Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus that positions a golf ball on a tee, retrieves and positions a new ball on the tee each time a golfer makes a tee shot. A bucket of balls is charged into the apparatus, and a ramp directs the balls, one at a time, to a tee loading station. Alternatively, balls can enter the tee loading station from an automatic ball dispensing machine by gravity or force-feed. As the tee rotates forward and down, the rotary tee action drives the tee into a ball in the tee loading station. The tee has a bore formed in it that communicates with a source of negative pressure so that a tee driven into contact with the ball is held to the tee by vacuum. The resulting increase in a vacuum line reconfigures a four way valve and activates a mechanism that rotates the tee and ball into a vertical position so that the golfer may strike the ball. The shot disconnects the ball from the tee, resulting in bleeding of the vacuum line, and reconfiguration of the four way valve. The valve activates a mechanism that rotates the tee so that it may retrieve another ball from the tee loading station. The apparatus includes means for adjusting the height to which a ball is teed. The apparatus top wall is a composite of artificial turf and elastomer which exhibits a flexible cushioning surface.

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First Claim