Black Hall Projects
While working at the Black Hall Club, I have determined that the timesheet holder for golf staff employees and the equipment used to pick or retrieve golf balls from the driving range could be modified, thereby improving the daily operations of the golf course.
Timesheet Holder Project
The below image shows the timesheet holder used for golf staff employees. The left side holds a clipboard, a booklet filled with the daily operations, guidelines, and by-laws, and blank timesheets. The right side holds completed employee timesheets.
The below image shows the timesheet holder empty.
The below image shows that when a force is applied to the right side of the timesheet holder it cannot support the applied force and falls.
I designed a new timesheet holder with additional support at the bottom of the holder to push against the wall using SolidWorks. I plan to upload and 3D print my model and replace and install my new timesheet holder.
Golf Ball Picker Project
During my job, I use equipment attached to the front of a golf cart known as a golf ball picker to retrieve golf balls from the driving range. The below images depict the connection of the bracket of this equipment to the golf cart.
The below image shows the front of the golf cart. While difficult to notice, there is a hole in the plastic windshield from a golf ball colliding with it.
One of the issues is that the connection between the bracket to the steering system of the golf cart and the rod which is threaded through that bracket also connects the golf cart to the golf ball picker; both of which are not stable. One possible solution is to make a more secure connection and a shorter bridge to the cart. This would ensure greater stability and a tighter steering radius, making it easier to turn the steering wheel of the golf cart connected to the golf ball picker while retrieving golf balls.
The objective is to design and build a material for the front windshield that is durable, transparent, and able to withstand the force of a golf ball striking its surface at any point. Currently, the windshield is a form of layered acrylic plastic. I am researching and analyzing different polycarbonate plastic materials for transparency, durability, and safety, while accounting for costs and availability.
The images below depict three different counterclockwise rotating golf ball pickers and their connections to the bracket and the golf cart. These individual pickers carry the golf balls in the gaps and place the balls into the baskets, which are then removed from the picker, emptied, and replaced to their original position.
The primary issues with the golf ball picker involve the connections to the bracket, the amount of space between each gap, and the connections to the individual gaps. The picker is most effective when traveling forward in a straight direction at a constant speed or when accelerating to the left or right which tightens the gaps and stabilizes the connections. Adjusting the amount of space to make the gaps uniform would allow each picker gap to have an equal chance of balls traveling through each gap and being placed in the baskets. One possible solution is to slightly angle the picker wheels from the center outward to the left and right to simulate the tightening of the gap to maximize the probability of ball retrieval. I am currently designing the picker wheels using SolidWorks.
Another issue is that the three pickers only rotate in a clockwise direction which does not allow the picker to retrieve golf balls while going in reverse. This is a limitation of the design requiring significant changes in the design of the golf ball picker. I am currently sketching different designs using SolidWorks to allow the picker to travel in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions without limiting the effectiveness of the picker retrieving and placing golf balls in the baskets. I plan to eventually design all components of the picker as SolidWorks parts to be used to create assemblies of the picker using SolidWorks. Once I have finalized the design of the parts and assemblies, I plan to create drawings and contact the manufacturer of the picker to present my designs.