Patent Publication Number: US-8118691-B1

Title: Golf ball alignment tool

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is in the field of golf ball alignment tools. 
     DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART 
     A variety of practice aids have been created for helping golfers learn the sport. Golf has been an area that has a wide range of patent literature. Putting is particularly important in golf. Learning to putt well takes a time commitment. 
     A variety of golf ball marking tools have been created to aid golfers with determining the orientation of the club face at the moment of impact with the ball. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,862 to Chen, issued Aug. 5, 1986 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, an alignment marker comprises a strip mounted adjacent a grid. A device comprising a gripping portion includes an opening to engage the ball, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,453,807 to Ramey, issued Sep. 24, 2002 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,676,544 to Tyke, issued Jan. 13, 2004 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, the golf marking guide comprises a body portion with a drawing slot positioned at the center of the ball. A device that impresses marks on a golf ball is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,851 to Brandell, issued May 2, 1978 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     A golf ball marking guide comprises a device with edges that facilitate alignment, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,716,112 to Rennecamp, issued Apr. 6, 2004 the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,223 to Newcomb, issued Dec. 21, 1999, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, an alignment aid consists of a spherically shaped body with intersecting slots for marking the golf ball with the intended alignment pathway. Also for example, in U.S. Pat. No. D525,300 to Helmsetter, issued Jul. 18, 2006, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, a ball marking tool includes a body with a slit for drawing a line of alignment on the golf ball. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A golf ball alignment tool has a retaining strip having a retaining strip end. Retaining strip diagonal slots are arranged along a centerline of the retaining strip. The retaining strip has a left side edge and right side edge. A center slot formed as an opening oriented along a centerline of the retaining strip. A securing screw having securing screw thread engaging with the plurality of retaining strip diagonal slots. A golf ball is engaged within the retaining strip. The golf ball receives a right line mark on the right side edge. The golf ball receives a left line mark on the left side edge, wherein the golf ball receives a middle line mark along the center slot. The golf ball alignment tool has a tee head a tee tip and a tee shaft. The securing screw opening is sized to receive a shaft of a golf tee. A bend retainer is formed as a bent portion of the retaining strip, and the bend retainer has an opening for engaging with securing screw thread to form a retaining strip screw opening. The center slot is formed as a circumferential slot receiving a diameter of a golf ball and sized to receive a marker pen tip. 
     The retaining strip forms band having a circular opening for receiving a golf ball. The retaining strip is sized to engage a standard size regulation golf ball. The right side edge provides a guideline for making a right line mark. The left side edge provides a guideline for making a left line mark. The middle or center slot provides a guideline for making a centerline mark on the ball. The diagonal slots provide a guideline for making a dashed line on the ball. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of the retaining strip. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the securing screw. 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram of the retaining strip in looped configuration receiving a key in the shape of a tee. 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram of the retaining strip looped around a golf ball and receiving markings on an exterior surface of the golf ball. 
     
    
    
     The following call out list of elements is useful as a reference for the elements of the drawings.
       22  Retaining Strip Diagonal Slot     24  Retaining Strip Circumferential Slot     25  Retaining Strip End     26  Retaining Strip Screw Opening     126  Retaining Strip     27  Retaining Strip Screw Retainer     28  Retaining Strip Screw Opening Reinforcement     29  Securing Screw Tip     30  Securing Screw Thread     31  Securing Screw     32  Securing Screw Opening     60  Golf Ball     61  Right Line     62  Middle Line     63  Left Line     64  Golf Ball Dimple     71  Bend Retainer     81  Golf Tee Head     82  Golf Tee Tip     83  Golf Tee Shaft     88  Marker Pen   

     DETAILED DISCUSSION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The golf ball alignment tool is made of several parts and includes a retaining strip  126 , a securing screw  31 , a golf tee, a marker  88  and a golf ball  60 . A user places the golf ball in the retaining strip and secures it with the securing screw  31 . The user then marks the golf ball with a left line  63 , a right line  61  and a middle line  62 . 
       FIG. 1  shows a retaining strip. The retaining strip is preferably made of a metal flexible strip that has been punched. The retaining strip has a plurality of diagonal slots  22  arranged in parallel configuration for engaging with threads of a securing screw  31 . The diagonal slots  22  are before the retaining strip end  25 . The middle of the retaining strip has a retaining strip circumferential slot  24 . The retaining strip screw opening  26  provides a slot for marking the golf ball. 
     When removed from the golf ball alignment tool, the golf ball will have a right line  61 , a middle line  62  and a left line  63 . The middle line  62  has a dashed portion formed by a line drawn through and over the plurality of retaining strip diagonal slots  22 . The middle line also has a continuous portion formed by the retaining strip circumferential slot  24 . The retaining strip  126  also has a retaining portion made up of a retaining strip screw opening  26  and a retaining strip screw opening reinforcement  28 . A pair of retaining strip screw retainers  27  preferably bound an upper and lower portion of the retaining end of the retaining strip. 
     The securing screw  31  has a securing screw opening  32  and a plurality of securing screw thread  30 . The securing screw  31  also has a securing screw tip  29 . The securing screw opening  32  is sized to receive a shaft of a golf tee. The golf tee generally has a golf tee head  81 , a golf tee tip  82  and a golf tee shaft  83 . The golf ball  60  has a golf ball dimple  64  and three lines. The retaining strip end  25  fits into the bend retainer  71 . As the bend retainer is tightened by the securing screw, the retaining strip  126  secures to the golf ball. The securing screw acts as a worm gear engaging with the diagonal slots  22 . 
     The bend retainer  71  fits over as a band and clamps onto the retaining strip  126 . The bend retainer  71  has a pair of edges that may receive a plurality of securing screw thread  30 . The bend can be bent so that the securing strip screw opening  26  in cages with the retaining strip screw retainer  27 . The retaining strip screw retainer  27  with the retaining strip screw opening  26  together may form the bend retainer  71 . 
     The bend retainer can be formed in a variety of different configurations, such as those commonly used for hose clamps as seen and described in Belik, U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,391 issued Apr. 22, 1997, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Other hose clamp methods, such as described in Tetzlaff U.S. Pat. No. 3,407,449 issued Oct. 29, 1968 provide for a pair of protruding retainers of which the retaining screw connects between. Thus, a wide variety of different configurations can be used for holding a golf ball and providing a left line, a right line and a middle line having a continuous portion and a dashed portion. For example, in Morrison U.S. Pat. No. 6,685,229 issued Feb. 3, 2004, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, a thumbscrew key is used to turn the word gear. 
     The retaining strip screw opening  26  can be formed as a pair on a pair of retaining strip screw opening reinforcement  28  which are formed as tabs that can be flipped out to engage with retaining strip screw retainer  27  so as to form the bend retainer  71 . 
     The foregoing describes the preferred embodiments of the invention. Modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims. Persons skilled in this art will readily appreciate that various additional changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined and differentiated by the following claims.