Method and apparatus for making and/or decorating bowling balls and the like

A method for decorating the outer surface of a bowling ball, comprising:

• providing at least two flexible transfer sheets adapted to conform to at least portions of opposite halves of the outer surface of the bowling ball and having heat-activated ink applied to at least portions thereof to create predetermined designs;
• mounting the inked transfer sheets in frames to retain the transfer sheets in a generally planar shape;
• providing a mold having opposite halves which shift between open and closed positions, and a spherical mold cavity sized to closely receive the bowling ball therein;
• positioning the frame-mounted transfer sheets on opposite sides of the bowling ball adjacent the outer surface thereof;
• positioning the bowling ball and frame-mounted transfer sheets between the opposite halves of the mold when the mold is in the open position;
• closing the mold, such that the bowling ball and transfer sheets are captured in the mold cavity, with the transfer sheets overlying at least portions of the opposite halves of the outer surface of the bowling ball;
• heating both of the mold halves to a predetermined temperature causing the bowling ball to expand radially through thermal expansion, which expansion is resisted by the mold halves to uniformly press the transfer sheets against the underlying outer surface of the bowling ball, and also causing the heat-activated ink to transfer from the frame-mounted transfer sheets onto the outer surface of the bowling ball to form the designs thereon;
• opening the mold;
• and
• removing the bowling ball and the frame-mounted transfer sheets from the mold.

A method for making a bowling ball, comprising:

• forming from a synthetic resin material a bowling ball having a generally spherical outer surface;
• providing at least two flexible transfer sheets adapted to conform to at least portions of opposite halves of the outer surface of the bowling ball;
• applying heat-activated ink to at least portions of the transfer sheets to create predetermined designs thereon;
• mounting the inked transfer sheets in frames to retain the transfer sheets in a generally planar shape;
• providing a mold having opposite halves which shift between open and closed positions, and a spherical mold cavity sized to closely receive the bowling ball therein;
• positioning the frame-mounted transfer sheets on opposite sides of the bowling ball adjacent the outer surface thereof;
• positioning the bowling ball and frame-mounted transfer sheets between the opposite halves of the mold when the mold is in the open position;
• closing the mold, such that the bowling ball and transfer sheets are captured in the mold cavity, with the transfer sheets overlying at least portions of the opposite halves of the outer surface of the bowling ball;
• heating both of the mold halves to a predetermined temperature causing the bowling ball to expand radially through thermal expansion, which expansion is resisted by the mold halves to uniformly press the transfer sheets against the underlying outer surface of the bowling ball, and also causing the heat-activated ink to transfer from the frame-mounted transfer sheets onto the outer surface of the bowling ball to form the designs thereon;
• opening the mold;
• and
• removing the bowling ball and the frame-mounted transfer sheets from the mold.