GB2066084A

GB2066084A - Improvements in and relating to cricket bats

Info

Publication number: GB2066084A
Application number: GB7944393A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: SPORT AUSTRALIA EXPORT Pty Ltd
Current assignee: SPORT AUSTRALIA EXPORT Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1979-12-24
Filing date: 1979-12-24
Publication date: 1981-07-08
Also published as: GB2066084B

Abstract

A wooden cricket bat having a cast-on toe capping or material impervious to moisture to inhibit the ingress of moisture into the end grain of the bat. Preferably the material is also abrasion resistant. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to cricket bats This invention relates to cricket bats.

The serviceability of conventional cricket bats having wooden blades is limited by at least three factors namely: 1. Splits commencing at the toe of the cricket bat and progressing up the front and back of the bat. The splits are usually caused by rapid drying out of the end grain during periods of low humidity following wet weather.

2. Excessive wearing of the toe of the bat due to use on concrete wickets.

3. The peeling off of the protective polymer coating of the bat, which usually commences at the toe of the bat.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cricket bat which will obviate or minimize the foregoing disadvantages in a simple yet effective manner or which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

Accordingly, in one aspect the invention consists in a method of preventing or retarding the occurrence of splits in the end grain of the toe of a cricket bat, said method comprising the steps of substantially covering or replacing the end portion of said cricket bat with a material which is substantially impervious to moisture, said material being fixed to the end of said bat to inhibit the ingress of moisture into the end grain of said cricket bat.

In a further aspect the invention may broadly be said to consist in a cricket bat having a wooden blade, the toe thereof being substantially covered with a toe piece of material which is substantially impervious to moisture, arranged to inhibit the ingress of moisture into the end grain of said blade.

Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within its scope, the invention will hereinafter be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the toe of a cricket bat according to one form of the invention; Figures 2 to 39 are similar cross-sectional views of the toe of a cricket bat according to alternative forms of the invention; and Fig. 40 is a frontal view of the toe of the cricket bat shown in Fig. 39.

In the preferred form of the invention, a cricket bat is constructed as follows: The bat is provided with a conventional wooden blade 1, having a face 2 and a back 3. The toe of the blade is cut or otherwise machined away and replaced by an equivalenttoe piece 5 of material which is substantially impervious to water. The shape of the toe piece 5 may take any convenient form, for example as shown in Figure 1, a triangular portion may be removed from the toe of the bat and a triangular section shaped portion of material inserted in its place. It is desirable that a keying system be used to retain the material in place and to this end the material may be provided with a keyed portion 6 which is inset into a suitably shaped aperture or keyway across the toe of the wooden blade of the bat.The toe piece 5 and the key 6 may be formed in any suitable form and may for example be formed in a continuous strip by extrusion. It is then convenient to machine the end of the battransverselyto a profile similar to the upper portion of the capping piece, together with the key 6, so that the capping piece may then be slid transversely into place, fastened with a suitable glue or adhesive and machined around the edges of the bat to conform to the desired finished profile of the toe of the bat.Different or alternative ways of fastening a triangular capping piece to the toe of the bat are shown in Figures 2 to 24, which show the different configurations of key 6 for fastening the toe piece to the wooden blade of the bat and which also show orientations in which the larger side ofthetriangulartoe piece is shown on the front face of the bat or alternatively on the rearward face of the bat. As the cross-section is presented in the accompanying diagrams, the front face of the bat is on the right hand side of the diagram in each case. It has been found advantageous in some situations, to have the thicker edge 7 of the toe piece toward the front face of the bat to more strongly resist removal of the toe piece from the toe of the bat when a cricket ball is hot with considerable force on the toe of the bat.

In alternative forms of the invention, as shown in Figures 25 to 36, the portion of capping material may simply be a plain sheet-like capping on the toe of the bat. Different keying systems may also be used with this capping configuration as shown in the alternative figures.

In a further configuration, as shown in Figure 37 the capping material may be inset in triangular form over the major portion of the toe of the bat and the triangular inset 8 may be held in place by a screw or dowel inserted from the back face of the bat along the centre line 9.

In a still further alternative form of the invention, as shown in Figure 38, the capping material may be formed to a U-shape or trough shaped configuration 10, covering the toe of the bat and extending a short distance up the front and rear faces of the bat.

In each configuration the toe piece 5 is joined to the toe of the bat by way of a water resistant adhesive which also acts to seal the end grain of the wooden blade and inhibit the ingress of moisture.

Apart from the configuration shown in Figure 37, the end grain is completely covered by the capping piece in each case. In the configuration of Figure 37, only a small portion of the end grain 11 is uncovered and this is sufficient to inhibit the absorption of the moisture into the end grain of the bat to prevent splits commencing at the toe of the bat.

The material of the capping piece is preferably an abrasion resistant material for improved wear characteristics particularly when the bat is used in conjunction with concrete wickets. The material may be for example be a plastics material such as polyurethane or A.B.S. resin, or may be a hard rub ber or nylon material. Further alternative materials from which the capping could be formed include aiuminium, brass, copper, fibreglass, ortimberwith a density in excess of 30 pounds per cubic foot.The two important features of the capping material are firstly that it should be substantially impervious to water to inhibit the ingress of moisture into the end grain of the wooden blade of the bat, and secondly thatthe material be abrasion resistant so that the life of the toe of the bat is prolonged especially when the bat is used on concrete wickets.

In a preferred form of the invention the capping piece is cast in place on the toe of the bat as shown in Figs. 39 and 40. In this configuration the wooden toe of the bat is milled away from the surface of the toe of the bat up to a shoulder 13. Holes 12 are then drilled through the toe to form a key for the capping piece. A mould having an internal cavity corresponding to the final toe shape of the bat is then placed over the toe so that the sides of the mould form a seal againstthe sides of the bat above the shoulder 13. The fluid capping material which is preferably polyurethane is then poured into the mould and allowed to set (or is cured) forming a one piece cast cap having sides 14, bottom 11, and extending through the holes 12 to firmly hold the cap in place.

The adhesive nature of the polyurethane also grips the surface of the timber.

The toe piece 5, has the advantage of inhibiting the ingress of moisture to the end grain otherwise exposed at the toe of the bat. Such moisture ingress followed by drying can cause splitting of the bat, particularly along the medullary rays and growth rings in the grain of the timber.

Claims

1. A method of preventing or retarding the occurrence of splits in the end grain of the toe of a cricket bat, said method comprising the steps of substantially covering or replacing the end portion of said cricket bat with a material which is substantially impervious to moisture, said material being fixed to the end of said bat to inhibit the ingress of moisture into the end grain of said cricket bat.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said step of fixing said material to said end portion comprises engaging a keyed portion of said material with a keyway in the end of said bat.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said step of fixing said material to said end portion comprises fixing by a fastener such as a screw or dowel.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said step of fixing said material to said end portion comprises casting said material in a fluid form into a mould placed over the toe of said bat and setting or curing said material to a solid form.

5. A method as claimed in claim 4 including the step of removing a portion of the toe of said cricket bat before placing said mould.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 including the step of forming holes through the toe of said bat between areas of removed portions.

7. A method as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6 wherein said material comprises polyurethane.

8. A method of preventing or retarding the occurrence of splits in the end grain of the toe of a cricket bat as claimed in claim 1 when performed substantially as described herein.

9. Acricket bat when constructed and arranged substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A cricket bat having a wooden blade, the toe thereof being substantially covered with a toe piece of material which is substantially impervious to moisture, arranged to inhibit the ingress of moisture into the end grain of said blade.

10. A cricket bat as claimed in claim 9 wherein said toe piece is substantially triangular in crosssection, the base of the triangle being aligned with the toe of the bat.

11. A cricket bat as claimed in claim 9 wherein said toe piece comprises a substantially planar cap over the toe of the bat

12. A cricket bat as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 10 wherein said toe piece is engaged with the wooden blade of said bat by a key protruding from said toe piece engaged with a keyway in the lower end of said blade.

13. A cricket bat as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11 wherein said toe piece is engaged with the wooden blade of said bat by a fastener such as a screw or dowel.

14. A cricket bat as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12 wherein said toe piece is adhered to said blade by a suitable water resistant glue or adhesive.

15. A cricket bat as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 14 wherein said toe piece material is an abrasion resistant material.

16. A cricket bat as claimed in claim 15 wherein said material is selected from one of polyurethane, A.B.S. resin, hard rubber, nylon, aluminium, brass, copper, glass reinforced plastic, or timber having a density in excess of 30 pounds per cubic foot.

17. A cricket bat as claimed in claim 9 wherein the material of said toe piece is cast in place on the toe of said bat.

18. A cricket bat as claimed in claim 17 wherein said material is cast into a rebate in the end of said bat and extending a short distance up the sides of said bat.

19. A cricket bat as claimed in claim 18 wherein said material is also cast into holes extending through said bat between the rebate extending up the front of said bat and the rebate extending up the back of said bat.

20. Acricket bat when constructed and arranged substantially as described herein with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on 8.7.80.

Superseded claims 1-20

1. A method of preventing or retarding the occurrence of splits in the end grain of the toe of a cricket bat, said method comprising the steps of casting a fluid material which is substantially impervious to moisture into a mould placed overthetoe of said bat and setting or curing said material to a solid form.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 including the step of removing portions of the toe of said cricket bat before placing said mould.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 including the step of forming holes through the toe of said bat between area of removed portions.

4. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said material comprises polyurethane.

5. A method of preventing or retarding the occurrence of splits in the end grain of the toe of a cricket bat as claimed in claim 1 when performed substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. A cricket bat having a wooden blade, the toe thereof being substantially covered with a cast in place toe piece of material which is substantially impervious to moisture, arranged to inhibit the ingress of moisture into the end grain of said blade.

7. Acricket bat as claimed in claim 6 wherein said material is cast into a rebate in the end of said bat and extending a short distance up the faces and sides of said bat.

8. A cricket bat as claimed in claim 7 wherein said material is also cast into holes extending through said bat between the rebate extending up the front face of said bat and the rebate extending up the back face of said bat.