US2530746A - Pouch type golf ball cleaner having a washable inner lining - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 21, 1950 K. w TH RBY 2,530,746

POUCH TYPE GOLF BALL CLEANER HAVING A WASHABLE INNER LINING Filed Jan. 2, 194'? )NVE/VTOR J'OHN K. WETHERBY A TTORNEVS latented Nov. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE r POUCH TYPE GOLF BALL CLEANER HAVING 1 A WASHABLE INNER LINING This invention relates to golf ball cleaners.

It is the general object of the invention to provide a simple and effective pouch-type golf ball cleaner that can be carried by a golfer in his pocket and which can be quickly and easily used at any time by the golfer as he travels over the golf course to effectively clean golf balls.

Another object is to provide a leak-proof golf ball cleaning pouch including an outer casing formed of flexible waterproof material and an inner lining formed of such a material as heavy toweling, the inner lining being so attached to the outer casing that preparatory to use the major part of it may be pulled out of the outer casing, wetted, wrung out, and reinserted in the outer casing, and as the occasion arises for cleaning a golf ball, the pouch, which will normally be carried in the pocket of the golfer, can be brought out and a golf ball can be inserted in the pouch and Worked back and forth against the wetted liner to thoroughly and effectively clean the ball without producing any abrasive action on the outer surface of the ball that might tend to destroy the glazed enamel surface usually found on the golf ball.

A further object is to provide such a pouch as referred to in the paragraph immediately above, including a continuous down-turned flange at the mouth of the outer casing which will normally overlie the liner adjacent the mouth of the pouch, the flange acting in conjunction with the wall of the casing adjacent the mouth of the pouch to prevent the seepage of water from the pouch as it is carried in the pocket of the golfer.

A further object is to provide such a pouch as above referred to wherein the material forming the outer casing of the pouch is made slightly tacky so that the inner portion of the outer casing will frictionally grip the lining to prevent relative movement between the lining and the outer casing as a golf ball is worked back and forth in the pouch, the outer surface of the outer casing being also preferably made s1ight- 1y tacky so that, as the pouch is gripped by the fingers of the golfer, the outer casing and lining will move together with the fingers of the golfer as the pouch is manipulated to clean the golf ball.

The objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference charac ters refer to the same or similar parts through out the various views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a golf ball cleaning pouch embodying the invention showing the mouth of the pouch open and a golf ball disposed within the pouch;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the pouch;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the pouch with a golf ball therein, portions of the near walls of the outer casing and inner lining of the pouch being broken away to better show he constructicn and a portion of the far wall of the lining being broken away to better show the construction of the outer casing of the pouch;

Fig. i is a perspective view showing the major portion of the inner lining withdrawn from the casing of the pouch as it will be pulled. out for wetting and wringing;

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail showing the manner in which the outer casing is sewed at its top por tion and showing how the inner lining is attached to the normally inturned flange of the outer casing;

Fig. 6 is a view looking toward the upper portion of one end of the pouch, the outer layer of the upper portion of the outer casing being broken away to show the notched construction of the inwardly projecting flange of the pouch; and

Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section taken through the upper portion of a slightly modified type of pouch.

Referring first to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, the golf ball cleaning device of the invention is in the form of a flexible open-mouthed pouch including an outer casing A and an inner lining B. The outer casing A is preferably formed of rubberized waterproof fabric much on the order of that fabric which is used as hospital sheeting.

I. havefound that a very successful rubberized fabric that may be used for the purpose is a neo rene-coated fabric. The outer casing A forms an elongated oven-mouthed bag and may be conveniently made by employing a rectangular sheet of rubberized fabric, bending edge portions of the sheeting inwardly along fold lines I 3 ends of the casing A triangular notches 19 are cut in the normally outer layer of the flange ill as best seen in Fig. 6. A line of stitching H is employed for securing together ortions of the rubberized cloth adjacent the upper edge of the outer casing A while another line of stitching I2 is employed for securing together the two thicknesses of the material forming the flange [0. After the stitching aforementioned has been sewed, rubber cement I3 is applied along the seams and stitching of the outer casing so as to seal and waterproof the stitched portions of the casing. It should be stated that the outer casing is formed in turned inside-out condition and thereafter is is turned right side out so that the seams are concealed and the continuous flange ID projects downwardly from the mouth portion of the outer casing.

Before the outer casing A is made up or at any time during the process of making it, the rubberized sheeting is treated on both sides as with benzol to make it slightly tacky for a purpose presently to appear.

The lining B is made preferably from a heavy toweling such as that commonly used for wash cloths. This heavy toweling is made up into an elongated open-topped bag of such size as to snugly fit within the outer casing A. To secure the lining bag B to the outer casing A, the flange I is pulled outwardly to about the position shown in Fig. 4, whereupon the inner lining bag B having been turned inside out, the mouth portion of the inner lining bag is brought into the mouth portion of the outer casing A, and the mouth portion of the inner lining bag is secured to the flange H] as by a continuous double line of stitching M as best seen in Fig. 5. If desired, cooperating half snap fasteners l5 and I6 respectively of the male and female type may be secured to opposite portions of the flange it. After the parts have been thus assembled, the flange I0 is turned in and the inner lining bag B is turned and inserted in the outer casing A to line the same. The bag is then ready for use by a golfer.

Preparatory to going out on the golf course,

' the golfer W111 pull out the major portion of the inner lining B of the bag to the position shown in Fig. 4 and will then wet the inner lining B with water. He will then wring out the excess water from the inner lining so that, while the inner lining remains quite damp, there will be little or no free water carried by the inner lining which is not absorbed by the capillary action of the towelingmaterial forming this lining. This wetting and wringing of the inner lining is quite important to the functioning of the device to give the inner lining adequate moisture without such excess moisture as to cause wetting of the clothing of the golfer when the pouch is carried in the pocket. Having wetted and wrung out the inner lining, the entire inner lining is reinserted in the outer casing A, and of course the flange H3 is inturned, and if desired, the snap fasteners l5 and it may be engaged. The pouch will be carried in the golfers pocket, and the outer casing A being waterproof will prevent wetting of the clothing of the golfer. The flange It being a continuous flange at the mouth of the bag will overlie the upper portion of the inner lining B, and this flange acting with the upper portion of the exterior part of the casing A will act as a trough to prevent moisture from exuding from the open mouth of the bag.

When the golfer wishes to clean a golf ball, the

two half snap fasteners l5 and I6, if engaged,

may be disengaged and a golf ball will then be inserted in the pouch. The golf ball being held by one hand and the outer portion of the pouch being held by the other hand, the golf ball can be worked back and forth against the moistened inner lining B to clean any soiled portions of the ball. Or if it is preferred to clean the ball by holding the bag entirely from the outside, the ball can be worked back and forth by the fingers of the golfer by the golfer merely engaging the outer casing of the bag. In view of the fact that the outer casing A is slightly tacky, it will frictionally engage the outer surfaces of the inner lining B so that relative movement of the inner lining and the outer casing will be prevented as the golf ball is manipulated. In other words, the inner lining will cling to the outer casing. Also as the outer surface of the outer casing A is slightly tacky, it will provide a convenient grip so that the fingers of the golfer will not slip on the outer casing as the golf ball is manipulated and cleaned. Inasmuch as no abrasive is employed for cleaning the ball, the outer shiny surface of the ball produced by the enameling of the ball during its manufacture will not be given an abrasive action to dull the luster of this surface as is the case when an abrasive type of cleaner such as a brush is employed.

It is important that the inner lining B be secured to the flange of the outer casing A and be secured to this casing at no other point in order that the major portion of the lining B may be pulled out of the outer casing A for wetting and wringing. Only by wetting and wringing the inner lining A can the lining be given the proper moisture content for cleaning of the golf balls without applying so much water to the pouch that water will exude therefrom when the pouch is being carried in the pocket.

In Fig. 7 a slightly modified form of the device is shown wherein the inner lining C there shown is applied to the outer casing D by cooperating snap fasteners it and il attached to the edge portions of the casing C and to the flange l8 of the outer casing .D respectively. Otherwise the pouch shown in F 6 is similarly formed to the pouch previously described. In the case of the pouch shown in Fig. 7, by detaching the snap fasteners l5 and ll the inner lining C may be removed from the outer casing D whereupon a new inner lining C be attached and thus it is possible to replace the inner lining when it be-- comes worn or badly soiled.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, ar rangement, and proportion of the various parts without departure from the scope of the present invention which, generally stated, consists in the matter shown and described and set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A golf ball cleaning pouch comprising'an outer open-mouthed casing formed of flexible waterproof material, the inner surface of which casing is slightly tacky to produce a friction grip against other material, and a bag-like lining formed of heavy toweling and received within said casing and secured to the casing only at the upper edge of the lining whereby the major portion of the lining may be pulled out of the casing, moistened, wrung out, and then replaced within the casing, and the casing sides will frictionally grip the lining to prevent relativ movement between the lining and the casing as a golf ball is worked back and forth against the lining within the pouch.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, the outer surface of said casing also being slightly tacky.

3. A golf ball cleaning pouch comprising an outer open-mouthed casing formed of waterproof, flexible, and slightly tacky material, said casing adjacent its mouth having a continuous inturned flange and a bag-like lining formed of heavy toweling and having an open mouth, said lining being adapted to fit within said casing and being unsecured to said casin except at its mouth, and the mouth of the lining fitting beneath said inturned flange of the casing and being there secured to the casing, the tacky material forming 15 the casing being adapted to grip the lining when the lining is moistened to prevent slippage between the casing and the lining as a golf ball to be cleaned is inserted within the lined pouch and 5 worked back and forth over the moistened lining.

JOHN K. WETHERBY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 file of this patent:

FOREIGN PATENTS Number

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