APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING GOLF CLUBS

Abstract: An apparatus (10) for supporting golf clubs (22) comprising cover means (12) adapted to fit across the opening of a golf bag (18), the cover means (12) comprising a plurality of ridges, through each of which are located a plurality of apertures (14), each aperture (14) adapted to enable a shaft (20) of a selected one of the clubs (22) to pass therethrough and be located within the golf bag (18), but to obstruct the head (24) of the said one of the clubs (22) from passing therethrough whereby the said head (24) is supported by the cover means. The cover means (12) further includes guide means (16, 26) for arranging each of the shafts (20) of the said clubs (22) in spaced-apart, parallel alignement within the golf bag (18) when passed through its respective aperture (14), wherein two or more of the ridges are separately inclined from the horizontal so that each of the apertures in the inclined ridges is at a different height to each other of the apertures in the inclined ridges, whereby the head of the clubs whose shafts pass therethrough are vertically spaced-apart from each other.

Description: APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING GOLF CLUBS FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to an apparatus for supporting golf clubs and, in particular to a club holder for a golf bag. BACKGROUND ART It is an important element of the game of golf that the clubs (including the putter) be stably supported and readily accessible to the golfer at all times during play. Numerous apparatus for this purpose have been marketed over the years under such trade marks as "CADDY RACK", "CLUB RACK" and "CLUB MATE". Each of these apparatus have enjoyed widespread use as a general type of club holder, but they are less suitable for the more specialized needs of the professional golfer who requires the orderly, as well as stable, holding of up to 1 4 clubs in a golf bag for the purpose of easy access and retrieval. A common problem with some prior art club holding apparatus is that the club shafts are not aligned and spaced apart in parallel fashion, but rather they are criss-crossed and abutting which may, over time and with improper handling, cause structural damage to the clubs. Furthermore, the desired club may be difficult to extract from a bag in which the clubs are criss-crossed and abut each other. It is an object of the present invention to overcome or at least substantially ameliorate the disadvantages of the prior art. SUMMARY OF INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for supporting golf clubs comprising cover means adapted to fit across the opening of a golf bag, the cover means comprising a plurality of ridges through each of which are located a plurality of apertures, each aperture adapted to enable a shaft of a selected one of the clubs to pass therethrough and be located within the golf bag, but to obstruct the head of the said one of the clubs from passing therethrough whereby the said head is supported by the cover means, the cover means further including guide means for arranging each of the shafts of the said clubs in spaced apart parallel alignment within the golf bag when passed through its respective aperture, wherein two or more of the plurality of ridges are separately inclined from the horizontal so that each of the apertures is at a different height to each other of the apertures in the inclined ridges, whereby the head of the clubs whose shafts pass therethrough are vertically spaced apart from each other. Preferably, the guide means are tubular members, each tubular member extending downwardly from its respective aperture. Preferably, there are three ridges consisting of a central ridge and two peripheral ridges, located in opposed relationship about the central ridge, wherein the cover means extends across the inside diameter of the golf bag by resting on top of partitions within the golf bag. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig 1 . is a side view of an apparatus for supporting golf clubs according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig 2. is a top view of the apparatus of Fig 1 , Fig 3. is a sectional side view through A-A of the apparatus as shown in Fig 2, and Fig 4. is a sectional side view of the apparatus of Fig 1 fitted to a golf bag. BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The golf club supporting apparatus 1 0 shown in Figs 1 to 4 consists of a cover means 1 2 having, in this embodiment, fourteen apertures 1 4 and guide means 1 6 for each of the apertures 14. The cover means 1 2 is adapted to fit to the opening of a golf bag 1 8 and extends substantially across the inside diameter of the opening of the bag 1 8 by resting on top of the partitions (not shown) within the golf bag 1 8 and being secured by side straps (not shown). Each of the fourteen apertures 1 4 is adapted to enable a shaft 20 of a golf club 22 (such as is shown in dotted outline in Fig 4) to pass therethrough and be located within the golf bag 1 8, but to obstruct the head 24 of the club 22 from passing therethrough. In this way, the head 24 of each club 22 is supported by the cover means 1 2. The guide means 1 6 for each aperture 14 supports its respective club 22 in spaced apart, parallel alignment with all other similarly supported clubs 22 within the golf bag 1 8. Such alignment is achieved in the present embodiment by the guide means 1 6 comprising tubular members 26, each of which extend downwardly from its respective aperture 1 4. Each tubular member 26 defines a tubular passageway through which a shaft 20 may pass and be located. In this instance, the apertures 14 are at a plurality of heights with respect to the cover means 1 2 so that the heads 24 of the clubs 22 passing therethrough are vertically spaced apart from each other, as shown in Fig 4. This feature ensures that the golfer is able to readily access and easily extract from the bag 1 8 the appropriate club 22, and eliminates the risk of collision between the club shafts 20 which may damage the clubs 22. Club head recesses 30 are shown in Fig 2 extending laterally away from nine of the apertures 1 4. These recesses 30, when engaging their respective club heads 24, ensure that these club heads 24 do not rotate around the aperture 14 through which their shafts 20 pass, and thereby serving to avoid collision between the club heads 24, particularly as may occur when the golf bag 1 8 is being moved, either by buggy or on a caddy's shoulder. The recesses 30 also assist in enabling the golfer to readily access and easily extract the appropriate club 22 from the bag 1 8. The cover means 1 2 has three ridges 34, 36, 38 (as shown in Fig 1 ) which determine the different heights of the apertures 1 4. Each ridge 34, 36, 38 has a slight gradient or inclination off horizontal, the gradient of ridge 36 being particularly shown in Fig 3. These gradients also assist the golfer in easily extracting the appropriate club 22 from the bag 1 8. The range of clubs supported by the apparatus 1 0 of the invention is shown in relation to Fig 2. Adjacent all but one of the apertures 1 4 is a number and/or letter designation that indicates according to the following code the type of club 22 which has its shaft 20 passed through the aperture 14. The non designated aperture is a spare. Designation Type of Club D Driver 3W 3 wood 5W 5 wood 3 3 iron 4 4 iron 5 5 iron 6 6 iron 7 7 iron 8 8 iron P Putter S Sand Wedge W Wedge 91 9 iron Preferably, the apparatus 1 0 is formed by moulding of a thermoplastic rubber, such as polyurethane, which is compatible with the graphite used in modern club shafts. Draft angles and webs inside the moulding are left up to the discretion of the moulder and may vary according to the required moulding practice. Various modifications may be made in details of design and construction without departing from the scope or ambit of the present invention.

Claims: CLAIMS 1 . An apparatus for supporting golf clubs comprising cover means adapted to fit across the opening of a golf bag, the cover means comprising a plurality of ridges through each of which are located a plurality of apertures, each aperture adapted to enable a shaft of a selected one of the clubs to pass therethrough and be located within the golf bag, but to obstruct the head of the said one of the clubs from passing therethrough whereby the said head is supported by the cover means, the cover means further including guide means for arranging each of the shafts of the said clubs in spaced apart, parallel alignment within the golf bag when passed through its respective aperture, wherein two or more of the ridges are separately inclined from the horizontal so that each of the apertures in the inclined ridges is at a different height to each other of the apertures in the inclined ridges, whereby the head of the clubs whose shafts pass therethrough are vertically spaced apart from each other. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the guide means are tubular members, each tubular member extending downwardly from its respective aperture. 3. The apparatus of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein there are three ridges consisting of a central ridge and two peripheral ridges located in opposed relationship about the central ridge.

Inventors: PUSKARIC JOSEPH ANTHONY, PUSKARIC, JOSEPH, ANTHONY
Applicants: PUSKARIC JOSEPH ANTHONY, PUSKARIC, JOSEPH, ANTHONY
Application year: 1998
Main classification: A63B55
IPC codes: A63B55