BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION It is considered good golfing etiquette to play with clean balls. A more practical reason is that a shiny, clean ball is easier to find if it goes off the fairway than one that is dirty.

The present invention seeks to provide a device which is specifically intended for cleaning golf balls but can be used to clean any other spherical objects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for cleaning a spherical object which comprises a cup having an inner surface which bounds a cavity into which the object can be inserted, there being cleaning means protruding from said inner surface into said cavity for rubbing on the surface of an object rotating in said cavity.

Said device can further include a reservoir for receiving cleaning fluid and a valve for controlling flow of cleaning fluid from said reservoir to said cavity.

Said cup can be in the form of a hollow hemisphere which is open around its equator. Said reservoir can be contained within a protuberance projecting from the polar region of the hemisphere.

5 The cleaning means can be in the form of bristles.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of cleaning a spherical object which comprises inserting it into a cavity which is bounded by a wall from which cleaning means project, and rolling the object on a planar surface so that it rotates in said cavity and is cleaned by the cleaning 10 means.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a golf ball cleaner comprising a container with ball cleaning material therein which material includes, or consists of, foamed plastics material for absorbing a cleaning liquid, there being a socket in the cleaning material into which a golf ball can be 15 pressed so that relative motion between the ball and the cleaning material ribs dirt off the surface of the ball.

Preferably said cleaning material comprises a hollow sleeve of relatively soft foamed plastics material in the container and a ring of relatively hard

foamed plastics material in which said socket is formed. In another form said cleaning comprises a hollow sleeve of relatively soft foamed plastics material in the container and a layer of cloth or leather with a hole in it, the layer of cloth or leather forming a covering for said sleeve.

According to a still further aspect of the present invention there is provided a golf ball cleaner comprising a housing, absorbent means within the housing for absorbing a supply of cleaning liquid, a ball cleaning structure in the housing and movable towards and away from said absorbent means, movement of said structure towards said absorbent means compressing said absorbent means to squeeze out any liquid in said absorbent means and an opening in said housing for receiving a golf ball to be cleaned, a ball which, in use, enters the housing through said opening contacting said structure and pressing it towards said absorbent means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic pictorial view of a device for cleaning a golf ball ; Figure 2 is a pictorial view of an advertising hoarding; Figure 3 is a pictorial view of a refuse bin;

Figure 4 is a section through a further golf ball cleaner ; and Figure 5 is a section through a still further golf ball cleaner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The device 10 illustrated in Figure 1 comprises a cup 12 which can be moulded in rubber or synthetic plastics material or fabricated from metal.

The cup 12 is generally hemispherical in form and is open along its equator. It has, protruding from the inner face thereof, a plurality of bristles designated 14.

The cup is extended by a protrusion 16 which is in the polar region.

The protrusion 16 is hollow and forms a reservoir 18 for a cleaning fluid. A removable plug 20 permits access to be had to the reservoir for the purpose of filling it with cleaning fluid. There is a passageway between the reservoir and the interior space which receives the golf ball GB. Flow of cleaning fluid from the reservoir 18 to the cavity which has the bristles 14 in it is controlled by a manually operable valve 22.

The device 10 is used by pushing the golf ball GB into the cavity of the cup 12. At least when the device is new and the bristles are stiff, the bristles will grip the ball and prevent it falling out of the cavity.

The ball is then placed on the flat surface and rolled over the surface by displacing the device in a direction parallel to the surface. As the ball rotates it moves relatively to the bristles which remove dirt from its surface.

Pressure on the valve 22 opens it and releases cleaning liquid onto the 5 golf ball as it rotates past the valve.

Turning now to Figure 2, this shows an advertising board 24 which is fixed to a wall W. The board 24 has a horizontal slot 26 therein for receiving and guiding the device 10 of Figure 1 which, as illustrated, is attached by a chain 28 to the board 24. Two reservoirs for cleaning liquid are shown at 30 and 32. The 10 reservoir 30 is connected by a down pipe 34 to a valve 36. When the valve 36 is opened cleaning liquid runs onto the golf ball which is held against, or adjacent to, the valve outlet. The reservoir 32 is open-topped and the golf ball can be dipped into the cleaning liquid before being inserted into the device 10.

In use, the device 10 is moved back and forth along the slot 26, the 15 ball rolling on the wall W to which the board is fitted. In a modified form the slot does not pass right through the board to expose the wall but is in the form of an elongate recess. In this form the base surface of the recess can be lined with a friction material which will promote rotation of the ball.

In Figure 3 the refuse bin 38 illustrated comprises a drum-like base 40

which has a ring 42 around the open upper end thereof. The ring 42 is hingedly connected to the base 40 at a point around its periphery. A rotatable lid 44 with a depending rim 46 is secured to the base ring 42 by means of a bolt 48 which extends through a central hole in the lid 44 and attaches to an inner lid which fits in the ring 42 and is secured thereto.

The lid 44 has a hole 50 in it and a device 10 is secured to the lid by a chain 52.

Only that part of the inner lid, designated 54 in Figure 3, which is accessible through the hole 50 is visible in Figure 3.

In use the device 10 with the golf ball in it is inserted into the hole 50.

The lid 44 is then oscillated with respect to the drum 40 so that the ball runs back and forth along a curved track constituted by part 54 of the top face of the inner lid.

To put rubbish in the bin or empty the bin, the lid 44, the ring 42 and the inner lid are tilted upwards about the hinged connection to the base 40.

A supply of cleaning liquid can be provided in association with the bin 38.

A golf ball cleaner 56 shown in Figure 4 comprises a container 58 of

metal or synthetic plastics material, the container being open at one end and having a cylindrical side wall 60 and a transverse end wall 62.

A hollow sleeve 64 of foamed plastics material is fitted into the container 58 and serves to absorb a quantity of cleaning liquid. The foamed plastics material of the sleeve 64 can be relatively soft so that it readily absorbs the cleaning liquid.

Adjacent the open end of the container there is a ring 66 of harder foamed plastic which is bonded to the sleeve 64. The ring 66 can be replaced by a layer of cloth or leather which has a hole in it. The hole in the ring 66 forms a socket for the golf ball GB.

In use of the cleaner it is held as shown and the golf ball GB is pushed into it. The container is then rotated about its axis relatively to the ball whilst the ball is held. The ball is pushed in hard enough to compress the end of the sleeve 64 (as shown in dotted lines) thus squeezing out some of the cleaning liquid which has been absorbed into the sleeve. Relative rotation between the ball and the ring 66 cleans off the surface of the ball leaving the dirt on the ring 66. The device of Figure 4 can, of course, also be used by rolling the ball over a surface as described above in relation to Figure 1.

Turning finally to Figure 5, the golf ball cleaner illustrated comprises a

two part housing 68. The lower part 70 of the housing is in the form of an upwardly open cup, the bottom wall 72 of the cup having a hole 74 in it. A knotted string 76 emerges from the hole 74 and permits the cleaner to be suspended from, for example, a golf bag.

Within the cup there is a pad 78 of an absorbent foamed plastics material. The pad 78 is in the form of a short hollow cylinder.

The upper part of the housing comprises a cylindrical side wall 80 having a spigot 82 at one end. The spigot 82 fits into the lower part 70. At the other end of the side wall 80 there is a radially inwardly directed flange 82 which bounds an opening 84. The opening 84 is sized to enable a golf ball GB to be pushed into it. A ball cleaning structure in the form of a bristle carrying element 86 fits in the upper part of the housing and rests on the pad 78. Bristles 88 protrude from the element 86 towards the opening 84 and terminate just below the level of the opening.

To use the cleaner the housing is partly filled with water, preferably water with a detergent or liquid soap in it. The water soaks into the pad 78. The golf ball to be cleaned is inserted so that it rests on the bristles 88. This is the position shown in Figure 5. The housing 68 is then gripped and turned through 90 degrees whilst preventing the ball from falling out of the opening 84.

The ball can now be rolled on a vertical surface whilst pressure is exerted by pressing the housing 68 towards the vertical surface. This causes the ball to press on the element 86 which slides along the upper casing part piston and cylinder fashion. The element 86 bears on one end of the cylindrical pad 78 compressing the pad 78 axially and squeezing the water out of it so that it is available for cleaning purposes. The pad can be compressed, for example, to the level shown by the chain dotted line before the ball GB contacts the flange 82. It is also possible to turn the housing 68 upside down so that the ball is below the housing. By pressing down on the housing the ball can be rolled on a horizontal surface. Loss of cleaning liquid inevitably occurs if the housing is inverted.