Abstract A foam filled metal bat and method for making same are disclosed. The bat comprises a die cast, ball-bat shaped hollow tube of substantially uniform wall thickness having an integrally cast knob over an end of a handle portion. The end of a club portion of the tube is open. A rigid urethane foam extends within the tube from the knob end up to and contiguous with a cap inserted in the open club end. The rigid foam forms a bond with the tube walls and the cap portion which may be a semi-rigid urethane foam or a rubber plug. The method comprises the steps of casting the tube, inserting the cap portion and placing the rigid urethane foam within the tube to form a rigid, lightweight unitary structure. A method and means are also disclosed for locating the center of percussion of the bat in which foams of different densities are placed in the bat.
A method of manufacturing a foam-filled metal bat comprising the steps of: die casting a generally elongate metal tube of uniform wall thickness having a club end of one diameter and a handle end of a reduced diameter, an opening in said handle end and an open portion in an end of said club end; placing a rubber plug, having a ribbed outer surface adjacent a wall of said club end, in said open portion; filling said elongate tube with a rigid urethane foam; and forcing said urethane foam between said wall of said club end and the outer surface of said rubber plug to form a bonding relationship between said plug and said foam for forming a high impact resistive unitary structure.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
123 words
A method of manufacturing a foam-filled metal bat comprising the steps of: die casting a generally elongate metal tube of uniform wall thickness having a club end of one diameter and a handle end of a reduced diameter, an opening in said handle end and an open portion in an end of said club end; placing a rubber plug, having a ribbed outer surface adjacent a wall of said club end, in said open portion; filling said elongate tube with a rigid urethane foam; and forcing said urethane foam between said wall of said club end and the outer surface of said rubber plug to form a bonding relationship between said plug and said foam for forming a high impact resistive unitary structure.