Apparatus for dispensing golf balls
AssigneeGustafson Mfg. Co.
InventorHarvey F. Olander
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for dispensing a predetermined number of golf balls has a hopper for storing golf balls, a receptacle for retaining the predetermined number of golf balls in position for dispensing, and a structure for guiding and conveying the golf balls from the hopper to the receptacle. Such structure includes a passageway and a wheel having a resilient outer circumferential surface defined by a plurality of substantially radially extending bristles thereon. The receptacle has an openable and closable gate at one end thereof through which the predetermined number of golf balls therein are dispensed. Structure is also provided for rotating the wheel to fill the receptacle until the predetermined number of golf balls are filled therein after the gate is closed after discharge of the golf balls therefrom.
Claims19
An apparatus for dispensing golf balls comprising:
- a hopper for storing golf balls;
- a receptacle for retaining a predetermined number of golf balls in position for dispensing, said receptacle having an openable and closable gate normally closing one end thereof;
- means for guiding and conveying golf balls from the hopper to the receptacle, said guiding and conveying means comprising:
- a wheel rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis and having a resilient outer circumferential surface, and
- a passageway of a width slightly greater than the diameter of a golf ball, one end of said passageway being adjacent the hopper and the other end thereof being adjacent the receptacle, said passageway terminating in an at least part-circular portion substantially concentric with the wheel periphery, said at least part-circular portion terminating at the other end of the passageway adjacent the uppermost portion of the wheel and having a bottom spaced from the wheel periphery by a distance slightly less than the diameter of a golf ball, and
- means for rotating said wheel to refill said receptacle until a predetermined number of golf balls are in said receptacle after said gate is closed after discharge of golf balls therefrom.
An apparatus for dispensing golf balls comprising:
- a hopper for storing golf balls;
- a receptacle for retaining a predetermined number of golf balls in position for dispensing, said receptacle comprising:
- a bottom,
- a pair of vertical side walls,
- a vertical partition between said side walls which divides the receptacle into first and second bins, each of which is of a width slightly greater than the diameter of a golf ball, and
- an openable and closable gate closing on end of the receptacle;
- means for guiding and conveying golf balls from the hopper to the receptacle, said guiding and conveying means comprising:
- a channel shaped guideway, one end of which is adjacent the hopper and the other end of which is adjacent the receptacle, and
- a wheel rotatable about a horizontal axis, said wheel having radially extending bristles on the circumferential periphery thereof;
- said channel shaped guideway being of a width slightly greater than the diameter of a golf ball and terminating in at least semi-circular portion substantially concentric with the wheel periphery, said at least semi-circular portion terminating at the other end of the passageway adjacent the uppermost portion of the wheel and having a bottom spaced from the wheel periphery by a distance slightly less than the diameter of a golf ball;
- means for rotating said wheel to refill said receptacle until a predtermined number of golf balls are in said receptacle after said gate is closed after discharging golf balls from said receptacle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.