Improvements in Golf-practice Appliances.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Nov., 1899
Complete Inonification loll 0th July 1000 Accented 6th Oct
1000+
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Golf-practice Appliances.
We. JAMES MCHARDY, of No. 83, Talgarth Road, West Kensington, London, W.,
Inventor, and ANDERSON, ANDERSON AND ANDERSON, LIMITED, of 35, St. Paul's
Churchyard, London, E.C., Waterproof and India-rubber Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in golf-practice appliances, and is as
follows:
Having provided a suitable base we construct an arm in such form and provided
with such accessory springs, bearings and other parts necessary to move a stiff
indicator, as to offer a spring resistance to the forward momentum of a captive
ball revolving upon a vertical pillar at the outer end of the lever.
We are thus enabled to tell by the indicator how far the stroke would have sent
the ball if it had been free.
Again, as we may use a hollow pillar, slotted for the working up and down of
a spring friction grip (or its equivalent) so adjusted that when a ring to which the
ball is attached by a cord (or its equivalent) rises under the influence of the ball
on being struck, the friction grip aforesaid rises also and remains at the greatest
elevation to which it has attained. Hence we can calculate a scale upon the
pillar by which may be indicated the approximate angle of elevation attained by
the ball.
For producing this invention in its simpliest form the base may be made the
indicator as before-mentioned, and any kind of pillar may be used, but in producing
a more perfect form we may use multiplying wheels or racks, so as to actuate an
indicator to the extent of a complete circle.
The application of the principle upon which a moving ball may be made to
actuate a disc or lever at any distance from the centre upon which such lever or
disc (or their equivalent) revolves, being our first claim. it follows that we may
employ ball bearings, spiral, coil or other springs, friction grips, or any other
mechanical accessories necessary to the carrying out of our said invention, so as
to meet the requirements of trade as to price etc.
If desirable, several discs or indicators of any suitable kind may be employed
in conjunction with our device, said dises having indicating lines and numerale
or their equivalent displayed upon ther surfaces, adjacent the outer edges thereof,
for the purpose of scoring during the progress of a two-handed game.
Dated this 9th dox of November 1899

page_text: 1mрrоvещенив и топ-ргасисе Аррианово.
We, JAMES MCHARDY, of No. 83, Talgarth Road, West Kensington, London, W.,
Inventor, and ANDERSON, ANDERSON AND ANDERSON, LIMITED, of 35, St. Paul's
Churchyard, London, E.C., Waterproof and ludia-rubber Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to improvements in golf-practice appliances, and has for
its object to provide a device of this class which will accurately record the effect
of a stroke upon a captive golf-ball, and thereby enable a person using the
appliance to julge as to the exact distance such ball, (had it been free) would havo
travelled, after being struck with the club.
In order that this our said invention may be the more readily understood and
carried into practical effect, reference is hereby made to the accompanying sheet
of illustrative drawings, wherein:
Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section, of our improved golf-practice
appliance, Fig. 2 being a plan view thereof, while Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an
essential detail of the invention.
Referring to the drawings in which like letters of reference indicate correspond-
ing parts throughout, a represents a circular cast iron or other base having a
centrally situated well or recess a¹, the upper part a of which projects slightly
above the top of the base proper, as at a² Loosely mounted upon this upper pro-
jecting portion of the well or recess a', we provide an indicator, comprising a
flanged boss b surrounding the aforesaid projecting portion of the well or
recess a¹. From this boss an indicator arm extends and terminates in a
point b³, such arm being bent to conform to the shape of the raised portion a¹ of
tho base a so that the said indicator arm b' will lay slightly above the base a and
be adapted to nove freely around same. Mounted in the indicator arm b¹ we
provide a toggle or catch e which will remain rigid on pressure being applied in
a forward direction, but will turn upon its pivot if pressure be brought to bear
upon it in a reverse direction, as will hereafter be more fully understood.
Passing through an opening in the boss b of the indicator, and having its bear-
ing therein, is one depending end of a revolving arm d, the other end of which
arm is provided with a vertical pillar. The depending end of this arm is
disposed within the well or recess of the base a and is of such diameter as to
leave an annular space between it and the wall of the said well or recess. Attached
to the upper part of this depending portion of the arm d is one end of a suitable
spring, coiled around the said portion d, the other end of which spring e is
attached to a projection on the bottom a³ of the well or recess d', or it may, if
desirable, be attached to the base proper a.
It will thus be seen that by means of this spring e the arm & will be controlled.
Attached by means of a cord or other flexible connection, to a sleeve f arranged
to slide along the upright pillar of the arm d, we provide a golf ball of the usual
pattern, while above the said sleeve f we arrange a spring clip h designed to offer
a resistance to the upward movement of the said sleeve along the pillar .
In operation and when it is desired to make use of the appliance (which may
be attached to the floor or ground in any suitable manner) the spring-controlled
arm will in its normal position assume such a position that when the indicator
arm b¹ is moved round to coincide with same. (so that the aforementioned toggle or
catch c bears against it) the indicator point will be at zero or 0 on the gradua-

page_text: tions a provided on the base a, which graduations may represent yards or such
other distance measurements as may be found desirable.
The ball is then placed in a line with the spring-controlled arm d and the
stroke is made in the usual manner, when the momentum of the ball will carry
the arm d around in opposition to the resistance offered by the spring c, and the
said arm bearing against the toggle c, will carry the indicator arm with it and
when by the action of the spring e the arm d returns to its normal position, the
indicator point will be left at the maximum distance from zero that the said
indicator point has been propelled around the graduated base; and by the reading
of the said graduations, the distance the ball would have travelled had it been
free, may be readily determined at a glance.
Should the spring-controlled arm d, by reason of its rebound, come in contact
with the back of the toggle or catch it will be seen that it will merely turn same
on its pivot and pass on without shifting the indicator. As it may be found
desirable to also determine the angle of elevation at which the ball, had it been
free, would have travelled, we have, as aforesaid, provided a spring clip above
the sliding sleeve f on the pillar of the arm d, to offer a resistance to the upward
movement of the said sleeve, and by suitable graduations on the said pillar, the
said angle of elevation may be calculated by the position attained by the spring
clip through the force of the stroke. It will thus be understood that we have
by our invention, provided an appliance by which the value of a golfer's stroke
may be accurately determined.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, wo declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In a golf-practice appliance, the combination of a base having a central recess
and having a graduated surface; with a spring-controlled arm mounted in a boss
revolving upon said base, substantially as described and shewn.
2. In a golf-practice appliance, the base having a circular recess therein and
provided with a circular top, the surface of which is divided into graduations; in
combination with a spring-controlled arm having its rear downwardly turned end
revolyubly mounted in said recess and in a revolving boss mounted around the
raised track surrounding said central recess; and a forward struck-up end of said
arm carrying a loose sleeve to which a captive ball is flexibly connected, said
struck-up part having a graduated surface, and a spring-clip mounted upon it;
and an indicating arm on the periphery of the said revolving boss, said indicating
arm being dropped below the said spring-controlled arm and having a pivoted
toggle arranged to offer a resistance to the movement of the spring-controlled arm
in one direction, substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by the
drawings.
11411 04
TL 1000
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, W.C., for Applicants