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US 11,857,846 B2Granted
Baseball like training ball
AssigneeSweetspot Baseball, LLC
InventorsDavid G. Soderquist, Peter Wu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A lightweight spherical baseball like training ball has a hollow polyethylene plastic core adhered to a stitched white colored synthetic leather cover with a thin layer of adhesive. The lightweight ball has raised seams and measures in circumference similar to the ball circumference size mandated by Major League Baseball or softball rules whereby the ball is suitable for baseball and softball training and playing variations of the game of baseball or softball in confined areas.
Claims7
A ball for playing a modified game of baseball comprising:
- an inner lightweight polyethylene spherical core,
- the inner lightweight polyethylene spherical core having a hollow round center cavity and an outer spherical polyethylene shell enclosing the hollow round center cavity,
- the outer spherical polyethylene shell having a rounded concave curved inner surface and an outer spherical surface opposite from the rounded concave curved inner surface, the rounded concave curved inner surface surrounding and encasing the hollow round center cavity,
- the outer spherical polyethylene shell having a middle seam and a hole extended through the middle seam, the hole being in communication with the hollow round center cavity to allow air to move into and out of the hollow round center cavity,
- the outer polyethylene spherical shell having a uniform thickness from the rounded concave curved inner surface to the outer spherical surface of between 1 millimeter and 3 millimeters to allow compression energy to be released from the inner lightweight polyethylene spherical core thereby controlling the flight of the ball,
- a synthetic polyurethane leather cover attached to the outer spherical surface of the outer spherical shell,
- the synthetic polyurethane leather cover surrounding and fully enclosing the inner lightweight polyethylene spherical core,
- the synthetic polyurethane leather cover having a first figure-8 shaped polyurethane leather cover portion and a second figure-8 shaped polyurethane leather cover portion attached to the first figure-8 shaped polyurethane leather cover portion,
- raised red colored double stitches attaching the first figure-8 shaped polyurethane leather cover portion to the second figure-8 shaped polyurethane leather cover portion thereby forming raised seams between the first figure-8 shaped polyurethane leather cover portion and the second figure-8 shaped polyurethane leather cover portion,
- a layer of adhesive coating the outer spherical surface of the outer spherical polyethylene shell and located between the outer spherical surface and the first figure-8 shaped polyurethane leather cover portion and the second figure-8 shaped polyurethane leather cover portion to adhere the first figure-8 shaped polyurethane leather cover portion and the second figure-8 shaped polyurethane leather cover portion to the outer polyethylene spherical core, and
- a layer of latex located between the first figure-8 shaped polyurethane leather cover portion and the second figure-8 shaped polyurethane leather cover portion and the outer spherical polyethylene shell,
- the first figure-8 shaped polyurethane leather cover portion and the second figure-8 shaped polyurethane leather cover portion each having a white coloring to simulate a standard baseball,
- the ball having a weight between 1¼ ounces and 1¾ ounces and a circumference between 9 inches and 9¼ to facilitate exaggerated swerving movements of the ball when thrown.
10 more elements
A ball for playing a modified game of baseball or softball comprising:
- an inner lightweight round polyethylene core,
- the inner lightweight round polyethylene core having a hollow round center cavity and an outer polyethylene spherical shell surrounding and fully enclosing the hollow round center cavity,
- the outer polyethylene spherical shell having a uniform selected thickness between 1 millimeter and 3 millimeters to allow compression energy to be released from the inner lightweight round plastic core thereby controlling the flight of the ball,
- a synthetic leather cover surrounding the outer polyethylene spherical shell and fully enclosing the inner lightweight round polyethylene core,
- a layer of adhesive located between the synthetic leather cover and the outer polyethylene spherical shell to adhere the synthetic leather cover to the outer polyethylene spherical shell of the inner lightweight round plastic core,
- a layer of latex located between the synthetic leather cover and the outer polyethylene spherical shell,
- the synthetic leather cover having a first figure-8 shaped polyurethane synthetic leather cover portion and a second figure-8 shaped polyurethane synthetic leather cover portion attached to the first figure-8 shaped polyurethane synthetic leather portion, and
- raised red colored double stitches attaching the first figure-8 shaped polyurethane synthetic leather cover portion to the second figure-8 shaped polyurethane synthetic leather cover portion,
- the first figure-8 shaped polyurethane synthetic leather cover portion and the second figure-8 shaped synthetic cover portion each having a selected white or yellow coloring whereby the ball simulates a standard baseball or a standard softball,
- the ball having a selected weight between 1¼ ounces and 1¾ ounces or between 2¼ ounces and 2¾ ounces to facilitate exaggerated swerving movements of the ball when thrown.
7 more elements
A method of making a ball for playing a modified game of baseball or softball comprising:
- injection molding an inner lightweight round polyethylene core,
- the inner lightweight round polyethylene core having an outer polyethylene plastic spherical shell surrounding and encasing a hollow round center cavity,
- the outer polyethylene plastic spherical shell having a uniform selected thickness between 1 millimeter and 3 millimeters to allow compression energy to be released from the inner lightweight round polyethylene core thereby controlling the flight of the ball,
- coating the outer spherical surface of the outer polyethylene plastic spherical shell with a layer of adhesive,
- hand stitching a first figure-8 shaped synthetic leather cover section to a second figure-8 shaped synthetic leather cover section and onto the outer polyethylene plastic spherical shell with red colored double stitches thereby forming raised seams between the first figure-8 shaped synthetic leather cover section and the second figure-8 shaped synthetic leather cover section,
- locating a layer of latex between the outer polyethylene plastic spherical shell and the first figure-8 shaped synthetic leather cover section and the second figure-8 shaped synthetic leather cover section,
- adhering the first figure-8 shaped synthetic leather cover section and the second figure-8 shaped synthetic cover section to the outer spherical surface of the outer polyethylene plastic spherical shell with the layer of adhesive,
- coloring the first figure-8 shaped synthetic leather cover section and the second figure-8 shaped synthetic cover section each with a selected white or yellow coloring and texturing the first figure-8 shaped synthetic leather cover section and the second figure-8 shaped synthetic cover section each with a selected texture to simulate a standard baseball or a standard softball,
- providing the ball with a selected weight between ounces or 1¼ ounces and 1¾ ounces or between 2¼ ounces and 2¾ ouncesto facilitate exaggerated swerving movements of the ball when thrown.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.