JPH057006Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] A. Purpose of the Invention (Field of Industrial Application) This invention relates to an apparatus for storing balls used in golf practice and supplying the balls to a tee-up position.

(Prior Art) In the conventional structure of this type of device for supplying balls from a ball storage box to a take-up device, the ball storage box and the take-up device are connected by an inclined ball guide passage, and the bottom of the ball storage box is The ball discharge port on the ball guide path side has a low and gently sloped valley bottom type hopper shape, and the valley bottom portion is an inclined groove with a width and depth slightly larger than the diameter of the ball used, and from this inclined groove A ball guide rail having a U- to V-shaped cross section is provided across the ball guide passage, and the ball guide rail is connected to a vertical swing drive mechanism, and the ball guide rail is disposed within the inclined groove. It is equipped to be able to move up and down, and its side wall does not protrude above the bottom of the hopper shape even when it is in the upper position.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, golf balls have a large number of dents distributed on their surface, and balls used for practice also have scratches and deformation, and the outer surface has particularly high friction. When the balls fall from the bottom of the hopper shape in the ball storage box onto the ball guide rail in the inclined groove, bridges tend to form, making it impossible or difficult to supply the balls thereafter.
Furthermore, there are currently two types of practice balls: large balls with large diameters and regular size balls, so in this type of ball feeding device, the dimensions of the slanted groove are set to match the large ball size so that both types of balls can be used. Balls of regular size are therefore particularly prone to forming external bridges.

Therefore, the object of this invention is to provide a device in which the bridge is not formed in any of the ball sizes even if there are two sizes of balls, and the purpose of this invention is to provide such a device on the market.

B. Structure of the invention (means for solving the problem) In order to achieve the above object, a ball storage box and a take-up device are connected by an inclined ball guide passage, and the bottom of the ball storage box is connected to the ball guide. The ball discharge port on the passage side has a low, gently sloping valley-bottom hopper shape, and the valley bottom portion is an inclined groove with a width and depth slightly larger than the diameter of the balls used, and from this inclined groove the ball guide passage is A ball guide rail having a U- to V-shaped cross section is provided over the entire length of the golf ball supply device, and the ball guide rail is connected to a vertical swing drive mechanism, and the ball guide rail is installed in the inclined groove in the ball storage box. At least one side wall plate of the ball guide rail in the positioned portion protrudes from the bottom of the hopper shape by a radius greater than the radius of the ball to be used when moved upward by the vertical swing drive mechanism, and extends below the ball guide rail. In the golf ball feeding device, the one side wall plate is dimensioned to be completely buried in the inclined groove when the golf ball is moved.

(Operation of the invention) In the device of this invention configured as described above, when a large number of balls are thrown into the ball storage box, some of the balls reach the ball guide rail in the inclined groove and are arranged in sequence. The ball is then supplied from the ball discharge port to the tie-up device through the ball guide passage.

However, in general, lateral pressure is applied to the ball at the bottom of the hopper shape, so a bridge is formed at the top of the inclined groove, but the ball guide rail moves up and down, and one side wall plate of the hopper shape The side wall plate protrudes above the bottom and above the radius of the ball, and is inserted between adjacent balls on at least one side of the balls on the inclined groove, and the contact between these balls is broken and the balls on the groove are placed on the inclined groove. The ball falls onto the inner ball guide rail.

When the ball guide rail is lowered, the side wall plate is completely submerged into the sloping groove, so that balls located outside the side wall plate or balls at other positions move to just above the slanted groove.

(Example) This invention will now be described based on a typical example shown in the drawings.

1 to 3, 10 is a ball storage box, 20 is a take-up device, and 30 is an inclined ball guide path connecting these.

The ball storage box 10 is sized to be able to store approximately 150 golf balls B at a time, and its bottom 11 is formed in the shape of a valley-shaped hopper with the ball guide path 30 side sloped low. The valley portion is a gently sloping groove 12 with a width and depth slightly larger than the diameter of the ball B used, that is, about 1.5 times the diameter of the ball B, and the ball storage area on the lowest side A ball outlet 13 is provided in the wall of the box 10, and the aforementioned ball guide passage 30 is connected to the ball outlet 13. A lid 15 is provided in the opening 14 on the top surface of the ball storage box 10, and the opening 14 is connected to the second opening 14.
As shown in the figure, it is inclined laterally.

The bottom 11 of the aforementioned ball storage box 10 has an inclined groove 1.
The height corresponding to the diameter of the ball B is different on the left and right sides of the ball B, and in the illustrated example, the height of the bottom portion 12 is also formed to be lower on the lower side of the opening 14.

In addition, the higher side surface 12a of the inclined groove 12 formed in this way and the ball storage box 10 opposite thereto.
The interval dimension W of the inner wall surface 10a of the ball is approximately 2.5 times the diameter of the large ball (see FIG. 2).

From the entire length of this ball guide passage 30 to the inclined groove 1
A ball guide rail 31 having a U-shaped or V-shaped cross section is provided over two parts, and in the embodiment, a channel member with an angular U-shaped cross section is used. A substantially intermediate portion of the ball guide rail 31 in the length direction is swingably mounted on a part of the ball guide passage 30 by a horizontal shaft 32, and one end thereof moves up and down within the inclined groove 12. A vertical movement drive mechanism 3 is installed in the machine frame or a member integral with the machine frame constituting the ball guide passage 30.
3 and is connected at the other end. This vertical movement drive mechanism 33 pushes up the other end of the ball guide rail 31 every half rotation of the rotation shaft 35 with a roller 37 provided at the tip of an arm 36 protruding radially from the rotation shaft 35 of the motor 34. The ball guide rail 31 is configured to swing around a horizontal axis 32.

The ball guide rail 31 is connected to the ball storage box 10.
A spring 38 provided therein biases one end of the ball guide rail 31 in the inclined groove 12 to the upper position.

The parts of the embodiments described above are no different from known devices. The difference is that at least one side wall plate 39 of the portion of the ball guide rail 31 located in the inclined groove 12 extends upward, and in the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a separate plate is provided for the ball guide. A side wall plate 39 is fixed to one side of the rail 31 and extends upward. When the ball guide rail 31 is in the upper position in the inclined groove 12, the side wall plate 39 is in the ball storage box 1.
0 protrudes from the bottom 11 of the ball B by a distance equivalent to the radius of the ball B, and is formed in a size that is completely below the bottom 11, that is, completely buried in the inclined groove 12, when the ball guide rail 31 is in the lower position. It has been done. In the example, the amplitude of this vertical movement is 18 mm.
And so.

In the illustrated example, the side wall plate 39 of the ball guide rail 31 is provided only on one side, but the ball guide rail 31
Even if it is provided on both sides, it is included in the embodiment of this invention.

Effect of the Embodiment Similar to the device of this invention, the lid 15 is opened, a large number of balls B are put into the ball storage box 10 through the opening 14, the motor 34 is driven, and the vertical movement drive mechanism 33
is rotated to swing the ball guide rail 31 about its horizontal axis 32 as a fulcrum, thereby moving the portion of the ball storage box 10 inside the inclined groove 12 up and down. The side wall plate 39 forming a part of the groove 31 also moves up and down, and each time it moves up and down, the side wall plate 39 blocks the frictional force between the ball B directly above the inclined groove 12 and the adjacent ball B, and Ball B located directly above groove 12 is placed in inclined groove 1.
2 into the ball guide rail 31.

The ball B placed on the ball guide rail 31 in the inclined groove 12 swings on the ball guide rail 3.
While rolling on the top of the table, they are sequentially supplied to the take-up device 20 one by one.

C. Effects of the invention In the device of this invention constructed and operated as described above, each time the ball guide rail moves up and down, the ball directly above the inclined groove and the adjacent ball come into contact with the side wall plate. Since the ball is thus blocked and the frictional force between the adjacent vaults is removed or reduced, the balls in this portion can be reliably guided into the inclined groove. Furthermore, the aforementioned side wall plate also has an agitation effect that breaks down the bridges of the balls in the ball storage box, making it difficult for bridges to form.

(Effects Unique to the Embodiment) When the ball guide rail 31 has the side wall plate 39 on one side, the other side pressure from one side is removed. With side wall plates 39 on both sides, the frictional force caused by other balls B from both sides is blocked each time the ball guide rail 31 rises within the inclined groove 12, and the balls B are reliably sent out of the ball storage box. have an effect.

In other embodiments, as described above, the bottom of the ball storage box 10 is provided with a step approximately equal to the diameter of the ball on both sides of the inclined groove 12.
The side pressure directions applied to the vertically overlapping balls B at the top of the ball B are opposite to each other, the width of the lower bottom part is narrowed, and a spring 38 is provided to prevent forced vertical movement by the vertical drive mechanism 33. In addition, the formation of bridges did not occur during the experimental period of at least several weeks due to the combination of vibrations and other effects caused by the repulsive force of the spring 38.

In addition, the opening 14 is inclined, and the lower bottom 11 of the side wall on one side of the storage box 10 is at a low position, so that the depth of the entire area of the storage box 10 is not much different and is formed to a uniform and sufficient depth. Because of this, many balls B
Even if you put it into the ball storage box 10 at once,
There is no possibility that some of the balls B will bounce and fly out of the ball storage box 10.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show a typical embodiment of this invention, in which Fig. 1 is a partially longitudinal schematic front view, Fig. 2 is a longitudinal side view of the ball storage box, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the ball guide rail. It is. Main symbols in the figure: 10...Ball storage box, 11...
...bottom, 12...inclined groove, 20...tear-up device, 30...ball guide passage, 31...ball guide rail, 39...side wall plate, B...ball.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A ball storage box and a take-up device are connected by an inclined ball guide passage, and the bottom of the ball storage box is a valley bottom type in which a ball discharge port on the side of the ball guide passage is low and gently inclined. The ball has a hopper shape, and the bottom part is an inclined groove with a width and depth slightly larger than the diameter of the ball used, and the ball has a U- to V-shaped cross section from inside this inclined groove to the ball guide path. A golf ball feeding device is provided with a guide rail, and the ball guide rail is connected to a vertically swinging drive mechanism. When the side wall plate is moved upward by the vertical swing drive mechanism, it protrudes beyond the radius of the ball to be used from the bottom of the hopper, and when it moves below the ball guide rail, it completely fits into the inclined groove. A golf ball feeding device characterized in that the device has dimensions such that it can be buried.