GB2097320A - Manufacturing balls - Google Patents

Manufacturing balls Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2097320A
GB2097320A GB8211403A GB8211403A GB2097320A GB 2097320 A GB2097320 A GB 2097320A GB 8211403 A GB8211403 A GB 8211403A GB 8211403 A GB8211403 A GB 8211403A GB 2097320 A GB2097320 A GB 2097320A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
ball
pieces
manufacturing
cover
space
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB8211403A
Other versions
GB2097320B (en
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Reader Alfred & Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Reader Alfred & Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Reader Alfred & Co Ltd filed Critical Reader Alfred & Co Ltd
Priority to GB8211403A priority Critical patent/GB2097320B/en
Publication of GB2097320A publication Critical patent/GB2097320A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2097320B publication Critical patent/GB2097320B/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/50—General aspects of joining tubular articles; General aspects of joining long products, i.e. bars or profiled elements; General aspects of joining single elements to tubular articles, hollow articles or bars; General aspects of joining several hollow-preforms to form hollow or tubular articles
    • B29C66/51—Joining tubular articles, profiled elements or bars; Joining single elements to tubular articles, hollow articles or bars; Joining several hollow-preforms to form hollow or tubular articles
    • B29C66/54—Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C45/00—Injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C45/14—Injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould; Apparatus therefor incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. injection moulding around inserts or for coating articles
    • B29C45/14467—Joining articles or parts of a single article
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C65/00—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C65/02—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by heating, with or without pressure
    • B29C65/40—Applying molten plastics, e.g. hot melt
    • B29C65/42—Applying molten plastics, e.g. hot melt between pre-assembled parts
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C65/00—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C65/70—Joining or sealing of preformed parts, e.g. welding of plastics materials; Apparatus therefor by moulding
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29D—PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE
    • B29D99/00—Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
    • B29D99/0042—Producing plain balls
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C45/00—Injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould; Apparatus therefor
    • B29C45/14—Injection moulding, i.e. forcing the required volume of moulding material through a nozzle into a closed mould; Apparatus therefor incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. injection moulding around inserts or for coating articles
    • B29C45/14467—Joining articles or parts of a single article
    • B29C2045/14524—Joining articles or parts of a single article making hollow articles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/01—General aspects dealing with the joint area or with the area to be joined
    • B29C66/05—Particular design of joint configurations
    • B29C66/10—Particular design of joint configurations particular design of the joint cross-sections
    • B29C66/11—Joint cross-sections comprising a single joint-segment, i.e. one of the parts to be joined comprising a single joint-segment in the joint cross-section
    • B29C66/114—Single butt joints
    • B29C66/1142—Single butt to butt joints
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29C—SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING
    • B29C66/00—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts
    • B29C66/70—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material
    • B29C66/71—General aspects of processes or apparatus for joining preformed parts characterised by the composition, physical properties or the structure of the material of the parts to be joined; Joining with non-plastics material characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
    • B29L—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES
    • B29L2031/00—Other particular articles
    • B29L2031/54—Balls

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Treatment And Processing Of Natural Fur Or Leather (AREA)

Abstract

This invention relates to the manufacture of balls such as cricket balls, hockey balls and the like. The method of manufacturing such a ball comprises providing at least two cover-forming pieces (10 and 11) which are then placed in a generally spherical cavity of a mould (13 and 14) whereafter a suitable core- forming material, such as a polyurethane, is injected into the space between said pieces so as to form, after setting, a core for the ball which also connects the two pieces 10 and 11 together. Each of said pieces 10 and 11 may be provided around its periphery with one or more rows of stitching 12 which project outwardly so as together to form a seam for the completed ball. Alternatively, the ball may be of a stitchless construction. The aforesaid cover-forming pieces may comprise a pair of hemi-spherical cups or they may comprise a pair of pieces which are each of generally figure-of-eight configuration. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Balls This invention relates to the manufacture of balls, such as cricket balls, hockey balls, baseballs, rounders balls and the like of the kind incorporating a core, and a cover. The cover may comprise two generally hemi-spherical cups and each cup may be formed from a single piece of material (such as leather, rubber or a synthetic resin material) in which case the ball may be referred to as a halved ball. Alternatively, each hemi-spherical cup may comprise two pieces of material which are stitched or otherwise connected together in which case the ball is referred to as a quartered ball. With either a halved ball or a quartered ball there may be provided a seam which extends around a diametral plane of the cover. Alternatively, the cover may be formed from two pieces of material which are each of generally figure-of-eight configuration.
One object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of manufacturing a ball.
In accordance with the invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a ball which comprises providing at least two cover-forming pieces, placing said pieces within a generally spherical cavity of a mould so as to line said cavity and injecting into the space between the pieces a synthetic resin or other material which will set after injection and also act as an adhesive to hold said pieces together.
Each of the aforesaid pieces can be made of any convenient material and the synthetic resin material which is injected into the mould conveniently comprises a polyurethane material.
The invention also resides in a ball when made in accordance with the above-defined method.
The invention will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a sectional view of a mould used in carrying out one example of a method in accordance with the invention.
Referring now to the drawing, there is first provided, in one example of a method (which is applied to the manufacture of a cricket ball) in accordance with the present invention, a pair of generally hemi-spherical cups 10 and 11. Each cup may be formed of two pieces of material which are connected together in any convenient manner but preferably it is formed of a single piece of material. Furthermore any suitable material may be used although preferably leather is used. Thus each cup may include an outer layer 1 Oa or 1 a which is formed from a suitably shaped piece cut from a skin and afterwards "blocked" or shaped in a mould to provide the desired generally hemi-spherical shape.There may also be provided (as shown in the drawing) a lining 1 Ob or 1 b which may be formed of leather or any other suitable material and which is secured by adhesive or in any other convenient manner to the interior of the adjacent outer layer 1 Oa or 1 Ob.
Each of the two hemi-spherical cups thus formed is then provided in the region adjacent to its peripheral edge with one or more (desirably three) rows of stitching generally indicated by reference numeral 12 which extend around the circumference of the cup. Such stitching will project both from the exterior and the interior of the associated cup, the exterior projections forming the seam of the completed ball. The stitching 12 is commonly referred to as "false" stitching (and is conveniently carried out by machine) because the stitching itself is not used to connect the two hemi-spherical cups together although where a lining 1 Ob and 1 h is provided as above described the stitching can be used to form an additional connection between the lining and the outer layer of each cup.
The two hemi-spherical cups 10 and 11 are then placed in a mould which includes an upper part 13 and a lower part 14, the bottom of the upper part registering in a recess formed in the top of the lower part 14. Furthermore at the upper end of the part 13 of the mould there is provided an aperture 15 which can be closed when required by means of a suitable plug (not shown) as shown in the drawing the aforesaid rows of stitching are arranged so that they lie in general horizontal planes and in this case a suitable small aperture, indicated by reference numeral 16 is formed at the top of the cup 10 and through this aperture is injected by means of a suitable injector nozzle a synthetic resin or other material in order to fill the space enclosed by the cups 10 and 1 1 so as to form a core for the ball.The core-forming material may comprise a synthetic resin material such as for example a self-curing polyurethane that foams slightly and which whilst curing will have adhesive properties. Alternatively other thermo-setting or glue-like materials can be injected through the aperture 16 in order to fill the cavity between the cups 10 and 1 1. Injection continues until the whole of said cavity is filled and until material starts to be ejected from said aperture 16. The hole 15 is then closed by the aforesaid plug until the material in said cavity sets whereafter the mould parts 13 and 14 can be separated and the completed ball removed for subsequent polishing or other operations. Alternatively, the plug can be dispensed with and the core-forming material can then be injected until it spews out of the hole 1 5.
the excess material being trimmed off.
In an alternative arrangement the aforesaid rows of stitching can be arranged to extend in generally vertical planes so that injection of the material into the cavity between the cups 10 and 11 can be accomplished by prising apart the abutting edges of the two cups for a short length thereof beneath the hole 15 and material can then be injected through the space created between said abutting edges. After injection has been completed the prised apart abutting edges can be allowed to recover so that they again abut each other and the hole 1 5 closed by means of the plug as before. Suitable clamps may also be provided to hold the two mould parts 13 and 14 together whilst curing takes place.Whichever method of injecting the ball is adopted however the material that is injected will not only form a desired core but will also be sufficiently adhesive as to secure the two cups 10 and 11 together.
The present invention does therefore provide a relatively inexpensive method of making a cricket ball which has a cover formed of leather or other material and which also has a seam formed of machine made stitching. The relatively expensive method of using hand stitching to provide both the seam and a means for joining the two hemispherical cups together is however avoided. A ball made in this way also has the advantage that if the stitches are cut (as for example by being used on a hard playing surface) then the cover of the ball will not split.
The invention can also be used in the manufacture of balls without stitches - for example stitchless balls which comprise a pair of hemi-spherical cups joined together by a cover as above-described. As a further alternative, the cover of a ball formed by a method in accordance with the invention may comprise two pieces which are of generally figure-of-eight configuration disposed in an interlocking arrangement in which together they form a sphere and such a construction may be used for making inter alia stitchless hockey balls, rounders balls, or baseballs.

Claims (10)

1. A method of manufacturing a ball which comprises providing at least two cover-forming pieces, placing said pieces within a generally spherical cavity of a mould so as to line said cavity and injecting into the space between the pieces a synthetic resin or other material which will set after injection and also act as an adhesive to hold said pieces together.
2. A method of manufacturing a bril as claimed in Claim 1 wherein there are two cover-forming pieces which each comprise a hemi-spherical cup formed of leather or other material.
3. A method of manufacturing a ball as claimed in Claim 2 wherein each of said cups is provided with a hemi-spherical lining.
4. A method of manufacturing a ball as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein each cup is provided around its periphery with one or more circumferentially extending rows of stitches which project outwardly from the exterior of the cup to form part of a seam of the completed ball.
5. A method of manufacturing a ball as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a polyurethane material is injected into the space between said cover-forming pieces.
6. A method of manufacturing a ball as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said synthetic resin or other material is injected into the space between the cover-forming pieces through an aperture formed in one of the cups.
7. A method of manufacturing a ball as claimed in any one of Claims 1-5 wherein said synthetic resin or other material is injected into the space between the cover-forming pieces through a small aperture formed by prising apart the abutting edges of the pieces along a small part of the length thereof.
8. A method of manufacturing a ball as claimed in Claim 1 wherein there are two cover-forming pieces which are each of generally figure-of-eight configuration.
9. A method of manufacturing a ball substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.
10. A ball when made in accordance with any one of the preceding claims.
GB8211403A 1981-04-24 1982-04-20 Manufacturing balls Expired GB2097320B (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8211403A GB2097320B (en) 1981-04-24 1982-04-20 Manufacturing balls

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8112716 1981-04-24
GB8211403A GB2097320B (en) 1981-04-24 1982-04-20 Manufacturing balls

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB2097320A true GB2097320A (en) 1982-11-03
GB2097320B GB2097320B (en) 1985-06-19

Family

ID=26279239

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB8211403A Expired GB2097320B (en) 1981-04-24 1982-04-20 Manufacturing balls

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2097320B (en)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2116853A (en) * 1982-01-27 1983-10-05 Reader And Company Limited Alf Ball having linings
GB2147815A (en) * 1983-10-12 1985-05-22 Reader & Company Limited Alfre A ball and manufacture thereof
GB2183531A (en) * 1985-11-28 1987-06-10 Reader & Co Ltd Alfred Balls and manufacture thereof
WO2002089925A1 (en) * 2001-05-03 2002-11-14 Peter Graham Litchfield A ball and a method of manufacturing a ball
WO2004018757A1 (en) * 2002-08-23 2004-03-04 Council Of Scientific And Industrial Research A novel sewing machine for decoratively stitching a cricket ball

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2116853A (en) * 1982-01-27 1983-10-05 Reader And Company Limited Alf Ball having linings
GB2147815A (en) * 1983-10-12 1985-05-22 Reader & Company Limited Alfre A ball and manufacture thereof
GB2183531A (en) * 1985-11-28 1987-06-10 Reader & Co Ltd Alfred Balls and manufacture thereof
WO2002089925A1 (en) * 2001-05-03 2002-11-14 Peter Graham Litchfield A ball and a method of manufacturing a ball
US7048656B2 (en) * 2001-05-03 2006-05-23 Peter Graham Litchfield Ball and a method of manufacturing a ball
WO2004018757A1 (en) * 2002-08-23 2004-03-04 Council Of Scientific And Industrial Research A novel sewing machine for decoratively stitching a cricket ball
US7308860B2 (en) 2002-08-23 2007-12-18 Council Of Scientific And Industrial Research Sewing machine for decoratively stitching a cricket ball

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2097320B (en) 1985-06-19

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 19970420