKGROUND ART 
Every golfer knows that playing with a clean ball facilitates better shots, 
and that a clean club head is equally essential. Most golfers, therefore, 
start their rounds with clean golf balls and clubs. However, virtually no 
golf course provides stations on the course where balls and club heads may 
be cleaned. Accordingly, the game often deteriorates as soon as the ball 
or club head gets dirty. 
A few devices have been designed by inventors to clean golf balls, and a 
few club head cleaners have been provided as well. 
Several devices, such as Warren U.S. Pat. No. 3,748,676, Nicholson U.S. 
Pat. No. 3,400,416 and Carnahan U.S. Pat. No. 4,350,457 disclose the idea 
of combining a golf club head cleaner with a ball cleaner. Parchment et 
al. No. 4,734,952 and Westhoff No. 3,156,000 are of interest for their 
disclosure of golf club head and golf ball cleaners, respectively, for 
golf carts and the like. Carleton No. 1,714,346 discloses an annular 
brush. Frater No. 3,102,291 discloses a vertically movable golf ball 
cleaner. Hoag No. 3,872,534 and Harkess No. 3,950,810 also disclose golf 
club head cleaners. 
None of the known devices have met with commercial success, since, again, 
few golf courses, if any, are equipped with the patented devices. 
Moreover, none of the known devices provide a highly efficient cleaning 
action. Clearly, there is a need for an efficient, easy to use and 
inexpensive ball and club head cleaner that could be mounted on golf carts 
or on posts at convenient locations, but the teachings of the prior art 
are inadequate to suggest how the need could be filled. 
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION 
A water tight housing member having a removable lid is subdivided into two 
chambers. Water and a suitable cleaning agent are poured into the housing 
to prepare the unit for use. 
A first chamber is cylindrical in configuration and slidably receives 
therein a pair of flexible pad members disposed in opposing relation to 
one another. Each pad member carries bristles arrayed in contiguous 
clusters as in a hair brush so that when the pad members are inserted into 
the cylindrical chamber, the respective backs of the pads conform to the 
cylindrical walls thereof and the bristles on the front of the pads 
collectively extend radially inwardly in a horizontal plane. 
A golf ball holder or retainer includes a handle member that surmounts an 
upstanding plate member that includes a lower portion that includes a 
tubular member that loosely receives a golf ball. The plate member is 
slidably mounted with respect to the housing lid member so that manual 
reciprocation of the handle effects vertical reciprocation of the plate 
member and hence the ball retained in the tubular member carried by the 
plate member. As the ball is reciprocated in a vertical plane, it is 
scrubbed and rotated by the bristles that surround it and thereby cleaned 
under the chemical action of the cleaning solution as enhanced by the 
scrubbing action of the brushes. A strong turbulence is created in the 
ball cleaning chamber, thereby greatly enhancing the efficiency of the 
cleaning action. 
The second chamber, which is in fluid communication with the first, has a 
parallelepiped configuration. A pair of bristle-carrying pad members are 
slidably inserted into the second chamber, in overlying relation to facing 
sidewalls thereof so that the distal free ends of the facing bristles are 
closely spaced in relation to one another. The bristles scrub a club head 
as it is immersed in the cleaning solution and manually reciprocated and 
rotated among the bristles. Flexible flap members cover the second chamber 
to bar entry of debris thereinto while permitting insertion of the club 
head. 
The device is advantageously provided with means for mounting it to the 
fender of a golf cart and with means for mounting it to a stationary post. 
A single drain plug enables both chambers to be drained as needed. 
A primary object of this invention is to enhance the game of golf by 
providing to golfers and golf course owners the answer to the longstanding 
need for a device capable of cleaning golf balls and club heads that can 
follow the golfer through the course or that can be mounted near tees. 
Another very important object is to provide a highly efficient cleaning 
device. 
Other objects include the provision of a combination golf ball and club 
head cleaning device that is of elegant construction, low cost and 
attractive appearance. 
A more specific object is to provide, for the first time, a golf ball 
cleaning apparatus that rotatably mounts a golf ball so that all surfaces 
of the ball are cleaned quickly but thoroughly upon manual reciprocation 
of the apparatus so that only a few strokes are needed to clean a golf 
ball thoroughly and so that the position of the golf ball need not be 
manually adjusted during the cleaning process. 
Other objects will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds. 
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, 
combination of elements and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified 
in the descriptions set forth hereinafter and the scope of the invention 
will be set forth in the claims.

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
Referring now to FIG. 1, it will there be seen that a device that 
illustratively embodies the present invention is denoted as a whole by the 
reference numeral 10; it is shown mounted on a golf cart fender 12. 
The novel device 10, known commercially as the Golf Clean (for complete 
control) (TM), includes a water-tight housing, generally denoted 14, that 
is maintained in vertically spaced relation to the top of fender 12 by 
plural truncate leg members 16. Each leg member 16 has its uppermost end 
suitably secured to the flat imperforate bottom wall 18 of housing 14 and 
is internally threaded so that it may be secured to fender 12 by screws or 
other suitable fastening means. 
Accordingly, device 10 is mountable to a fender 12 in the absence of any 
mounting holes being formed in bottom wall 18 of housing 14. Thus, device 
10 is leakproof when filled with water and a cleaning agent. Importantly, 
the device is universal in that it fits any golf cart fender manufactured. 
Suitable shims are used in some cases. 
The height of legs 16 is preselected to allow ample clearance between 
bottom wall 18 and fender 12 so that leaves and other debris that might 
collect under the device may be easily swept away with a garden hose, and 
so that the fender may be cleaned, thoroughly, as needed. 
Housing 14 has two primary sub-housings. Sub-housing or ball housing 24 
houses the components that clean golf balls and sub-housing or club head 
housing 26 houses the components that clean club heads. Ball housing 24 is 
defined by generally cylindrical upstanding sidewalls, as shown, whereas 
club head housing 26 has a parallelepiped configuration. Both sub-housings 
are closed by a closure means in the form of an integrally formed lid 
member 28 which is specifically configured and dimensioned to releasably 
but securely engage the overhanging uppermost edge of the sidewalls of 
each sub-housing as depicted; the overhang is denoted 20. 
The part 27 of lid member 28 that closes ball housing 24 is slotted as at 
30 (FIG. 3) whereas the part 29 thereof that closes club head housing 26 
has a large, generally rectangular opening 32. 
Slot 30 slidably receives the novel ball cleaning apparatus, generally 
denoted 34 in FIG. 1; rectangular opening 32 receives the club head to be 
cleaned when device 10 is used as depicted in FIG. 1 and opening 32 is 
closed by plural, flexible flap members that are collectively denoted 36. 
FIG. 2 depicts device 10 when mounted on a post 38 and a board or other 
suitable support surface 39. Golf course owners may mount a device 10 to 
one or more posts near some or all of the teeing areas of a golf course, 
may provide all of their golf carts with fender-mounted devices, or may 
choose to make the device available both ways to maximize the convenience 
to players. 
Additional structural details of device 10 are shown in FIG. 3. 
Ball cleaning apparatus 34 includes a generally flat, 
planar-in-configuration plate member 40 having a main body portion that 
conforms in size and shape to slot 30; plate 40 is vertically reciprocal 
in slot 30 in a manner explained below. 
A preferably spherical-in-configuration handle member 42 surmounts a neck 
member 41 that is integral to plate 40 as perhaps best understood in 
connection with FIGS. 1, 6 and 7. Thus, manual oscillation of plate 40 in 
a vertical plane is accomplished through manipulation of handle 42. 
Circular plate member 43 (FIG. 3) is flush with lid surface 27 and is 
received within circular recess 43a formed therein when handle 42 is in 
its down position. 
A pair of truncate boss members 44, 46 are integral with lid member 28 and 
project upwardly therefrom to serve as guide means for plate 40 during its 
vertical reciprocation. Each boss member 44, 46 has an inwardly facing, 
vertically extending groove 45, 47 formed along its extent, respectively, 
to slidably receive and guide a complementally formed, associated tongue 
member 48, 50 integral to the edges of plate member 40, as perhaps best 
shown in FIG. 3. 
Boss member 46 and tongue 50 are shown in side elevation in FIG. 4. Drain 
plug 52 is also shown in FIG. 4 at the lower right-hand corner thereof. 
Plate 40 is shown in still greater detail in FIG. 5, 6 and 7; it will there 
be seen that a generally tubular golf ball retainer means or retention 
member 56 is formed therein, equidistantly between the lateral edges of 
plate 40. 
The longitudinal axis of symmetry 57 of retention member 56 is coincident 
with the longitudinal axis of symmetry of device 10. The diameter of 
retention member 56 is greater than the diameter of a golf ball, and the 
length thereof is less than the diameter of a golf ball, as shown in FIG. 
11. 
A first flexible pad member 58 (FIG. 5) is slidably received in ball 
housing 24; plural bunched bristles, collectively denoted 60, are fixedly 
anchored in pad member 58 throughout the breadth and extent thereof as in 
a conventional hair brush. The arcuate extent of pad member 58 is 
sufficient to overlie about half the cylindrical chamber defined by ball 
housing 24, as shown. A second flexible pad member 62 of the same 
construction has an arcuate extent sufficient to overlie the other half of 
the cylindrical chamber and bristles 60 extend therefrom in the same way. 
All of the bristles 60 are of the same length; thus, their respective 
distal free ends collectively form the boundary of a tubular cavity 64 
that provides a clearance space for ball retainer 56 when it undergoes 
vertical reciprocation as best shown in FIG. 5. 
The bristles in club head housing 26 are not all of the same length; 
bristles 66 are elongate and bristles 68 are truncate, as shown in FIG. 5. 
Bristles 66, 68 are mounted to flexible pad members 70, 72 that overlie 
facing interior sidewalls of club housing 26, as shown. 
The respective interiors of the golf ball cleaning housing 24 and club head 
cleaning housing 26 are confluent with one another so that the charging of 
water and a cleaning agent into either interior chamber will fill the 
other chamber as well. Pad member 62 of ball cleaning chamber 24 is 
apertured near its base as indicated in FIGS. 9 and 12 by the reference 
numeral 63 to provide the desired fluid communication. Reference numeral 
63a (FIG. 11) denotes directional arrows that indicate the fluid 
communication between the ball cleaning chamber 24 and the club head 
cleaning chamber 26. 
Detent member 65, shown near the bottom of FIGS. 9 and 11, is also shown in 
FIG. 5 and its position is perhaps best understood in connection with FIG. 
5. The function of detent member 65 is to maintain the lower end of pad 
member 62 in its operative configuration as best depicted in FIG. 5. 
Similar detent members 71, 73 (FIG. 10) serve to maintain the lower ends of 
pad members 70, 72 in position. The uppermost ends of the pad members are 
received between elongate detent members 75, 77 that extend along the 
peripheral boundary of lid member 28 as shown in FIG. 10. 
FIG. 8 depicts the drain plug assembly 52 in section. An aperture is formed 
in the wall of club head housing 26, as shown, and a plug-receiving, 
complementally threaded socket member 53 is positioned therein. A suitable 
sealing means 53a is tightly compressed by a nut means 55 to insure 
against water leakage in conventional fashion. A suitably anchored chain 
52a is disposed interiorly of housing 26 to avoid loss of plug 52. 
The manner in which a ball is cleaned is perhaps best understood in 
connection with FIGS. 6 and 7, which Figs. show the "down" and "up" 
positions of the ball retainer assembly 34, respectively, as indicated by 
the double-headed directional arrow 74 in FIG. 7. A ball 75 (FIG. 7) is 
positioned in the tubular ball retainer 56 when handle member 42 is in its 
"up" position; handle 42 is then reciprocated. 
It should be noted that the main body portion of flat plate member 40 does 
not extend to the bottom of ball housing 24; instead, a pair of laterally 
disposed leg members 40a, 40b abut bottom wall 18 of device 10 as shown in 
FIG. 6 to limit the downward stroke of the handle 42. The cavity 84 
bounded by bottom wall 18, legs 40a and 40b and plate 40 performs an 
important role in the cleaning of golf balls because the downward stroke 
of plate member 40 creates a substantial amount of turbulence in cavity 
84. The size of cavity 84 changes as handle 42 is reciprocated, so the 
cleaning solution is churned vigorously as plate 40 oscillates upwardly 
and downwardly. Thus, only a few oscillations are required to clean even 
the dirtiest of golf balls. 
The golf ball cleaners of the prior art include no means for creating 
turbulence in the cleaning solution, nor do they provide retainers such as 
retention member 56 or radially disposed brushes 60. Thus, prior art 
devices require that after a ball has been scrubbed for a while in a first 
position, it must be removed from its holder and rotated manually to 
expose additional dirty surfaces to a brush or brushes. The need to 
interrupt the ball-cleaning procedure to manually reposition the ball as 
needed is believed to be one of the shortcomings of earlier inventions in 
this field responsible for their lack of acceptance in the marketplace. 
The means whereby lid 28 is secured to overhang 20 is also shown in FIGS. 6 
and 7. Overhang 20 circumscribes device 10 as shown in several of the 
Figs.; screw-receiving countersunk areas are provided at spaced intervals 
along the extent thereof as best shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Base members 21 
are integrally formed with and depend from lid 28 and are internally 
threaded to receive screws therein as shown to complete the assembly. The 
preferred placement of the base members 21 and hence of the screws is best 
shown in FIG. 5. 
As best understood in connection with FIG. 11, the radially innermost ends 
of bristles 60 brush all of the surfaces of ball 75 when handle 42 is 
reciprocated. The diameter of tubular ball retention member 56 is greater 
than the diameter of ball 75 and the length of retention member 56 is less 
than the diameter of the ball; this results in rotation of ball 75 as it 
travels upwardly and downwardly along the extent of its path of travel. 
FIG. 11 shows how a golf club head 78 is reciprocated and rotated as 
suggested by the double-headed directional arrows 80 and 82, respectfully. 
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
There are thousands of golf courses and millions of golfers worldwide. 
However, heretofore there have been virtually no commercially acceptable 
golf ball or golf club head cleaners available for use by course owners or 
players. Thus, the present invention will have a significant impact on the 
game of golf. It has the ability to clean the grooves in the club head; 
this allows the golfer to impart a better backspin to the ball. A clean 
ball also interacts optimally with a clean club head. Thus, the invention 
gives the golfer complete control over the shot. 
It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, and those made 
apparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained and 
since certain changes may be made in the above construction without 
departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters 
contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying 
drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover 
all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein 
described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a 
matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.