US3883150A — Golf club carrier

Claim 1

Independent Claim 350 words

A carrier in which a set of golf clubs can be stored compactly when not in use and transported when in use with the heads of the clubs protruding from the carrier to permit selection and withdrawal of individual clubs for use, said carrier comprising body means for supporting the shafts of said golf clubs, said body means being elongated in the direction of the lengths of the golf club shafts and having longitudinal ends and longitudinal sides, a base on one longitudinal end of said body means upon which said carrier may be rested during storage to dispose said body means in a generally vertical orientation, a pair of wheels on said body means rotatable about a generally transverse axis remote from said base and close to the center of gravity of the loaded carrier, the wheels of said pair extending beyond the longitudinal side of said body means which faces downwardly when said carrier is shifted to a generally horizontal orientation with said wheels being spaced laterally in opposite directions from the said center of gravity to stabilize the carrier against sidewise tipping when said body means is supported in a generally horizontal orientation by said wheels, and elongated handle Means on the longitudinal side of said body means opposite said wheels, said handle means having along its length portions extending at angles with respect to each other so that said handle means protrudes longitudinally and upwardly from the end of said body means opposite said base when said body means is supported in a generally horizontal orientation by said wheels to dispose a free end portion of said handle means at a level for convenient manipulation by a person pulling the carrier along on said wheels with the said body means extending longitudinally close to the ground in a generally horizontal direction, the longitudinal protrusion of said handle from the last-mentioned end of said body means being sufficient to permit the person pulling the carrier to walk in front of the horizontally disposed carrier without contact with or interference from the carrier or the golf clubs therein.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 350 words

A carrier in which a set of golf clubs can be stored compactly when not in use and transported when in use with the heads of the clubs protruding from the carrier to permit selection and withdrawal of individual clubs for use, said carrier comprising body means for supporting the shafts of said golf clubs, said body means being elongated in the direction of the lengths of the golf club shafts and having longitudinal ends and longitudinal sides, a base on one longitudinal end of said body means upon which said carrier may be rested during storage to dispose said body means in a generally vertical orientation, a pair of wheels on said body means rotatable about a generally transverse axis remote from said base and close to the center of gravity of the loaded carrier, the wheels of said pair extending beyond the longitudinal side of said body means which faces downwardly when said carrier is shifted to a generally horizontal orientation with said wheels being spaced laterally in opposite directions from the said center of gravity to stabilize the carrier against sidewise tipping when said body means is supported in a generally horizontal orientation by said wheels, and elongated handle Means on the longitudinal side of said body means opposite said wheels, said handle means having along its length portions extending at angles with respect to each other so that said handle means protrudes longitudinally and upwardly from the end of said body means opposite said base when said body means is supported in a generally horizontal orientation by said wheels to dispose a free end portion of said handle means at a level for convenient manipulation by a person pulling the carrier along on said wheels with the said body means extending longitudinally close to the ground in a generally horizontal direction, the longitudinal protrusion of said handle from the last-mentioned end of said body means being sufficient to permit the person pulling the carrier to walk in front of the horizontally disposed carrier without contact with or interference from the carrier or the golf clubs therein.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 35 words

A carrier according to claim 1 including shoulder strap means on the side of said body means opposite said wheels for permitting said carrier to be manually transported in the fashion of a golf bag.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 60 words

A carrier according to claim 2 wherein said wheels of said pair are spaced laterally from each other a distance corresponding approximately to the width of said body means, and wherein said shoulder strap means is connected at its ends to said body means at locations spaced longitudinally on opposite sides of the center of gravity of the loaded carrier.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 84 words

A carrier according to claim 3 wherein at least one end of said shoulder strap means is connected to said body means at a point spaced laterally from the longitudinal central axis at the top of the body means so as to cause said body means with said wheels depending therefrom to assume a canted position when suspended by said shoulder strap means to thereby minimize contact between said wheels and the body of the person supporting said carrier by said shoulder strap means.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 80 words

A carrier according to claim 1 wherein said handle means includes an elongated member, pivotal mounting means for permitting movement of said elongated member between an active pulling position in which it extends beyond the end of said body means opposite said base and a storage position in which it extends back toward said base in compact overlying relation to the top of said body means, and means for locking said elongated member in a selected one of said positions.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 57 words

A carrier according to claim 1 comprising means on said body means near said base for frictionally engaging the ends of the golf club shafts to restrain them against unintended longitudinal movement relative to said body means when the carrier is moved to lower the heads of the clubs beneath the opposite ends of the club shafts.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 58 words

A carrier according to claim 6 wherein said body means includes a plurality of club-receiving tubes extending from said base to the opposite end of said body means, and wherein said means for frictionally engaging the ends of the golf club shafts includes spring clip means extending into the interior of each of said tubes near said base.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 30 words

A carrier according to claim 7 wherein said spring clip means are fixed to both said base and said tubes to prevent displacement of said tubes relative to said base.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 76 words

A carrier according to claim 1 comprising stand means mounted on said body means for pivoting movement about a transverse axis between a storage position in which said stand means extends generally longitudinally of said body means and an active position in which said stand means protrudes from said body means to cooperate with said base so as to support said body means at an inclination facilitating club selection and insertion and withdrawal of selected clubs.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 49 words

A carrier according to claim 9 wherein the axis of rotation of said wheels is close to said transverse axis of pivoting movement of said stand means, and wherein said stand means extends away from said body means beyond said wheels in said active posItion of said stand means.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 84 words

A carrier according to claim 1 wherein said body means includes a longitudinally extending member on the side thereof opposite said wheels adapted to be gripped manually for lifting said carrier, and wherein said handle means is adjustably connected to the end of said longitudinally extending member opposite said base for selective positioning of said handle means either in a storage position in which it extends back toward said base or in a pulling position in which it extends forwardly in the opposite direction.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 286 words

A carrier for a set of golf clubs the heads of which protrude from the carrier to permit selection and withdrawal of individual clubs for use, said carrier comprising body means for supporting the shafts of said golf clubs, a base on said body means upon which said carrier may be rested during storage to dispose said shafts of the golf clubs in a generally vertical orientation, shoulder strap means on said body means for permitting said carrier to be manually transported in the fashion of a golf bag, stand means mounted on said body means for pivoting movement about a transverse axis between a storage position in which said stand means extends generally longitudinally of said body means and an active position in which said stand means protrudes from said body means to cooperate with said base so as to support said body means at an inclination facilitating club selection and insertion and withdrawal of selected clubs, and wheel means on said body means for permitting said carrier to be rolled along in the fashion of a pull-type golf cart and including a pair of wheels each of which rotates about a generally transverse axis close to said transverse axis of pivoting movement of said stand means, said stand means extending away from said body means beyond said wheel means in said active position of said stand means, biasing means for urging said stand means towards said active position, latch means for holding said stand means in said storage position, and latch operating means for releasing said latch means when the end of said carrier opposite said base is lifted to pivot the carrier on the base and raise said wheel means above the ground.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 286 words

A carrier for a set of golf clubs the heads of which protrude from the carrier to permit selection and withdrawal of individual clubs for use, said carrier comprising body means for supporting the shafts of said golf clubs, a base on said body means upon which said carrier may be rested during storage to dispose said shafts of the golf clubs in a generally vertical orientation, shoulder strap means on said body means for permitting said carrier to be manually transported in the fashion of a golf bag, stand means mounted on said body means for pivoting movement about a transverse axis between a storage position in which said stand means extends generally longitudinally of said body means and an active position in which said stand means protrudes from said body means to cooperate with said base so as to support said body means at an inclination facilitating club selection and insertion and withdrawal of selected clubs, and wheel means on said body means for permitting said carrier to be rolled along in the fashion of a pull-type golf cart and including a pair of wheels each of which rotates about a generally transverse axis close to said transverse axis of pivoting movement of said stand means, said stand means extending away from said body means beyond said wheel means in said active position of said stand means, biasing means for urging said stand means towards said active position, latch means for holding said stand means in said storage position, and latch operating means for releasing said latch means when the end of said carrier opposite said base is lifted to pivot the carrier on the base and raise said wheel means above the ground.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 83 words

A carrier according to claim 12 comprising handle means extending longitudinally from the end of said body means opposite said base, said stand means being pivotable against the force of said biasing means from said active to said storage position when said carrier is pulled longitudinally by said handle means, and said latch operating means being automatically operable to reengage said latch means with said stand means as said wheel means are lowered onto the ground during such pivoting of said stand means.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 204 words

A golf club carrier comprising longitudinally elongated body means for supporting the shafts of the golf clubs with the heads of the clubs protruding from one end thereof, a base on the longitudinal end of said body means opposite the end from which the club heads protrude, a pair of transversely spaced-apart wheels operatively connected to said body means for rotation about a transverse axis remote from said base and close to the center of gravity of the loaded carrier so that both of said wheels may contact the ground and stably support said body means against lateral tipping when said body means extends longitudinally in a generally horizontal direction, and stand means mounted on said body means for pivoting movement about an axis close to the axis of rotation of said wheels between a storage position in which said stand means extends generally longitudinally of said body means and an active position in which said stand means protrudes from said body means beyond said wheels to cooperate with said base so as to support said body means with said wheels in an elevated condition and with said body means disposed at an inclination facilitating club selection and insertion and withdrawal of selected clubs.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 204 words

A golf club carrier comprising longitudinally elongated body means for supporting the shafts of the golf clubs with the heads of the clubs protruding from one end thereof, a base on the longitudinal end of said body means opposite the end from which the club heads protrude, a pair of transversely spaced-apart wheels operatively connected to said body means for rotation about a transverse axis remote from said base and close to the center of gravity of the loaded carrier so that both of said wheels may contact the ground and stably support said body means against lateral tipping when said body means extends longitudinally in a generally horizontal direction, and stand means mounted on said body means for pivoting movement about an axis close to the axis of rotation of said wheels between a storage position in which said stand means extends generally longitudinally of said body means and an active position in which said stand means protrudes from said body means beyond said wheels to cooperate with said base so as to support said body means with said wheels in an elevated condition and with said body means disposed at an inclination facilitating club selection and insertion and withdrawal of selected clubs.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 125 words

A carrier according to claim 14 wherein said body means includes a longitudinally extending member on the top side thereof adapted to be gripped manually for lifting said carrier, wherein said wheels protrude from the bottom side of said body means near the center of gravity of the loaded carrier, and wherein a handle is connected to the end of said longitudinally extending member opposite said base, said handle being movable between a storage position in which it extends back toward said base and a pulling position in which it extends forwardly in the opposite direction for convenient manipulation by a person pulling the carrier along on said wheel means with said body means extending longitudinally close to the ground in a generally horizontal direction.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1978-05-12	1978-11-11	1979-05-13	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1982-05-12	1982-11-11	1983-05-13	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1986-05-12	1986-11-11	1987-05-13	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Golf club carrier

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