GB2328162A - Rake attachment for golf clubs - Google Patents

Abstract

The attachment 2 for a golf club which enables a golfer to rake sand or the like comprises a head 4 and means for attachment to the club. The means of attachment may be via a hollow conical shaped tube 6 with a longitudinal slot 8 into which the shaft 22 of a club is placed, the attachment is then moved onto the grip 24 of the club. The attachment may also be attached by a clasp such as two semi-circular brackets which are hingeably connected. The attachment may be formed of compressive material for fitting onto the grip, or may be formed as a single moulded plastic unit. The head may also take the form of a hoe and the tube may have gripping means 12 on its external surface.

Description

TITLE: An accessory for a golf club.

DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to an accessory for a golf club.

A problem which is encountered on golf courses is the uneven surface of sand in a bunker due to a golfer standing in the bunker to play a stroke and/or disturbing the sand when striking the ball. This increases the difficulty of striking a ball which has landed in the bunker for subsequent golfers. Such sand bunkers are normally raked at intervals, for example, at the start and/or end of the day but soon become uneven once a few golfers have had to stand in the bunker to play a stroke. Some golf courses do provide rakes to enable a golfer to rake the bunker after use but only a small number of rakes are provided per course with the result that the rake may be positioned at the other end of a course when a golfer wishes to use it. Alternatively, a golfer may carry his own rake round the golf course. However, this is undesirable because the golfer already has a large amount of golfing equipment to transport around the course.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a more convenient means for raking the ground, particularly for use during a game of golf.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an attachment for a golf club, the attachment comprising a head adapted for raking an area of soil, sand or the like and having means for attaching the head to a golf club.

Preferably, the head is in the form of a head of a rake, being a comb-like structure having teeth for drawing through the ground. It is preferable that the head is between 10cm and 40cm in length, especially being 20cm in length. Preferably, the head is provided with between 6 and 12 teeth, being between 1.5 and 5cm in length, especially 2cm. The teeth are provided at spaced apart intervals having a gap of between 1.5 and 4cm therebetween, especially 2cm. Alternatively, the head may be in the form of a hoe.

The means for attachment to the golf club is preferably in the form of a hollow tube which is dimensioned such as to fit snugly over a grip provided on a shaft of a golf club. The tube is preferably open ended and is provided with a longitudinal slot extending from one end of the tube to the other whereby the tube may be fitted onto a thinner region of the shaft. The tube may then be pushed up the shaft and onto the grip to be held in position. The head is preferably attached to the tube at one end by suitable means, such as joiners, fasteners, welding or the like. The head of the attachment preferably extends from a front end of the tube which, in use, is positioned near to the end of the grip with the tube extending rearwardly over the suface of the grip. The tube is preferably conical-shaped, being tapered towards the free end thereof such that, in use, the contours of the tube correspond to those of the grip of the club. Once the attachment is fitted to the club, the shaft of the club acts as a pole for the golfer to hold for pulling the head through the sand.

The tube is preferably between 2cm and 10cm in length, especially being 6cm in length. Preferably, the end of the tube which is attached to the head is around 3cm in diameter, tapering to a diameter of around 2.4cm at the free end thereof. The respective sides of the tube do not meet, thereby forming the slot of between 0.5 and 1.5cm, preferably being 1.2cm. The tube is preferably provided with gripping means such as ribbing on an outer surface thereof.

The attachment may be made of any suitable material. Preferably, the attachment is made of a strong plastics material. The tube is preferably made of a plastics material which is not brittle, thereby preventing breakage thereof when fitting the tube over the grip of a golf club. The attachment may be made as a single moulded plastics unit.

Alternative means for attaching the head to a golf club may be provided such as a clasp. The clasp preferably comprises two semi-circular brackets being hingedly mounted to one another and having means for fastening the two brackets together. It is to be appreciated that the diameter of the clasp would have to correspond to the diameter of the grip of the golf club to which it is to be applied. Alternatively, a tube of compressive material may be provided for fitting straight onto the grip.

For a better understanding of the present invention and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made by way of example only to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an attachment for a golf club according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the attachment of Figure 1 being fitted to a golf club; and Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a golf club fitted with the attachment shown in Figure 1.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings, a rake attachment 2 for a golf club is shown having a comb-like head 4 and means 6 for attaching the same to a golf club 20. The head 4 is provided with a number of teeth 10 at spaced apart intervals for drawing through the sand of a golf bunker. The means for attachment to a golf club comprises a hollow conical shaped tube 6 which is open ended and has a longitudinal slot 8 extending from one end to the other. The tube 6 is provided with gripping means, for example in the form of ribbing 6 to assist in handling of the attachment as it is fitted to the golf club 20. The tube is attached to the comblike head by means of joiners 16 fixed to the top of the head and the area of the tubing abutting the head by suitable fastening means, such as welding.

The attachment is preferably of a small size such that it can be easily carried in the golf bag of the player and removed therefrom when required. The tube 6 is preferably approximately 6cm in length, being around 3cm in diameter at the end attached to the head of the device and tapering to a diameter of approximately 2.4cm at the free end thereof. The head of the attachment is preferably around 20cm in length, with each tooth being about 2cm in length. A gap of around 2cm is provided between adjacent teeth. Preferably, the attachment is provided with between six and twelve teeth.

The device is preferably made from a strong, plastics material to ensure that the head of the attachment can withstand the force exerted thereon when it is in use.

The means for attachment to the golf club is preferably not brittle, thus having a degree of flexibility to prevent breakage of the attachment when being fitted to a golf club. The attachment may be formed as a moulded plastics unit to provide a cheap device which may be mass produced thereby resulting in the device being readily available to all golfers. The plastics material of the attachment also results in the device being lightweight and therefore is convenient to carry around the course.

Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings illustrates how the attachment is fitted to the grip 24 of a golf club. The shaft 22 of the golf club is pushed through the slot 8 provided in the tube 6. The golfer then grips the tube and pushes the attachment onto the grip 24 of the golf club. The conical shape of tube corresponds to the tapered grip of the golf club and the dimensions of the grip are slightly greater than those of the tube to prevent rotation or other movement of the attachment.

In this manner, the golfer can temporarily attach the device to the grip of a golf club and by inverting the club place the attachment in contact with the ground to enable the raking thereof. Once the sand in the bunker has been levelled off the attachment can be removed from the club by carrying out the steps for installation in the reverse sequence. The attachment can then be stowed away in the golfer's bag and the club may be used in the conventional manner.

The tube for providing attachment to the grip of the club is preferably of a similar length to the grip to provide greater stability of the device when in use. The provision of a slot not only allows the fitting of the device over the shaft of the club but allows the tube to fit golf clubs having grips of different dimensions.

It is to be appreciated that different means for attachment may be provided in the device of the present invention. For example, the head may be provided with a clasp in the centre thereof comprising two semi-circular brackets which are hingedly mounted with respect to each other. The brackets are placed around the grip of the club and fastened together by suitable means, the diameter of the clasp being such as to fit snugly around the grip of the club to which it is to be applied. Alternatively, a tube of compressible material, such as an elastomer, may be employed for fitting straight on to grip. A different shape of head may also be used in the present invention, for example being in the form of a hoe.

The attachment of the present invention provides a cheap, lightweight and convenient means for enabling a golfer to rake a sand bunker after playing a shot without having to carry a bulky, heavy conventional rake around the course.

Claims (14)

1. An attachment for a golf club, the attachment comprising a head adapted for raking an area of soil, sand or the like and having means for attaching the head to a golf club.

2. An attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the head is a comb-like structure having teeth at spaced apart intervals for drawing through the ground.

3. An attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the head is in the form of a hoe.

4. An attachment as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3, wherein the means for attachment to the golf club is in the form of a hollow tube being dimensioned to fit snugly over a grip provided on a shaft of a golf club.

5. An attachment as claimed in claim 4, wherein the tube is open-ended and has a longitudinal slot extending from one end of the tube to the other whereby the tube may be fitted onto a thinner region of the shaft and pushed up the shaft onto the grip.

6. An attachment as claimed in claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the head of the attachment extends from a front end of the tube which, in use, is positioned near to the end of the grip with the tube extending rearwardly over the surface of the grip.

7. An attachment as claimed in claim 4,5 or 6, wherein the tube is conicalshaped, being tapered towards the free end thereof such that, in use, the contours of the tube correspond to those of the grip of the club.

8. An attachment as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 7, wherein the tube is provided with gripping means on an outer surface thereof.

9. An attachment as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the tube is made of a plastics material.

10. An attachment as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3, wherein the means for attachment of the head to a golf club is a clasp.

11. An attachment as claimed in claim 10, wherein the clasp comprises two semicircular brackets hingedly mounted with respect to one another having means for fastening the two brackets together.

12. An attachment as claimed in claim 1,2 or 3, wherein the means for attachment is a tube of compressive material for fitting onto the grip.

13. An attachment as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the head and the means for attaching the head to the golf club are made as a single moulded plastics unit.

14. An attachment for a golf club substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.