Softball bat
OwnerMichael D. Eggimaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tubular aluminum bat frame is provided with a large-diameter impact portion, an intermediate tapering portion, and a small-diameter handle portion. A tubular insert is suspended within the impact portion by interference fits at each insert end. A first interference fit is achieved by forcing the first end of the insert into the tapering portion of the bat frame. The second interference-fit is then formed by curling the end of the impact portion over upon the second end of the insert. A gap exists along the length of the suspended insert separating the insert from the interior of the impact portion. The gap is filled with grease to facilitate relative movement between the insert and the tubular frame when a ball is batted.
Claims18
A bat, comprising:
- a hollow tubular bat frame having a circular cross-section;
- and
- an insert positioned within the frame, the insert having a circular cross-section, the insert having first and second ends adjoining the tubular frame, the insert being separated from the tubular frame by a gap forming at least part of an annular shape along a central portion between said first and second ends, the frame elastically deflectable across the gap to operably engage the insert along a portion of the insert between the insert first and second ends.
In a hollow bat having a small-diameter handle portion and a large-diameter impact portion, an improvement comprising an internal structural insert defining an annular gap with an inside wall of the impact portion of the bat and the impact portion elastically deflectable to close a portion of the annular gap and operably engage the insert.
A bat, comprising:
- a hollow tubular frame having a small diameter handle portion, an intermediate tapering portion, a large diameter impact portion, and a reduced-diameter head portion;
- a tubular insert adapted to be suspended within the frame impact portion;
- a first end of the tubular insert being received into the tapering portion and secured therein by a first interference fit;
- a second end of the tubular insert being received by the head portion of the frame and secured therein by a second interference fit;
- a gap separating the insert from the tubular frame, the gap extending from the first interference fit to the second interference fit, the gap being filled with grease to facilitate relative movement between the tubular frame and the insert when the bat strikes a ball;
- and
- the insert and the frame being made of aluminum.
A bat, comprising:
- a hollow tubular bat frame having a small-diameter handle portion and a large-diameter impact portion having a circular cross-section with an inner and outer diameter;
- at least one insert having a substantially circular cross-section with an outer diameter less than the inner diameter of the frame impact portion, the insert being held within the impact portion;
- and
- the impact portion being inwardly elastically deflectable such to establish a tight interference fit between the insert and the impact portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.