USRE21901E - Inflated ball - Google Patents

Description

Sept, 16, 1941. v M. B. REACH Re. 21,901-

INFLATED BALL Original Filed April 2, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet i M. B. REACH INFLATED BALL Sept. 16, 1941.

Original'iilad 'Apfil 2, 1936 2 Shuts-Sheet 2 ilfon B. Reach l -Reissue! Sept. 16, 1941 i lumrso ,sTA'rss PATENT" OFFICE a A muwnns u'spinsaslainnz jlu Original is; amass- M is, use, flerlal No."I2,39'l,April,1,1l36. 15,1940. Ap lication, is: rel-mo 1941,8erlallio. 375,521 I p I 17"Clail ns -4 (Clli18) The :object of'this inventionis'wto provide a a subsequent m;

the r leather covered inflated bslLto' relatively exact specifications without recourse to the use of heavy expensive leather for its strength andsustaining qualities and to permit the 'use of 'economic units of leather whereby small panels can be easily fitted to the rounded surface or the ball' .4isaviewsimilartom2and8-showing v sw amv- "'ing completed.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the completed L First I place in a suitably designed mould sumcient hot wax to form a hollow ball I with walls andsuitably united and sccuredagainst the wear andactionoftheballinplay. Another object of this invention is to eliminate m vunleven wall thicknesses. occasioned in a prior method by the turned-in edges of leather or lab-- 'rlc' or both inlthe ordinary stitching operations, to insure a more, even rebound from impactat differontparts-oftheballs f Another object isjto avoid theweakness rej I suiting from theuse of stitching in fabricating V-.-the-bodyoftheball. is v Another object is to provide reasonably cheap 7' covered balls that will retain form and up site with the use of leather from the poorer-parts 1 of the hide,- which parts ordinarily are subject to stretch and distortion under common methods.

- One common-practice of making inflated balls of the class herein referred to consists of cutting v out from the best of the hide (for the good balls) panels of leather of correct pattern, lining these panels with fabric backing, machine stitchi in: the panels together inside out leaving an 1 opening large enough to reverse the ball through, I thereafter closing said opening,with hand stitching or lace, following the placement of the bladder. s 4 v These methods call for careful selection pf ma--. with a considerable by-produtt resultant from the cutting thereof which may be absorbed I is cheaper inferior playing balls or used in anapproximately 1%". thick. p Thereafter I cover this-wax with a thin coat oirubber or similar gum; Upon that I lay. laminations of textile fabric I of suitable pattern and size, said fabric being impregnated or coated with rubber .orsimilar material capable of bonding the parts toi 15' gether. This fabric may be in the form of strips of panels overlapping or crossing each other and cemented together. This fabricis laid firm and tight on the'wax ball. all of whichare of Juniform mould. Thereafter I cut a hole or slit 0 in the fabric of 'aboutk one inch in extent and throughthewanthro hwhichis'passedasteam' nozzle and the wax melted out for reuse leav'-.

ing' a uniformly formed fabricated foundation member. At this stage I insert the bladdermember b withifs valve and I then close the hole or slit in the case with'a suitable This patch is applied by the use of a vulcanizing cement toreinforce this part of the ball from the strain of internal pressure. Due to the overlapping of the 0 various fabric parts a rough unevenrform results.

' I therefore cover thisfoundation member with a thin sheet of'rubber, I and subject it in a mold to a quick forming cure during which therubber flows and fills the uneven parts. This produces smooth rubberisuriaced ball ready to receive its leather veneer 4. This veneer or outer layer or covering consists of leather pieces, preferably three or more in number, selectedsor color and weight, all pieces being split or ved'to even 3 other c ss merchandise- 1 6 hnd standard thicknesses, which are now laid on a I proposeto overcome the objections of present. 7 the rubber mace ma mace hem prepared d manufacture by the fo w novel methods 'with-a suitable cement, the inside surf-ace and ,whichi have-selec e as possibly yielding the edges of leather pieces being most uniform results without recourse to The pieces of leather are butted edgewise closely skilled labor. s l he to another; The covered ball is noFfiiaced Intbedrawinn': f inamoid'foritsnnalmomdinson rationandall 1 is a viewof a of thezballstrucparts of the integrally bonded together unture built upon a form of wax, the view. heinsv der moderateheat;

v partly in elevation. and D in B The leather pieces may be skived toproduce .l 'ig. 2 shows another stase in the Prom. only bevelled edges which may berolled downln bondof the ball, ssthus far formed, beins ed relation with the underlying rubber mass,

m my; being. gestion, the wax form r This is not claimed herein but forms the subject l harm ess removed fromthe interior or the 7 matter of my copending application Serial No.

* am. in ssm letsaz. V a 203.915, med s in 23;,1933.

rig. 3;is,a view similar tol'ig; 2, but so Theinvention is not limited to the specific 'tion wall.

steps mentioned. Thus instead of ironing the leather pieces onto the foundation by a molding operation, this can be done by the application of external air packs. Nor do I limit myself to the specific kind of initial removable base upon which the textile material is fabricated to produce the foundation as a removable ball like base other than wax may be employed.

1 do not limit myself to the use of woven textile fabric.

able. 7

Any desired form of filling valve may be used. It has the capacity to close automatically when the filling nozzle is withdrawn after the ball has been inflated.

Access to the valve is had through an opening in the patch and'superposed layers of rubber and leather.

Briefly stated the method involves the following steps. a

The application of textile fabric pieces in more or less overlapping or crossing relation to the rubber or similar gum coated surface of a hollow form of wax, said laminations being. impregnated with material for bonding them together; cutting an opening or slit in said textile wall and the wax form; melting out the wax by a steam nozzle introduced through said opening, inserting a bladder through said opening and inflating it,said bladder having a self closing valve of any known form; placing a reinforcing patch over the opening in the said fabric wall, except for a small opening necessary to allow access to be had to the valve; applying a coating to the rough or uneven surface of the laminated or built up textile wall capable of filling the depressions in said wall and of producing a, smooth exterior surface; subjecting the ball as thus far produced to a quick forming cure in a mold to make said coating flow for producing said exterior surface; and then cementing leather pieces in edge to edge relation to the said smooth exterior surface of the inflated foundation, in a molding operation under pressure and moderate heat to integrally bond said The coating of rubber which is applied to the fabric foundation, desirably, may consist of sheet rubber in the form of two cups, which, while of general hemispherical shape, are slightly short of reaching to the true equatorial line, or, in other words, are spaced apart slightly at their adjacent edges, and are connected with each other by a. center band of rubber overlapping the edges of the cups. I

I claim: I 1. The hereindescribed steps in a method of producing an inflated ball consisting inbuilding vup a textile wall of the ball upon a form, reducing and removing the material of said form through an opening in the said wall, inserting a bladder through said well opening into the ball thus far formed, applying rubber material to the.

exterior of said textile walLvulcanizing the ball thus far formed in a mold to unite the rubber material to the textile wall and produce a smooth even exterior surface, then uniting leather panels with the rubber exterior of the ball by heat 4 and pressure, substantially as described.

2. Steps in the method according to claim together with the additional step of applying a patch to the opening in the textile wall after. the

bladder has been inserted, the said step of applyin: rubber material to the exterior of' the textile w ll includin app yin Said rubber material also The fabric is relatively non-stretch-.

leather pieces-to the foundato the exterior of the patch, substantially as described.

3. Steps in a method of making an inflated ball comprising applying unsewn pieces of textile material outside out to a substantially rigid form together with bonding material to provide a textile carcass, reducing and removing the material of the form from the carcass, and inserting a bladder in its place and inflating the bladder.

against the interior of the carcass, curing the carcass and applying a cover to the carcass.

4. Steps in a method of making inflated play-- ing balls comprising forming an .unsewn carcass with a substantially unstretchable wall including textile fabric applied outside out, together with bonding material upon a rigid form, reducing and removing the material of said form'through an opening in thecarcass, curing said carcass in a mold, and then completing the formation of the .ball by cementing a. cover on the carcass and subjecting the ball to a molding operation under pressure and moderate heat, substantially as described.-

' 5. Steps ina process of making an inflatable game ball comprising building an unsewn carcass by applying laminations of textile material and bonding material upon a substantially rigid integral form of reducible material and of a predetermined size and shape, in an. assembly to produce a composite non-stretchable flexible wall, reducing the material of said form and removing it through an openingjn said carcass, s'ealing the opening to resist internal pressure and prevent distortion of the wall at this point and' curing the components of the wall into a substantially homogeneous. body, substantially as described.

. relation to the form to prevent slippage of the initial layer in said relationship.

6. Steps in a method according to claim 5 together with the additional step of cementing cover material in unstitched sections to the non stretchable .carcass which previously has been inflated to receive said cover material.

V '7. Steps in a process of making an inflatable ball according to claim 5 in which the initial layer of textile material is laid in an adhesive 8. Steps in a process of making an inflatable ball according to claim 5 in which the initial layer of textile material is laid in an adhesive relation to the form and each succeeding layer is laid in adhesive relationship one to another to stantially as described.

10. Steps in a process according to claim 5 with which a bladder is employed to inflate the carcass, said bladder having been inserted following the removal of the reduced material composing the integral form.

11. Steps in a method of making an inflatable game ball comprising building a non-stretchable carcass of laminations of textile fabric laid upon" a rigidi'orm of fusible material, melting the form and removing the melted material from the carcass through an opening therein, applying n patch to said opening to close the same inflating the carcass .to the shape and size it acquired from the rigid form, and cementing a cover of pieces of sheet material to the carcass and over the patch thereof, substantially as described.

12. Steps in a method of making an inflatable game. ball according to claim-11 inwhich the first lamination of textile fabric is secured adhesively to the fusible form and the Subsequent layer or layers are bonded to the first layer, substantially as described. v

' 13. Steps in a method of making an inflatable game ball comprising building a. non-stretchable carcass of textile fabric upon a hollow rigid form of homogeneous material, reducing the material of the form to a condition for the removal of said material from the carcass, through an opening therein, closing said opening by a patch cemented in place, inflating the carcass to the limit determined by its non-stretchable character to the shape and sizev acquiredfrom the rigid form, and cementing pieces of sheet material to the carcass and over the patch thereof to form a cover, substantially as described.

14. Steps in a method of making an game ball according to claim 13 in which the first lamination of textile fabric is secured adhesively to the form, and the subsequent lamination is bonded to the first, the reduction of the material of the form separatingit fromits adherent relation to the carcass, substantially as described.

15'. Steps in a process of making an inflatable game ball consisting in applying a coating of admaterlal capable of reduction, building a carcass inflatable I hesive material to a rigid form, which form is of,

by applying textile material to the'form to be held by said adhesive material against slippage, during the building operation, said textile material having associated therewith material for bonding it into a homogeneous non-stretchable wall, reducing the form and removing its reduced material from the carcass as built up thereon, inserting a bladder through an opening in the carcass, closing the opening, inflating the bladder, vulcanizing the carcass and cementing cover pieces to the exterior of the carcass and over the closed opening, substantially as described.

16. A process according to claim 15 in which after the cover pieces are applied to the carcass the ball is subjected to pressure and moderate heat, substantially as described.

17. A method of making a hollow, inflatable playing ball which comprises forming a wall by laying sections of fabric material upon an inner support with the marginal edges of the fabric material'in overlapping relation with each other so that thickened seams are formed, applying a rubber coating over the entire outer surface of the fabric, and curing the wall in a mold with heat applied externally and pressure applied internally ofthe wall, so that the rubber coating will flow and'the thickened seams will be em- "bedded in the rubber coating, the intemal and external surfaces of the wal being smooth and free of protuberances so that the wall is of uniform thickness throughout.

MILTON B. REACH.

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