Biodegradable sport or garden articles, and apparatus for producing biodegradable articles

Abstract

A biodegradable sport or garden article such as a golf tee is formed from a material comprising filler material, which can contain grass seeds, and a degradable binder therefor, so that discarded tees enhance the surface of the golf course, rather than littering it. Apparatus for manufacture of such articles comprises respective storage containers (8-11) for grass seed and a hardenable binder therefor, means (4-7) for controlling sequential discharge of the seed and the binder to a mould (16) for forming an article under a pressure sufficient to ensure compaction of the mixture within the mould, and means for discharging the tee from the mould. The apparatus may be in the form of a vending machine, manufacturing and dispensing golf tees in response to payment.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.