Method for forming polyurethane cover on golf ball core
AssigneeAcushnet Company
InventorsJohn Calabria, Dean A. Snell, Shenshen Wu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for making a golf ball of selected instruction having an encapsulated core or a non-treated core and a polyurethane cover of selected composition in which equipment is employed for aligning, centering and locating the core in relationship with the molding of the cover thereon.
Claims16
In a method of making a golf ball using a golf ball core holder and first and second mold halves, with the first mold half positioned below the core holder, the improvement comprising
- a) placing a core in the core holder of a movable fixture, wherein the fixture comprises an adjustable mold holding unit for centering the core and receiving the first mold half and wherein the adjustable mold holding unit comprises a frame unit movably mounted relative to the first mold half for moving the core and core holder;
- and wherein the adjustable mold holding unit further comprises at least one stop member to limit movement of the frame unit;
- b) placing polyurethane in the first mold half and allowing said polyurethane to partially cure to a selected state of gel;
- c) causing the core holder and core to move continuously at a controlled rate toward the polyurethane in the first mold half until the core contacts the polyurethane, when the polyurethane is in said selected state of gel, and the core is centered in the first mold half;
- d) disengaging the core from the core holder after a selected period of time;
- e) placing such core with the polyurethane while still in said first mold half against a second mold half having polyurethane at a selected state of gel therein and mating the two half molds together;
- and
- f) curing the polyurethane in the mated halves.
A method of making a golf ball using a golf ball core holder and first and second mold halves, with the first mold half positioned below the core holder, the method comprising
- a) placing a core in the core holder of a movable fixture, wherein the fixture comprises an adjustable mold holding unit for centering the core and receiving the first mold half, and wherein the first mold half defines at least one alignment aperture therein, and wherein the adjustable mold holding unit further comprises a frame unit mounted for movement relative to the first mold half for lowering the core holder and core, and wherein the frame unit comprises at least one alignment pin for engaging the alignment aperture of the first mold half and wherein the adjustable mold holding unit comprises a stop member for limiting the movement of the frame unit;
- b) placing polyurethane in the first mold half and allowing said polyurethane to partially cure to a selected state of gel;
- c) causing the core holder and core to move continuously at a controlled rate toward the polyurethane in the first mold half until the alignment pin engages the alignment aperture and the core contacts the polyurethane, when the polyurethane is in said selected state of gel, and the core is centered in the first mold half;
- d) disengaging the core from the core holder after a selected period of time;
- e) placing such core with the polyurethane while still in said first mold half against a second mold half having polyurethane at a selected state of gel therein and mating the two half molds together;
- and
- f) curing the polyurethane in the mated halves.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.