Games using tangible projectile – Player held and powered – nonmechanical projector – per se,... – Bat
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-11
2002-10-29
Graham, Mark S. (Department: 3711)
Games using tangible projectile
Player held and powered, nonmechanical projector, per se,...
Bat
C427S441000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06471608
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns baseball bats having reduced tendency toward breakage, and more particularly relates to a baseball bat fabricated of hardwood and having enhanced resiliency.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Baseball bats, particularly those constructed of wood, are well known in the art. Baseball bats approved for use in the professional major leagues are turned from a solid piece of wood and include a handle portion terminating at a first or lower end in an integral knob. An outwardly tapered intermediate portion extends from the handle portion and merges upwardly with a ball hitting barrel portion, said barrel portion terminating at a second or upper end.
The most widely used wooden bats are fabricated of a hardwood such as ash derived from ash trees having the scientific classification: family: Oleaceae; genus: Fraximus. Ash wood is hard, strong and stiff, and possesses a relatively straight grain. Hardwoods in general have a cellular structure which includes vessels of a continuous elongated nature. When said vessels are cut transversely across the grain direction, the exposed open end is caused to have open pores. Because such pores extend the length of a piece of the wood in the direction of the grain, said hard woods are considered to be porous woods.
Such hardwood bats, however, are very prone to chipping, denting and outright breaking during game play. Lower grades of ash may not be as resilient as higher grades, resulting in a ball not travelling as far once it has been hit with a specified degree of force and speed.
The failure mode by which baseball bats break is not fully understood. However, it is clear that the point of impact with the ball, typically on the barrel of the bat, is not the likely location of the break. The most common location at which a baseball bat will break is in or near the handle portion, in a location where the bat is relatively small in diameter.
Upon impact with a ball, a baseball bat will vibrate. It is thought that, under typical strenuous conditions, the bat will momentarily assume a shape that is very slightly sinusoidal. Typically, there will be two nodes along the length of the bat, between which the bat will be deformed for a short period to a greater or lesser degree. Many factors may determine the amplitude and frequency of the vibration, including the structure of the bat, the grip strength and location by the player, the point of impact of the ball and the speed and direction of the ball and bat.
If the impact of the ball is sufficiently forceful, and various of the above factors combine unfavorably, the bat will break. Due to a combination of the forces involved and the strength characteristics of most bats, the location of the break is almost invariably at a location between the nodes, in the handle or in the area of transition between the handle and the barrel.
Even if the traditional ash bat survives catastrophic failure upon contacting a pitched ball, the hitting surface of the barrel will quickly erode due to the repeated contact with the ball. Baseball players, particularly professionals, have adopted the practice of taping the barrel of ash bats in batting practice to prolong their usefulness by reducing the aforementioned surface deterioration, this being an undesirable necessity in prolonging the life of ash bats. As a result of this problem, the typical professional hitter will go through an average of 73 ash bats during a typical major league baseball season of 162 games.
The red oak tree, family: Fagaceae; genus: Quercus; species: rubra, provides a porous hardwood. It is more abundant than ash, and has physical properties more desirable than ash for use in baseball bats. In particular, red oak is harder and more resilient than ash. However, prior efforts to fabricate approved baseball bats of red oak have been unsuccessful because of difficulties in drying thick billets without warping and/or cracking.
It is well known that wood can be impregnated with various agents in fluid form to achieve property modifications. However, such impregnation treatments have not been successfully applied to baseball bats. It is further known that various coatings and wrappings have been applied to the handle portion of baseball bats in an effort to minimize breakage or mitigate the effects thereof. Such expedients have either been unsuccessful, disapproved for Major League use, or have adversely affected desirable characteristics of the bat.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a wooden baseball bat having improved durability.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a baseball bat as in the foregoing object which meets the requirements of acceptability by Major League authorities.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a baseball bat of the aforesaid nature constructed of a hardwood and having improved resiliency.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a baseball bat of the aforesaid nature constructed of red oak wood.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a process for the production of the aforesaid red oak baseball bat.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above and other beneficial objects and advantages are accomplished in accordance with the present invention by a baseball bat of monolithic construction fabricated of red oak wood and comprised of a handle portion terminating at a first or lower end in an integral knob, an outwardly tapered intermediate portion extending from said handle portion, and a ball hitting barrel portion merging with said intermediate portion and terminating in a second or upper end, said bat containing an impregnated oil extending from said lower end through at least said handle portion, and an oil-impervious coating covering the entire bat.
The aforesaid improved baseball bat is made by a process wherein a billet of red oak wood is slowly and evenly dried in a vacuum kiln to a moisture content in the range of 4%-8% H
2
O, then turned into shape and sanded, and placed upright in a chamber which achieves vacuum impregnation with an oil composition to a height of between about 18 and 22 inches of said bat. The oil-impregnated bat is then removed from the chamber, and is coated overall with a film-forming agent compatible with and impervious to said oil.
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Graham Mark S.
Rainea Norman B.
LandOfFree
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