GB2116435A

GB2116435A - Handles for sporting articles

Info

Publication number: GB2116435A
Application number: GB08305864A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Leonard Newbery
Original assignee: GRAY NICOLLS Ltd
Current assignee: GRAY NICOLLS Ltd
Priority date: 1982-03-05
Filing date: 1983-03-03
Publication date: 1983-09-28
Also published as: GB8305864D0

Abstract

A handle for a sporting article such as a cricket bat comprises an elongate core 12 of semi-rigid material such as cane and an outer casing 11 of elastomeric or polymeric material moulded around the core. The lower end of the handle is shaped to fit into the splice of a cricket bat blade. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Handles for sporting articles The invention relates to handles for sporting articles, such as, cricket bats, tennis racquets, badminton racquets or hockey sticks.

The present invention provides a handle for a sporting article comprising an elongate core of semi-rigid material and an outer casing of elastomeric or polymeric material moulded around the core.

The core may be substantially cylindrical in configuration for at least a majority of its length.

The core may be of cane material, and the casing may be of rubber of plastics material.

Preferably, the outer casing has a central portion which has a generally cylindrical outer surface for being held by a user.

At one end of the handle the outer casing may be moulded to form a bulbous portion.

Preferably, at one end of the handle the moulded outer casing is provided with an engagement portion for engaging a striking portion of a sporting article.

The engagement portion may comprise a wedge portion for engaging a tapered recess in the striking portion.

Preferably the cane at the wedge end is provided with a notch or hole through which the material of the casing extends.

Preferably, the surface of the core is provided with keying means to allow the material of the outer casing to bond to the core during moulding of the outer casing.

The surface of the outer casing may be provided with a roughened, for example knurled, finish for easy grip by a user.

Alternatively, a rubber girp may be provided which fits over the outer casing.

In another alternative, the outer casing may be bound with a filament, for example string, and a rubber grip fitting over the binding.

The present invention also provides a method of manufacturing a handle for a sporting article which comprises the steps of moulding onto the outer surface of a core of semi-rigid material on outer casing of elastomeric or polymeric material.

Preferably, the method also comprises the steps of shaping one end of the moulded handle to produce a suitable shape for engaging the handle in a striking portion of a sporting article. The surface of the outer casing may be processed to provide means for easy grip by a user.

Preferably the surface of the core is treated to improve the bonding of the casing to the core.

The treatment may include the provision of a hole or notch through which the material of the casing may flow.

The step of preparing the surface of the core for bonding the outer casing may comprise spiking the surface of the core.

Alternatively, where the core is of cane material, the cane surface may be prepared by shaving away certain areas of the cane bark to expose the interior of the cane.

Preferably, the cane bark is shaved away such that at least one flat surface is produced on the surface of the cane which flat surface runs for at least a majority of the length of the cane.

Preferably, during moulding of the outer casing, the casing knits into the core fibres thereby bonding itself to the core.

Preferably, one end of the handle is sawn and sanded to produce an engagement portion which may comprise a wedge for engaging a tapered recess in the striking portion.

Processing the surface of the outer casing may comprise knurling of the casing surface.

Alternatively, a rubber grip may be fitted over the outer casing which rubber grip may be fitted directly over the casing or over the casing which is first bound with a filament, for example string.

The invention further provides a sporting article, for example a cricket bat, hockey stick, badminton racquet or tennis racquet, having a handle according to the invention.

By way of example two alternative embodiments of handles and methods of manufacturing thereof according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 has a perspective view of a finished handle; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the spliced end of a cane for use in a second embodiment; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the same end of the second embodiment when completed; and Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 in Figure 3.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1 a handle 10 for a cricket bat comprises an elongate core 12 of cane around which an outer casing 11 of elastomeric material, preferably rubber or plastics material is moulded. The cane core 1 2 is cylindrical in configuration, has a diameter of approximately 25 mm and is initially cut to a length which is approximately 80 mm longer than the desired length of the finished handle.

Cane is generally supplied having been seasoned by boiling in oil and then dried. To ensure satisfactory bonding between the casing 11 and the cane during moulding, the surface of the cane is prepared either by spiking or by peeling away small areas of the cane bark to expose the interior of the cane in order that the plastic or rubber of the casing can knit into the cane fibres.

It the latter mode of surface preparation is employed the cane bark is peeled away such that two flat surfaces are produced which run the length of the cane 12 on opposite sides thereof.

This has the advantage that if the casing becomes detached from the cane during use the casing does not rotate on the cane.

If the cane 12 is merely spiked prior to moulding of the casing 11 then the core is still cylindrical when the handle is initially moulded as indicated in chain dotlines in the drawing. The handle is sawn and sanded to produce the shape hereafter described.

The casing 11 has a central portion 14 which has a cylindrical outer surface, as shown in Figure 1, for being held by a batsman. One end 15 of the casing 11 is bulbous in configuration, a feature common in known cricket bat handles in order to aid a batsman in gripping the handle. At the other end of-the handle 10, the outer casing 11 has a wedge portion 1 7 known as the splice, which locates in a conforming V-shaped slot in a cricket bat blade when attaching thte handle 10 to the blade. The surface of the outer casing 11 on a rear edge 1 8 of the handle 10 slopes away from the cane 12 where the outer casing 11 forms the splice 1 7 in order that the handle 10 conforms with the shape of the bat blade when the sptice is engaged in the 'slot of the bat blade.

In order to assist the batsman in gripping the handle in the outer casing in one embodiment is provided with a roughened, for example knurled, finish.

Alternatively, the outer casing may have a conventional rubber grip over the moulded outer casing. In a third alternative, the outer casing may be first bound with a suitable filament, for example string, and then covered with a rubber grip as with known cricket bat handles. It will be appreciated that these alternatives may require variation in the diameter of the moulded outer casing.

In a second embodiment of a handle according to the invention and which is shown in Figures 2 to 4 the cane 22 is provided at its end to be near the splice with a slot 23. An outer casing 24 of elastomeric or of plastics is moulded around the cane and it will be seen that the elastomeric material fills the slot 23. This provides an improvement over the embodiment of Figure 1 in that the elastomeric material does not come unstuck at the tip of the splice and provides an improved handle.

Although sizes and materials have been specified in the above description it will be appreciated that the sizes may change depending on the requirements of each individual batsman.

Also, different elastomeric materials could be used for the outer casing, and a different semi-rigid material could be used for the core provided the handle so made exhibits the desired characteristics.

It will be appreciated that although the embodiment hereinbefore described is a handle for a cricket bat, handles according to the invention for other sporting articles such as hockey sticks or racquets are envisaged, although the dimensions and also the shape of such handles will differ from those of the described embodiment.

The afore described embodiments of the invention have the advantage that the cost of the materials and manufacture is less than with known all-cane handles.

A further advantage lies in the fact that as the design uses a smaller amount of cane than a conventional all-cane handle manufacture would be less dependent on supplies of cane which tend to be unreliable.

Claims

1. A handle for a sporting article comprising an elongate core of semi-rigid material and an outer casing of elastomeric or polymeric material moulded around the core.

2. A handle as claimed in claim 1 in which the core is substantially cylindrical for at least a majority of its length.

3. A handle as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the core is of cane.

4. A handle as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3 in which the casing is of rubber or of elastomeric plastics material.

5. A handle as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 provided at one end with a wedge formation for engagement with the blade of a cricket bat.

6. A handle as claimed in claim 5 wherein the core at the wedge end is provided with a notch or hole through which the material of the casing extends.

7. A handle as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 wherein the outer surface of the outer casing is roughened.

8. A handle as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7 wherein a rubber grip surrounds the casing.

9. A method of manufacturing a handle for a sporting article which comprises the steps for moulding onto the outer surface of a core of semirigid material an outer casing of elastomeric or polymeric material.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 including the steps of shaping one end of the moulded handle to produce a suitable shape for engaging the handle in a striking portion of a sporting article.

1 A method as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the surface of the core is treated to improve the bonding of the casing to the core.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the treatment includes the provision of a hole or notch with which the material of the casing may flow.

13. A sporting article having a handle as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 or manufactured as claimed in claims 9 to 12.

14. A cricket bat handle substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1 or Figures 2 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

1 5. A method of making a cricket bat handle substantialGy as herein described.

1 6. A cricket bat having a handle as claimed in claim 14 or manufactured as claimed in claim

1 5.