Construction liner for American football

• US 7,018,311 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2004
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tsung Ming Ou
• Original Assignee: Tsung Ming Ou
• Inventors: Ou, Tsung Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, STEVEN B
• Application Number:
  US10/871,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20040229721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 473597-599, 473603-605, 473/607, 156169-172
• US Class Current: 473/603
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor

Abstract

A construction liner for sportsball, such as an American football, which is made by compressing and vulcanization a rubber piece with at least a fabric lining, is strong enough to produce 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.

Claims

1. A method of making a construction liner for an American football having a cover skin, comprising the steps of:

(a) cutting a rubber sheet material into at least an elliptical rubber piece having a predetermined size;

(b) cutting a fabric sheet material into at least an elliptical fabric lining having a size at least equal to that of said rubber piece;

(c) compressing and vulcanizing said rubber piece with said fabric lining together in a press mold, so as to unite said rubber piece with said fabric lining integrally to form a compressed and vulcanized integral rubber-based fabric liner; and

(d) cutting said integral rubber-based fabric liner to a predetermined size to form said construction liner after said integral rubber-based fabric liner is cooled down to room temperature wherein said construction liner is adapted for overlapping on an inner surface of said cover skin for supporting said cover skin to form a ball cover so as to control a stiffness of the American football.

2. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein, in the step (c), two said fabric lining are attached to both sides of said rubber piece and said two fabric linings and said 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.

3. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein, in the step (c), two said rubber pieces are placed between two said fabric linings respectively and said two rubber pieces and said two fabric linings are united to form said integral liner piece) by said compressing and vulcanizing.

4. The method, as recited in claim 1, wherein, in the step (c), two said rubber pieces are placed between three said fabric linings intervally, wherein said two rubber pieces and said three fabric linings intervally are united to form said integral liner piece by said compressing and vulcanizing.