Winding method and apparatus for wound balls

A method for making a wound core for a wound ball having a wound core with a rubber thread wound on a spherical center and a cover on the core, comprising the steps of:

• continuously feeding rubber thread to the spherical center and rotating the spherical center, thereby winding the rubber thread on the spherical center to form a wound core,
• clamping the wound core with a pair of grasping fingers such that the core is held between the fingers,
• placing a pair of spaced apart parallel wrapping rolls at a predetermined distance from the wound core,
• wrapping a trailing section of said rubber thread around the wrapping rolls to form a loop of rubber thread,
• bringing the wrapping rolls in pressure contact with the peripheral surface of the wound core for interposing a portion of the loop between the wrapping rolls and the wound core surface, thereby securing the portion of the loop,
• removing the loop from the wrapping rolls and turning it down toward the opposite side of the wound core so as to extend around the wound core over the grasping fingers,
• causing a rubber thread holder to abut under pressure the wound core through the turned-down loop on the opposite side of the wrapping rolls to the wound core with the rubber thread holder and the wrapping rolls and securing the loop to the wound core surface,
• in this state, withdrawing the grasping fingers from between the loop and the wound core surface, and
• taking the wound core from among the wrapping rolls and the rubber thread holder.