ZA200607828B

ZA200607828B - Games bats

Info

Publication number: ZA200607828B
Application number: ZA200607828A
Authority: ZA
Inventors: Sear Ronald Frederick
Original assignee: Sear Ronald Frederick
Priority date: 2004-02-20
Filing date: 2006-09-19
Publication date: 2008-01-30
Also published as: GB2426715B; GB2426715A; WO2005079932A1; GB0618540D0

Description

GAMES BATS

This invention relates to improvements in games bats, and specifically for bats for use in such games as cricket, baseball and softball, although it is not limited to these.

In this Specification we shall generally describe the invention in relation to cricket bats, but reference will be made to baseball bats.

Cricket bats are made of two basic components, a blade, which on occasions in this

Specification we shall refer to as a body, and a handle, which is connected to the blade.

Historically, the blade has been made of willow, although other timbers may be used and comprises a generally flat face of a length of the order of 575 mm and a width of the order of 108 mm and has a rear surface which tends to taper outwardly from the upper portion of the blade to a position relatively close to the lower edge of the blade and then inwardly to the bottom of the blade.

The general shapes of cricket bats are well known and this is not any part of the invention.

The upper portion of the blade has a V-shaped incision, which is adapted to receive a handle, which may be made of a laminate of a wood and a resilient material to limit the shocks passing to the user’s hands when the blade strikes a ball.

Baseball and softball bats are generally made of single pieces of timber and have a smaller diameter end, often with an extension there from, which acts as a handle for the bat, and an outwardly tapering cylindrical body portion, which comprises the area on which the bat is intended to strike the ball.

Baseball bats can be made of a relatively grainy timber and have a face which is adapted to be directed outwardly when a ball is being struck, about which the plane of the grain tends to run vertically.

Games bats provide a good means of striking balls in their particular sport, but there can be a substantial shock passed from the body to the handle when a ball is struck, and the principal object of the present invention is to provide a games bat which minimises the shock and a secondary object is to provide a bat which provides striking characteristics which are better than have previously been available.

The invention in its broadest sense comprises a games bat having a body having a face which is adapted to make contact with a ball and a handle whereby the bat is held by a user during play, characterised in that the bat has along at least part of one edge adjacent the face a means whereby the bat is post tensioned.

It is preferred that the means to post tension the are located along either side of the bat, preferably in a groove or recess formed therein.

The means to post tension the bat prefers a curved shaped member, which is adapted to be located in a groove formed along the side of the bat and being deformed against the curve of the member.

In order with the invention maybe more readily understood I shall describe one particular embodiment of the invention in relation to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the bat of the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the post tensioning means:

Figure 3 is a view of the face of the bat showing the location of the post tensioning means; and

Figure 4 is a view, somewhat similar to that of figure 3, showing a baseball bat having the invention applied thereto.

Referring initially to figures 1 and 3, the cricket bat has a blade 10 and a handle 11, the lower end 12 of which fits into a cut out portion 13 of the blade and is firmly secured thereto.

The formation of the handle and the connection to the blade are not germane to the invention and are standard in the cricket bat art.

Also the blade is shaped so that it’s front surface 14 is relatively flat, although this can have a slight degree of curvature, particularly from the centre to the side and the back 15 tends to broaden as it passes down its length to a position at about where the sweet spot of the bat would be located and then narrows inwardly towards the foot of the bat.

Again, this shape is a conventional shape of cricket bats.

The blade has a pair of grooves 16, 16' which are formed in the sides of the bat and which can be straight but which are preferably slightly curved to follow the rear face of the bat.

In one particular form of the invention these grooves can be of the order of 7 mm wide and mm deep.

It would be understood that the width of the grooves are dependent upon the thickness of the bat and the depth can vary depending upon the final result required.

The post tensioning material is, to meet the requirements of the highest standard of play of cricket of wood, but can be of other materials, such as a composite or even a metal where the bat does not necessarily have to meet the requirements laid down by the senior authority.

This wood is pre formed into an arcuate shape and is preferably of a relatively long grain timber such as oak. The formation of the member can be natural, but it will normally be cut from a natural timber preformed to the required shape.

When this length of timber 20 is straightened, or indeed bent slightly against it’s natural curve, to enable it to be placed into the groove 16 or 16', it will obviously be forced into a substantial degree of tension and this will act towards the face of the blade.

The strip 20 is located into the groove and held in position by means of a adhesive or the like and, in manufacture is finally smoothed off to provide a continuous surface with the side of the bat and at the shoulder 25 of the bat. 1 have found that in use the bat of the invention has substantial advantages over previously known bats in that the post tensioning provides the face of the bat with properties which enable a ball struck by the bat to provide a cleaner stroke than has hitherto been possible and, at the same time, the post tensioning limits the reaction back through the handle when a ball is struck with the bat.

I have mentioned the requirement for bats to meet the standards of the Marylebone Cricket

Club (MCC) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) which states “The blade of the bat shall be made solely of wood ...” and thus the bat is capable of being used at the highest level. 1did also state that different forms of post tensioning members can be used if such members satisfy the requirements of an alternative body, generally a junior body.

Whilst I have shown and described the reinforcing members 20 as extending along the whole length of the blade 10 of the bat, there may be applications where it is quite satisfactory to have these extending over only portion of the bat.

Figure 4 shows the invention applied to a baseball bat.

Baseball bats are usually turned from a single piece of material and the material is often ofa type, such as hickory, which has substantial grain and thus baseball bats are designed to strike a ball with a particular face, or one of two opposing faces. . :

RECTIFIED SHEET (RULE 91)

These are they which provide a surface to the ball which is basically transverse to the direction of the grain.

A baseball bat used at right angles to this can be inclined to split along the grain and effectively delaminate.

In this application I provide grooves 116 which generally are located along part of the length of the bat, the handle portion 11 which is thinner than the remainder may well not be grooved, but the general formation of the post tensioning members and their location in the grooves 116 can be considered to be the same as was the case with the cricket bat.

Again, I have found that the use of such a formation on a baseball bat gives a result which is more satisfactory than has previously been the case.

Whilst in this Specification I have described the invention in relation to a cricket bat and a baseball bat, it is to be understood that it may well be applied to other forms of bats and the actual formation of the post tensioning member and the grooves in which it is located may vary depending upon the application and the requirements of the manufacturer and user.

All such variations lie within the scope of the invention

Claims

I claim:

1. A games bat having a body having a face which is adapted to make contact with a ball and a handle whereby the bat is held by a user during play, characterised in that the bat has along at least part of one edge adjacent the face a means whereby the bat is post tensioned.

2. A bat as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is a means to post tension the bat along two opposite edges each adjacent the face.

3. A bat as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the means to post tension the bat is located within a groove or recess formed along the edge(s) thereof.

4. A bat as claimed in claim 3 wherein the bat, in cross section, has a thickness which varies along the length of the body and wherein the groove or grooves generally follows the variation in the thickness.

5. A bat as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the means to post tension the bat is in the form of a strip of material which is initially generally arcuate in form and which,’ the convex outward side of the strip is directed towards the outer surface of the face, the strip being deformed to be enabled to be placed in the associated groove and to be retained therein under tension.

6. A bat as claimed in claim 5 characterised that the or each strip of material is of timber or a timber composite.

7. A bat as claimed in claim 6 wherein the or each strip is located in its groove and retained in position by an adhesive.

8. A bat as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the or each strip extends along a substantial part of the length of the body.

9. A bat as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the bat is a cricket bat.

10. A bat as claimed in claim 9 wherein the body is the blade ot the cricket bat and the strip(s) extend along the full length of the blade.

I. A bat as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein the bat is a baseball bat.

12. A bat as claimed in claim 11 wherein the strip (s) extend along a substantial part of the striking area of the bat.

13. A game bat substantially as herein described and as illustrated in Figures | and 3 or Figure 4. AMENDED SHEET