Abstract:
Lifting golf balls in a vertical tube from a lifting station using spaced apart motorized wheels with finger projections for projecting into side openings in the vertical tube. The golf balls are allowed to fall by gravity from an apex of the vertical tube to a diverter for directing the golf balls to a particular dispenser apparatus.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a system for dispensing golf balls. More particularly, it refers to a system for cleaning, automatically transporting and dispensing golf balls to a golfer in a practice mode. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Practice golf ranges have proliferated during the past fifteen years because of the increased popularity of golf. The typical practice range uses a pick-up vehicle to retrieve practice balls. In most cases, the retrieved balls are washed and then either hand packed into wire baskets or fed by hand into a dispenser that dispenses a set number of balls in response to coins deposited into slots on the dispenser. This system is time consuming and service staff intensive. 
     A system is needed which will accelerate the delivery of golf balls from the pick-up vehicle to the dispenser without the need for intervention by several staff personnel. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     I have invented a system for automatic direct delivery of retrieved golf balls from a cleaning station to multiple golf ball dispensers located at a practice range. My system commences at a cleaning station where golf balls have been deposited by the golf ball retriever or pick-up vehicle. After washing, the golf balls are rotated on a tray from which they fall into a channel where they are picked up by a flange projection on the outer circumference of continuously operated rollers and lifted in a tube to a height of about thirty feet, after which they fall by gravity at about 4 inches every ten feet to a diverter electromagnetically operated to direct the balls to two or more golf ball dispensers from which a player can obtain a basket of golf balls by depositing a coin into the dispensers. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the golf ball delivery system of this invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of golf balls being lifted in a vertical cylindrical tube. 
     FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the golf balls reaching the apex of the first vertical cylindrical tube and falling by gravity into the second inclined tube. 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the ball diverter directing a ball to the left side tube for delivery to a first ball dispenser. 
     FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the ball diverter directing a ball to the right side tube for delivery to a second ball dispenser. 
     FIG. 6 is a side elevational view in section of the ball diverter according to FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 7 is a side elevational view in section of the ball diverter according to FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 8 is a partial side elevational view of a ball dispenser being filled with golf balls. 
     FIG. 9 is a partial side elevational view of a mechanism in the dispenser for determining when the dispenser is full. 
     FIG. 10 is a partial side elevational view of the mechanism of FIG. 9 indicating that the dispenser is full. 
     FIG. 11 is an alternate diverter with a door flap closed to send a golf ball to the second dispenser. 
     FIG. 12 is a n alternate diverter with a door flap closed to send a golf ball to the first dispenser. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures. 
     Referring first to FIG. 1, the golf ball delivery system  10  of this invention begins when golf balls are picked up from a golf practice ground area in the conventional manner by a golf retrieval vehicle (not shown) and deposited in a cleaning house  12  where the balls are washed in the conventional manner and deposited in a tray  14 . The tray is inclined toward a bottom end of a first vertical cylindrical tube  18 . A booster device  16  includes a motorized wheel positioned over an opening at the bottom end of the first cylindrical tube  18  that lifts the golf balls into a first vertical cylindrical tube  18 . Sections of vertical cylindrical tube  18  and tube  28  are held together by sleeves  19 . The golf balls  46  are projected upwardly in the vertical cylindrical tube  18  by multiple rotating wheels  20 , spaced apart along the vertical section of the cylindrical tube. Each wheel  20  has multiple finger projections  22  from its circumference that project into a side opening  23  in the cylindrical tube  18 . The wheel  20  and projections are made of a hardened elastomer such as neoprene. Other equivalent materials can be employed in place of neoprene. These finger projections  22  lift the golf ball  46  as the rotating wheel turns clockwise. A one-eighth horsepower electric motor  24  drives each rotating wheel  20 . 
     Each golf ball  46  moves up the first vertical cylindrical tube  18  to the tube&#39;s apex  26  where it meets a first end  25  of a second inclined tube  28 . Thereafter, the golf ball  46  falls by gravity at approximately four inches every ten feet from the starting height of about thirty feet at apex  26  and eventually arrives at an end  27  of the inclined tube where a drop tube  29  leading to a diverter  30  is located. The apex could be higher or lower depending on the distance to the dispensers  36  and  38 . The diverter  30  operates in response to an electromagnetic switch  52  as shown in FIGS. 4-7 to direct the golf balls  46  to go either to the first dispenser delivery tube  32  or the second dispenser delivery tube  34 . The first delivery tube  32  leads to a first dispenser  36  and the second delivery tube  34  leads to a second dispenser  38 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 4-7, the ball diverter  30  receives a golf ball  46  from drop tube  29 . As the ball  46  falls by gravity into the central housing  58  of the diverter  30 , a control bar  54  is normally pulled to the right by spring  60  which has greater tension than spring  62 , so the golf ball  46  is diverted to tube  32 , as seen in FIGS. 4 and 6. When dispenser  36  is filled, the control bar  54  moves to the left in response to spring  62  which is energized by an electromagnetic signal at switch  52  coming from the electrical signal generated in dispenser  36  by the lifting of lift bar  48 . Roller  66  moves in response to an upward movement of lift bar  48  causing arm  68  to move shaft  70  and close an electrical switch in box  64 . Switch box  64  is electrically connected to switch  52 . This causes electromagnetic switch  52  to be energized to pull spring  62 . As a result, control bar  54  moves to the left and golf balls fall into tube  34 . When the lift bar  48 , pivoting at point  50 , moves to a closed position shown in FIG. 10 in dispenser  38 , the electromagnetic switch  52  is de-energized by the dispenser lift bar  48 . The control bar  54  moves back to the position shown in FIG. 6 allowing balls to go into dispenser  36 . 
     The diverter  30  thereafter diverts all the golf balls again through the first tube  32  to the first dispenser  36  until such time as the lift bar  48  in the first dispenser bar comes into position shown in FIG. 10 whereupon, the balls will no longer flow into the dispenser  36  but will thereafter start falling again into dispenser  38  until it is filled. This is a continuous process which keeps all dispensers filled based on a number of golf balls in the system sufficient to fill all available dispensers. 
     If the distance between the cleaning house and the dispensers is too great, it would be possible to erect a second vertical cylindrical tube having rotating wheels to lift the balls further and thereafter, allow them to fall once again into an inclined tube and thereafter, into the diverter and then to the dispensers. Additional diverters can be employed if more than two dispensers are employed. 
     Through the use of this system, dispenser  36  and  38  are kept continuously filled. The golf balls  46  can be viewed through viewing window  40  by the golfer and after placing a coin into the dispenser coin slot can receive golf balls through chutes  42 . Dispensers are usually mounted on support legs  44  for convenience. 
     Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, a golf ball moving through tube  28  can be directed to dispenser  36  by normally closed flap door  56 . Tube  32   a  will lead directly to dispenser  36 . When dispenser  36  is filled, lift bar  48  will send an electromagnetic signal to flap door  56  which will then lift (FIG. 11) to prevent balls from rolling into tube  32   a  and will instead roll into tube  34   a  and thus into dispenser  38 . When dispenser  38  is filled, the electromagnetic switch is de-energized and the flap door  56  drops to the position seen in FIG.  12 . 
     Using the golf ball delivery system  10 , as described herein, golf balls can move from the cleaning house directly to the dispensers without having any input from any service individuals. In this manner, the entire system is automatic subsequent to delivery of the golf balls  46  to the first vertical cylindrical tube  18 . 
     The above description has described specific structural details of the golf ball delivery system. However, it will be within one having skill in the art to make modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept of this golf ball delivery system. The inventive concept for the methods employed are not limited to the structure you described but include such modification and equivalence as would normally be employed in such a system.