Simulated wood composite ball bat
AssigneeEaston Aluminum, Inc.
InventorsRoger B. Souders, Craig W. Souders
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An synthetic wood composite ball bat (10) having no wood components comprises a rigid shell of fiber reinforced composite material filled with expansible urethane foam to develop compressive stressed therebetween. The foam is locked to the shell during the manufacturing process by use of an intermediate dry woven fiber tube into which resin from the composite shell flows during curing of the composite shell and into which urethane foam flows during expansion of the urethane foam filler.
Claims17
A simulated wood composite ball bat having a longitudinal axis, a handle end and a barrel end comprising:
- a) a tubular bat shell comprising a plurality of cured layers of fiber reinforced resin material;
- b) a dry fiber tube inside of said shell and having cured resin material from said shell penetrating at least the outer portion of said dry fiber tube;
- c) a rigid cured expansible urethane foam having an expanded density of from 15 to 40 pounds per cubic foot substantially filling said shell and penetrating the inner portion of said dry fiber tube with substantial pressure between said shell and said foam;
- and
- d) a bat handle knob and a barrel end cap affixed to the ends of said shell.
A method of making a simulated wood composite ball bat having a longitudinal axis which comprises a shell having a handle end and a barrel end, comprising the steps of:
- a) placing a dry fiber tube on a mandrel having the shape, inside diameter and profile of a finished bat shell;
- b) placing a plurality of layers of resin coated reinforcing fibers on said fiber tube and mandrel to form said bat shell;
- c) compacting and simultaneously heat curing said shell to flow said resin to penetrate at least the outer portion of said dry fiber tube;
- d) sealing the ends of said cured shell;
- e) partially filling said shell with measured amounts of liquid components of an expansible urethane foam having an expanded density of from 15 to 40 pounds per cubic foot;
- f) expanding said urethane foam in said shell to cause uncured foam to penetrate the inner portion of said dry fiber tube and substantially completely fill said shell creating substantial pressure between said shell and said foam;
- and
- g) assembling a bat handle knob and a barrel end cap to the ends of said shell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.