Composite baseball bat
AssigneeCE Composites Baseball Inc.
InventorWillian Terrance Sutherland
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A single member tubular baseball or softball bat of unitary construction comprised of an elongated handle portion and a striking or barrel portion wherein the barrel portion has internal and external cylindrical layers separated by one or more separation barriers, which are not bonded to said layers, located internally within the barrel thickness, and being in intimate contact with these layers. This results in equivalent or higher performing baseball bats than the prior art, as measured by hitting distance, and more consistent performance. The bats are also less costly to manufacture than prior art double walled bats.
Claims27
A double-wall single member baseball bat of unitary construction, comprising a cylindrical handle portion for gripping, a cylindrical tubular barrel portion for striking, and a tapered mid-section connecting said handle portion and said barrel portion, wherein a major part of said barrel portion comprises a barrel wall formed by internal and external cylindrical layers of material separated by a separation barrier which is unbonded to at least one of said layers, said separation barrier being in intimate contact with said layers over all of its area.
A multiple-wall single member baseball bat of unitary construction, of the type comprising a cylindrical handle portion for gripping, a cylindrical tubular barrel portion for striking, and a tapered mid-section connecting said handle portion and said barrel portion,
- wherein a major part of said barrel portion comprises a barrel wall formed of multiple internal and external cylindrical layers of material, adjacent pairs of said layers each being separated by a separation barrier which is unbonded to said layers, said separation barriers being in intimate contact with said adjacent layers over all of their areas.
A process for forming a single member baseball bat of unitary construction having a barrel portion, a handle portion, and a tapered portion connecting the barrel and the handle portion, the process comprising:
- wrapping an internal layer of material around a cylindrical mandrel to form an inner layer of a barrel portion of said bat;
- wrapping a separation barrier around said internal layer, said barrier being made of material which does not adhere to said internal layer;
- and,
- wrapping an external layer of material around said separation barrier, said material of the external layer being such as not to adhere to the separation barrier;
- impregnating the unitary construction with resin, curing the resin, and removing the mandrel;
- the process including forming said handle portion and tapered portion integrally with one of said layers.
A process for forming a single member baseball bat of unitary construction having a barrel portion, a handle portion, and a tapered portion connecting the barrel and the handle portion, the process comprising:
- providing an internal, hollow tube having an internal diameter corresponding to the internal diameter of the eventual barrel portion;
- wrapping a separation barrier around said internal tube, said barrier not adhering to said internal layer;
- wrapping an external layer of material around said separation barrier, said material of the external layer being such as not to adhere to the separation barrier;
- impregnating the unitary construction with resin, and curing the resin;
- the process including forming said handle portion and tapered portion integrally with said external layer.
A process for forming a single member baseball bat of unitary construction having a barrel portion, a handle portion, and a tapered portion connecting the barrel and the handle portion, the process comprising:
- providing an external, hollow tube of cylindrical form having an external diameter corresponding to the external diameter of the eventual barrel portion;
- placing a separation barrier within said external tube;
- and
- placing an internal layer of material within said separation barrier, said material of the internal layer being such as not to adhere to the separation barrier;
- impregnating the unitary construction with resin, and curing the resin;
- the process including forming said handle portion and tapered portion integrally with said internal layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.