American football supported with construction liner

• US 6,500,082 B1
• Filed: 06/11/1999
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tigeraire, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tsung Ming Ou
• Inventors: Ou, Tsung Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US09/332,261
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 473/601, 473/605, 473/614, 473/615, 473/596, 473/597, 473/598, 473/599, 473/148, 473/155, 473/159, 473/167, 156/145, 156/146, 156/147, 156/242, 156/245
• US Class Current: 473/599
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor

Abstract

An American football, which is made by vulcanization a rubber piece with two fabric linings, is strong enough to provide a more durable American football with better supporting but lower manufacturing cost. The American football includes a ball cover having a valve hole thereon and an inflatable bladder disposed within the ball cover for propping up the ball cover after inflation. The inflatable bladder has a predetermined shape and a valve stem mounted thereon and extended through the valve hole of the ball cover. The ball cover includes four elliptical cover pieces sewn edge to edge together. Each of the cover pieces includes an outer elliptical cover skin and an inner elliptical construction liner which is overlappedly attached on an inside of the cover skin for supporting the cover skin and enclosing the inflatable bladder. Each of the construction liners has a rubber piece of predetermined thickness vulcanizing with at least a fabric lining to form an integral liner piece having a size and shape at least equal to the outer cover skin.

Claims

1. An American football manufacturing method, comprising the steps of:

(a) cutting a rubber sheet material into a plurality of elliptical rubber pieces each having a predetermined size;

(b) cutting a fabric sheet material into a plurality of elliptical fabric linings each having a same size of said rubber piece;

(c) compressing and vulcanizing each of said rubber pieces with at least one of said fabric linings together in a press mold, so as to firmly unite said rubber piece with said fabric lining integrally to form a rubber-based fabric liner;

(d) cutting each of said rubber-based fabric liners to a predetermined size to form a construction liner after said fabric liner is cooled down to room temperature;

(e) providing a plurality of cover skins each having a plurality of protruding pebbles provided on a top surface thereof, combining four said construction liners with four said cover skins to form four cover pieces by attaching said four construction liners on four inner surfaces of said four cover skins respectively, and sewing said four cover pieces edge to edge together to form said ball cover, in which a section of said ball cover is not sewn to form an inlet opening;

(f) heating said ball cover and turn said ball cover right side out;

(g) inserting an inflatable bladder into said ball cover through said inlet opening; and

(h) sewing up said inlet opening to form an American football.

2. An American football manufacturing method, as recited in claim 1, further comprising an additional step of adhering said construction liner onto said cover skin by rubber nature glue.

3. An American football manufacturing method, as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said construction liners further comprises an additional fabric lining, said two fabric lining being attached on both sides of said rubber piece respectively, and said two fabric linings and said middle rubber piece are overlapped and placed inside an elliptical shaped compression groove of said press mold, in which said rubber piece, said fabric linings, and said compression groove have identical shape and size that is larger than the size of said construction liner to be produced, thereby when said two pieces of said press mold is pressed together.

4. An American football manufacturing method, as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said construction liners comprises a rubber piece of predetermined thickness and two fabric linings integrally attached to both sides of said rubber piece respectively, wherein said rubber piece and said two fabric linings are united to form said integral liner piece by compressing and vulcanizing.

5. An American football manufacturing method, as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said construction liners comprises an additional rubber piece and an additional fabric lining, said two rubber pieces being placed between said two fabric linings, wherein said two rubber pieces and said two fabric linings are united to form said integral liner piece by compressing and vulcanizing.

6. An American football manufacturing method, as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said construction liners further comprises an additional rubber piece and two additional fabric lining, said two rubber pieces being placed between said three fabric linings intervally, wherein said two rubber pieces and said three fabric linings are united to form said integral liner piece by compressing and vulcanizing.

7. An American football manufacturing method, as recited in claim 2, wherein each of said construction liners further comprises an additional fabric lining, wherein said two fabric linings are attached to both sides of said rubber piece respectively, and said two fabric linings and said middle rubber piece are overlapped and placed inside an elliptical shaped compression groove of said press mold, in which said rubber piece, said fabric linings, and said compression groove have identical shape and size that is larger than the size of said construction liner to be produced, thereby when said two pieces of said press mold is pressed together.

8. An American football manufacturing method, as recited in claim 2, wherein each of said construction liners further comprises an additional fabric lining, wherein said two fabric linings are attached to both sides of said rubber piece respectively, and that said rubber piece and said two fabric linings are united to form said integral liner piece by compressing and vulcanizing.

9. An American football manufacturing method, as recited in claim 2, wherein each of said construction liners further comprises an additional rubber piece and an additional fabric lining, wherein said two rubber pieces are placed between said two fabric linings, and that said two rubber pieces and said two fabric linings are united to form said integral liner piece by compressing and vulcanizing.

10. An American football manufacturing method, as recited in claim 2, wherein each of said construction liners further comprises an additional rubber piece and two more fabric linings, wherein said two rubber pieces are placed between said three fabric linings intervally, and that said two rubber pieces and said three fabric linings are united to form said integral liner piece by compressing and vulcanizing.