Abstract:
An automatic golf practice course having a number of fairways, including a target area, a tee off area and a golf ball collecting/feeding assembly. The target area has a target to provide a reference for teeing and an inclined plate covered with artificial grass layers to form fairways. The inclined plate extends over an entire area of the fairways and is supported by distantly disposed bases with top surfaces having a same slope as the inclined plate. The golf balls falling from the inclined target area after being teed off are collected and fed by the collecting/feeding assembly to appear on a tee.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an automatic golf practice course, and more particularly, to an simplified automatic golf practice course. 
     Applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,697 discloses an automatic golf practice course to resolve the problems encountered in the collection of golf balls. However, such an apparatus is complicated, with many pivotal flat plates, posts and other required means, and thus resultingly expensive. 
     The present invention provides an improved automatic golf practice course which has a structure more simple than any other conventional automatic golf practice course. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic practice course for automatically collecting golf balls without the employment of workers. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic golf practice course which continuously supplies golf balls for practicing golfers. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive and simple automatic golf practice course. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an automatic golf practice course with a gathering means for gathering golf balls resting on an artificial grass layer. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide an automatic golf practice course with a cleaning assembly for cleaning golf balls. 
     These and additional objects, if not set forth specifically herein, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an automatic golf practice course in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a cutaway side view of the practice course showing the feeding of golf balls; 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic top view in which the teeing plate is removed to show the feeding of golf balls; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a vibration plate and an electric eye provided for automatically supplying golf balls; 
     FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing a ball-gathering assembly; 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic top plan view showing half of the ball-gathering assembly; 
     FIG. 7 is side view of the ball-gathering assembly; 
     FIG. 8 is a front view of the ball-gathering assembly; and 
     FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing a cleaning assembly. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1, an automatic golf practice course according to the present invention includes a tee off area 3 and a target area 2. The target area 2 has an inclined plate 24 defining a plurality of fairways 22. Additionally, the target area 2 may be covered with a layer of artificial grass 25 to define the fairways 22. The target area 2 is bounded, for example, by a net 21, to define a closed area, so as to prevent the golf balls from escaping out of the target area 2. 
     The inclined plate 24 extends over an entire area of the target area 2 and is supported by distantly disposed bases 23 each with a top surface having a same slope as the inclined plate 24. A target 20 is provided on a boundary wall of the target area 2 facing the tee off area 3 to provide a reference for teeing. The tee off area 3 is substantially a teeing plate 10 for golfers to stand on and is shielded, by a shelter 30, from rain or sun, as shown in FIG. 1. 
     Referring to FIG. 3, the target area 2 further includes a drainage plate 26 provided adjacent to the tee off area 3 for draining water, rain or the like, which is conventional such that no further illustration is needed. 
     Referring to FIGS. 2 through 4, the present automatic golf practicing course further includes a plurality of pneumatic cylinders 12 each disposed under a plurality of equally spaced holes 11 formed on the teeing plate 10. Each pneumatic cylinder 12 has a piston rod 121 with a supporting disc 122 on a distal end thereof for supporting a golf ball thereon. The supporting disc 122 acts as a tee when the piston rod 121 is in an extended position. A feeding path 14 is provided uphill from the pneumatic cylinder 12, thereby guiding golf balls thereto. A vibrating plate 13 is provided downhill from the fairways 22. The vibrating plate 13 extends over an entire width of the fairways 22 and is driven by a motor 131 for urging the golf balls from the target area 2 to enter the feeding path 14. At least one leading wall 132 is provided downhill from the vibrating plate 13 for guiding golf balls to enter a corresponding feeding path 14 to be subsequently positioned on a corresponding supporting disc 122. 
     Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, an electric eye 15 is provided adjacent to each respective tee. When a signal, indicating the golf ball has been teed off, is received, the pneumatic cylinder 12 is activated to lift another ball to rest on the tee, and subsequently repeats such procedure. Referring to FIG. 2, a golf ball 5 has been lifted to appear on the teeing plate 10, while the other balls are retained by the piston rod 121. When ball 5 is hit, the piston rod 121 moves downward through the hole 11 to a lowest retracted position. Ball 6 is urged by the supporting disc 122 to move backward (i.e., the leftward direction in FIG. 2), so that the movement of the piston rod 121 and the supporting disc 122 will not be obstructed. When the piston is in an completely retracted position, ball 6 rolls into the supporting disc 122. Then, the pneumatic cylinder 12 moves upward for subsequent teeing, with the following ball 7 retained by the piston rod 121. The pneumatic cylinder 12 is controlled by a control means 16, which is conventional and thus needs no further explanation. 
     Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the automatic golf practicing course further has a ball-gathering assembly 100, which includes two carriers 110a, 110b each respectively guided by a track means 120a, 120b disposed adjacent to both sides of the artificial grass layer 25. Each carrier 110a, 110b is substantially carlike and has two front wheels 112a connected by a front wheel shaft 113 and two rear wheels 112b connected by a rear wheel shaft 115. The front wheel shaft 113 is driven by a driving means, such as a motor 130. In this embodiment, a gear 116 is provided on the front wheel shaft 113, and the power from the motor 130 is transmitted to the front wheel shaft 113 via a gear 134 on an output shaft 136 of the motor 130 which meshes with gear 116. Each track means 120a, 120b has two slots 122a, 122b for receiving and guiding the wheels 112a, 112b of the carriers 110a, 110b. 
     Carrier 110a has a bar 140a pivotally mounted on an outward side thereof and extending toward the tee off area 3. Carrier 110b also has a bar 140b pivotally mounted on an outward side thereof and extending toward the tee off area 3. The two bars 140a, 140b are coupled by a cross-bar 142 by means of conventional means. A guiding wheel 144 is provided adjacent to both ends of the cross-bar 142, whose purpose will be described in detail later. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, a plurality of gathering units 146 are provided on a middle portion of the cross-bar 142 which is above the artificial grass layer 25. Since the cross-bar 142 has a substantial length, a plurality of support wheels 145 (only two of them are shown in FIG. 5) are freely and rotatably mounted on the cross-bar 142 to support the cross-bar 142, so as to prevent undesired deformation due to gravity. Nevertheless, the support wheels 145 are restrained from lateral movement. In addition, each support wheel 145 is covered by a plastic housing which is so configured that the golf balls in the support wheel&#39;s path will be guided to move away from the support wheel and thus not obstruct the movement of the support wheel 145. 
     Referring to FIGS. 5, 6 and 9, a receptacle 150 is formed on the outer side of carrier 110a and a spring-biased means 152 is received in the receptacle 150. In addition, two restraining blocks 154, 156 are provided on the outer side to support and limit the pivotal movement of bar 140a. Similar arrangement is provided on the outer side of carrier 110b, i.e., a receptacle, a spring-biased means, and two restraining blocks. An actuator 158 is provided adjacent to an upper end of the track means 120a, 120b. A guiding plate 159 which inclines upward toward the tee off area 3 is provided on a lower end of the track means 120a, 120b, whose purpose will be discussed in detail later. 
     Referring to FIGS. 5, 7, and 9, when the golf balls that have been hit by the golfers have fell on the artificial grass layer 25, the balls tend to rest on the artificial grass layer 25 due to friction. The carriers 110a, 110b are initially at an upper end of the track means 120a, 120b. When the golf balls on the artificial grass layer 25 reach a certain number, the motor 130 is activated (such as by remote control) to move carrier 110a downward, which in turn, moves carrier 110b. The gathering units 146 force the golf balls to move downward until being stopped by a stop plate 160. A cleaning means 170 is provided adjacent to the stop plate 160 for cleaning golf balls. The cleaning means 170 is substantially cylindrical and is covered by brushes 172 on an outer periphery thereof. The cleaning means 170 is equipped with water and detergent, such as saponaceous water, and is driven by a motor 174 to wash the golf balls. As soon as the golf balls are cleaned (e.g., for a predetermined period of time), a dryer 180 is activated to dry the golf balls. The stop plate 160 is pivoted to let the clean and dry golf balls pass therethrough to the vibrating plate 13 as described earlier. The used water is drained by a centrifugal pump 176 or a drainage plate. 
     In the operation of the carriers for gathering golf balls, the carriers 110a, 110b are moved to the lower end of the track means 120a, 120b. Then, the carriers 110a, 110b stop and move in a reverse direction, i.e., an upward direction. The movement of the carriers can be activated by conventionally controlling the motor 130, such as by remote control or preset timer. 
     When the carriers 110a, 110b reach the lower end of the track means 120a, 120b, the guiding wheels 144 move upward along a guiding plate 159, thereby lifting bars 140a, 140b upward. The spring-biased means 152 project outward to support bars 140a, 140b when bars 140a, 140b are above the receptacles 150, as shown by phantom lines in FIG. 7. Accordingly, the cross-bar 142 is lifted so that the gathering units 146 will not make contact with golf balls during a subsequent upward movement of the carriers 110a, 110b. 
     When carriers 110a, 110b reach the upper end of the track means 120a, 120b, the spring-biased means 152 is activated by the actuator 158 and thus completely received in the receptacle 150. Bars 140a, 140b and the cross-bar 142 thus lower and are restrained by the restraining blocks 154, 156. Accordingly, the receptacles 150 are covered and bars 140a, 140b are in a position for sweeping balls. The bars 140a, 140b may have a rectangular cross-section to assure to be retained on the spring-biased means 152. The motor 130 stops when the carriers 110a, 110b reach the upper end of the track means 120a, 120b. 
     While the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that various modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this specification. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention disclosed herein is intended to cover all such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.