Golf ball molding method and apparatus

A method for molding a golf ball using a mold having a pair of upper and lower mold halves adapted to be mated to define a spherical cavity therebetween, each mold half being formed of a non-magnetic material and having a layer of a magnetic material having a thickness of 0.5 to 5 mm applied to a cavity-defining surface and a mating surface thereof, an induction heating coil embedded in each said mold half in electromagnetic induction relation to the layer, said coil including a hollow copper pipe and a conductor spirally wound on the pipe, a cooling channel extended in each of said mold halves adjacent to the layer and being juxtaposed to said induction heating coil having said hollow copper pipe, and a high-frequency oscillator coupled to said coil,

• said method comprising the steps of;
• energizing the high-frequency oscillator for causing the coil to generate a magnetic field having magnetic lines of force across the layer, thereby causing the layer to generate an eddy current to heat a cavity-defining surface portion of each mold half to a predetermined temperature,
• introducing a predetermined amount of a molten stock material into the cavity to fill the cavity therewith, and
• feeding a coolant through said hollow copper pipe and said cooling channel to rapidly cool said molten stock material and the mold.