Supporting device for golf bags

Aug. 1, 1933

1,920,581

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T. W. MURPHY ET AL

SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR GOLF BAGS

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Aug. 1, 1933

1,920,581

T. W. MURPHY ET AL

SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR GOLF BAGS

Filed May 23. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2

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THOMAS W. MURPHY JOHN C. OT/S ^BY W/LUAM G. WADDEL

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Patented Aug. 1, 1933

1,920,581

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE

1,920,581

SUPPORTING DEVICE FOR GOLF. BAGS

Thomas W. Murphy and John C. Otis, Pierpont, and William G. Waddel, Webster, S. Dak.;

said Murphy assignor of onerthird to Elizabeth

J. Murphy, Pierpont, S. Dak. '

Application May 23,1930. Serial No. 454,922

Claim. (Cl. 150—1.5)

This invention relates to a golf bag supporting device of type including supporting legs adapted to cooperate with a bag to support it in inclined position with its open end . or mouth disposed ⁵ upwardly.

The general object of the invention is to provide a supporting device of the present character which will be associated with a golf bag in novel and improved manner to offer no interference ¹⁹ or obstruction to ready removal of. clubs from or insertion of clubs into the bag, and which will include novel and improved mechanism adapted to be manually manipulated by expenditure of a minimum of effort to position the.legs of the ¹⁵ device in supporting position and to be automatically manipulated to return said legs to normal position against or substantially parallel to the bag.

With the above objects in view, as well as ²⁰ others which will appear as the specification proceeds, the invention comprises the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as now to be fully described and as hereinafter to be specifically claimed, it being understood that the ²⁵ disclosure. herein is merely illustrative and intended in no way in a limiting sense, changes in details of construction and arrangement of parts being permissible so long as within, the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claim ³⁰ which follows.

In the accompanying drawings, forming, a part of this specification,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a golf bag upon which a supporting device having the features ³⁵ of the invention is arranged, the bag being disposed in upright position and the. supporting legs of the device being in normal position against or substantially parallel to the bag;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Figi 1, but showing ⁴⁰ the bag in inclined position and the supporting legs in supporting position, as when said bag and legs are : resting upon the ground to provide a tripod support for the golf bag;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the disclosure of ⁴⁵ Fig. 1, showing, in dotted lines, the supporting legs positioned as in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the spring handle of the supporting device, taken on line 4—4 in Fig. 3;

⁰⁰ Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the supporting device, detailing the manner of association of the spring handle with the supporting legs;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view, taken on line ⁰³ 6—6 in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view, taken on line 7—7 in Fig. 1; and -

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective View of the band or collar of the device, detailing the stops for a supporting leg struck from go said band or collar.

With respect to the drawings and the numerals of reference thereon, 10 represents a golf bag of ordinary or preferred construction including a cylindrical, desirably fabric body.having a closed, 65 circular supporting base 11, an open, circular mouth 12, longitudinal reinforcements or stiffeners 13 extending the length of the bag, and circular reinforcements, stiffeners, or hoops 14, 15 and 16 extending about the base, the mid- .70 length, and the mouth, respectively, of the bag. Preferably, a metallic cap 17 is fitted upon the fabric base to better support the golf bag and resist wear, said cap being attached to the bag as indicated at 18. ‘ 75

The circular reinforcement, stiffener, or hoop 16 about the mouth of the bag may consist of an endless, length of relatively heavy wire, or other suitable metal desirably circular in cross-section, situated in an annular fold 19 of strengthen- 80 ing material at the upper end of the bag and attached to the full circumference thereof as at 20. The ends of the length of material or hoop constituting the reinforcement or stiffener 16 may be joined to each other in. any preferred manner, 85 as.by welding or soldering..

The supporting device of the invention includes a relatively stiff, desirably metallic annular member, band or collar 21 having a flat body portion 22 adapted to fit or lie against an upper portion 90 of the golf bag directly below the reinforcement, stiffener, Or hoop 16, and a gripping or attaching portion 23, desirably of curvilinear or part-circular conformation in cross-section, adapted to snugly embrace, for the full circumference of. 95 the bag, a curvilinear or part-circular area of the strengthening fold 19 lying against the outer side or perimeter of the reinforcement, stiffener, or hoop 16. As shown, free ends of the band or collar 21 are attached to each , other by a small 100 nutted and headed screw bolt 24 arranged in outwardly, projecting ears 25 upon said free ends. In practice, the band or collar with ends disjoined is placed about the upper portion of the golf bag so that the gripping or attaching por- 105 tion 23 surrounds the reinforcement, stiffener or hoop 16, and the outwardly projecting ears 25 are drawn into engagement with each other, as by the screw bolt, to contract the band or collar and thus clamp the portion 23 upon said reinforce- U°

1,920,581 ment, stiffener, or hoop 16. It will be noted by reference to Figs. 6 and 7 that the upper, inner, annular edge or margin of said portion 23 terminates in a circumference slightly greater than 5 and surrounding the circumference of the mouth 12 of the golf bag, to thus offer no interference or obstruction to ready removal of clubs from or insertion of clubs into the bag, liable to cause clubs to be nicked, or otherwise marred when removed 10 for use or replaced.

While we have described the gripping or attaching portion 25 as of curvilinear or part-circular conformation in cross-section, it will be apparent that said portion can be of modified· 15 configuration to be rigidly clamped upon a re-, inforcement, stiffener, or hoop, such as 16, of variant cross-sectional shape. In any event, however, the free marginal edge of said portion 23. Will preferably be disposed about the mouth 20 of the golf bag to lie beyond or outside of the circumference of said mouth and be clear of the line of passage of clubs being inserted and removed.

The band or Collar 21 suitably carries a pair 26 of spaced apart, outwardly projecting studs 26 which are desirably perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the golf bag, but are disposed in divergent relation to each other. Preferably, the studs 26 describe equal angles with a vertical, di30 ametrical plane of the golf bag equidistantly spaced from the inner ends of the studs. Supporting legs 27, one pivoted adjacent its upper end upon each stud 26 a,nd held in position adjacent to or. contiguous with the band or collar, 35 as by a nut 28 upon the stud, are adapted to normally lie against or substantially parallel to the golf bag with their upper and lower ends terminating short of the upper and lower ends, respectively, of the bag, but to be moved manually 40 into contact with the ground when the bag is in inclined position, to provide, together with the bag itself, a tripod support for the bag.

Means for simultaneously manipulating the supporting legs 27 consists of a curved or part45 circular spring 29 of comparatively rigid, flexible nature, desirably of metal, providing a handle disposed about an upper portion of the bag in spaced relation thereto and having its ends attached, as at 30, to the shorter lengths of said 5'0 legs 27 disposed above the studs 26, said handle as disclosed spanning the shorter arc between said studs.

The end portions of the curved or part-circular spring 29 are spaced apart a distance to nor55 mally position the .upper, shorter lengths of the supporting legs 27 relatively to each other about as shown in Fig. 1, to thus situate the lower, long lengths of said legs against or substantially parallel to the golf bag. When it is desired to actu60 ate the legs 27 to bag supporting position, the handle or spring: 29 is moved downwardly of the golf bag to. thus swing said legs upon the studs 26 as axes. Obviously, when the handle or spring 29 is moved downwardly, the upper, short lengths 65 of the legs 27 travel from left toward right and the lower, long lengths of said legs travel from right toward left, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

It has been hereinbefore stated that the studs 26, upon which the supporting legs 27 are pivoted, 70 are disposed in divergent relation to each other, that the nuts 28 hold said legs in position adjacent to or contiguous with the band or collar 21, and that the handle-or spring 29 simultaneously actuates the supporting legs 27. When 7 a said handle or spring is moved downwardly, the lower, long lengths of the supporting legs 27 are, evidently, rotated upon the divergent studs or axes 26 to be spread away from each other and swung away from the bag, while the upper, short lengths of said supporting legs are rotated to be 80 moved in direction toward each other and swung away from the bag. Spreading apart of the supporting legs as they swing away from the bag to supporting position makes provision for engagement of said supporting legs and the bag at three 85 widely spaced apart locations to thus provide an efficient tripod support for the golf bag. It will be apparent that by altering the degree of divergence of the studs 26 relatively to each other, and by altering the length of the supporting legs 90 27, said legs can, when in operative, supporting . position, be spread apart and spaced from the bag any preferred extent.

When the supporting legs 27 and the inclined golf bag are positioned as in Fig. 2 and are rest- 95 ing upon the ground, the weight supported will be sufficient to stabilize the tripod and maintain it in operative position against the action of the handle or spring 29 tending to return said supporting legs to their normal position as in Fig. 1. ICO Immediately,, however, upon release of the supporting legs from the ground, said legs will be moved automatically by said handle or spring from the position as shown in Fig. 2 to the position as shown in Fig. 1. The rotation of the sup- 105 porting legs 27, upon the studs 26 by downward movement of the handle or spring 29 relatively to the golf bag which spreads the lower, long lengths of said legs apart and moves the upper, short lengths thereof toward each other, causes 1Ϊ0 said upper, short lengths to swing the end portions or arms of said handle or spring toward each other, to thus both tension and twist said end portions or arms. That is to say, movement of the legs 27 to supporting position stores up 115 energy in the handle or spring 29 which acts as soon as said supporting legs are released from the ground to return the legs, as well as the manipulating handle or spring, to normal position as disclosed in Fig. 1. Gravity, of course, assists 120 the action.

Suitable stops, designated 32 and 33, are provided upon the band or collar 21 to limit swinging movement of the supporting legs 27 in either direction, the stops 32, one for each supporting 125 leg, desirably being arranged to be engaged by the short, upper lengths of the legs when , they reach normal position as in Fig. 1, and the stops 33, one for each supporting leg, desirably being arranged to be engaged by the long, lower lengths 130 of the legs when they reach desired bag supporting position, as in Fig. 2. As shown, the stops 32 and 33 are constituted by metal struck from the band or collar 21, although said stops could be constructed in some other manner. 135 , Particular attention is called to the simplicity of operation of the present supporting device considered from the standpoint of use. The golfer upon reaching a location of play places the bag in standing position upon the ground, 140 moves the handle or spring downwardly as he tilts the bag, and causes the supporting legs so spread to contact with the ground, thus stably positioning the bag as in Fig. 2. This operation can be easily performed with one hand. Upon 145 leaving the location, the golfer picks up the bag in any manner he may prefer, as by the handle 29, or by any ordinary handle such as 34 usually upon the bag, , and immediately the supporting legs automatically return to their normal posi- ISO

1,92( tion, as in Fig. 1, against or substantially parallel to the bag. Thus the golfer may set out with his bag without removing his eyes from the location to which a ball may have been struck.