Method and apparatus for removing flash and gates from golf balls
AssigneeLisco, Inc.
InventorsRichard H. Provost, Robert P. Luben
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus to automatically orient golf balls for milling comprising a plurality of aligned cups. Each cup has a generally hemispherical recess to receive a golf ball. A first component is provided to move the golf balls from cup to cup. A second component is provided to detect the height of the golf ball in the cup as a function of whether excess circumferential material is in the cup or resting on the upper surface of the cup. A third component is provided to initiate blasts of air when excess material is in the recess. A fourth component is provided to terminate the blasts of air at subsequent cups if there is no excess material in the recess.
Claims18
Apparatus for seating a ball with excess material around its equator comprising a block with a generally hemispherical walls forming a recess facing upwardly, the recess having a diameter substantially the same as that of the ball and having a height slightly less than the radius of the ball and an aperture extending through one of the walls to provide a blast of air to the recess with a ball thereabove to thereby effect a fluttering of the ball when the air of the blast contacts the excess material in the recess, the apparatus further including control means coupled to the aperture to provide a plurality of blasts of air into the recess, the blasts each being of a duration of between 0.05 and 0.10 seconds.
Apparatus for seating a ball with excess material around its equator comprising a block with generally hemispherical walls forming a recess facing upwardly, the recess having a diameter substantially the same as that of the ball and having a height slightly less than the radius of the ball and an aperture extending through one of the walls to provide a blast of air to the recess with a ball thereabove to thereby effect a fluttering of the ball when the air of the blast contacts the excess material in the recess and further including a line extending downwardly from the recess and means to draw a vacuum through the line in the recess to determine the orientation of the ball thereabove.
Apparatus for seating a ball with excess material around its equator comprising a block with generally hemispherical walls forming a recess facing upwardly, the recess having a diameter substantially the same as that of the ball and having a height slightly less than the radius of the ball and an aperture extending through one of the walls to provide a blast of air to the recess with a ball thereabove to thereby effect a fluttering of the ball when the air of the blast contacts the excess material in the recess and further including sensor means adjacent to the top of a ball in the recess to determine its orientation.
Apparatus to automatically orient a golf ball for milling comprising:
- a plurality of aligned cups, each cup having a generally hemispherical recess to receive a golf ball with excess circumferential material, the cup having a circular upper surface;
- first means to move the golf balls from cup to cup;
- second means to detect the height of the golf ball in a particular cup as a function of whether excess circumferential material is in the particular cup or resting on the upper surface of the particular cup;
- third means to initiate blasts of air through an aperture in each cup when excess material is in the recess;
- and
- fourth means to terminate the blasts of air at cups subsequent to the particular cup if there is no excess material in the recess.
A method to automatically orient a golf ball for milling comprising:
- providing a plurality of aligned cups, each cup having a generally hemispherical recess to receive a golf ball with excess circumferential material, each cup having a circular upper surface;
- moving the golf balls from cup to cup and detecting the height of the golf ball in a particular cup as a function of whether excess circumferential material is in the particular cup or resting on the upper surface of the cup;
- initiating blasts of air when excess material is in the recess;
- and
- terminating the blasts of air at cups subsequent to the particular cup if there is no excess material in the recess.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.