US1882785A - Attachment for golf bags - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 18, 1932. w. J. DOUGHTY ATTACHMENT FOR GOLF BAGS Filed July 13. 1931 INVENTOR W /lam IDouyfi/ ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 18, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VJILLIAM J'. DOUGHTY, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO ADDIE A. DOUGHTY, 01

- ,DETROIT, MICHIGAN AT-TACHMENT ron GOLF BAGS Application filed July 13, 1981. Serial No. 550,590.

This invention relates generally to golf equipment and refers more particularly to attachments for golf club containers, commonly known in the trade as caddy bags.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide an attachment inthe form of a standard designed tosupport golf bags in a position to permit the clubs therein to be conveniently manipulated and in such a manner that the player or other person attending the bag is not obliged to stoop to pick up the bag when it is desired to transport the same from one point to another.

Another object of this invention consists in the provision of an attachment of the type specified having legs movable from a compact position adjacent one side of the bag to a position wherein they cooperate with the bag to form a tripod for supportingthe bag in the position hereinbefore set forth.

Another advantageous feature of this invention resides in the means provided herein for moving the legs of the attachment to their operative and inoperative positions with respect to the bag. The aforesaid means is so designed as to function automatically upon resting the bottom of the bag on the ground to move the legs of the stand outwardly from the bag and upon lifting the latter, to automatically return the legs to their inoperative position adjacent one side of the bag.

A further advantageous feature of this 1nvention consists in the provision of actuating means of the above type operable to efi'ec-- apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fi re 1 is a side elevational view of a golf 7 ag equipped with my improved attachment and showing the latter inoperative relation to the bag;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the attachment showing the same in inoperative position;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view similar to Figure 1 with certain parts broken away;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 44: of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken'substantially on the line 55 of Figure 1 showing the legs in their inoperative positions.

As previously stated, the attachment illus-' trated herein finds particular utilit when used in connection with caddy bags or supporting the latter in a. convenient position to permit ready manipulation of the golf clubs within the bag and at the same time provide for lifting the bag with the minimum amount of effort or stooping on the part of the player or attendant of the bag. Accordingl I have shown in Figure 1 a caddy bag 10 of conventional design having a bottom portion 11 preferably constructed of rigid material and having a collar 12 encircling the top thereof and also formed of a relatively rigid material. The bottom portion 11 and collar 12 preferably form the supports to which my improved attachment, designated generally herein by the reference character 13, is either permanently or removably secured. As illustrated herein, the attachment is removably secured to the bag so as topermit the same to be manufactured and sold independently of the bagif desired.

In detail, the attachment 13 comprises a tubular plunger 14 mounted for reciprocation longitudinally of the bag and having the lower end thereof slidably mounted within'a suitable bracket 15 rigidly secured to the base portion 11 of the bag by means of vthe fastener elements 16. The upper end portion of the plunger 14 is adapted to telescopically engage within the adjacent end of a tubular casing 17 having the upper end thereof'adapt- Jill ed to be secured to the collar 12 of the bag by means of suitable fastening elements 18 engaging a bracket 19 which in turn is secured to the casing. The fastener elements 16 and 18 serve as the only means for securing the attachment to the bag and are preferably of the readily detachable type so as to provide for readily assembling the attachment to the bag or removing the same from the bag. e

The casing 17 is formed with a pair of cam tracks 20 and 21 in opposite side walls thereof adjacent the lower end of the same. The spaced cam tracks 20 and 21 are preferably in registration with each otherand are in the form of slots having relatively straight portions 22 extending in the direction of the path of movement of the plunger 14 and having inwardly curved portions 23 forming a continnation of the portions 22. Arranged upon opposite sides of the cam slots in the casing 17 are the tripod legs 24 and 25 having the upper ends thereof pivotally connected to the plunger by means of fastener elements 26 extending through the cam slots 20 and 21 as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

In order to accurately control movement of the legs relative to the bag, each of the legs are provided with rollers 30 beyond the fastener element 26. The rollers 30 are journaled upon the inner sides of each of the legs by means of the pins 31 secured to the upper ends of the legs and are adapted to engage within the cam slots 20 and 21 for anti-frictionally engaging the side walls thereof. The arrangement is such that when the legs 24 and 25 are in their inoperative positions adjacent the bag, both the rollers 30 and fastener elements'26 assume positions within the relatively straight portions 22 of the cam slots with the result that the legs are in effect loci-red in their inoperative positions. In thisconnection, it is to be noted that inward movement of the legs to their inoperative positions is restricted by means of a suitable bracket 32 having a body portion secured to the plunger and having semi-circular leg portions 33 onopposite sides of the body portion and plunger for receiving the legs.

With the construction as thus far described, it will be apparent that movement of the plunger 14 upwardly effectsa corresponding movement of the upper ends of the legs 24 and 25 owing to the connection thereof with the plunger, and, in addition; causes the rollers 30 beyond theefastenerelements 26 to follow the pathdefined by the inwardly extending portions 23 of the cam slots 20 and 21; Movementofthe rollers 30 within the aforesaid portions of the cam slots effects a pivotal movement of'the legs 24 and 25 relative to the plunger 14'about the fastener elements 26 to the position illustrated in Figure 1 which, incidentally, is determined by the particular design of cam slot. As will be apparent when the legs are in their outer positions as shown in the aforesaid figure, they cooperate with the plun er to form in effect a tripod to support the bag.

As previously stated, it is one of the objects of the invent-ion to accomplish both outward and inward movement of the legs automatically and for accomplishing the foregoing, I provide a suitable coil spring 34 arranged within the casing 17 in such a manner that the upper end thereof engages the corresponding end of the casing and the low- -er end of the same engages the upper end of the plunger. The coil spring tends to move the ilunger 14 in a downward direction and in so doing, effects a movement of the legs 24 and 25 to their inoperative positions as will be presently set forth. Downward movement of the plunger 14 by the coil spring is restricted by means of the engagement of the fastener elements 26 with the lower end walls 35 of the cam slots in the casing 17. In this connection,it is to be noted that the length of the plunger 14 and slots is so determined that when the fastener elements 26 are in engagement with the end walls 35 thereof, the lower end of the plunger projects below the bottom surface of the bag a distance corresponding to the upward movement of the plunger necessary for moving the tripod legs to their outermost positions with respect to the bag. In other Words, the lower end of the plunger 14 normally extends below the bottom of the bag so that upon resting the bottom of thebag upona support, the lower end of the plunger is engaged by the upport and caused to move upwardly against the action of the spring to effect outward movement of the tripod legs in the manner hereinbefore set forth. .The tension of the spring 34 is accurately determined so that the combined weight of the bag and clubs carried thereby will be substantially sufficient to move the plunger 14 upwardly to compress the spring 34 so as to require the minimum amount of additional effort on the part of the player or other person attending the bag.

The spring 34, however, is of sufficient strength to automatically move the plunger 14 downwardly for effecting inward move ment of the legs 24 and 25 upon picking up the bag. It is obvious that movement of the plunger downwardly effects a corresponding movement of the trinod legs through the fasteners 26 and accordingly causes the rollers 30 to move out of the portions 23 of the cam slots intothe portions 22 thereof. Movement of the rollers as specified effects an inward movement of the legs 24 and 25 to a position upon opposite sides of the plunger adjacent the bag. From the foregoing, it will be readily apparent that since both the fasteners 26 and rollers 30 are in the relatively straight portions of the cam slots when the legs are in a position adjacent the bag, movement of the legs. outwardly to their supporting position by their own weight or by a force exerted directly thereon will be prevented by the inner walls of the portions 22 of the slots.

In order to reduce the Weight and cost of manufacture of the attachment, as Well as minimize the number of parts involved, the plunger 14, as well as the tripod legs 24 and 25, is formed of relatively light gage steel tubing and the casing 17 is preferably formed by stamping the same from sheet metal. The upper ends of the tubular legs 24 and 25 are preferably flattened and return-bent as will be observed from Figure 4 to provide an efficient bearing surface with the opposite side walls of the casing. The lower ends of the tubes are also flattened and tapered as at 40 so as to intimately engage the support. If desired, suitable bumpers 41 formed of rubber or other resilient non-metallic material may be secured to the legs in a position to engage the positioning member 32 secured to the plunger. The lower end of the plunger may be provided with a suitable cap 42 formed of rubber or other suitable material to absorb shocks and at the same time prevent slipping of the bag when supported by the legs 24 and 25.

Thus, from the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a. relatively simple and compact attachment for caddy bags which may be readily assembled upon or removed from the bag and which does not appreciably add to the weight of the bag.

hat I claim as my invention is:

1. An attachment for golf bags comprising telescopically engaging parts, one of the parts adapted to be fixed to a bag and the other part mounted for movement longitudinally of the bag, a pair of legs pivotally,

connected adjacent the upper ends thereof to one of said parts, and cam means associated with the other of said parts and operable upon relative movement of the parts for simultaneously swinging said legs from a position adjacent the bag to a position wherein they cooperate with the plunger to form a tripod for supporting the bag.

2. An attachment for golf bags comprising telescopically engaging parts, one of the parts adapted to be fixed to a bag and the other part mounted for movement longitudinally of the bag, a pair of legs pivotally connected to the last-mentioned partand movable from aposition adjacent the bag to a position spaced therefrom wherein they cooperate with the plunger to form a tripod for supporting the bag, and cam means associated with the fixed part aforesaid open able to automatically lock the legs in a posi tion adjacent the bag and operable upon axial displacement of the movable part to simultaneously move both legs to their operative positions wherein they cooperate to support the bag.

i 3. An attachment for golf bags comprising telescopically engaging parts, one of said parts adapted to be fixed to a bag and the other of said parts mounted for reciprocation longitudinally of the bag, a pair of legs arranged upon opposite sides of the telescopically engaging parts and pivotally connected adjacent the upper ends thereof to one of the latter parts, cam slots formed in the other of said parts, and means upon said legs beyond the pivotal connection thereof to the part aforesaid and engageablewithin said cam slots for swinging the legs relative to the bag upon relative movement of said parts.

4. An attachment for golf bags comprisinga plunger mounted upon a bag for reciprocation. longitudinally thereof, guide means for the plunger fixed to the bag and having cam surfaces provided with relatively straight portions extending in the direction of reciprocation of the plunger and with inwardly curved portions extending at an angle to the straight portions aforesaid, a pair of legs disposed upon opposite sides of the guide-means and movable from an inoperative position adjacent the bag to a position wherein they cooperate with the bag to 3 support the same, pivots connecting the upper end portions of the legs to the plunger and engaging the cam surfaces, and means upon said legs beyond the pivotal connections thereof to the plunger also engaging said cam surfaces, said last-mentioned means arranged to assume a position on the straight portions aforesaid of the cam surfaces when the legs are in their inoperative position and function upon movement of the aforesaid pivots by displacement of the plunger in one direction to engage the. inwardly curved portions of said cam surfaces and thereby swing the legs about the said pivots.

5. An attachment for golf bags comprising a'plunger mounted upon a bag. for reciprocation longitudinally thereof, guide means forthe plunger fixed to the bag and having registering cam slots provided with corresponding relatively straight portions extending in the direction of reciprocation of the plunger and with corresponding inwardly. curved portions, a pair of legs positioned upon opposite sides of the guide means and movable from an inoperative position adjacent the bag to an operative position spaced from the latter for supporting the same, means for pivotally connecting the upper end portions of the legs to the plunger including upon the upper ends of the legs beyond the pivotal connections of the latter to the plunger and normally engageable within the relatively straight portions of the cam slots to cooperate with the pivot pins for locking the legs in their inoperative position, said means operable upon movement of the plunger in a direction toward the pivot pins to move into the curved portions of the cam slots and thereby effect a swinging movement or" the legs outwardly from the bag about the said pivot pins.

6. An attachment for golf bags comprising telescopically engaging parts, one of the parts adapted to be fixed to the bag and the other part mounted for reciprocation longitudinally of the bag, a pair of legs disposed upon opposite sides of the telescopically engaging parts and movable from an inoperative position adjacent the bag to an operative position for supporting the bag, cam

slots formed in said fixed part and having corresponding relatively straight portions extending in the direction of relative movement of the parts and further having corresponding inwardly curved portions communicating with the straight portions, pins pivotally connecting the legs to the movable part and extending through the cam slots, means upon the upper ends of the legs movable from a position within the relatively straight porl tions of the slots when the legs are in their inoperative position to a position within the curved portions of the slots for effecting swinging movement of the legs to their oper-o ative positions about the pins, and means for automatically returning said legs to their inoperative positions.

7 An attachment for golf bags comprising telescopically engaging tubular parts formed of relatively light gage metal, a pair of relatively light gage tubular legs having flattened end portions arranged upon opposite sides of the telescopically engaging parts and pivotally connected to one of the latter,

and cam means associated with the other part and operable upon relative movement of said parts for automatically swinging said legs outwardly from the bag about the pivotal connection thereof, and means for resisting outward movement of the legs and for auto- 3 matically returning the latter to their inoperative positions.

8. An attachment for golf bags comprising telescopically engaging parts, one of said parts adapted to be fixed to the bag and the other of said parts mounted for movement longitudinally of the bag, a pair of legs pivotally connected to one of said parts and movable from a position adjacent the bag to a position wherein they cooperate with the bag to support the latter, and means for simultaneously moving said legs to their supporting aositions upon relative movement of the parts, said means including cam engaging portions at the upper ends of the legs and ture.

WILLIAM J. DOUGHTY.

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