Field of the Invention

[0001 ] This invention relates generally to a golf ball pickup attachment for a golf club.

Summary of the Disclosure

[0002] There is provided herein a golf ball pickup attachment for a golf club, such as a putter. The attachment comprises a fork having a base and a pair of tines. In use, the base is attachable to a handle end of a shaft the golf club in use and the tines can hold a golf ball therebetween.

[0003] The unique pressed shape of the fork in embodiments allows for a positive pin point grip to hold the golf ball in an optimum position whilst also allowing for the easy removal of the ball from the fork.

[0004] The narrowing tines of the fork in embodiments allows the ball to be picked up with the club held at an angle. Furthermore, the slimline aspect of the base of the fork in embodiments allows easy access and removal of the attachment from golf bags and also allows the removal of the ball from the golf cup whilst the flag is in position. [0005] The metallic plate of the fork in embodiments allows for the fork to be readjusted to suit different size balls and corrected from any misuse and can be manufactured in different materials for appearance and longevity, such as polished stainless, anodised aluminium or painted or powder coated steel. These materials are not subject to heat degradation like plastic components would.

[0006] The fork may be attached to the golf club using an adapter.

[0007] One form of adapter allows for a rigid fit-type connection by engaging inside the golf club shaft. This adaptor may have a common thread size which allows for both a grub screw to expand the adapter and a fastening screw to engage the fork to the adapter.

[0008] The grub screw may have tapered end as does the distal end of the bore of the adapter so that, when the grub screw is tightened, the grub screw causes the male end of the adapter within the shaft to expand. Longitudinal slits separating the male end into portions may allow the male end to expand and to fit a vast array of shafts. With this adapter, the fork can be rotated to any position as to suit any grip on the club. The adapter can also be used as a mounting method to fit training and alignment tools to the end of the club.

[0009] The quick fit-type adapter uses a spacer which can be secured to the shaft by inserting, drilling or screwing a fastener therethrough into the club and wherein a secondary fastener may fasten the fork to the secured spacer thereby allowing for quick fit attachment and for a smaller hole in the handle of the club as compared to the above rigid fit connection. The spacer may be countersunk for flush fit of the fastener screw.

[0010] The unique pressed shape of the present attachment in embodiments allows for pin point pressure and holding power that can be adjusted to have 2-5 points of contact with a ball and allows for offset pick up wherein the ball does not have to be centred in the attachment to be picked up. Furthermore, the pressed shape allows removal of the ball from cup whilst flag is still in and is design also allows for nonsnagging entry and removal from golf bags.

[0011 ] The adapter gives a strong and rigid mounting platform for both the ball pick up and other attachments like training and alignment components (multi-use) and the construction materials confer longevity whist allowing for readjustment of the attachment and the combination of the construction material and design should last a lifetime.

[0012] Other aspects of the invention are also disclosed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013] Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within the scope of the present invention, preferred embodiments of the disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0014] Figure 1 shows a disassembled view of a secure fit-type golf ball pickup attachment for a golf club;

[0015] Figure 2 shows an adapter of the attachment of Figure 1 ;

[0016] figure 3 shows the attachment of Figure 1 security golf ball; [0017] Figure 4 shows a disassembled view of a quick fit-type golf ball pickup attachment for a golf club in accordance with a further embodiment;

[0018] Figure 5 shows a spacer adapter of the attachment of Figure 4; and

[0019] Figure 6 shows the attachment of Figure for engaging a golf ball.

Description of Embodiments

[0020] A golf ball pickup attachment 100 for a golf club 101 comprises a fork 102 having a base 103 and a pair of tines 104. In use, the base 103 is attachable to a handle end of a shaft 105 of the golf club 101 so that the tines 104 can hold a golf ball 106 therebetween.

[0021 ] The tines 104 define a gap therebetween slightly less than the diameter of the golf ball 106 so that, in use, the tines 104 expand slightly when the golf ball 106 is pressed therebetween so that the tines 104 forcefully bear against opposite sides of the golf ball 106. Whereas the diameter of a conventional golf ball may be 42.67 mm, the gap between the tines 104 may be approximately 40 mm or less.

[0022] In the embodiment shown, the fork 102 is a shaped plate 107, preferably metallic.

[0023] The plate 107 may be shaped so that the golf ball 106 contacts the attachment 100 at more than one point as shown in Figure 3 or 6 including inner faces of the tines 104 and an upper surface of the base 103. For example, the plate 107 may contact the ball 106 at the tine 104 tips, the angled sides of the tines 104 and the fastening screw 1 16 or the upper surface of the base 103. In embodiments, the plate 107 can be adjusted to have between 2 and 5 points of contact with the ball 106.

[0024] The tines may extend more than 21 mm from the upper surface of the base 103 of the plate 107 to reach beyond sides of a conventionally sized golf ball.

[0025] The base 103 may be flat and attachable across the end of the shaft 105. Furthermore, distal ends of the tines 104 may be orthogonal with respect to the flat base 103. Furthermore, the distal ends of the tines 104 may themselves also be planar so as to allow for golf ball position tolerance therebetween. The tips of the tines 104 may be slightly splayed apart in embodiments. [0026] The fork 104 is preferably rotatable with respect to the shaft 105 when attached to the shaft so that the orientation of the fork 104 may be adjusted depending on the orientation of the head of the golf club 101.

[0027] The plate 107 may narrow in width from the base 103 towards each tine 104. Probably, each tine 104 narrows in width continuously from the base 103 to the distal ends thereof. This narrowing towards the tines 104 allows the golf ball 106 to be picked up with the club 101 at an angle with respect to the ground.

[0028] The base 103 preferably has a width of less than 44.5 mm so as to be able to reach into green hole cups to retrieve golf balls 106 even with a flag installed therein. [0029] The attachment 100 may comprise an adapter interfacing the base 103 and the end of the shaft 105.

[0030] The embodiments of Figures 1 - 3 show a rigid fit-type adapter 108 having a male end 109 which inserts into the end of the shaft 105. As shown in Figure 1 , a conforming size aperture 1 10 may be made in the rubber grip of the handle of the club 101 through which the male end 109 inserts into the interior of the shaft 105.

[0031 ] The male end 109 may expand when inside the shaft. Specifically, the male end 109 may comprise a plurality of longitudinally orientated slits 1 1 1 along an insertion axis of the adapter 108 which separate the male end 109 into a plurality of portions 1 12 which can expand outwardly when inside the shaft 105.

[0032] With reference to Figure 2, the adapter 108 may comprise a bore 1 13 through to the male and 109 and wherein an insert is inserted therein to expand the male end 109.

[0033] The bore 1 13 may be threaded and, with reference to Figure 1 , the insert may comprise a grub screw 1 14 which, when screwed into the threaded bore 1 13 to the male and 109, causes the portions 1 12 to expand outwardly to frictionally engage the interior surface of the shaft. The distal end of the grub screw 1 14 may be tapered and the bore 1 13 may have a corresponding constriction as shown in Figure 2 so that the grub screw 1 14 causes the portions 1 12 to expand when reaching the distal end of the bore 1 13. [0034] The base 103 may comprise an aperture 1 15 therethrough and wherein a fastener 1 16 goes through the base 103 and into the adapter 108 to hold the fork 102 to the adapter 108.

[0035] The fastener 1 16 may be a screw fastener which screws into the threaded bore 1 13. The bore 1 13 may have a common thread pitch and diameter and wherein the screw fastener 1 16 and grub screw 1 14 have a common thread pitch and diameter so that the screw fastener 1 16 can follow the grub screw 1 14 into the bore 1 13.

[0036] The adapter 108 may comprise a planar interface 1 17 which bears flat against an underside of the base 103.

[0037] The adapter 108 may comprise a head 1 18 which is wider than the male end 109 and an interior diameter of the shaft 105.

[0038] The aperture 1 15 may be countersunk on an upper surface of the base 103 and the fastener 1 16 may be a conforming countersunk screw.

[0039] Figures 4 - 6 show a quick fit-type adapter 1 19 comprising a spacer 120 having a bore 121 therethrough and wherein a fastening screw 122 fastens the spacer 120 to an end of the shaft 105 and wherein the base 103 fastens to the spacer 120.

[0040] The screw fastener 122 allows a smaller diameter aperture 123 to be formed in the golf club 101 as compared to the aperture 1 10 shown in Figure 1 . Furthermore, the fastener 122 may be course threaded to adequately engage the handle rubber or like material of the club 101 . The fastener 122 may comprise a drill bit end 124 to allow the fastener 122 to be drilled into the grip 101 through the spacer 120.

[0041 ] A head 125 of the fastening screw 122 may comprise a threaded blind bore 126 therein for a secondary fastening screw 127 which goes through an aperture 128 of the base 103 and screwably engages the threaded blind bore 126.

[0042] As shown in Figure 5, the spacer 120 may be countersunk for a conformingly countersunk shaped head 125 of the fastener 122. As is further shown in Figure 5, the spacer 120 may be countersunk on an undersurface thereof to ensure a positive fit when mating it with a grip that has been manufactured with an end radius.

[0043] In embodiments, the spacer 120 may have a counterbore formed therein (as opposed to a countersink) and wherein the base 103 of the fork 102 is pressed to form a countersink which extends under the base 103. As such, when the base 103 of the fork 102 is placed on top of the spacer 120, a top surface of the pressed countersink of the base 103 is engaged by the head of the fastening screw 127 and the pressed countersink of the base 103 extends into the counterbore of the spacer 120.

[0044] Similarly, in embodiments, the base 103 of the fork 102 of the embodiment of Figure 1 may be pressed to form a countersink extending under the base 103. Furthermore, the interface 1 17 of the adapter 108 may have a conforming countersunk depression to accommodate the countersunk undersurface of the base 103 of the fork 102 therein.

[0045] In embodiments, the spacer 120 may comprise a tapered undercut to enhance mating with the radial end surface of the end of the rubber grip of the shaft 105. In embodiments, the male end 109 of the adapter 108 may comprise a tapered undercut to enhance mating with the radial undersurface of the shaft 105.

[0046] Using the attachment 100 to pick up a golf ball 106 may comprise attaching the attachment 100 to the handle end of the club 101 in use and holding the club 101 upside down to pick up the golf ball 106 from the ground using the fork 102.

[0047] The adapter of Figures 1 - 3 may be used for a more permanent rigid fit-type installation wherein a relatively larger aperture 1 10 can be formed in the golf club 101 or alternatively the adapter 1 19 of Figures 4 - 6 may be used for a more quick fit-type installation.

[0048] As alluded to above, the sizing of the base 103 may allow the fork 102 to fit into a green cup hole with a flag installed therein to retrieve the golf ball 106.

[0049] Furthermore, the way in which the plate 107 narrows towards the tines 104 may allow the golf ball 106 to be picked up with the club 101 held at an angle to the ground.

[0050] Furthermore, the fork 102 may be rotated with respect to the orientation of the golf club head so that the fork 102 is correctly orientated when picking up the golf ball. [0051 ] The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that specific details are not required in order to practise the invention. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the invention are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed as obviously many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the following claims and their equivalents define the scope of the invention.