US2775455A

US2775455A - Ambidextrous bat

Info

Publication number: US2775455A
Application number: US494048A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ralph J Liberti
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1955-03-14
Filing date: 1955-03-14
Publication date: 1956-12-25
Anticipated expiration: 1973-12-25

Description

Dec. 25 1956 Fig./

R. J. LIIBERTI 2,775,455

AMBIDEXTROUS BAT Filed March 14, 1955 LABEL oomv LABEL UP Ralph J. Liberfi INVENTOR.

BY WW 8M 'cumference of the United States PatentO AMBIDEXTROUS BAT Ralph J. Liberti, New York, N. Y. Application March 14, 1955, Serial No. 494,048 1 Claim. (Cl. 273-72) This invention generally relates to a baseball bat and more specifically provides an improved handle construction which provides a better grip for the bat.

An object of this invention is to provide a bat grip including a novel construction in its handle wherein the bat will be quickly and more securely gripped with the trademark label facing upwardly whereby the bat will at all times be positioned with the flat of the wood grain being toward the point of impact between the baseball bat and the ball.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a bat grip including a pair of arcuate grooves in the surface of the handle thereof adjacent the knob at the handle end for receiving the small finger and the butt of the palm of the hand and positioning the bat in correct angular relation about its longitudinal axis whether the bat is utilized by a left-handed person or a right-handed person.

A still further important object of the present invention is to provide an improved bat grip conformable to the preceding objects wherein the grooves are peripherally aligned and extend around less than one-half of the cirbat handle and are so disposed that the wood grain of the bat will at all times be in correct relation to the point of impact thereby providing a secure grip for the bat and preventing breakage or damage to the bat normally caused by improper impact of the bat with the baseball.

Other important objects of the present invention will reside in its simplicity of construction, its accurate and secure grip, use for various types of bats, its utility and its adaptation for one or more fingers.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the baseball bat of the present invention showing the grooves in the handle end adjacent the knob thereof;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmental plan view showing the construction of the handle end of the bat with the label or trademark facing upwardly;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmental plan view similar to Figure 2 with the label or trademark facing downwardly; and

Figure 4 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 4-4 of Figure 2 showing the details of construction and the disposition of the arcuate groove.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, it will be seen that the numeral generally designates the bat construction of the present invention which includes an elongated generally cylindrical main body portion 12 that tapers to a smaller cross sectional area from its outer 2,775,455 Patented Dec. 25, 1956 end toward its inner end and is provided with a trade mark label 14 on its upper surface so that when the label or trademark 14 is facing upwardly the flat of the grain of the wood forming the bat 10 will face the point of impact between the bat 10 and the baseball or other objects contacting the bat 10. The main body portion 12 of the bat 10 tapers to a generally cylindrical handle portion 16 which terminates in a knob 18. This construction is substantially conventional in baseball bats of present day use.

The improvement of pair of

arcuate grooves

20 and 22 in the handle portion 16 of the bat 10 for receiving the small finger or little finger of a person gripping the bat. The

grooves

20 and 22 are generally concave for comfortably receiving the little finger of a person using the bat. When a person is batting right hand, the innermost hand or the left hand will engage the little finger thereof in the groove 20 and conversely, the groove 22 will be engaged by the little finger on the right hand of a person batting left hand. It will be seen that the grooves 20 and22 extend around the handle portion 16 a distance less than one-half the circumference thereof and it also willl be seen that the

grooves

20 and 22

form separation areas

24 and 26 wherein the area 24 is smaller than the area 26 and the area 24 is the area which will form an abutment for the proximal end of the little finger when the bat 10 is gripped in either manner for use by a left-handed or right-handed person so that the bat 10 will' be accurately gripped in angular relation to the longitudinal axis thereof thereby assuring that the trademark or label 14 will be facing upwardly when the finger engages the groove'20 or 22 and abuts the reduced area 24. It will be understood that the

grooves

20 and 22 may be multiplied for each finger of the person gripping the bat and not only provides an accurate and secure grip for the batter but also provides an accurate positioning means for assuring that the bat will at all times be utilized in the correct manner. Also, the device may be utilized for other types of hand manipulated impact devices utilized in various types of games.

This device reduces the incidence of bat breakage and increases the safety factor in batting because it provides for a firmer grasp of the bat and therefore reduces accidents by slippage or otherwise particularly for younger players. Unlike similar gripping devices this grip can be used by left or right hand batters with equal advantage and facility. Right and left hand batters can use the same bat which is not true of spirally grooved grips. Also, this device provides for a firmer grasping of the hat by the lower hand which is usually the weaker hand and thereby strengthens the weaker of the two hands which permits the bat to be pulled around faster for sharper and longer hits. Easier follow-through is possible because the knob can be reduced in size, as a large knob is in the way and obstructs a smooth follow through.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

An ambidextrous bat comprising an elongated handle of cylindrical cross-section, said handle tapering smoothly outwardly at one end thereof into a bat, the other end of said handle having a knob, a pair of opposed circumferential grooves in said handle adjacent said knob, each of said grooves extending less than one-half of the cirthe present invention includes a 'cumference of the handle, said bat being constructed of Wood and having a label disposed thereon in generally right angular relation to the flat of the grain of the Wood, said label thus enabling the batter to orientate the bat. about the longitudinal axis for positioning the fiat 5 of :the grain of thenwo'od in facing relation to the point of contact with arball, one end of each groove providing an abutment for thee'nd of a little finger disposed therein, each of said grooves having one end thereof disposed in an angular relation to the label about the longitudinal 10 2031161 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,638,454 Papin Aug. 9, 1927 1,664,257 McCullough Mar. 27, 1928 Hamel Feb. 18, 1936