Sewing rubber american football and manufacturing method therof

• US 5,759,123 A
• Filed: 12/24/1996
• Issued: 06/02/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tsung Ming Ou
• Original Assignee: Tsung Ming Ou
• Inventors: Ou, Tsung Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Theatrice
• Application Number:
  US08/772,943
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: 473/601, 473/605, 473/614, 473/615, 473/1, 473/596, 473/597, 473/598, 473/599, 473/148, 473/155, 473/159, 473/167
• US Class Current: 473/599
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2243/007 American football
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 41/08 Ball covers; Closures therefor

Abstract

A sewing rubber American football includes a rubber made ball cover having a valve hole thereon and a rubber bladder, which is disposed within the ball cover, having 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 cover piece includes an outer elliptical rubber skin and an inner elliptical fabric pad integrally attached underneath the rubber skin. A top surface of the rubber skin provides a plurality of protruding pebbles evenly distributed all over the top surface. The rubber skin has a coarse bottom surface full of bumps and dents for gripping with the fiber of the fabric pad so as to firmly united with the fabric pad. Thereby, the rubber skin is reinforced by the fabric pad to form the tough and rigid cover piece which is able to be sewn easily. A ball cover made of such cover pieces is easily be grasped and thus has good slippery resistibility.

Claims

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

(a) cutting a rubber material into four elliptical rubber skins having a predetermined size;

(b) cutting a fabric material into four elliptical fabric pad each having a same size of said rubber skins;

(c) compressing and vulcanizing each of said rubber skins with one of said fabric pads together in a press mold, so as to firmly united said rubber skins with said fabric pads respectively and integrally to form four fabric-rubber cover pieces, wherein one side of said press mold provides a plurality of circular dents evenly and uniformly distributed thereon, so that a top surface of each of said rubber skins is compressed to form a plurality of protruding peddles evenly and uniformly distributed thereon;

(d) cutting each of said cover pieces to a predetermined size after each of said cover pieces is cooled down to room temperature;

(e) sewing said four cover pieces edge to edge together to form a ball cover, wherein a section of said ball cover is not sewn to form an inlet opening;

(f) sewing two linings symmetrically around said inlet opening and a reinforcing cloth underneath said inlet opening;

(g) forming a plurality of pairs of string holes around said inlet opening;

(h) heating said ball cover and turning said ball cover right side out;

(i) inserting a bladder into said ball cover through said inlet opening;

(j) sewing up said inlet opening; and

(k) tightening a plurality of ball strings between each of said pairs of string holes respectively to form said American football.

2. A manufacturing method of an American football, as recited in claim 1, after step (b), further comprising the step of adhering each of said fabric pads into each of said rubber skin by a nature glue.