A Mechanical Golf Stroke Trainer.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 8th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 10th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 14th Mar., 1896
A Mechanical Golf Stroke Trainer.
We, ALLAN FULLARTON MACFIE, of Dhucraig, St Andrews, in the County
of File, North Britam, Gentleman, and ROBERT ANDERSON of 67 Princes Street,
Edinburgh, in the County of Mid-Lothian, North Butain, Sports Appliance
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a nechanical golf stroke trainer, and consists of an
appliance which guides the golf club as it is swung by the player for the purpose
of teaching a beginner or other person the proper stroke for driving a golf ball.
We employ a light steel or other rod which is balanced or supported upon a ball
or universal joint carried by a stationary or movable framing. The one end of
the rod is connected to the toe of the golf club by a swivelling joint, the player
grasping the club in the ordinary mauner. The other ond of the rod is connected
to a guiding appliance operated by a rotating handle and lever, or any mechanical
equivalent of the same, the object of this being that the instructor by turning a
handle operates his end of the rod in such a manner as to cause the other end of
the rod which is attached to the end of the golf club to follow the proper course
for diving a golf ball, the player at the same time operating his club in the
ordinary manner, that is to say, as it he were driving a golf ball.”
The guiding of the rod for the purpose of causing the player's end of it to
follow the required course in the air and to which end the golf club head is con-
nected, is effected mechanically by the employment of a metal rod, or its equivalent,
bent into a spiral form, the said spiral which is carried by the framing of the
machine, being in a position between the universal Joint and the players end of
the club guiding 1od, the said rod being passed through the spital guide and
the rod is kept in contact with the spiral guide by anti-fiction rollers, on their
equivalent. The particular form of the spiral may be made to suit the particular
course which the instructor desires the club to take
The framing or support for carrying the swivelling rod may consist of a
rectangular iron framing, the universal joint for supporting the rod being at a
suitable height to enable the end of the rod to freely follow the club,--that 18
to say sufficient distance being allowed from the point where the toc of the club
rests upon the ground to the 1od's universal joint, the rod being however
preferably made telescopic for the purpose of adjusting it to suit the height of
the player or to suit other circumstances.
11 desired, we may dispense with the necessity for the instructor guiding the
ud by the play e bimself elevating the rod and operating his club to the extent
that the rod allows him to do so, the proper guiding of the rod and consequently
of his club being effected by the spiral guide.
If the services of an instructor
are required for the purpose of assisting in the guiding of the rod and also for
the purpose of easing the player, we mount a pinion at the back of the frame of
the appliance the instinctor operating the pinion by a cianked handle. The said
pinion gears into a toothed wheel to the toothed wheel is attached a lever, the
eud of which 18 Jointed to the end of an upright rod, the top end of which rod 18
connected to the top end of an upright rack which is capable of moving up or
down within an upright guiding portion of the framing, and into this rack is geared
a pinion mounted upon a horizontal axis,-the said pinion carrying a bent, arm upon

page_text: which is fixed a fork and it is this fork which guides the end of the rod when the
instructor operates the handle, the pinion being rotated by the ack. The rod
passes through the fork and is allowed free play therethrough. If no instructor
is desired for the purpose of actuating the back-end of the club guiding rod, that
end of the iod may be balanced by a suitable weight
The ball o universal joint carrying the rod may be supported by a bar from
side to side of the framing, or in any other convenient manner
The ball may be
fixed upon the rod, or the rod may slide through the ball,
In order to adjust the angle of the rod relatively with the level of the floor or
ground, we may vary the angle at which the spiral is set This may be effected by
bolting the spinal to a separate framing position, which frame position is jointed
to the main fiaming of the apparatus, the setting of the angle being effected by
nuts and slots or by any convenient set sciew gear.
Dated this 7th day of May 1895
JOHNSONS,
115 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Petitioners' Agents.
We, ALLAN FULLARTON MACFIE, of Dhucing, St. Andrews, in the County
of Fife, North Britain, Gentleman, and ROBERT ANDERSON, of 67 Princes Street,
Edinburgh, the County of Midlothian, North Bittain, Sports Appliance
Manufacture, do hereby declare the nature of this mvention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertamed 'in and
by the following statement
This invention relates to a mechanical golf stroke trainer, and consists of an
appliance which guides the golf club as it is swung by the player, and has for its
object to provide an appliance by the use of which, with or without the assistance
of an attendant, a beginner or other person may be taught the proper stroke for
driving a golf ball.
But in order that our said invention may be more readily understood and easily
canned into effect we will proceed to descubo one method of carrying the same
into practice, reference being made to the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a front view and Figme 2 a side view of our appliance.
Refering to the said drawings, which illustrate an appliance for use without
the aid of an attendant or assistant, we employ a light frame A which may be
either portable or stationary and preferably made of cast metal. Between the
top ends a of the two sides or end portions of the said frame A we adjustably
mount an elliptical dished plate B having a spally arrauged groove of slot C,
proportioned and shaped according to the stroke of the club intended to be
practised. Or in lieu of said grooved plate B we may employ a metal iod, bent to
the necessary shape. The frame A, though preferably the plate B, has attached
to it an adjustable rectangular frame D the front bar or portion of which is
provided with a ball or universal joint E through which wo pass a swivelling
rod F, the one end f. of which is provided with one or more friction rollers G
which work in the groove C of the plate B, while the other end 18 adjustably
fitted into a telescopic rod H which is provided with an adjustable or split ring
and screw h while the other or lower end h' of the rod H 18 connected to the toe
or other part of the golf club head J by menus of a swivelling joint ', (Figure 2)
the player grasping the handle of the club in the ordinary manner so as to enable
the club to be swung in the an as if the operation of driving a golf ball was
being performed. The spial groove or slot C guiding the movable and adjustable
rod F, H, in such a manner as only to permit of the proper stioke being given to

page_text: the club. The exact or desired stroke being effected by means of the size or shapo
of the spiral guide, as also the adjustable aming D and height of the ball or
universal joint E.
In order to adjust the angle of the swivelling 1od I relatively with the level of
the floor or ground, we may vary the angle of the spiral guide, that is to say, in the
example shown, we provide the top ends a of the fame A with radial slots a
(Figure 2) into which the bolts of the plate B are placed, or It may he effected
in any other equivalent manner.
The ball of the ball universal joint E may
be fixed upon the rod on the rod may be and preferably is permitted to slide
through the said ball.
If the services of an instructor are required for the purpose of assisting in the
guiding of the swivelling rod and also foi the purpose of easing the player; we
may place the dished plate B between the player and the ball or universal joint E,
the top end of the swivelling rod being connected to a guiding appliance operated
by a rotating handle and lever, or any mechanical equivalent of the same, the
object of this being that the instinctor by turning a handle operates his end of the
rod in such a manner as to cause the other end of the rod which is attached to
the end of the golf club to follow the proper course for diving a golf ball, the
player at the same time operating his club in the ordinary manner, that is to say,
as if he were driving a golf ball.
Or we may mount a pinion at the back of the frame of the appliance-the
instructor operating the pinion by a cranked handle. The said pinion gears into
toothed wheel, to the toothed wheel is attached a lever, the end of which is
Jointed to the end of an upright rack which is capable of moving up or down
within au upright guiding portion of the framing, and into this rack is geared a
pinion mounted upon a horizontal axis, the said pinion carrying a bent arm upon
which is fixed a fork and it is this fork which guides the end of the rod when the
instructor operates the handle, the pinion bemg rotated by the rack
passes through the fork and is allowed free play therethrough.
The rod
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim 15:-
1st. The mechanical golf stroke trainer, substantially as her embefore described
and shown in the accompanying drawings.
2nd. The gencial arrangement, construction and combination of the various
parts constituting the mechanical golf stroke trainer substantially as hereinbefore
described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 8th day of February 1900.
JOHNSONS,
115 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicants' Agents.