MACHINE FOR TRAINING AND TEACHING THE GOLF SWING

Abstract: The invention relates to a machine designed to repeat the golf shot on a plurality of occasions in order to memorise and execute the swing in the most correct way. Means are provided to attach the device to the golfer, a clamp (3) for the hips and a clamp (2) for the shoulders through the respective articulated arms (10, 22,23) bearing on plates (6-7) on which well defined movements are performed either manually by means of guides or rails (11) provided on said plates (6-7) and wherein rollers (12) can circulate, or automatically by using pantographs driven by step motors.

Description: OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The invention here proposed consists of a machine for learning the bodily position and motions which a golf player must carry out in hitting the ball, also known as the player's swing, an important stroke among those used in the game of golf. The machine belongs to the field of training machines for diverse activities which foster a correct bodily position and the following guidance for the player's motions. To this end the machine includes a set of exchangeable templates and articulated arms which acting together with the corresponding means of attachment to the player's hips and shoulders forces the correct motion for this stroke. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Training machines for a wide range of activities, studies and even professions are well known to the general domain, and may be classified into simulators and true repetitive learning machines. This type of machine foster learning particularly for movements which are not altogether natural, such as a golf swing, since the player must carry out several turns which are independent but must be co-ordinated, and are unusual and hard to remember both by the muscles or mind of the player, so that it is necessary to repeat this motion over and over in order to learn it. Due to the popularity of the game of golf there exist a great deal of documentation, studies and analyses of how to perform the game's most characteristic and fundamental stroke, as well as the most difficult one, the swing. In short, one must consider two main planes, the hip and the shoulder planes, and the angles for their positioning, both with respect to each other and to the ground, as well as defining their relative motions, analysed both individually and jointly and in co-ordination. One must also consider the height above the ground for each of these, which is given by the height of the player's hips and shoulders. The applicant is not aware of any machines for teaching the golf swing, that is, to make the player, or student, adopt a correct position and perform the movements of the entire body or part of it until these are performed correctly by repetition. It is known from the State of the Art an apparatus for training the golf swing such the one disclosed in US 50550885 where such apparatus, has a saddle for attachment to the hips of a golfer, a first assembly to guide the saddle laterally during the golf swing, a second assembly to promote opposite hip rotations during the golfer's back swing and a third assembly to position the golfer's shoulder. This apparatus does not allow to regulate automatically the assembly to the hip and shoulder features of the golf player, all the movements of the assembly include tension means based on springs, and it is not possible to establish a predetermined movement through plates where are done paths or guides which allow to define such predetermined movements. So the objective of the present invention is to overcome the previous mentioned drawbacks designing a machine which basically allow to introduce the data of height, hip-floor and hip-shoulders in a computer for positioning a belt and a shoulder bar, where the movements execute for the player are predetermined by means of plates which have on it paths or guides, and when it is desired an automatic operation, a pantograph is placed on all points of the arms where specific movements are needed. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention object of the present memory related to a machine for learning the bodily position and motions known as a swing in the game of golf, from among the training machines for diverse activities, which in first place is given by a correct posture, which depends on the player's height, more specifically on the distance from the hips to the ground and from the shoulders to the hips, and also by the motions which these must carry out. Since the first thing which the machine must achieve is to position the players correctly and to hold them so that the correct motions are performed, means of attaching or connection are provided, specifically a type of belt to hold the hip and a sort of shoulder bar to hold the shoulders, with these attachments in turn articulated to the corresponding guide arms as will be described below. To obtain the correct posture, knee angle and back position, means are required so that both the hip belt and the shoulder bar are placed at the correct height, so that the player can perform this either manually, by operating levers, or automatically, by entering the data in a computer. These means consist of a solid support column which at the areas which correspond to the positions of the belt and shoulder bar is provided with respective cogged areas engaged by a worm gear driven by a motor or a crank handle. The turning motions which the player must perform in the swing, both of the hips and the shoulders, are preset by those carried out by arms which are connected to both the belt and the shoulder bar, which originate either in a mechanical or automatic manner. In any event the means which originate these motions are installed in corresponding metal plates both placed horizontally and connected to the column where the height regulation means mentioned above are located. These emotions to be carried out are statistically selected from those typically performed by the top 20 players in the world, or those which a given player or teacher carries out, so that the player can always select the movement to carry out. For the mechanical operation the plates are provided with guides and are interchangeable, so that each plate has a guide system corresponding to the pre-defined movements which are desired. For the automatic operation the motions are stored in a memory and use is considered of several pantographs placed on several places on the arm and a flat plate with no type of guide. In order to perform the movement which the arms must be given in the mechanical embodiment, two templates are projected, one for the arms of the belt and one for the shoulder bar arms, which are provided with orifices where wheels or casters are housed which are connected to the arms both at the top and at the bottom. These orifices, actually paths for displacement of the arms, are to be made in each support plate of the arms. Since motion both of the hips and shoulder must be related, it is necessary to provide means which do so. The first tests used rods connecting the joints of the arms which moved in the template, both in the upper and lower one, with optimal results regarding their operation, but with the inconvenient of being heavy and strenuous to operate, as well as noisy. Moreover, it was intended to motorise the unit, so that this motorisation was chosen as the means of co-ordinating the motion, with excellent results. from among the different ways in which the motorisation might be used, electric motor and transmission by belts, hydraulic and/or pneumatic cylinders and others, magnetic actuators were chosen, which consist of an electric coil with a ferromagnetic element in its core, so that as the coil is excited with passing current the core is displaced in one direction or another depending on the polarity of the electrical current, providing a solution which is easily controlled and co-ordinated by means of a suitable computer program. These electric elements known as linear magnetic actuators are articulated to each template and their free end to the casters, so that the force used to perform the motion will be the sum of the force exerted by the player and that exerted by the magnetic actuators, which may be adjusted from 0 to a maximum force at will by the player. The belt and shoulder arms are to be provided with a telescoping or lengthening mechanism so that the belt can swivel with respect to the horizontal axis. Regarding its automatic operation, at each point of the arms where specific movements must be performed is placed a pantograph, of the type well known and commonly used, to which motion is applied both horizontally and vertically by means of corresponding stepping motors. These motors have been chosen due to their precision in turning, and their simple control by means of a computer where the game of as many players as desired can be stored, a memory which can in the future be increased, and easily selected. In both possible embodiments each arm is given motion both on its free end as in its paracentral area; in the mechanical embodiment the motion is applied on the casters placed on the arm and in the automatic one on the arm itself. Certain players may prefer at times not to practice the hip and shoulder motions simultaneously, so that machines are projected with only the hip belt and its mechanisms, or the shoulder bar and its mechanisms, but always maintaining the mechanisms and arrangements described above. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS As a complement of the description being made and for a better and clearer understanding of the characteristics of the invention, attached to the present descriptive memory and as an integral part of it is a set of drawings where, for purposes of illustration and in a on-limiting manner, the following is shown: Figure 1 shows a side elevation view of the machine of the invention as in its preferred embodiment. Figure 2 shows an outline detail of one of the templates, specifically the one at hip height. Figure 3 shows a plan view of the above figure showing the path followed by the articulated arms. Figure 4 shows a plan view detail of the arrangement of the linear magnetic actuators on the arm casters. Figure 5 shows a side view of the previous figure. Figure 6 shows the arrangement of the extender on one of the arms connected to the shoulder bar with a linear actuator mounted on a sector of the arm. Figure 7 shows the arrangement of the pantograph on one of the arms of the hip belt. PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION In view of the above, the present invention relates to a machine for teaching and/or practicing the swing, from among training machines, which characterises the correct body position starting by the correct lacing of the hips and shoulders, and therefore of the proper bending angle for the knees and back of the player, as well as defining the turns and motions. The machine consists of a platform (1) on which the player initially stands, and a sturdy column (4) is anchored down which supports a first plate (7) at the height of the player's hips and a second plate (6) at shoulder height. Belt (3) which holds the hips and shoulder bar (2) for the shoulders are set on the first plate (7) and second plate (6) respectively, incorporating respective cogged areas (5) on column (4), one for each template, connected to gears operated by respective motors (8) set on the first and second plates (6-7) so that as the motor turns the template will move up or down. With this arrangement before assuming the position the player introduces the corresponding data on height, hip-floor and hip-shoulders in the computer placed in the machine, with belt (3) and shoulder bar (2) adopting the correct heights. Furthermore, in order to complete the player's position the machine is provided with linear magnetic actuators (15, 9) which adjust the length of the arms which move belt (3) and shoulder bar (2). Shoulder bar (2) is provided with a lower arm (10) and an upper one (22) divided into an initial segment (22.1) and an end segment (22.2) mounted telescopically, with the end segment joined to shoulder bar (2) movable by the action of an actuator (9) mounted on the initial segment (22.1). This arrangement is common to both embodiments for the machine, both the manual and the automatically operated ones. Regarding its embodiment for manual operation, figures 2 and 3 show the second plate (7) plus arms (23) which join it to the player holding elements, here showing the hip element, but this can be extended to the template and arms which hold the shoulders. This particular second plate (7) has grooves or paths (11) inside which roll wheels or casters (12), articulated both on the top and on the bottom to arms (23), and these in turn are connected by a hinge (13) to belt (3). In any event the arrangement and shape of grooves (11) is set so that movements selected statistically among those of the top 20 players in the world, or from those performed by a specific player, or new ways which may be determined in the future, but in any case they are made interchangeable so that they always meet the player's preferences. For the specific case of the execution of the stroke selected, a ramp (14) was required in the rising segment a-b of the corresponding caster (12). As mentioned in the presentation of this descriptive memory, movements may be motorised, for which linear magnetic actuators (15) are provided, placed so that they can turn on the first and second plates (6-7) and with their free end articulated on the corresponding caster (12), in a number and manner so that their motion guides caster (12) within guide (11). The figures only show these actuators (15) on one of the arms, but the explanation and arrangement of these must be made extensive to all the others. To control all of this described a computer program has been developed which is not the object of this descriptive memory, which controls and adjusts all of the above electronic devices, so that the player need only enter data on height, assistance in turning motions and the rest to make the machine execute these automatically. Regarding its automatic operation, a pantograph (24) is placed on all points of the arms where specific movements are needed, which begins from two worm gears (17-20) placed perpendicular to each other and driven by corresponding motors (18-19) of the type known as stepping motors, with worm gear (20) placed on a base (20) engaged to worm gear (17), while worm gear (20) engages to a element which carries the shaft (21) on which the arm pivots. This description is not extended further in the understanding that any expert in the field would have enough information to understand the scope of the invention and the advantages derived thereof, as well as to be able to reproduce it. It is understood that as far as they do not change the essence of the invention, variations in the materials, shape, size and arrangement of the elements are subject to variation within the same characterisation. The terms used in this description and its sense must be taken in a nonlimiting manner

Claims: Machine for learning the bodily movements known as a swing corresponding to the game of golf, which conceived to simplify learning the swing, a characteristic stroke in the game of golf, is characterized in that it comprises a first plate (6), suitable to be placed at height of player's hips, a second plate (7) suitable to be placed at height of player's shoulder, where said first and second plate are supported on a column (4), where the second plate (7) is connected to a belt (3) with arms (23) through a hinge (13), while the first plate (6) is connected to a shoulder bar (2) through a lower arm (10) and an upper arm (22), where said lower arm (10) and upper arm (22) of the first plate (6) and the arms (23) of the second plate (7) are guided through a pre-defined path (11) on the plates (6,7) by means of casters (12) articulated at the points provided for this in arms. Machine for learning the bodily movements known as a swing corresponding to the game of golf as in claim 1, characterised in that the first and the second plates (6,7) incorporate corresponding motors (8) which drive cogs which engage cogged areas (5) of column (4), to adjust the height of the first and second plates (6,7) to each player's characteristics. Machine for learning the bodily movements known as a swing corresponding to the game of golf as in claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the upper arm (22) of the shoulder bar (2) is telescopic and can be moved by means of linear magnetic actuators (9) for turning the shoulder bar. Machine for learning the bodily movements known as a swing corresponding to the game of golf as in claims 1 and 4, characterised in that in order to relate and co-ordinate the movements of the lower arm (10), the upper arm (22) of the shoulder bar (2) and the arm (23) of the belt (3), and to help the motion, two linear magnetic actuators (15) are provided at each point where motion is applied for each arm (10, 22, 23) one end of, actuator (15) articulated on this point and another on the corresponding first plate (6) and second plate (7), so that the joint motion simplifies the path of caster (12) on grooves (11), all actuators (15) being co-ordinated at all times by a computer memory. Machine for learning the bodily movements known as a swing corresponding to the game of golf as in claim 1, characterised in that for automatic form of operation a pantograph (24) is placed at each of the points where motion is applied to arms (10, 22, 23) where the pantograph comprises two worm gear (17,20) placed perpendicularly one respect the other, where the horizontal worm gear (17) is driven by a stepping motor (18) and the vertical worm gear (20) is driven by a stepping motor having a shaft (21) where the lower arm (10) and upper arm (22) of the sloulder bar (2), and the arm (23) of the belt (3), are articulated.

Inventors: FONCILLAS MARRO ANTONIO, FONCILLAS MARRO, ANTONIO
Applicants: FONCILLAS MARRO ANTONIO, FONCILLAS MARRO, ANTONIO
Application year: 1997
Main classification: A63B69
IPC codes: A63B69, A63B24