Process for manufacturing golf balls having multi-layered covers

A process for manufacturing a golf ball, comprising:

• a first step of forming first and second substantially hemispherical half shells having a uniform thickness comprising a thermoplastic composition, each half shell further having an outer surface and a non-uniformly contoured inner surface, the inner surface forming an hemispherical inner cavity;
• a second step of securing the first half shell in a golf ball mold;
• a third step of securing a core subassembly in a subassembly holder;
• a fourth step of dispensing an uncured liquid thermoset composition into the hemispherical cavity of the first half shell;
• a fifth step of inserting a first half of the core subassembly into the hemispherical cavity of the first half shell and displacing an amount of the uncured liquid thermoset composition such that the uncured liquid thermoset composition forms a non-uniformly contoured inner cover layer having a non-uniform thickness;
• a sixth step of disengaging the core assembly from the subassembly holder when the thermoset composition has gelled to a point of rigidity;
• a seventh step of securing the second half shell in a golf ball mold;
• an eighth step of dispensing the uncured liquid thermoset composition into the hemispherical cavity of the second half shell;
• a ninth step of inserting a second half of the core subassembly into the hemispherical cavity of the second half shell and displacing an amount of the uncured liquid thermoset composition such that the uncured liquid thermoset composition forms a non-uniformly contoured inner cover layer having a non-uniform thickness and thereby mating the first and second half shells;
• a tenth step of curing the thermoset inner cover layer to complete the golf ball and then removing the resulting golf ball from the golf ball mold.

A process for manufacturing a golf ball, comprising:

• a first step of forming first and second substantially hemispherical half shells having a uniform thickness comprising a thermoplastic composition, each half shell further having an outer surface and a non-uniformly contoured inner surface, the inner surface forming an hemispherical inner cavity;
• a second step of securing the first half shell in a golf ball mold;
• a third step of securing a core subassembly in a subassembly holder;
• a fourth step of dispensing an uncured liquid thermoset composition into the hemispherical cavity of the first half shell;
• a fifth step of inserting a first half of the core subassembly into the hemispherical cavity of the first half shell and displacing an amount of the uncured liquid thermoset composition such that the uncured liquid thermoset composition forms a non-uniformly contoured inner cover layer having a uniform thickness;
• a sixth step of disengaging the core assembly from the subassembly holder when the thermoset composition has gelled to a point of rigidity;
• a seventh step of securing the second half shell in a golf ball mold;
• an eighth step of dispensing the uncured liquid thermoset composition into the hemispherical cavity of the second half shell;
• a ninth step of inserting a second half of the core subassembly into the hemispherical cavity of the second half shell and displacing an amount of the uncured liquid thermoset composition such that the uncured liquid thermoset composition forms a non-uniformly contoured inner cover layer having a uniform thickness and thereby mating the first and second half shells;
• a tenth step of curing the thermoset inner cover layer to complete the golf ball and then removing the resulting golf ball from the golf ball mold.

A process for manufacturing a golf ball, comprising:

• a first step of forming first and second substantially hemispherical half shells having a uniform thickness comprising a thermoplastic composition, each half shell further having a uniformly contoured outer surface and an inner surface which forms an hemispherical cavity,
• a second step of securing the first half shell in a golf ball mold;
• a third step of securing a core subassembly in a subassembly holder;
• a fourth step of dispensing an uncured liquid thermoset composition into the hemispherical cavity of the first half shell;
• a fifth step of inserting a first half of the core subassembly into the hemispherical cavity of the first half shell and displacing an amount of the uncured liquid thermoset composition such that the uncured liquid thermoset composition forms an inner cover layer having a uniform thickness;
• a sixth step of disengaging the core assembly from the subassembly holder when the thermoset composition has gelled to a point of rigidity;
• a seventh step of securing the second half shell in a golf ball mold;
• an eighth step of dispensing the uncured liquid thermoset composition into the hemispherical cavity of the second half shell;
• a ninth step of inserting a second half of the core subassembly into the hemispherical cavity of the second half shell and displacing an amount of the uncured liquid thermoset composition such that the uncured liquid thermoset composition forms a inner cover layer having a uniform thickness, and thereby mating the first and second half shells;
• a tenth step of curing the thermoset inner cover layer;
• an eleventh step of forming dimples in the outer surface of the mated first and second half shells, thereby eliminating the uniformity of the contour of the outer surface of the mated first and second half shells;
• and
• a twelfth step of removing the resulting golf ball from the golf ball mold.