USRE17200E - Hilton b - Google Patents

Description

- M. B. REACH union 0! MANUFACTURING BASEBALL cam-Ens Oriiginal Filed Sept. 5, 1924 Original No. 1,530,410,

vised,

m .sisted *Reissued Jan. 22, 1929.

UNITED ,VSTA

e rzoo res PATENT OFFICE. P

MILTON B. nnacrr, or onroornn, massacnnsn'rrs, AssIeNoa 1:0 as. BEACH do, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, a CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

rtn'riron or MANurAcruaING BasnBArLL CENTERS.

I My present invention concerns an improved method of making the resilient centers used in manufacturing baseballs.

' The cork center baseball, as originally dehas been the "most popular playing ball of its that manifests itselfin a certain percentage of balls turned out, due to the established process of molding, which operation conof forming two half spheres of uncured stock in one of which the cork center was deposited. The two halves were then fitted together and placed in a mold for molding. Under the heat and pressure of molding, the uncured stock flows, and it frequently hape pens that the cork center is distorted and displaced, with the result that the wound. baseball, in which this center is used, is made untrue. a

'The present invention aims to avoid this objection and provide a method by which any and all. irregularities in the cork center will be avoided and a uniform and perfect product be secured. v

To this end the invention comprises the novel method hereinafter described and defined by the appended claims. In order that my invention maybe better understoodfl have appended hereto a drawing in which The figure shows enclosing shell, the different rubber portions which go to make up the rubber shell being indicated by lines of division, although it 'will be understood that in the completed and vulcanized article no division lines would appear, as the various rubber parts are,-by the process of vulcanization, united into a omogeneous article, as will be well understood by those skilled in the rubber art.

Referring by reference characters to this drawing, the cork center. is indicated by the numeral 1 and is of the character customarily used in the manufacture of baseballs of the type referred to. Inmaking up my improved enclosing shell, I first moldtwo half spheres of rubber which are subjected in suitable molds having hemispherical cavities, to sufficient heat and pressure to .vulcanize the rub process being preferably discontinued just s ort of the complete curingstage, so that the sections, while not being completely cured, will yet have sufiicient her, the vulcamzin kind. A fault has existed, however,

1 they are the cork center with its dated March 17, 1925, Serial No. 735,685, filed September 3, 1924. Application for reissuefiIed-November 6, 1926. SerialNo. 146,833.

tenacity to cause them to retain their shape tion or displacement will be avoided.' The hemispheres are indicated at 2 and 2 respectively, being duplicates of'each other, and. they are pieced together" to form the complete sphere with the cork center 1 enclosed thereby, and a thin washer of uncured gum placed between the abutting edges of the hemispheres, as indicated at 3. This washer is compounded of stock which will cure in a minimum amount of time, or specifically, of heat' required to complete the vulcanization of the hemispheres, which quickly curing characteristics can be secured by any of the well known methods familiar to. those in the'amount of time and degree I skilled in the art, as for example by the use i of the so-called accelerators. After the hemispheres have been juxtaposed with the enclosed cork center and interposed washer.

spheres of uncured rubber indicated at 4 and 4,having an interior diameter corresponding to the exterior diameter of the hemispheres 2, and being made of a thickness not exceedin and preferably slightly less, than that of the washer, and being made of the same rubber compound as the washer. The edges of the enclosing hemispheres 4 and 4 abut as shown. Thereafter the assembled parts are placed within a mold of. the usual type having a spherical mold cavity and submitted to the necessary heat in the ordinary vulcanizing press, the result of which is that the uncured washer and enclosing shell are softened and caused to flow, as itis termed in therubber art, whereby the yet uncured washer and enclosing hemispheres are homogeneously united and cured and also homogeneousl united to the partially'cured inner hemispherical sections, while. at the same time, owingato the previous partial curing'of the inner cmisp'herical sections, flowing or distortion of these is vented.

I thus secure a cork center enclosed in a homogeneous outer shell with the spherical contour of the cork center unchanged, and with the outer surface of the completed rubbersphere truly concentric to the surface of reliably preset within or enclosed by two half shells used, the the rubber of the shells to flow into the line 3 action, enclosing a spherical in the space between the edges of the hemiand thereafter homogeneously joined to gether.

It is obvious in some cases the washer might be dispensed with and only the enclosing pressure of the mold causing of junction of the hemispheres and fulfil the function of the washer. In some cases also the washer alone might be used, and the shells omitted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is j ,1. The hereindescribed method which consists in forming two hollow hemispheres of rubber compound, subjecting the same to vulcanization, enclosing a spherical co'rk center between said hemispheres, and securing them homogeneously together by vulcanization, with theaid of aninterposed layer of quick curing rubber compound.

2. The hereindescribed method which con; sists in forming two partially cured hollovi hemispheres of rubber, bringing these hemispheres together'to enclose a spherical cork center with an uncured layer of relatively quick curing compound interposed between the juxtaposed edges of the hemispheres, and thereafter vulcanizing the article to cure the uncured layer and complete the cure of the hemispherical sections.

3. The hereindescribed method which consists in forming two partially cured hollow hemispheres ofr'ubber, bringing these hemispheres together to' enclose a spherical cork center with an uncured Washer of relatively quick curing compound interposed between the juxtaposed edges of the hemispheres, enclosing the said assembly inan outer envelope of relatively thin uncured rubber compounded to cure in the same time as the aforesaid washer, and finally subjecting the whole to a vulcanizing action to vulcanize the washer and envelope and complete the vulcanization of the hemispheres.

4. The hereindescribed method of making playing ball centers, which consists'in forming two .hollow hemispheres of rubber compound, subjecting the same to vulcanizing cork center between said hemispheres, and'homogeneously securing them together by causing a relatively quick curing rubber compound-to flow spheres and be vulcanized thereto.

rubber washer interposed- 5. The hereindescribed method which consists in forming two hemispheres of rubber compound, ;subjecting the same to partial vulcanization, enclosing a'spherical cork cen ter between said hemispheres, andv securing them homogeneously together by vulcanization, with the'aid of a quick curing rubber compound.

6. A baseball center comprising a spherical core of cork, a shell comprising two hemispheres of'rubber holdingsaid core and connected by vulcanization, and a rubber casing applied around the shell. L 7. A baseball center'comprising a spherical core of cork,a shell comprising two hemi-i sald core, and a spheres of; rubber holdin etween the juxtaposed edges of said hemispheres and surrounding said core, Washer being connected by vulcanization.

- 8. The structure defined in claim 7 in further combination with a rubbercasing applied around the shell and washer.

9. The herein described. methodof forming a homogeneous baseball center consisting in forming two hemispherical shells of a ru ber compound vulcanized, to a state just short of a complete cure, bringing the shells together under pressure about a s herical core with a connecting compound etween the edges of the shells, and then subjecting the assembly to a vulcanizing action sulficient to complete the vulcanization of, the shells.

10. The hereindescribed method of forming a homogeneous baseball center consisting in providing two hemispherical shells of a rubber compound vulcanized to a state just short'of a'complete cure, bringing the shells together under pressure about a spherical core and with a quick curing rubber comsaid hemispheres and pound interposed between the juxtaposed edges of'the shells, and then subjecting the assembly to a vulcanizing action sufficient to complete the'vulcanization of the shells and efi'ect vulcanization of the interposed COIIipound.

11. The herein described method of forming a baseball center consisting in providing two hemispherical shells of a rubber compound vulcanized to a state just short of a complete cure, bringing the shells together about a spherical cork center with apquick' .curing rubber. compound interposed between 12 A baseball centera ssemblycomprising a spherical core, two hemispherical shells of rubber enclosing the same, and two hemispherical shells of rubber enclosing the aforesaid assembly and connected by vulcanizetion at their juxtaposed edges.

13', A baseball center comprising a spherical cork center, two hemispherical shells of rubber enclosing the same and connected by vulcanization at their juxtaposed edges through an interposed compound different in.

character from thatcmplo ed in the shells,

and two hemispherical she 1s of rubber enclosing the aforesaid assembly and connected by vulcanization at the juxtaposed edges and interiorly to the periphery of the first named shells.

In testimony whereof I ufiix In signature.

MILTON B. EACH.

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