US2325128A - Ball - Google Patents

Description

MY 27 1943 J. H. GRADY 2,325,128

BALL

Filed Jan. 22, 1941 @im I iball, without detracting from Ythe-ball or rendering 'manipulate or handle.l

Patented July 27, 1943 e T; Y. L

1 :BALL

l ,s011111 n. Grady, st. Louis, M6., assigner .te J. nf Grady Manufacturing CompanySt..Lcuis, M0.,

a corporation of V'Missourih'f Appiieatienuaimary 22, 194i, serial No. 375,43??v 5 (cig 273760)?. j' Q n N l Claims. This invention relates primarily to -baseballs, althoughV one feature-of mypresent invention consists of a novel method for producing Yand applying a Cover to a ball. Y One object of my'invention is to provide-a baseball that ismore durable than the conventional baseball and Valso less expensive to manufacture.

Y Y Another object V'is to provide a baseball whose cover is constructed ina novel manner that inf creasesthe' life or period of usefulness of the the appearance of dicult to control,

it more Y Another object is to dispense with the luse vof thread stitches or sewedseams in constructing the cover-of a baseball. y l l The conventional baseball kconsists oi asubstantially solid core or `body portion of spherical form, and acover for said body portionmade up oil-two or more fitted pieces of horse hide or other. suitable sheet material stretched Vtightlyover the core and joined together by seamsfor V.thread stitches.- One inherent objection to such a'ball is that the durability or life of the ballA is-dependent'upon the strength of the thread seams or stitches that `join the cover pieces together-..-

Another objection is the relatively high cost of sewing the cover so -as to produce a ball whose cover is perfectly smooth, free from-r-wrinkles, and in intimate contact withA the entire'surface of the core or body portion of the ball. j

' Figure 1 is a top plan View ofabaseball embodying my invention; and Y 1 Y Y Figure 2 is a fragmentarylsectional view, on an enlarged scale, ofthe moldV employed in the operation of applying the cap strip Yto the cover pieces. Y Y

-In manufacturing my improved baseball the core or body portion A is vproduced ,by 'the procedure commonly used in the manufacture ofthe conventional baseball. The vcover for said core A Yis formed from a plurality of cover pieces l of conventional'shape, constructed usually of horse Y hide, and provided with edge portions |2401V reduced thickness, producedin any way, as, for example, by skiving or channeling. After an adhesive has been applied to the cover pieces l or to the cover pieces and the exterior of the core A, said cover pieces are applied to the core and smoothed down, so that the opposed edges of the cover pieces are separated by a-joint that extends in an irregular line over theouter surface of the ball. The core A, with the cover pieces I thereon, is then placed in a mold x, provided .on its exteriorwith a groove or depression :c that cors has molded onto :same

ably; the cover pieces l is as easy to catch, throw, or 50 responds *to the shape or'outline of thejointbe' tween thecover pieceslandwhich is-disposedA in Aalignment with said joint. Thereafter, latex, `or some other suitable elastici or resilient plasticor j semi-plastic substance is supplied to the groove fior' depression ai in the-,inner surface of themold mi soiasv to -form-a cover-strip or cap strip that 'laps over and adheres tightly to the'Y opposed edge d pieces I,1thus hiding the rawedgesot same rand incorporatingjinto the n cover of the ball a finger grippingmeans, or non- `slipping element B thatl extends in an irregular portions of the cover line'overthe surfaceof the ball cover.Y Preferare proportioned so -tha't the joint between the adhere" -to the core i A the opposed edges of'said cover pieces.

The 1 cross-sectional shape and dimensions Aof the capl strip'B may vary,b'ut in order to produce: i a baseball that closely si ulates the 4conventional sewed'cover baseball, I groove .r inthe mold tionsv2,

:c with transverse indentathe 'appearance-of thread stitches,V `and which perform one` function ofi-the thread stitches of the conventional baseball, ii. e., they constitute slight protuberances" or projections on the exterior 'of the cover of the ball thattend to 'prevent the-users nngers from slipping on the cover when the'ball is caught, thrown, or manipulated while in use.V r' Y to the elimination ofthe sewing operation in pro# more` durable than "the conventional baseball, inasmuch las there'are. f

ducing the cover,l and it is no threadstitches in the cover that are liable to break when the ball is struck with a bat orsubjected to abrasion when it is in use. to the desirable characteristics just mentioned, my improved ball presents practically the same appearance as the conventional baseball, vand it conventional baseball, due to formed ofelastic or resilient tends in an irregular line over material that "eX- y Y edges ofv same will be ofV sufficient width vto permit the latex` or other'mold#Y able substance to-Completely ll said -,joint and ofthe ball,` asshow'n 'inf Fi'gure`2, thuspr'oducing a' baseball` whose corev e' an element that iillsfthefv joint between the fitted cover pieces and laps over 5 prefer Yto provide the4 which, in the moldingy operation, form, f transverse ridges 3 on the cap strip B that present In additionl manipulate asthe the fact that the cover has incorporated in same kan element the surface of the ball, and which is 'of suliicient size, shape andk v,pieces secured by anadhesive e L saidbody Y portion 'and f. posedjon the exterior oisaid body portion, and aA vents the users fingers from slipping on the cover.

My invention is applicable to the manufacture of various types and kinds of balls, and from what has been stated previously, it will be understood that my broadidea consists simply in applying thecover pieces to thebody portionof the ball` and'securing them to the-body portion by means of anadhesive, and subsequently, closit being preferable to use a plastic or semiplastic substance of an elastic or resilient character. It is also preferable to skive,featheredge,

pieces before they are cemented ontoA` the body portion of the ball, or semi-plastic joint-covering material into the Vcover, of the ball YWhile the covered core or body vportieri of theball is encased in a mold;

and Y incorporate the plastic Y Y Y e 2,325,128 slightly roughened or resilient surface that preing thejoint orA joints between the cover` pieces. by applying a plastic or semi-plastic substance f to the opposed edge portions of the cover pieceS, 'g

aresilient molded or channel the opposed edge portions of the cover Having thus described my invention, WhatflY .claim as newV and Patent is:

1, VA baseball, comprising asubstantially solid .body portion oispherical form, tted cover pieces surrounding the exterior of same and secured to Athe exterior of said body portion Yby'an adhesive,

the opposed edgesoi said cover pieces being dis- .posed onthe exteriorof-said bodyV portion, and a capstrip 'of plastic material coveringthe joints between the cover pieces andl attached in over` 4lappingerelation.to the edge-.portions of said Ycover pieces-1 f2. Arbaseball, comprising a substantiallysolidV `'body`portion of sphericaliorm, rshaped cover to the exterior of ,having their edges discap strip oi elastic, moldedmatrial attachedto the opposed edge portionsofvsaid cover pieces in :overlapping relation with said edge portions; A A baseball, comprising a sphericaljbody por- "tion of; substantially solid construction, leathercover pieces secured by'an adhesiveto said body l.portion and provided with reduced edge portions disposed on the exterior of saidbody portion,

" (andiacap strip of molded resilient;materia1-l1 4ing the joints between saidcover pieces and lap- ,pingover and secured to the reduced edgeipor- Stionsroi said cover pieces.v

k .4J-i. baseball provided witha spherical body .portion of substantially solid construction, cover pieces tted smoothly Voversaid bodyr pOltion ,3,

and secured to same by an adhesive, the opposed edges of said cover pieces being disposedon-the exterior of said body portion, and a canstrp of latex attached to said cover pieces in overlapping relation with the opposed edge portions of vsaid cover pieces. Y,

5, VA baseballprovided with aspherical,body

desirer to secure byA Letters Y 6. 'A baseball provided with'a spherical body portion Y jpieces of horse hide secured by an adhesive to said body portionwith'their edge portions arranged 'on `the exterior of said body portion, and

of substantiallyrigid construction, cover substance arranged in overlapping relation with the edge portions of said cover 4pieces over the joints vbetween the same and constructed so asto simulate-a sewed seam.

7. A baseball provided with a spherical body portion of vsubstantially rigid construction, cover pieces of horse hide secured by an Vadhesive to 'the exteriorV of said 'bodyportion and an `elastic molded substance attached to the exterior of the .edge portionsrolsaid cover pieces over the joints between the same and constructed so as, tosirnu- V being of Vreduced thickness.Y

y opposed relation on sive, the edges of `late a sewed seam, the edge portions of said cover pieces located'underneathrsaid molded substance 8.,Alball-provided with a coverfmade` up of a 'plurality of tted pieces of sheetmaterial secured tothe body portion of the ball byV an adhesive and arranged with their edge vportions disposed von the exterior of said `body portion, and

aclosurelor the -joints'between said cover pieces made of resilient, molded material arranged in overlapping relation with the opposed edgeportions ofV said cover pieces. Y

9. Alball'provided with plurality. of `itted pieces of lsheet material secured to the vbody portionof the ballby an adhesive,

the edges of said vi'ltted pieces being arranged in tion of thegbalLand a'lclcsure for the joints betweensaid cover piecesv madeof elastic, -rnolded material arranged ,over the opposed edge portions of -said `cover pieces, thejedge portions of said coverA pieces overlapped by said molded'substancebeing of reduced thickness.l v

Y l0, Aballgprovided witha coverinade up o a plurality of shaped pieces otsheet material secured tothe body portion o f the ball by an adhesaidfpieces being disposed on the exterior ofl said body portion and being spaced apart so as to form joints and a closurefor the joints between .said cover pieces made of elastic,

molded Vmaterial arranged in overlappingrela- Vtion with the opposed edge portions of said cover pieces, and constructed so asto simulate thread stitches.

1 JorritA HGRADY.

a cover made up of a theexterior of the b ody` por-A

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