Gripping device for golfer's use

Abstract

In a gripping device comprising a gripping mechanism including a pair of gripping jaws, normally opened, an actuating mechanism to close the pair of gripping jaws, and an elongate shaft connecting the actuating and gripping mechanisms, each gripping jaw has a gripping end affixed to such gripping jaw and configured to hold a golf tee having a head defining one end, a tip defining an opposite end, and a stem between the head and the tip, so as to allow the tip and an adjacent portion of the stem to remain exposed. Each gripping end has a bearing surface, which bears against the end defined by the head of such a tee being held. Being resilient and being concave, the gripping ends are adapted to hold a golf ball, if a golf tee is not being held. Thus, the gripping device is adapted to enable a golfer to set a golf tee without stooping and to place a golf ball onto a golf tee, which has been set, without stooping. The golf tee may be a standard tee or a “step” tee.

1 . In a gripping device of a type comprising a gripping mechanism including a pair of gripping jaws, further comprising an actuating mechanism, which is actuatable by a user to operate the pair of gripping jaws, and further comprising an elongate shaft, which connects the actuating and gripping mechanisms, 
 an improvement wherein each gripping jaw has a gripping end, which is configured to hold a golf tee having a head defining one end of the golf tee, a tip defining an opposite end of the golf tee, and a stem between the head and the tip, so as to allow the tip and an adjacent portion of the stem to remain exposed, wherein the gripping end of at least one of the gripping jaws has a bearing surface, which bears against the end defined by the head of such a tee being held, and wherein the gripping jaws are adapted to hold a golf ball between the gripping ends,    whereby the gripping device is adapted to enable a user, who is a golfer, to set a golf tee without stooping.    
   
   
       2 . In a gripping device of a type comprising a gripping mechanism including a pair of gripping jaws, further comprising an actuating mechanism, which is actuatable by a user to operate the pair of gripping jaws, and further comprising an elongate shaft, which connects the actuating and gripping mechanisms, 
 an improvement wherein each gripping jaw has a gripping end, which is configured to hold a golf tee having a head defining one end of the golf tee, a tip defining an opposite end of the golf tee, and a stem between the head and the tip, so as to allow the tip and an adjacent portion of the stem to remain exposed, wherein the gripping end of each of the gripping jaws has a bearing surface, which bears against the end defined by the head of such a tee being held, and wherein the gripping jaws are adapted to hold a golf ball between the gripping ends,    whereby the gripping device is adapted to enable a user, who is a golfer, to set a golf tee without stooping.    
   
   
       3 . In a gripping device of a type comprising a gripping mechanism including a pair of gripping jaws, which are biased so as to be normally opened, further comprising an actuating mechanism, which is actuatable by a user to close the pair of gripping jaws, and further comprising an elongate shaft, which connects the actuating and gripping mechanisms, 
 an improvement wherein each gripping jaw has a gripping end, which is configured to hold a golf tee having a head defining one end of the golf tee, a tip defining an opposite end of the golf tee, and a stem between the head and the tip, so as to allow the tip and an adjacent portion of the stem to remain exposed, wherein the gripping end of each of the gripping jaws has a bearing surface, which bears against the end defined by the head of such a tee being held, and wherein the gripping jaws are adapted to hold a golf ball between the gripping end,    whereby the gripping device is adapted to enable a user, who is a golfer, to set a tee without stooping.    
   
   
       4 . The improvement of  claim 1 , wherein the gripping end of each gripping jaw has a gripping face, and wherein each bearing surface is defined by a recess in the gripping face having said bearing surface.  
   
   
       5 . The improvement of  claim 2 , wherein the gripping end of each gripping jaw has a gripping face, and wherein each bearing surface is defined by a recess in the gripping face having said bearing surface.  
   
   
       6 . The improvement of  claim 3 , wherein the gripping end of each gripping jaw has a gripping face, and wherein each bearing surface is defined by a recess in the gripping face having said bearing surface.  
   
   
       7 . (canceled)  
   
   
       8 . The improvement of  claim 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 , or  6 , wherein the gripping ends are concave.  
   
   
       9 - 10 . (canceled)  
   
   
       11 . The improvement of  claim 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5 , or  6 , wherein each gripping end is affixed to a respective one of the gripping jaws.  
   
   
       12 . The improvement of  claim 8 , wherein each gripping end is resilient.