US 5,476,258 A · Golf ball position marker with slope indicator

Abstract

A golf ball position marker has a thin, circular body that is sufficiently transparent to permit viewing 1) of a body-defined, disc-shaped, oil-filled chamber, 2) of body-carried indicia located adjacent the chamber, and 3) of a steel ball that is movably housed within the chamber and that cooperates with the indicia to provide an indication of the slope and break of a portion of a golf green on which the marker is placed. The movable ball and the indicia cooperate 1) to indicate that a portion of a golf green on which the marker is positioned is "level" if the ball remains centered within the chamber, 2) to indicate the direction of slope of an inclined green by the direction in which gravity causes the ball to move from the center of the chamber when the marker is placed on an inclined green, and 3) to indicate steepness of slope of an inclined green by the speed with which the ball moves from the center to one side of the chamber when the marker is placed on an inclined green. The oil is selected to have a viscosity that will cause the ball to move relatively slowly from the center to one side of the chamber when the marker is placed on a gently inclined green, with more rapid movement of the ball being permitted when the marker is placed on a more steeply inclined green.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A golf ball position marker and golf green slope indicator, comprising:

a) structural means 1) for defining a body having opposed top and bottom exterior surfaces that are connected by a peripherally extending exterior surface, 2) for defining a chamber located within the interior of the body that is bordered by spaced upper and lower interior surfaces that are connected by a peripherally extending interior surface, and 3) for defining transparent means for extending between and defining the top and bottom exterior surfaces so that the content of the chamber and the rear exterior surface can be viewed through the front exterior surface;
b) spherical means for defining a single ball that is contained within the chamber and that is movable without obstruction throughout the chamber;
c) liquid means including a quantity of oil for cooperating with the ball to substantially fill the volume of the chamber, and for providing a viscosity that is selected to slow gravity-responsive movement of the ball within the chamber without significantly inhibiting such movement;
and,
d) indicia means connected to the body at a location that permits the indicia means to be viewed through the top exterior surface together with the ball, and for cooperating with the position of the ball to provide an indication of the slope of a putting green surface atop which the bottom exterior surface is positioned.

2 more elements

A combination golf ball position marker and golf green slope indicator, comprising:

a) a generally circular body formed as a bonded assembly of an injection molded upper member and an injection molded lower member, with each of the upper and lower members being formed from substantially transparent plastic material, with the assembled upper and lower members cooperating to define an interior chamber that is bordered by spaced, parallel extending upper and lower interior surfaces that are connected by a peripherally extending interior surface, with the upper member defining a top exterior surface of the body, with the lower member defining a bottom exterior surface of the body, with the top and bottom exterior surfaces of the assembled upper and lower members being generally circular and having their circumferences joined by a circumferentially extending exterior surface that is defined, at least in part, by contiguously extending portions of each of the upper and lower members, and with the transparent plastic material from which the upper and lower members are formed permitting contents of the chamber and the bottom exterior surface to be viewed through the top exterior surface;
b) a spherical, chrome plated, steel ball contained within the chamber and being movable without obstruction throughout the chamber;
c) a quantity of oil that cooperates with the ball to substantially fill the volume of the chamber, and that has a viscosity that is selected to slow gravity-responsive movement of the ball within the chamber without significantly inhibiting such movement;
and,
d) indicia means connected to the bottom exterior surface for being viewed through the top exterior surface together with the ball, and for cooperating with the position of the ball to provide an indication of the slope of a putting green surface atop which the bottom surface is positioned.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Golf ball position marker with slope indicator

Life of this patent

Golf ball position marker with slope indicator

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20