US2129238A - Inflated ball and method of its manufacture - Google Patents

Description

Sept. (S, 1938. J. T. RIDDELL INFLATED' BALL AND-METHOD OF ITS MANUFACTURE Filed April 1'7, 1937 I, Patented Sept. '6,

UNITED STATES PATENTYOFF'ICE nwm'mn' BALL AND METHOD or rrs mumcrunn John '1'; Riddell, Chicago, n1. Application April 17,1931, Serial No. 137,412

6 Claims: (Cl. 154-16) smooth, rounded ridges in its outer surface; to i provide an inflated ellipsoid article having axially extending bead-like protrusions on its outer surface; to provide an improved football having axially extending bead-like ridges in its outer sur-' face; to provide an improved method of forming an inflated article with bead-like ridges in its outer surface; and to provide an improved method for providing axially extending rounded ridges in the surface of a football.

The improvement herein described is particularly adaptable to ball constructions of the type described in my copending applications, Serial No. 37,905, filed August 26, 1935, now Patent N0.

V 2,091,455 of August 31, 1937, and Serial No. 44,925, flied October 14, 1935 wherein an inflated carcass is first constructed and then an outer protective covering of leather is applied, the leather being appliedas strips shaped as segments of thesurface of the finished article whlchsegments are laid side by side with their edges in flush abutting relationship. It will be understood, however, that the hereindescribed improvement is also adaptable to other types of ball constructions.

A specific embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a football embodying the improved construction;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same but with portions of the outer covering and cementing medium removed to illustrate details of the construction; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional viewtaken on line 3-4 of Fig. 1 and showing the improved ball construction.

In the form shown in the drawing, the improved ball is constructed by first building a carcass I by sewing together segment-shaped strips .of fabric material which may be rubber impreg! nated, to form the desired ball shape, the fabric strips being sewed together with outside or external French'seams and the carcass then in- .verted or turned inside out so that in the'finished carcass the seams will be turned inwardly. leaving a smooth outer surface. A. slit 2 is provided in the caress through which a bladder Sis inserted after which the slit 2 is sewed up and the bladder infiated through a self-healing valve 4, preferably located at the side of the carcass opposite the slit 2.

K After the carcass has been inflated to playing pressure, a plurality of cords 5 are cemented onto the outer surface of the carcass, the cords 5 being 5 laid in an axial direction, and being preferably of less length than the peripheral distance, between the poles of the carcass. These cords may be made of "any suitable material such ascotton, hemp; or the like, and as shown are preferably 10 laid in and along the seams between the fabric segments of the carcass. The cords are uniformly "spaced angularly with respect to the long or major axis of the ball, so as to maintain balance and symmetry and are preferably of a size so as 15 to protrude somewhat above the surface of the carcass.

After the cords 5 have been set in position, the entire surface of the carcass is coated with a thick layer of liquid latex i, and the latex coat- 2 ing is smoothed so as to be of uniform thickness over the entire carcasssurface.

'When the latex coating 6 has been applied, segment-like strips 1 of leather, comprising the outer covering of the ball, are applied, the leather 25 strips 1 being preferably shaped so that they will medially overlie the seams of the carcassand particularly the seams in which the cords 5 arelaid. The leather strips 1 are cemented to the carcass by the latex coating i and are carefully 30 smoothed and ironed out so that the edges of the strips I will be in flush abutment with each other. Also, the leather strips overlying the cords i are pressed and ironed down against 'the latex coated carcass surface so that the cords 5 35.

will form rounded bead-like protrusions or ribs I on the finished surface of the ball.

As shown, the ends of the ball are finished by providing circular ,dished leather caps 9 which are placed over the end portions of the ball and 40 against which the shaped ends id of the leather segments 'l are arranged to lie in smooth flush abutment.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the leather segment I, overlying the valve 4 of the bladder 3, 45 is provided with a small opening I l which locates the position of the valve! for reinflation of the bladder should that be necessary. 7

It will now be seen that the improved ball when finished will have definite bead-like axially extending ridges or ribs in itsouter surface which ridges will have a rounded, but somewhat fiattened, section as shown in Fig. 3; and that by the improved method of construction, the said ridges may be located exactly as desired, providing an II unobtrusive and suilicient means to facilitate grasping and handling the ball. Sucha' ball construction is particularly advantageous when performing forward pass plays as in the game of football, the ridges 8 providing sufflcient purchase for the player's fingers so that a spin may be imparted to the ball as the same is being thrown.

Other advantages are found in that the improved ball construction minimizes fumbling of the ball during play, particularly when the ball is wet. Also, with the hereindescribed improvement, the ridges I on the surface of the ball are of such shape as not to interfere with accurate punting or kicking of the ball.

While but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it will be understood that details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departsmoothly against said carcass whereby said cords form rounded ribs on the external surface of the finished article.

2. The method of manufacturing externally ribbed playing balls which consists in joining together segment shaped strips of material with external French seams to form a carcass, inverting the carcass to turn the seams inwardly, in-- flating said carcass, cementing cords in and along the said inturned seams on the outer side of said carcass, covering said carcass with cemented on segment-shaped strips of. leather, and pressing said leather strips smoothly against said carcass whereby said cords form rounded bead-like ribs on the surface of the nnlahedarticle.

3. The method of manufacturing externallyribbed playing balls which consists in forming a carcass having outwardly protruding surface ridges, inflating said carcass, cementing shaped stripsof leather onto the surface of said inflated Hi v carcass to provide an outer casing therefor, said strips of leather being shaped as segments of the external surface of the flnlshed'article, and then pressing said leather strips smoothly against said carcass whereby said ridges form ribs on the sur-- face of the finished article.

4. The method of manufacturingv externallyribbed playing balls which consists in joining together segment-shaped strips of material with external French seams to form a carcass, inverting the carcass to turn the seams inwardly, inflating said carcass, cementing cords of less length than the said inturned seams land along the same on the outer side of said carcass, covering said carcass with cemented on segment-shaped strips of leather, and said leather strips smoothly against said carcass whereby said cords form rounded bead-like ribs on the medial portion of thesurface of the finished article.

.5. The. method of manufacturing externallyribbed' oval-shaped playing balls which consists in joining together segment-shaped strips of material with external French seams extending in the direction of the long axis to form a carcass, inverting, the carcass to turn the seams inwardly. inflating said carcass, cementing cords of less length than the said inturned seams in and along the same on the outer side of said carcass, covering said carcass with cemented on segmentshaped strips of leather, and pressing said leather strips smoothly against said carcass whereby said cords form rounded bead-like ribs on the medial portion of the surface of the finished article.

6. The methodof manufacturing externallyribbed playing balls which consists in joining together segment-shaped strips of material with external-French seams to form a carcass, invert ing the carcass to turn the seams inwardly. in-

flating said carcass, cementing cords of less length than the said inturned seams in and along the same on the outer side of said carcass, covering said carcass with cemented on segmentshaped strips of leather positioned so that the side edges thereof will be spaced laterally from said cords, and pressing said leather strips smoothly against said carcass whereby said cords form-rounded bead-like ribs on the medial portion of the surface of the finished article.

. JOHN T. RmDELL.

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