Method of making a golf ball with a multi-layer core

• US 6,056,842 A
• Filed: 10/03/1997
• Issued: 05/02/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Acushnet Company (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Dalton, Jeffrey L., Cavallaro, Christopher, Boehm, Herbert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Silbaugh, Jan H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Edmund H.
• Application Number:
  US08/943,932
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 156/245, 156/146, 156/290, 156/441.5, 156/243, 264/510, 264/553, 264/297.4, 264/297.5, 264/297.8, 264/279.1, 264/511, 264/512, 264/248, 264/545, 264/173.1, 264/278, 473/364, 473/370, 473/376
• US Class Current: 156/243
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0031 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0033 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0037 Flexural modulus; Bending stiffness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0043 Hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0045 Thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/00621 Centre hardness
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0064 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0076 Multi-piece balls, i.e. having two or more intermediate layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/008 Diameter
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0092 Hardness distribution amongst different ball layers
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 45/00 Apparatus or methods for manufacturing balls working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2043/3644 Vacuum bags; Details thereof, e.g. fixing or clamping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/146 for making multilayered articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/18 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. compression moulding around inserts or for coating articles B29C43/206 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 43/305 Making multilayered articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/70 Completely encapsulating inserts B29C70/86 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 99/0042 Producing plain balls hollow balls B29D22/04
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/256 Sheets, plates, blanks or films
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/52 Sports equipment ; Games; Articles for amusement; Toys B29L2031/54 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/54 : Balls

Abstract

A method of forming a golf ball by forming a core center, forming a laminate of core material, forming the laminate around the core center to form a core and forming a cover around the core. The laminate preferably consists of at least three layers of different polybutadiene rubbers.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a golf ball comprising the steps of:

a) forming a solid center of a first core material;

b) forming first sheets of a second core material having a different hardness than the first core material;

c) forming second sheets of a third core material having a different hardness than the first core material;

d) forming at least two laminates from the first and second sheets of second and third core materials;

e) vacuum forming one of the at least two laminates to a top mold cavity and another of the at least two laminates to a bottom mold cavity;

f) inserting the center between the vacuumed-formed laminates while the vacuumed-formed laminates are in the mold cavities;

g) subsequent to the inserting step, compression molding the vacuumed-formed laminates which are in the mold cavities around the center to form a core having a substantially uniformly thick first layer of second core material around the center and a substantially uniformly thick second layer of third core material around the center and first layer; and

h) forming a cover over the core.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second core material is formed by a process which comprises calender rolling second core material to a thickness that is greater than a predetermined thickness for the first layer of second core material.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

a) forming third sheets of a fourth core material; and

b) forming said at least two laminates from the first, second and third sheets of second, third and fourth core materials, wherein the core having a substantially uniformly thick first layer of the second core material around the center, a substantially uniformly thick second layer of the third core material around the center and the first layer, and a substantially uniformly thick third layer of the fourth core material around the center and the first and second layers.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the cover is formed by:

a) positioning the core within a retractable pin-injection mold;

b) injecting cover material in a liquid state into the retractable-pin injection mold and around the core; and

c) allowing the cover material to substantially solidify to form the cover.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the cover is formed by:

a) surrounding the core with two cover hemispheres formed of cover material, thereby forming an assembly;

b) positioning the assembly within a compression mold; and

c) compression molding the assembly to form the cover around the core.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the center is formed by compression molding said first core material in a compression mold having a diameter of greater than about 1 inch.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of forming third sheets of fourth core materials, and forming the first, second and third sheets into the at least two laminates, each sheet having thicknesses of less than 0.1 inch.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of forming the first, second and third sheets are formed of three polybutadiene rubbers having different hardnesses, with each sheet having a thickness of less than about 0.05 inch.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises applying a layer of adhesive between each of the sheets.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the sheets are formed by calender rolling.