Golf tee insert device and method for inserting a golf tee into the ground

Abstract

A golf tee insert device is provided herein. More specifically, a hand-held device for punching a hole in the ground is provided, where the hole is designed to receive a golf tee. The device may include a punch that is spring-activated, pneumatic, or electromagnetic. The punch is propelled out of the device a predetermined distance to create a tee-sized hole in the ground.

Claims

1. A device for creating a hole in the ground, the device comprising: a handle; a device head interconnected to the handle, the device head comprising a front end and a rear end; a punch extending outwardly from the front end of the device head, the punch comprising: a tip on a first end; a proximal end opposite the tip, the proximal end positioned in the device head; a cylindrical portion between the tip and the proximal end; an indention in the cylindrical portion and positioned a predetermined distance from the tip; and a stop ring positioned proximate the proximal end; a racking lever interconnected to the punch, wherein one end of the racking lever engages the stop ring; a trigger mechanism comprising a flange extending from an upper portion of the trigger mechanism; a locking lever rotatable around a pivot point, wherein the locking lever comprises a cutout sized and shaped to receive a distal end of the flange, and wherein the locking lever comprises a locking lever head with a nose, the nose sized and shaped to engage the indention in the punch; and a spring interconnected to the rear end of the device head and the proximal end of the punch.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the hole is sized and shaped to receive a golf tee.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the trigger mechanism further comprises a trigger positioned on a front end of the handle and a spring interconnected to the trigger and a rear end of the handle.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a tee extractor on the rear end of the device head.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the locking lever head further comprises a butt end opposite the nose, wherein the butt end is interconnected to a biasing member, wherein the locking lever head is on one side of the pivot point and the cutout is on an opposite side of the pivot point.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the racking lever can slide along a portion of the cylindrical portion of the punch.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein as the trigger mechanism is pulled, the flange of the trigger mechanism pushes on a tail end of the locking lever and rotates the locking lever around the pivot point, and wherein the tail end of the locking lever is on an opposite side of the pivot point as the locking lever head and nose.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the punch extends outward from the front end of the device head a distance between about 1.25 inches and about 1.75 inches.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein a material of the punch comprises a metal, a hard plastic, a composite material, or combinations thereof.

10. A device for creating a hole in the ground, the device comprising: a handle; a head interconnected to the handle, the head comprising a front end, a rear end, and a cutout on a side; a punch extending outwardly from the front end of the head, the punch comprising: a tip on a first end; a proximal end opposite the tip, the proximal end positioned in the head; and a cylindrical portion between the tip and the proximal end; a racking lever interconnected to the punch proximate the proximal end, the racking lever having a distal end extending out of the cutout in the head; a trigger mechanism; and a spring interconnected to the rear end of the head and the proximal end of the punch.

11. A method of using a device to punch a hole in the ground, comprising: providing a device comprising: a handle; a device head interconnected to the handle, the device head comprising a front end and a rear end; a punch extending outwardly from the front end of the device head, the punch comprising: a tip on a first end; a proximal end opposite the tip; an indention a predetermined distance from the tip; and a stop ring positioned proximate the proximal end; a racking lever interconnected to the punch, wherein one end of the racking lever engages the stop ring; a trigger mechanism comprising a trigger; a locking lever rotatable around a pivot point, wherein the locking lever comprises a locking lever head with a nose, the nose sized and shaped to engage the indention in the punch; and a spring interconnected to an inner surface on the rear end of the device head and the proximal end of the punch; pulling the racking lever toward the rear end of the device head until the nose of the locking lever engages the indention in the punch; compressing the trigger; and driving the punch out of the device head and into the ground.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the pulling comprises engaging the racking lever with the stop ring and pulling the punch rearward along with the racking lever.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the trigger mechanism comprises a spring interconnected to the trigger and an inner surface of a rear end of the handle, and wherein the spring returns the trigger to its original resting position.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein as the trigger is compressed a flange on the trigger mechanism pushes on a tail end of the locking lever and rotates the locking lever around the pivot point.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein as the locking lever rotates around the pivot point, the nose of the locking lever slides out of the indention in the punch.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein after the nose of the locking lever slides out of the indention in the punch, a force exerted by the spring propels the punch forward and out of the device head.

17. The method of claim 11, and wherein the tail end of the locking lever is on an opposite side of the pivot point as the locking lever head and nose.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising rotating the racking lever into a notch in an outer casing of the device head, wherein the notch retains the racking lever and the punch in the loaded position and acts as a safety to prevent inadvertent firing of the punch.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the device is pneumatic and comprises a piston, and wherein when air pressure above the piston is greater than below the piston, the piston is forced forward and pushes the punch forward and out of the device head.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the device comprises a solenoid having an electromagnetic coil and a sliding piston, and wherein the method further comprises: creating a magnetic field; and repelling the piston such that the piston pushes the punch out of the device head.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Those of skill in the art will recognize that the following description is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention, which may be applied in various ways to provide many different alternative embodiments. This description is made for illustrating the general principles of the teachings of this invention and is not meant to limit the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

(2) The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the general description of the invention given above and the detailed description of the drawings given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

(3) FIG. 1 is a right front perspective view of embodiments of a device for creating a hole in the ground for a golf tee;

(4) FIG. 2 is a right elevation view of embodiments of the device for creating a hole in the ground;

(5) FIG. 3 is a left perspective view of embodiments of the device for creating a hole in the ground;

(6) FIG. 4 is a left elevation view of embodiments of the device for creating a hole in the ground;

(7) FIG. 5 is a top plan view of embodiments of the device for creating a hole in the ground;

(8) FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of embodiments of the device for creating a hole in the ground;

(9) FIG. 7 is a front elevation view of embodiments of the device for creating a hole in the ground;

(10) FIG. 8 is a rear elevation view of embodiments of the device for creating a hole in the ground;

(11) FIG. 9 is a right rear perspective sectional view of embodiments of the device for creating a hole in the ground showing the internal components of the device with the trigger in the resting position and the racking lever in the forward position;

(12) FIG. 10 is a right sectional view of embodiments of the device for creating a hole in the ground with the trigger in the resting position and the racking lever partially pulled back;

(13) FIG. 11 is a right sectional view of embodiments of the device for creating a hole in the ground with the trigger in the resting position and the racking lever and punch pulled partially back;

(14) FIG. 12 is a right sectional view of embodiments of the device for creating a hole in the ground with the trigger in the resting position and the racking lever pulled all the way back;

(15) FIG. 12A is an enlarged view of detail A of FIG. 12;

(16) FIG. 13 is a right sectional view of embodiments of the device for creating a hole in the ground with the trigger halfway depressed;

(17) FIG. 14 is a right sectional view of embodiments of the device for creating a hole in the ground with the trigger fully depressed and the punch shooting forward;

(18) FIG. 15 is a right elevation view of embodiments of the device for creating a hole in the ground; and

(19) FIG. 16 is a right sectional view of embodiments of the device for creating a hole in the ground with the trigger in the resting position and the racking lever partially pulled back.

(20) It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale, and various dimensions may be altered. In certain instances, details that are not necessary for an understanding of the invention or that render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. It should be understood, of course, that the invention is not necessarily limited to the particular embodiments illustrated herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(21) Although the following text sets forth a detailed description of numerous different embodiments, it should be understood that the legal scope of the description is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this disclosure. The detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent, which would still fall within the scope of the claims.

(22) FIG. 1 illustrates embodiments of a device 2 for creating a hole in the ground and is a right front perspective view of the device 2. The device 2 comprises a handle 6 interconnected to a head 10. The head 10 has a front end 14 opposite a rear end 18. The head 10 and the handle 6 may be the same material or different materials. For example, both may be a hard plastic, a composite material, metal, or any other durable material known in the art. Preferably, the material is also light weight. Coatings can be applied to the head 10 or handle 6 to assist with gripping, identification, durability, and/or aesthetics. Layers of additional materials can be secured to the surface of the head 10 and/or handle 6. For example, a thin rubber layer can be adhered to the handle 6 to assist with gripping.

(23) A punch 22 extends outward from the front end 14 of the head 10. The punch 22 has a distal end 26 with a tip 30 and a proximal end 34 (not shown because it is inside of the device 2) opposite the distal end 26. The tip 30 may be pointed, angled, and/or rounded to assist in forming the hole in the ground. The punch 22 also has a shaft or cylindrical portion 38 with an indention 42. In some embodiments the indention 42 goes all the way around the punch (360). In some embodiments the indention 42 is only on one side of the punch 22. The cylindrical portion 38 may be sized and shaped similar to the shaft of a golf tee. The device 2 may have different punches 22 that are different sizes based on the specific tee used by the golfer. The punch 22 can be metal, wood, ceramic, composite, hard plastic, stone, any other material known in the art, or combinations thereof.

(24) The head 10 also includes a lever 70 (also called a racking lever herein) for pulling the punch 22 into the head 10. See the description associated with FIGS. 9-12A and 15-16 for more information on the racking lever 70. The head 10 has a right side 78 and a left side (not shown in FIG. 1). The racking lever 70 slides along the cutout 74 (also called an opening herein), which runs along the right side 78 of the head 10. In other embodiments, the cutout 74 and racking lever 70 may be positioned on the left side of the head 10. In some embodiments, the cutout 74 can be present on both the right side 78 and the left side of the head 10 and a racking lever 70 can be present on both sides of the head 10.

(25) The handle 6 can have a trigger 50 on the front 54 of the handle 6 for activating or shooting the punch 22. The trigger 50 may have a different size or shape than is shown in the drawings. For example, the trigger 50 may be a lever, similar to a staple gun, or may look similar to a hand gun trigger. Other trigger shapes and sizes can be used in other embodiments. The rear side 58 of the handle may be curved to comfortably fit a user's hand. The right side 62 and left side (not shown in this figure) of the handle 6 may be substantially flat to comfortably fit a user's hand. In some embodiments, the handle 6 and/or trigger 50 has a texture to assist with gripping. In additional or alternative embodiments, the handle 6 and/or trigger 50 may have a rubber (or other gripping material) coating or outer layer to assist with gripping. The handle 6 and/or trigger 50 may also have cushioning for comfort.

(26) FIG. 2 illustrates embodiments of the device 2 for creating a hole in the ground for a golf tee and is a right elevation view of the device 2. The device 2 can have a tee extractor 20 on the rear end 18 in some embodiments. Here the racking lever 70 is all the way forward in the opening 74 of the head 10 and the punch 22 extends outwardly from the front 14 of the head 10 of the device 2. In this position, the punch 22 extends outward a maximum distance, L1. In some embodiments, the punch 22 extends outward from the front 14 of the head 10 a distance L1 between about 0.50 inches and about 2.5 inches. In a preferred embodiment, the punch 22 extends outward a distance L1 between about 1.0 inch and 2.0 inches. In a more preferred embodiment, the punch 22 extends outward a distance L1 between about 1.25 inches and 1.75 inches. In a more preferred embodiment, the punch 22 extends outward a distance L1 of about 1.50 inches. Also in this position, the spring 90 interconnected to the distal end 34 of the punch 22 can be seen through the opening 74, along with the cylindrical portion 38 of the punch 22.

(27) The diameter D of the cylindrical portion 38 of the punch 22 can vary in various embodiments. In some embodiments, the diameter D of the cylindrical portion 38 of the punch 22 is between about 0.10 inch and about 0.25 inch. In a preferred embodiment, the diameter D of the cylindrical portion 38 of the punch 22 is between about 0.15 inch and about 0.20 inch. In a more preferred embodiment, the diameter D of the cylindrical portion 38 of the punch 22 is about 3/16 inch. The diameter of the indention 42 in the punch 22 is smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical portion 38 of the punch 22. For example, in some embodiments, the diameter of the indention 42 in the punch 22 is between about 0.05 inch and about 0.125 inch. In a preferred embodiment, the diameter of the indention 42 is between about 0.075 inch and about 0.10 inch. In a more preferred embodiment, the diameter of the indention 42 is about 3/32 inch.

(28) FIG. 3 illustrates embodiments of the device 2 and is a left rear perspective view of the device 2. Here the left side 98 of the head 10 can be seen along with the left side 94 of the handle 6. Moreover, the rear end 18 of the head 10 with the tee extractor 20 and rear side 58 of the handle 6 can be seen in this view. The tee extractor 20 has a raised outer-platform positioned a distance from the outer surface of the device 2, where the distance is large enough to accommodate a typical tee head. The raised platform has an aperture with a large round section on one end (sized such that it is larger than a typical tee head) and a smaller oval or straight section on the other end of the aperture. The aperture can be shaped similar to a keyhole slot. Because the platform is positioned a distance from the outer surface of the device, a tee head can fit between the platform and the outer surface. The tee extractor 20 functions by the user placing the head of the tee in the large round section of the aperture and moving the device such that the tee head slides along the oval or straight section and between the platform and outer surface of the device. The oval or straight section is sized such that it is smaller than a typical tee head. Thus, the tee head is held in the oval or straight section and the user can pull up on the tee to remove it from the ground using the tee extractor 20. In some embodiments, the tee extractor 20 has a different shape, for example, it may be similar to a claw on the end of a hammer or have rails running along the rear end 18 where the head of the tee is positioned between the claw or the rails by sliding the extractor 20 along the head of the tee such that the claw or rails hold the tee head and the user can pull the tee out of the ground.

(29) FIG. 4 illustrates embodiments of the device 2 and is a left elevation view of the device 2. The left side of the device 2 is similar to the right side of the device 2. In some embodiments, the height H1 of the device 2 is between about 3.0 inches and about 6.0 inches. In a preferred embodiment, the height H1 of the device 2 is between about 3.5 inches and about 5.0 inches. In a more preferred embodiment, the height H1 of the device 2 is between about 3.75 inches and about 4.5 inches. In a more preferred embodiment, the height H1 of the device 2 is about 4.0 inches. In some embodiments, the height H2 of the head 10 of the device 2 is between about 0.5 inches and about 2.0 inches. In a preferred embodiment, the height H2 of the head 10 of the device 2 is between about 0.75 inches and about 1.5 inches. In a more preferred embodiment, the height H2 of the head 10 of the device 2 is between about 1.0 inches and about 1.25 inches. In a more preferred embodiment, the height H2 of the head 10 of the device 2 is about 1.1 inches. In some embodiments, the length L2 of the head 10 of the device 2 is between about 2.5 inches and 5.0 inches. In a preferred embodiment, the length L2 of the head 10 of the device 2 is between about 3.0 inches and 4.5 inches. In a more preferred embodiment, the length L2 of the head 10 of the device 2 is between about 3.5 inches and 4.0 inches. In a more preferred embodiment, the length L2 of the head 10 of the device 2 is about 3.8 inches.

(30) FIG. 5 illustrates embodiments of the device 2 and is a top plan view of the device 2 and FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the device 2. The racking lever 70 extends outward from the right side 78 of the head 10 of the device 2. The racking lever 70 extends outward enough for a user to push on or pull the racking lever 70, as described in detail with FIGS. 9-16. The bottom 100 of the handle 6 can be flat or curved in various embodiments. In the embodiment show, the bottom 100 is substantially flat with rounded edges. In some embodiments, where there is an opening on both sides of the head, two racking levers 70 can be present.

(31) FIG. 7 illustrates embodiments of the device 2 and is a front elevation view of the device 2 and FIG. 8 illustrates embodiments of the device 2 and is a rear elevation view of the device 2. In some embodiments, the length L3 of the head 10 of the device 2 is between about 0.4 inches and about 1.5 inches. In a preferred embodiment, the length L3 of the head 10 of the device 2 is between about 0.5 inches and about 1.25 inches. In a more preferred embodiment, the length L3 of the head 10 of the device 2 is between about 0.6 inches and about 1.0 inches. In a more preferred embodiment, the length L3 of the head 10 of the device 2 is about 0.75 inches.

(32) FIG. 9 illustrates embodiments of the device 2 and is a right rear perspective sectional view of the device 2 showing internal components of the device 2 with the trigger 50 in the resting position and the racking lever 70 in the forward position. The punch 22 is in the forward-most position with the maximum amount of the punch 22 extending outward from the front of the head 10. The head 10 of the device 2 has a spring 90 interconnected to an inner surface of the rear end 18 of the head 10. Inside the head 10, the rear end 18 has a protrusion 130 that may act as a stop surface and/or the spring 90 may be interconnected to the protrusion 130 on one end of the spring 90. The other end of the spring 90 can be interconnected to the proximal end 34 of the punch 22. The proximal end 34 of the punch 22 may have a smaller diameter than the cylindrical portion 38. In some embodiments, proximal end 34 of the punch 22 can have the diameter as the cylindrical portion 38 or a larger diameter than the cylindrical portion 38. The protrusion 130 and proximal end 34 of the punch 22 may be cylindrical in shape such that the spring 90 can easily interconnect to these pieces without interfering with the function of the spring 90. In some embodiments, the spring 90 is not a cylindrical coil spring and the protrusion 130 and proximal end 34 of punch 22 can have different shapes. The spring 90 is in its resting position in FIG. 9. The purpose of the spring 90 is to push the punch 22 forward and out of the head 10 of the device 2. This happens by the punch 22 being pulled into the head 10 and compressing the spring 90. Thus, the force from the compressed spring 90 pushes the punch 22 out of the head 10 and into the ground.

(33) The proximal end 34 of the punch 22 includes a stop ring 134 with an outer diameter that is greater than the diameter of the cylindrical portion 38 of the punch 22. The stop ring 134 may be formed in the punch 22 such that they are one piece and are the same material. Alternatively, the stop ring 134 may be a separate piece that is secured to the proximal end 34 of the punch 22. In other embodiments, the proximal end 34 of the punch 22 may have one or more outwardly extending portions (e.g., flanges, protrusions, bumps, protuberances, etc.) that act like a stop surface rather than having a stop ring 134. The racking lever 70 has a proximal end 178 opposite the distal end of the lever 70, where the user interacts with the distal end of the racking lever 70. The distal end of the racking lever 70 can have flat sides and a rounded end, as shown. Alternatively, the distal end of the racking lever 70 can have rounded or curved sides, a rounded end, a flat end, or any combination thereof. The proximal end 178 has an aperture with a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the cylindrical portion 38 of the punch 22 such that the punch 22 is positioned in the aperture and the proximal end 178 can slide along the punch 22. The racking lever 70 may also be able to rotate around the punch 22. Thus, the racking lever 70 is interconnected to the punch 22 because its aperture is positioned around the cylindrical portion 38 of the punch 22. The racking lever 70 can slide along the punch 22 until it hits the stop ring 134 (FIG. 10). The stop ring 134 has a forward surface 174 that engages a rear surface 170 of the proximal end 178 of the racking lever 70 (as shown in FIG. 10). In some embodiments, the forward surface 174 of the stop ring 134 and the rear surface 170 of the proximal end 178 of the racking lever 70 are substantially flat such that they can be positioned adjacent one another with the maximum amount of surface area touching each other. Alternatively, one surface 170, 174 can have a concave or curved shape while the other surface 170, 174 has a convex or curved shape, where the two shapes fit together. In some embodiments, the racking lever 70 is formed with the punch 22 such that they are one piece or is secured to the punch 22 such that it cannot move relative to the punch 22. Thus, the racking lever 70 would not slide along the punch 22 and, rather, would pull the punch 22 with any movement of the racking lever 70.

(34) The head 10 of the device 2 can have a punch housing 138 positioned around a portion of the punch 22. In some embodiments, the punch housing 138 is positioned inside the head 10 and proximate the front end 14. The punch housing 138 is cylindrical and has an inner diameter that is larger than the punch diameter D. Thus, the punch housing 138 keeps the punch 22 centered and in the correct position in the device 2. The punch housing 138 holds the punch 22 in the proper position. The punch housing 138 also has a cutout 142 for the nose 162 of the head 156 of the locking lever 150. The cutout 142 is sized, shaped, and positioned to receive the nose 162 of the locking lever 150 without interfering with the function of the locking lever 150 and nose 162. Thus, it is preferred that the cutout 142 is larger than the nose 162 such that the cutout 142 does not touch the nose 162 as the nose 162 slides along the punch 22 and as it moves in and out of the indention 42 on the punch 22. In some embodiments, rather than have a cutout 142 for the nose 162, the punch housing 138 ends where the cutout 142 would begin, i.e., on the left of the cutout 142 as shown in FIG. 9.

(35) The device 2 can have a spring housing 140 inside the head 10 in some embodiments. The spring housing 140 can extend from the rear end 18 of the head 10 to the rear end of the punch housing 138. The spring housing 140 can be interconnected to the punch housing 138 or the spring housing 140 and punch housing 138 can be one piece in some embodiments. In various embodiments, the spring housing 140 may not extend all the way to the punch housing 138. The spring housing 140 may have a different inner diameter than the punch housing 138 since the punch housing 138 is sized for the cylindrical portion 38 of the punch 22 and the spring housing 140 is sized for the horizontal spring 90, stop ring 134, and/or distal end 178 of the racking lever 70. In some embodiments, the punch housing 138 and spring housing 140 have the same inner diameter. The spring housing 140 may not extend around the entire circumference of the spring 90 (i.e., it may not extend the full 360 around the spring). For example, the spring housing 140 may extend around the spring 90 between about 180 and about 300. If the spring housing 140 extends around the spring 90 the entire circumference (360), then the spring housing 140 must have a cutout to permit the racking lever 70 to move rearward with the punch 22. Thus, some embodiments include a spring housing 140 that extends around the spring 90 the entire circumference (360) and the spring housing 140 has a cutout for the racking lever 70.

(36) The locking lever 150 has a head 156 opposite a tail 152. The locking lever 150 rotates around a pivot point 158, which may be a pin, rivet, screw, stud, or other mechanism. The head 156 is positioned on one side of the pivot point 158 and the tail 152 is positioned on the opposite side of the pivot point 158. The tail 152 can have an L-shape as shown, or have a flat end, rounded end, angled end, or any other shaped end that functions with the device 2. The tail 152 should be shaped and sized (including the length of the locking lever 150, especially the length extending rearward of the pivot point 158) such that it does not interfere with the punch 22, stop ring 134, spring 90, or distal end 178 of the racking lever 70, unless such interference is desired for the specific embodiment. The head 156 of the locking lever 150 can have a nose 162 opposite a butt 166. The nose 162 interacts with the punch 22 and at least a portion of the nose 162 is positioned in the cutout 142 of the punch housing 138. The butt 166 interacts with a spring 106. The spring 106 is interconnected to or positioned around the butt 166 of the head 156 and pushes the butt 166 (and, thus, the head 156 and nose 162) upward toward the punch 22. The spring 106 ensures that the nose 162 is constantly in contact with the punch 22. The opposite end of the spring 106 is interconnected to or positioned around a protrusion 146 or other interconnection point on the inside of the head 10 of the device 2. The protrusion 146 may have a cylindrical shape or may be square or rectangular shaped. The protrusion 146 extends upward from an inner surface of the head 10 of the device 2. A bottom surface of the tail 152 of the locking lever 150 has a cutout 154 sized and shaped to receive a flange 122 extending from a top/upper inner surface of the trigger 50. Both the flange 122 and cutout 154 can have a sloped or slanted surface and these two surfaces can engage and interact with one another. In some embodiments, the cutout 154 and the flange 122 are shaped differently than shown, for example, the cutout 154 and flange 122 can be rounded, more square shaped, etc. Additionally, the cutout 154 may not be shaped exactly like the flange 122. Rather, the cutout 154 and the flange 122 can have different shapes that interact with one another, as desired in the specific embodiment.

(37) The handle 6 of the device comprises a spring 102 interconnected on one end to an inner rear surface of the handle 6. The interconnection point may include a protrusion 110 such that the spring 102 is positioned around and/or interconnected to the protrusion 110. The protrusion 110 may have a cylindrical shape or may be square or rectangular shaped. The protrusion 110 extends outward from an inner rear surface of the handle 6 of the device 2. The opposite end of the spring 102 is interconnected to the trigger 50 via an interconnection mechanism or spring holder 114. The spring holder 114 can be a cylindrical piece with an inner diameter that is larger than the outer diameter of the spring 102 such that the spring 102 fits in the spring holder 114. In some embodiments, the spring holder 114 may be a protrusion (similar to items 110 and 130) or any other known mechanism used to hold, secure, and/or interconnect to one end of the spring 102. The spring holder 114 provides a place for the spring 102 to interconnect to the trigger 50 and keeps the spring 102 in the proper position and prevents the spring 102 from twisting. The handle 50 also has tracks 116 and a rider 118 for sliding along the tracks 116. The rider 118 can be positioned around the spring holder 114 or located above or below the spring holder 114. In some embodiments, the rider 118 has a square or rectangular shape. Thus, the rider 118 is positioned between two tracks 116 and slides along the tracks 116 as the trigger 50 is pulled and released. In some embodiments, the tracks 116 are positioned on an inner surface of the left side 94 of the handle 50. In some embodiments, the tracks 116 are positioned on an inner surface of the right side 62 of the handle 50. In some embodiments, the tracks 116 are positioned on the inner surfaces of both the right side 62 and the left side 94 of the handle 50. The tracks 116 can extend across the entire width of the handle 50 or only a portion of the handle width. Further, the size of the rider 118 and the tracks 116 can vary in various embodiments. For example, the tracks 116 may be wider (i.e., extend farther from the inner wall(s)) and the rider 118 may be slimmer (i.e., extend a shorter distance away from the trigger's vertical centerline and spring 102. The tracks 116 and rider 118 prevent the trigger 50 and trigger spring 102 from twisting or moving in a non-linear direction. Thus, the tracks 116 and rider 118 ensure that the trigger 50 and trigger spring 102 stay straight and move in a horizontal direction.

(38) The spring 102 is in the resting position in FIG. 9. When the trigger 50 is compressed (i.e., moved to the right of FIG. 9, as shown in FIG. 14), the spring 102 is also compressed. Thus, the compressed spring 102 wants to push the trigger 50 back to the trigger's resting position. The tracks 116 and rider 118 ensure that the trigger 50 moves in a straight direction when returning to its resting position.

(39) FIG. 10 illustrates embodiments of the device 2 and is a right sectional view of the device 2 with the trigger 50 in the resting position and the racking lever 70 pulled back to the stop ring 134. The inner components of the device 2 are visible in FIG. 10. Here, the racking lever 70 has been pulled backward and slid along the punch 22. At this point, the forward surface 174 of the stop ring 134 engages the rear surface 170 of the proximal end 178 of the racking lever 70. Thus, the forward surface 174 of the stop ring 134 is touching the rear surface 170 of the proximal end 178 of the racking lever 70. The punch 22 has not yet moved at this point, only the racking lever 70 has moved along the punch 22. The locking lever 150 is slightly rotated around the pivot point 158 counterclockwise as the end of the nose 162 of the head 156 slides along the outer surface of the punch 22. As the racking lever 70 is pushed back toward the rear end 18 of the head 10 beyond the point shown in FIG. 10, the racking lever 70 will engage the stop ring 134 and pull the punch 22 back toward the rear end 18 of the head 10 and compress the spring 90.

(40) FIG. 11 illustrates embodiments of the device 2 and is a right sectional view of the device 2 with the trigger 50 in the resting position and the racking lever 70 pulled back farther toward the rear end 18 of the head 10. As the racking lever 70 is pulled farther back toward the rear end 18, the punch 22 is also pulled back toward the rear end 18. More specifically, the proximal end 178 of the racking lever 70 is pulling the stop ring 134, which is interconnected to the punch 22 and, thus, the punch 22 is pulled toward the rear end 18. Arrow 190 shows the direction the punch 22 is moving. At this point, a smaller amount of the punch 22 is positioned outside of the head 10 of the device 2 than the amount in FIGS. 9 and 10. Thus, more of the punch 22 is positioned within the head 10 at this point in time than in FIGS. 9 and 10. The locking lever 150 is still rotated slightly counter-clockwise, as it was in FIG. 10, because the nose 162 of the head 156 is still sliding along the outer surface of the punch 22. The butt 166 of the head 156 of the locking lever 150 compresses the vertical spring 106 downward such that the vertical spring 106 is exerting a force on the head 156 and is pushing the nose 162 against the outer surface of the punch 22. The horizontal spring 90 in the head 10 is more compressed as the proximal end 34 of the punch 22 pushes the spring 90 toward the rear end 18 of the head 10 of the device 2.

(41) FIG. 12 illustrates embodiments of the device 2 and is a right sectional view of the device 2 with the trigger 50 in the resting position and the racking lever 70 pulled all the way back to the rear end of the opening (74 in other figures). The racking lever 70 cannot move any farther to the rear end 18 of the head 10 of the device 2 than is shown in FIG. 12 because it is limited by the cutout 74 length. Further, the punch 22 cannot move any farther to the rear end 18 of the head 10 of the device 2 since the racking lever 70 moves the punch 22 and the racking lever 70 cannot move any farther to the rear end 18. The horizontal spring 90 in the head 10 is compressed and exerting a forward-oriented force on the punch 22. The punch 22 is held in this loaded position because the nose 162 of the locking lever 150 is positioned in the indention 42 of the punch 22 and prevents the punch 22 from sliding forward. Specifically, as the racking lever 70 is pulled toward the rear end 18, the nose 162 of the locking lever 150 slides along the outer surface of the punch 22. When the nose 162 reaches the indention 42, the locking lever 150 rotates clockwise around the pivot point 158 as the nose 162 is pushed up into the indention 42 via the vertical spring 106. Almost the entire punch 22 is positioned within the device head 10 at this point. In some embodiments, the entire punch 22 may be positioned within the device head 10 when the device 2 is in the loaded position.

(42) FIG. 12A is an enlarged view of detail A of FIG. 12 with the punch housing 138 removed. Here, the nose 162 of the locking lever 150 is visible and positioned within the indention 42 of the punch 22. A substantially flat bottom surface 200 of the nose 162 engages and is positioned on a substantially flat upper surface 204 of the indention 42. In this position, the punch 22 is locked or secured in the loaded position. At this point, the user would position the front 14 of the head 10 on the ground where he or she would like the tee hole to be punched. Then the punch 22 will create a hole in the ground as the punch 22 is pushed out of the head 10 of the device 2 upon activation by the trigger 50.

(43) FIG. 13 illustrates embodiments of the device 2 and is a right sectional view of the device 2 with the racking lever 70 pulled all the way back to the rear end of the opening (74 in other figures) and the trigger 50 partially depressed. The punch 22 and racking lever 70 are in the same position as is shown in FIG. 12. However, here, the trigger 50 is partially depressed in the direction of the arrow 208. As the trigger 50 is depressed, the horizontal handle spring 102 is compressed. As the trigger 50 is pulled or pushed to the right of FIG. 13, the flange 122 extending from a top inner surface of the trigger 50 also moves to the right. The upper surface 212 of the flange 122 is sloped and shaped to fit in the sloping cutout 154 in the locking lever 150. As the flange 122 moves to the right, the taller portion 216 of the sloping upper surface 212 pushes on a bottom surface of the locking lever 150, causing the locking lever 150 to rotate counterclockwise around the pivot point 158 in the direction of the rotational arrow. As the locking lever 150 rotates, the butt 166 of the head 156 of the locking lever 150 moves downward and compresses the vertical spring 106. As the user continues to depress the trigger 50 in the direction of arrow 208, the flange 122 moves farther to the right and further rotates the locking lever 150. As the locking lever 150 rotates counterclockwise around the pivot point 158, the nose 166 will eventually slide off of or out of the indention 42 in the punch 22. At this point, the punch 22 is released and able to propel forward from the force of the compressed horizontal spring 90.

(44) It is at this point in time that FIG. 14 is shown. Here, the punch 22 is being shot forward and out of the front 14 of the head 10 of the device 2. The trigger 50 is fully depressed in the direction of arrow 208. The force of the horizontal spring 90 propels the punch 22 out of the head 10 of the device 2. The springs 90, 102, 106 move the components back to their original resting positions, shown in FIG. 9. Specifically, the horizontal spring 102 in the handle 6 pushes the trigger to the left of FIG. 14 and back to the resting position where the flange 122 can slide back into the cutout 154 of the locking lever 150. The horizontal spring 90 in the head 10 pushes the punch 22 and the racking lever 70 to the left of FIG. 14 and back to the resting positions shown in FIG. 9. The racking lever 70 will slide with the punch 22 as the spring 90 pushes the punch 22 to the forward end of the head 10. The vertical spring 106 pushes the head 156 of the locking lever 150 upward and back to the resting position against an outer surface of the punch 22.

(45) FIGS. 15 and 16 illustrate optional features that can be combined with any of the embodiments described herein. Specifically, FIGS. 15 and 16 show a shorter cutout 74 in the side 78 of the head 10 for the racking lever 70. Here, the racking lever 70 is positioned directly adjacent to the stop ring 134. Thus, the racking lever 70 cannot slide forward along the cylindrical portion 38 of the punch 22. Additionally, the horizontal cutout 74 can include an additional safety cutout 76 proximate the rear end of the horizontal cutout 74. The safety cutout 76 assists in preventing accidental firing of the punch 22. After the user pulls the racking lever 70 back to the rear end of the horizontal cutout 74, the nose of the locking lever engages the indention in the punch (not shown in this view, but shown in FIG. 12). At this point, the user can rotate the racking lever 70 upward and into the safety cutout 76. Even if the user accidentally pulls the trigger 50 when the racking lever 70 is positioned in the safety cutout 76, the punch 22 will not fire because the punch 22 is held in the loaded rearward position via the racking lever 70 positioned in the safety cutout 76. Thus, even when the nose of the locking lever is removed from the indention in the punch 22, the punch 22 stays in the rearward loaded position because it is held in that position by the racking lever 70 being held in the safety cutout 76.

(46) In some embodiments, the racking lever 70 is one piece with the punch 22 and may even be formed of the same material as the punch 22. In these embodiments, a stop ring 134 may not be needed, as the racking lever 70 pulls the punch 22 since it is permanently attached or fixed to the punch 22. Thus, when the user rotates the racking lever 70 into the safety cutout 76, the entire punch 22 rotates with the racking lever 70. The system functions because the indention 42 in the punch 22 can go all the way around the punch 22 (360), which means the nose of the locking lever can remain in the indention 42 even as the punch 22 is rotated with the racking lever 70. In some embodiments, the racking lever 70 is a separate piece (as described above with other figures) and can rotate around the punch 22. If the racking lever 70 is a separate piece and the cylindrical portion 38 of the punch 22 is positioned in an aperture of the racking lever 70, then only the racking lever 70 will rotate up and into the safety cutout 76. The entire punch 22 will not rotate with the racking lever 70.

(47) For the features described in connection with FIG. 15 to function, some modifications must be made to the internal components of the device 2. See FIG. 16. Specifically, if the device 2 has a safety cutout 76 at the rear end of the horizontal cutout 74, then the spring housing 140 will need a matching safety cutout 80. The interior safety cutout 80 in the spring housing 140 needs to be aligned with the outer safety cutout 76 and needs to be either the same size and shape as the outer safety cutout 76 or at least larger than the racking lever 70. Further, because the outer horizontal cutout 74 is shorter in FIG. 15 than FIGS. 1 and 2, the punch housing 138 can be longer and extend approximately to the forward end of the horizontal cutout 74 or extend to anywhere between the racking lever 70 in the forward position and the nose 162 of the locking lever 150. This longer punch housing 138 can provide additional support and stability for the punch 22.

(48) FIG. 16 also shows another optional feature or modification that can be included in any of the embodiments described herein. Here, the tail 152 of the locking lever 150 has an angled shape rather than the L-shape shown in other figures. The tail 152 can have any shape as long as it does not interfere with the punch 22, stop ring 134 (if the embodiment has a stop ring), or the locking lever 70, if such interference is not desired.

(49) Although the figures show a device 2 with a handle 6, the device 2 does not have to have a handle 6. Rather, the racking lever 70 could also be the trigger mechanism such that when the user pulls the racking lever 70 to the rear end 18 of the device 2, the user could let go of the racking lever 70 to shoot the punch 22. The racking lever 70 is interconnected to and/or pulls the punch 22 to the rear end 18 of the device. In some embodiments, the user may pull the racking lever 70 to the rear end 18 of the device 2 and rotate the racking lever 70 into a safety cutout 76 to prevent the device 2 from firing. Then, when the user wants to fire the punch 22, the user merely rotates the racking lever 70 out of the safety cutout 76 and the force from an internal compressed spring 90 or other mechanism (e.g., pneumatic, magnetic) propels the punch 22 out of the device 2.

(50) In some embodiments, the outer body portion comprising the head and the handle may be a hard plastic, composite material, metal, wood, or combinations thereof. Preferably, the material is durable, easily cleaned, and lightweight. However, various embodiments may use less durable materials or heavier materials depending on the desired use, quality, and weight. Further, the outer surfaces may be smooth, textured, or combinations thereof. The trigger may be the same material as the handle or a different material. As discussed above, the trigger and/or handle can have cushioning or coatings to assist in gripping and/or to increase comfort. The punch can be a hard plastic, composite material, metal, wood, or combinations thereof. Preferably, the punch is metal and is one piece. The punch may be hollow or solid. The internal components, for example the flange on the trigger and locking lever can be a hard plastic, composite material, metal, wood, or combinations thereof. Preferably, these components are also durable and lightweight and able to withstand exposure to dirt and water. The springs can be any material typical of springs, for example, metal or any other known material in the art. The spring housing and/or punch housing can be the same material as the outer casing of the head. Thus, the outer casing of the head and the spring and/or punch housings may be one piece and formed together, e.g., via 3D printing, injection molding, machining, etc., and combinations thereof.

(51) In alternative or additional embodiments, a CO.sub.2 canister can be used in the place of the horizontal spring 90 to propel the punch out of the head of the device. In still further embodiments, the device can include a solenoid, which is an electromagnetic coil and sliding piston, to propel the punch out of the head of the device. Additional embodiments may include wind-up mechanisms to pull the punch into the head and then shoot the punch out of the head. These embodiments function by a gear (for example a butterfly gear) interacting with the punch to push the punch out of the device and/or pull the punch into the device. For example, each rotation of the gear may move the punch a predetermined distance.

(52) Although various concepts of various embodiments have been described in conjunction with specific embodiments shown,

(53) While various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it is apparent that modifications and alterations of those embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and alterations are within the scope and spirit of the present invention, as set forth in the following claims. Further, the invention described herein is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. It is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.