| 摘要 |
This invention in an automatic apparatus (60) that positions a golf ball on a tee (84), 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 (80). A plunger (94) drives a ball in the tee loading station into contact with a horizontally positioned tee. The tee has a bore formed in it that communicates with a source of negative pressure so that a ball driven into contact with the tee by the plunger is held to the tee by a vacuum. The resulting increase in a vacuum line re-configures a four way valve (28), and activates a mechanism that rotates the tee and ball into a vertical position so that the golfer may make a tee shot.
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