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US 5,888,437 AGranted
Method for forming polyurethane cover on golf ball core
AssigneeAcushnet Company
InventorsJohn Calabria, Dean A. Snell, Shenshen Wu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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
A method of making a golf ball, comprising:
- a) providing a first mold member for molding material around part of a golf ball core wherein said first mold member comprises a first mold cavity and opposing side surfaces with at least one indentation in each of the opposing surfaces;
- b) providing a mold member alignment unit having alignment means for cooperating with the indentations in the first mold member to align the mold member in a lateral position;
- c) providing a frame unit mounted for vertical movement relative to the mold member alignment unit for moving a golf ball core into the first mold cavity, comprising:
- i) a core holder for holding the core while it is moved into the first mold cavity;
- and
- ii) a stop for limiting the vertical movement of the frame unit;
- d) positioning the first mold member to a predetermined lateral position with the alignment means such that the core holder will center the golf ball core in the first mold member;
- e) placing the golf ball core in the core holder;
- f) placing a first portion of polyurethane in the first mold cavity;
- g) allowing said polyurethane to partially cure to a selected state of gel in said first mold cavity;
- h) moving the frame unit with the core holder and core continuously at a controlled rate towards the polyurethane in the first mold cavity 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 cavity;
- i) disengaging the core from the core holder after a selected period of time;
- j) placing such core with the polyurethane while still in said first mold cavity against a second mold member having a second mold cavity containing polyurethane at a selected state of gel therein and mating the two mold members together;
- and
- k) curing the polyurethane in the mated mold members.
12 more elements
A method of making a golf ball, comprising:
- a) providing a first mold member for molding material around part of a golf ball core wherein said first mold member comprises a first mold cavity;
- b) providing a mold member alignment unit having alignment members for cooperating with the two side surfaces on the first mold member to align the mold member in a lateral position;
- c) providing a frame unit mounted for vertical movement relative to the mold member alignment unit for moving a golf ball core into the first mold cavity, comprising:
- i) a core holder for holding the core while it is moved into the first mold cavity;
- and
- ii) a stop for limiting the vertical movement of the frame unit;
- d) positioning the first mold member to a predetermined lateral position with the alignment members such that the core holder will center the golf ball core in the first mold member;
- e) placing the golf ball core in the core holder;
- f) placing a first portion of polyurethane in the first mold cavity;
- g) allowing said polyurethane to partially cure to a selected state of gel in said first mold cavity;
- h) moving the frame unit with the core holder and core continuously at a controlled rate towards the polyurethane in the first mold cavity 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 cavity;
- i) disengaging the core from the core holder after a selected period of time;
- j) placing such core with the polyurethane while still in said first mold cavity against a second mold member having a second mold cavity containing polyurethane at a selected state of gel therein and mating the two mold members together;
- and
- k) curing the polyurethane in the mated mold members such that the golf ball cover is substantially free of defects of a type caused by a pin mold, and wherein the core center is substantially concentrically aligned with the golf ball cover.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.