US 12,667,761 B2 · Hybrid baseball bat and construction methods

Abstract

Disclosed herein are various forms of hybrid baseball bats comprising a wood shell having a radial wall and an outer radial surface profile defining a baseball bat. The wood shell having a central core with a central surface thereon extending from a distal end of the bat. The central surface being profiled with a taper that in some embodiments extends entirely through to the proximal end. A fibrous construct is housed in the central core and infiltrated with an epoxy resin. In some forms, the fibrous construct is in the form of a sleeve. Disclosed are various manufacturing techniques for manufacturing hybrid baseball bats including a low pressure bladder method, a high pressure bladder method, and a centrifugal force method.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of constructing a hybrid baseball bat comprising the steps of:

obtaining a wood billet at least the length of a baseball bat,
trimming the wood billet to a predetermined length of a baseball bat, and cutting into the billet an external baseball bat profile;
cutting a profiled central surface defining a central core of a wood shell of the baseball bat;
infiltrating a fibrous sleeve tube with an epoxy;
covering the central surface with the fibrous sleeve tube;
and
applying radial forces to embed the fibrous sleeve tube in the central surface;
sliding an expandable bladder into the internal chamber of said fibrous sleeve tube;
and
pre-coating the fibrous sleeve tube with an epoxy and sliding the expandable bladder and
fibrous sleeve tube into the central core of the wood shell.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Hybrid baseball bat and construction methods

Life of this patent

Hybrid baseball bat and construction methods

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20