Game ball

• US 4,772,019 A
• Filed: 05/18/1984
• Issued: 09/20/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Easton Sports Incorporated (BRG Sports, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Incrediball Inc.
• Inventors: Morgan, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marlo, George J.
• Application Number:
  US06/611,918
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 273/DIG. 20, 273/DIG. 8, 273/60 R, 273/60 A, 273/60 B, 273/58 A, 273/57 J, 273/26 R, 272/1 B
• US Class Current: 473/601
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2037/125 stitchings
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00 Solid balls; Rigid hollow balls; Marbles heavy throwing balls A63B65/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 273/08 Urethane

Abstract

A durable, composite safety ball is disclosed which is formed with a soft, resilient, substantially closed-cell plastic foam core. The safety ball, including the cover, has a type A durometer less than about 60 and preferably in the range of about 25 to about 45. Preferably the core is surrounded by an inner skin which is formed to substantially prevent the entry of water into the foam of the core and, together with an outer heavy, tightly knit nylon cover, to provide sufficient strength to hold the soft cellular plastic foam together as a unit. The soft foam core is preferably a urethane foam and enables the formation of balls which have a performance similar to regulation baseballs and softballs and yet will not produce a substantial risk of injury to players or risk of property damage. Examples of balls having a circumference ranging from 9 to 16 inches, a weight ranging from 3.25 to 8.2 ounces and having a rebound percentage in excess of about 23 percent and preferably not greater than about 31 percent are disclosed. The composite safety ball is also sting-free and has a long useful life.

Claims

1. A durable, composite ball which is relatively soft and safe with realistic performance characteristics during repeated and prolonged use including, a cellular foam core in the shape of a sphere, and a flexible cover surrounding and enclosing said core, wherein the improvement in said ball comprises:

said ball being formed with a circumference in the range of 9 to 16 inches and with a weight in the range of 3.25 to 8.2 ounces; and

said cellular foam core being formed of a flexible, resilient, substantially closed-cell polyurethane foam, and said ball including said core and said cover having a combined hardness less than 60 on the Shore Type A hardness scale and a rebound percentage from 20 feet onto a concrete surface in the range of 23 percent to 31 percent.

2. A composite safety ball as defined in claim 1 wherein,

said cover is a heavy, tightly knit cloth.

3. A composite safety ball as defined in claim 2 wherein,

said core is formed of a cold-cure polyester-polyether based urethane foam.