Cleaner device for balls

Claim 2

In a portable type of golf ball cleaner that may be used with a piece of golf equipment in the nature of a bag or a cart, an upright liquid container, means for susPending said container from the piece of golf equipment, a group of rotatable brushes operatively positioned in a cooperating ball receiving and retaining position within said container, means for opening said container to insert and remove a ball from a washing position between said group of brushes, mechanical means operatively connected to said brushes for rotating them about the outer periphery of a ball positioned therewithin, said group of brushes having a first pair and a second pair of opposed brushes, and said mechanical means having operative connections for rotating said first pair of opposed brushes in one direction and for simultaneously rotating said second pair of opposed brushes in an opposite direction.

Claim 3

In a cleaner as defined in claim 1, the brushes of said group having concave brushing faces defining a substantially spherical ball carrying area therebetween.

Claim 4

In a cleaner as defined in claim 1, said means for opening said container being a door, and one brush of said group being carried on said door for movement into and out of a cooperating ball-receiving position with respect to the other brushes of said group.

Claim 5

In a cleaner as defined in claim 1, said suspending means having means for adjusting said container with respect to the piece of golf equipment on which it is suspended to align said container in a substantially fully vertical position.

Claim 6

In a cleaner as defined in claim 4, said adjusting means being mounted on a lower end of said container for transverse in and out adjusting movement with respect to the piece of golf equipment from which said container is suspended.

Claim 7

In a cleaner as defined in claim 4, said adjusting means having an upper hinge part, having a pair of lower adjustable slide parts, and having a set screw for retaining said adjustable slide parts in a selected position with respect to each other.

Claim 8

In a portable type of golf ball cleaner that may be used with a piece of golf equipment in the nature of a bag or a cart, an upright liquid container, means for suspending said container from the piece of golf equipment, a group of rotatable brushes operatively positioned in a cooperating ball receiving and retaining position within said container, means for opening said container to insert and remove a ball from a washing position between said group of brushes, mechanical means operatively connected to said brushes for rotating them about the outer periphery of a ball positioned therewith, said group of brushes having a first opposed brush means and a second opposed brush means, a cylinder mounted for rotation within said container, said second opposed brush means being secured on the inside of said cylinder, said mechanical means comprising a first pair of drive shafts rotatably mounted within said container at opposite ends thereof, a second pair of drive shafts rotatably mounted within said container at opposite ends thereof, said first opposed brush means being carried on said first pair of drive shafts for rotative actuation thereby, one of said first pair of shafts extending outwardly from said container, said mechanical means being connected to actuate said outwardly extending shaft, and means operatively connecting each drive shaft of each said pair with an adjacent drive shaft of the other pair and the drive shafts of said second pair to said cylinder for simultaneously rotating said first and second brush means.

Claim 9

In a portable type of golf ball cleaner that may be used with a piece of golf equipment in the nature of a bag or a cart, an upright liquid container, means for suspending said container from the piece of golf equipment, a group of rotatable brushes operatively positioned in a cooperating ball receiving and retaining position within said container, means for opening said container to insert and remove a ball from a washing position between said group of brushes, mechanical means operatively connected to said brushes for rotating them about the outer periphery of a ball positioned therewith, said group of brushes having a first opposed brush means and a second opposed brush means, a cylinder mounted for rotation within said container, said second opposed brush means being secured on the inside of said cylinder, said mechanical means comprising a first pair of drive shafts rotatably mounted within said container at opposite ends thereof, a second pair of drive shafts rotatably mounted within said container at opposite ends thereof, said first opposed brush means being carried on said first pair of drive shafts for rotative actuation thereby, one of said first pair of shafts extending outwardly from said container, said mechanical means being connected to actuate said outwardly extending shaft, and means operatively connecting each drive shaft of each said pair with an adjacent drive shaft of the other pair and the drive shafts of said second pair to said cylinder for simultaneously rotating said first and second brush means.

Claim 10

In a cleaner as defined in claim 7, said connecting means including means for effecting a reverse rotational movement of said second opposed brush means with respect to said first opposed brush means.

Claim 11

In a cleaner as defined in claim 8, the brushes of said first and second means being positioned in a cruciform relationship within said cylinder and having inner concave faces defining a substantially fully enclosing spherical area for receiving a golf ball therein.

Claim 12

In a cleaner as defined in claim 8, said mechanical means having a crank.

Claim 13

In a cleaner as defined in claim 7, Said container having a door that is swingably mounted for opening and closing movement, an upper drive shaft of each of said first and second brush means being operatively carried by said door, an upper brush of said first brush means being swingable with said door, whereby said upper brush may be swung to an outward position for insertion and removal of a golf ball within the container.

Claim 14

In a cleaner as defined in claim 7, said cylinder having a pair of annular gear teeth rings thereabout, a gear meshing with each of said rings, each shaft of said second pair of shafts being a stud shaft for carrying each of said gears, and drive means connected between said pair of stud shafts and said first pair of drive shafts for actuating said stud and drive shafts simultaneously in opposite directions.

Claim 15

In a golf ball cleaner that may be carried on a piece of golf equipment in the nature of a bag or cart, an upright container for washing liquid, means for suspending said container from the piece of golf equipment, a group of brushes operatively positioned within said container and facing towards each other to define a central ball-receiving area therebetween, an upper door carried by said container and mounting one brush of said group for movement therewith into and out of a cooperating relation with the other brushes for opening and closing-off said central ball-receiving area, mechanical means operatively connected to said group of brushes for rotating them with respect to each other to clean a golf ball positioned within said central area, said mechanical means having a crankshaft operatively mounted on said door to extend outwardly and inwardly therefrom, and said one brush being secured on the inner end of said crankshaft for rotative actuation thereby.

Claim 16

In a golf ball cleaner that may be carried on a piece of golf equipment in the nature of a bag or cart, an upright container for washing liquid, means for suspending said container from the piece of golf equipment, a group of brushes operatively positioned within said container and facing towards each other to define a central ball-receiving area therebetween, an upper door carried by said container and mounting one brush of said group for movement therewith into and out of a cooperating relation with the other brushes for opening and closing-off said central ball-receiving area, mechanical means operatively connected to said group of brushes for rotating them with respect to each other to clean a golf ball positioned within said central area, said mechanical means having a crankshaft operatively mounted on said door to extend outwardly and inwardly therefrom, and said one brush being secured on the inner end of said crankshaft for rotative actuation thereby.

Claim 17

In a cleaner as defined in claim 13, said door being swingably mounted on said container for opening and closing movement with respect thereto, said mechanical means comprising an actuating shaft extending through said door and having means on its outer end for rotating it and having one brush secured on an inner end portion thereof for rotation therewith, stud shafts operatively mounted within said container, and means within said container for rotating the other brushes of said group simultaneously with the rotation of said one brush through the agency of said actuating shaft and said stud shafts.

Claim 18

In a cleaner as defined in claim 14, a cylinder having open top and bottom ends rotatably positioned within said container in a spaced relation with respect to its inner wall, said group of brushes comprising a vertically opposed pair that include said one brush and a horizontally opposed brush means, said horizontally opposed brush means being secured on and within said cylinder, the lower brush of said vertically opposed pair being secured on a lower one of said stud shafts for rotation therewith, a lower second of said stud shafts being positioned within the bottom end of said container adjacent said one stud shaft and having a lower pinion thereon, said cylinder having a circular gear ring about its lower end in meshing engagement with said lower pinion, drive connecting means between said one and second lower stud shafts for imparting rotation of said cylinder through them to said lower brush of said vertically opposed pair, said actuating shaft being operatively carried by said door and having an inner end constituting an upper third stud shaft, an upper fourth of said stud shafts having an upper pinion mounted thereon, said cylinder having a ring gear about its upper end in meshing engagement with said upper pinion, and driving connections between said upper third and fourth stud shafts for simultaneously rotating said one brush and said cylinder and through said cylinder for simultaneously rotating said horizontally opposed brush means and said lower brush of said vertically opposed pair.

Claim 19

In a cleaner as defined in claim 15, said driving connections between said stud shafts being a figure eight belt tYpe for rotating said pair of brushes and said brush means in opposite directions.