Abstract A method of making a hollow bat including providing a hollow bat body having a handle portion at one end and a barrel portion at the other with at least one end terminating in an opening. Providing an end plug having a transverse end wall and a generally cylindrical depending body portion having at least one annular groove therein. Deforming the end plug or the end portion of the bat body defining the open end to establish an interlocking joint between the bat body and end plug. The bat body has a radially inwardly directed flange at the opening defining end of the bat in circumferential engagement with the annular groove of the end plug. In one form of the method the open end of the hollow bat is provided with a radially inwardly directed flange at the open end. The end plug is composed of resiliently compressible material and is positioned in axial alignment with the bat body at a position spaced from the flange. Relative axial closing movement is established between the plug and the bat body in order to compress the resilient plug radially and establish entry of the plug into the bat body. Movement is terminated when the radial bat flange is seated in the annular groove. In another form of the method the end plug is positioned partially within the open end of the bat and the joint is effected by reforming the annular free edge of the open end radially inwardly to establish an inwardly directed flange in the bat body in circumferential engagement with the annular groove. The bat body may be composed of an electrically conductive material and the flange formation effected by a magnetic field generated by means not physically contacting the bat body. A hollow metal bat body having a handle at one end and a barrel portion at the other end. An end plug having a transverse end wall and depending generally cylindrical body portion provided with an outwardly open annular recess. The body portion disposed within one end of the hollow metal bat and the open end within which said plug is disposed terminates in a radially inwardly directed flange which has its free end disposed within the annular recess.
A method of making a hollow ball bat comprising providing a hollow metal bat body having a handle portion at one end and a generally cylindrical barrel portion at the other with at least one said portion terminating in an end portion defining an open end, providing an end plug having a transverse end wall and a generally cylindrical depending body having at least one annular groove therein, providing magnetic field generating means, positioning said depending body of said end plug in said open end of said bat body, positioning said magnetic field generating means around said open end of said bat body, and generating a magnetic field by said magnetic field generating means to induce eddy currents within said end of said bat body within which said end plug is disposed to create circumferential radially inwardly directed deformation of said bat body end to establish inwardly directed flange in said bat body in engagement with said annular recess in said end plug.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
163 words
A method of making a hollow ball bat comprising providing a hollow metal bat body having a handle portion at one end and a generally cylindrical barrel portion at the other with at least one said portion terminating in an end portion defining an open end, providing an end plug having a transverse end wall and a generally cylindrical depending body having at least one annular groove therein, providing magnetic field generating means, positioning said depending body of said end plug in said open end of said bat body, positioning said magnetic field generating means around said open end of said bat body, and generating a magnetic field by said magnetic field generating means to induce eddy currents within said end of said bat body within which said end plug is disposed to create circumferential radially inwardly directed deformation of said bat body end to establish inwardly directed flange in said bat body in engagement with said annular recess in said end plug.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
129 words
The method of claim 1 including said magnetic field generating means including a continuous circular magnetic field generating loop of slightly larger diameter than the portion of said bat body to be deformed, said end plug is composed at least in part of a resiliently compressible material, said annular recess being defined by an upper recess defining surface and a lower recess defining surface, said annular recess being disposed closely adjacent to said transverse end wall, inserting said end plug in said barrel portion of said bat, and subsequently deforming said bat end by generating a magnetic field within said loop to establish said joint to provide surface to surface contact between the underside of said inwardly directed flange and at least one of said annular recess defining surfaces.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1 including said end plug having a knob shaped transverse end wall, inserting said plug into said handle end of said bat, and reforming said handle end to establish said joint.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 2 including said transverse end wall having a transverse diameter not greater than the transverse diameter of said depending body portion.