US3599982A

US3599982A - Golf-practice mat

Info

Publication number: US3599982A
Application number: US814286A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph Elesh
Original assignee: INT RECREATION PRODUCTS Inc
Current assignee: INT RECREATION PRODUCTS Inc
Priority date: 1969-04-08
Filing date: 1969-04-08
Publication date: 1971-08-17
Anticipated expiration: 1988-08-17

Abstract

A practice mat for golfers of rubber of substantial length and width, containing no metal parts and having a cavity in one end of the face of the mat containing a brush removably secured in said cavity and to said mat and the brush having an upstanding rubber tube extending from the lower portion of the rubber mat upwardly through the brush and extending upwardly above the brush surface, whereby golf iron shots may be practiced from the brush surface and golf wood shots may be practiced using the rubber tube.

Description

United States Patent,

. [72] lnventor Joseph Elesh Skokie, Ill. [21] Appl. No. 814,286 [22] Filed Apr. 8, 1969 [45] Patented Aug. 17, 1971 [73] Assignee International Recreation Products, Inc.

Skokie, Ill.

[54] GOLF-PRACTICE MAT 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

[52] 0.8. CI... 273/195 A [51] Int. Cl A63b 69/36 [50] Field of Search 273/176, 195, 196, 197, 198, 183,211; 15/217, 238, 239

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,790,640 4/1957 Hoag 273/195 A 3,423,096 1/1969 Tone 273/195 A 3,107,920 10/1963 Strunk... 273/195 (A)X 3,348,847 10/1967 Fischl 273/176 X 3,466,048 9/1969 Anderson et al.... 273/21] X 3,467,391 9/1969 Elesh 273/195 (A) Primary Examiner-George J. Marlo Attorney-Rummler and Snow ABSTRACT: A practice mat for golfers of rubber of substantial length and width, containing no metal parts and having a cavity in one end of the face of the mat containing a brush removably secured in said cavity and to said mat and the brush having an upstanding rubber tube extending from the lower portion of the rubber mat upwardly through the brush and extending upwardly above the brush surface, whereby golf iron shots may be practiced from the brush surface and golf wood shots may be practiced using the rubber tube.

PATENTEDAUGI H9?! 3,599,982

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GOLF-PRACTICE MAT An elongated solid rubberlike flexible base of substantial width and length having a series of transverse-spaced ribs on the lower surface thereof and with the edges of the base up beveled. The mat is provided with a cavity in one end thereof for the reception of a rectangularly shaped brush element consisting of upstanding bristles sewn together in position to form a unitary structure and the base of the bristles is impregnated with latex or-the like to make it impervious to water. The brush is held in position in the cavity by a plurality of nylon bolts. Also, the cavity is provided with an opening which is aligned with a similar opening through the bristles for the reception of a tee, which is primarily a rubber tubing having a flanged bottom to prevent it from'being withdrawn upwardly through the apertures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my improved golf mat.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the lines 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the lines 3-3 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION All golfers, both the professionals and the amateurs, spend many hours at the practice tee. Because practice. tees are normally barren of grass due to tremendous use, artificial golfdriving mats are employed. These usually comprise a large rectangular surface made up of strips of old tire casings anchored together in an open work pattern where rain, etc., will drain therethru. Each of these mats is provided with a brush on which golf iron shots may be played. This brush usually extends thru the mat and the upper surface simulates plush grass turf. On another portion of the mat a rubber tee is incorporated whereby a golfer may practice his wood shots. However, in most practice ranges, the mat is usually without one or the other of the brush or tee. It was to overcome this inherent defect and provide a very inexpensive combination tee and brush that this invention was conceived.

A base or mat 10 is a planar element of elastomeric substance, preferably of a rubberlike substance, having a dimension of 3 or-4 feet by 5 feet by five-eights of an inch in thickness. The edges of the base are beveled or rounded as at 12 around its perimeter. At one end of the base 10, I have provided a cavity 14 extending partially through the thickness of the base 10 and preferably of a dimension of l foot by 2 feet, or 1 foot by 30 inches, whereby to seat a brush element 16.

The brush element 16 is rectangularly shaped and comprises closely spaced; upwardly extending bristles woven at their base and the entire lower portion of the bristles being immersed in a latex or a similar substance 18. The bristles are made preferably of a synthetic material and their upper or free-ended surface takes on the appearance of a well kept golf turf.

As shown in the drawings, the bottom of the base 10 is provided with a series of spaced transversely extending ribs 20 whereby to give resiliency to the base 10.

The base 10 within the cavity 14 is provided with four vertically extending apertures 24 located adjacent each of the corners of the cavity and extending downwardly through the bottom of the base 10. The brush 16 is also provided with a series of four vertically extending apertures 22 extending therethru adjacent each of the corners of the brush. The apertures 22 in the brush and the apertures 24 in the base are aligned with each other to receive a nylon bolt 26. The nut 28 is provided with an enlarged flange 30 which seats in an appropriate recess in the bottom wall and ribs 20 of the base 10.

The base 10 and the brush 16 are each provided with vertically extending

aligned openings

34 and 32 respectively, for the reception of a rubberlike tee member or tube 36. The tube 36 has an enlarged flange 38 which seats in an appropriate recess in the bottom wall of the base 10 and ribs 20 whereby the tube cannot be withdrawn from the brush mat in an upwardly direction. The upper end of the tube acts as a tee such as is normally used when playing the game of golf and a golf ball may be placed on the upper end of the tube so that a person may practice his wood shots since the elevation of the tube 36 is substantially the same as is used in a game of golf.

It now should be apparent that with the inclusion of the tee 36 in the brush mat, a person can practice both his golf wood shots and iron shots from the same surface area, which has not been done heretofore. If the brush surface 16 should become worn due to too much use, it is obvious that it may be easily removed by removing the bolts 26 and a new mat surface may be readily replaced in the cavity.

The brush being built in the manner described hereinabove is extremely simple andforms a relatively inexpensive manner of replacing the brush mat.

Also, since the tee is placed directly in the mat, the golf beginner or rank amateur who is practicing his golf shots cannot readily ruin his driving wood club since if the arc of the club head is lower than the tee, it will be impressed in the brush mat rather than into a hard surface as has been the case in prior art golf practice mats.

I claim:

1. A golf practice mat comprising a planar surface of substantial width and length having upper and lower surfaces, and a thickness, said mat formed of a solid elastomeric substance, a rectangular cavity in said upper surface, a rectangular brush element having a base and bristles, one end of said bristles being woven into said base, the base of said brush element being completely embedded in a latexlike substance to make it impervious to moisture and insure vertical positioning of the bristles of said brush, said base seated in said cavity and removably secured therein, the major portion of the bristles extending upwardly beyond the planar surface of the mat, said cavity and brush are provided with aligned apertures adjacent the respective corners thereof for anchoring the brush to the mat, said brush and mat are also each provided with aligned enlarged apertures for the reception of a rubberlike tube, said tube having an enlarged flange on the lower end thereof greater than the diameter of the apertures to receive the tube, the lower surface of said mat being countersunk whereby the flange may seat therein.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the lower surface of said mat is provided with spaced ribs extending transversely across to the long axis of said mat, the full width of said mat.