Golf ball storage and dispensing apparatus

A golf ball storage and dispensing apparatus comprising:

• a dispenser unit;
• a golf ball storage unit connected to the dispensing unit, the storage unit being adapted for storing a plurality of golf balls and for delivering successively to the dispenser unit a single golf ball;
• an actuator mechanism mounted in the dispenser unit so that the balls delivered to the dispenser unit are directed to the actuator mechanism, the actuator mechanism comprising:
• a motor including a power source and a direction switch;
• an arm mechanism pivotable about a support shaft between a substantially vertical position and a substantially horizontal position;
• a gear train assembly having a series of interacting toothed gear wheels, the gear train assembly being intermediate the motor and the arm mechanism;
• a reciprocating rod having a series of four open-ended slots therein, the rod being located between the gear train assembly and the arm mechanism and being moved at its one end by the gear train assembly and having its other end connected to the support shaft of the arm mechanism;
• delay means for retaining the arm mechanism in its horizontal position for a sufficiently long period to enable the golf ball to roll down the length thereof and be deposited adjacent the dispenser unit;
• and a rotor mounted to a rotor shaft of an end gear wheel of the gear train assembly, the rotor having a body portion mounted on the rotor shaft, a rotor arm extending from the body portion in a direction normal to the axis of the rotor shaft, a pin extending from the body portion substantially parallel to the rotor shaft, the rotor shaft being located in the first slot and the pin being located in the second slot when the arm mechanism is in the vertical position, the pin rotating about the rotor shaft in the second slot causing the rod to substantially reciprocate in an axial direction until the rotor has completed part of its turn, the rotor shaft being received in the third slot after part of its turn, and upon completion of a turn the rotor arm strikes the direction switch to reverse the motor to turn the motor in the opposite direction moving the rod to its original position, the rotor arm striking the direction switch at the completion of its return rotation to switch off the motor.

An actuator mechanism for a ball storage and dispenser apparatus having a dispenser unit and a storage unit, the actuator mechanism comprising:

• a motor having a power source and a direction switch;
• an arm mechanism pivotal about a support shaft between a substantially vertical position and a substantially horizontal position;
• a gear train assembly having a series of interacting toothed gear wheels and a rotor with a rotor arm, the gear train assembly being intermediate the motor and the arm mechanism, the rotor arm striking the direction switch when the arm mechanism is in a substantially horizontal position thereby raising the arm mechanism to the substantially vertical position;
• a reciprocating rod between the gear train assembly and the arm mechanism, the rod being axially moved at its one end by the gear train assembly and having its other end connected to the support shaft of the arm mechanism, whereby reciprocation of the reciprocating rod causes the arm mechanism to move between the vertical and horizontal positions;
• and
• delay means for retaining the arm mechanism in the horizontal position for a sufficiently long period to enable the golf ball to roll down the entire length of the arm mechanism and be deposited adjacent the dispenser unit.