Mini-ball insertion mechanism for forming golf ball cores

Details Mini-ball insertion mechanism for forming golf ball cores Mini-ball insertion mechanism for forming golf ball cores

2000-12-06

2002-08-20

Davis, Robert (Department: 1722)

Plastic and nonmetallic article shaping or treating: processes

Mechanical shaping or molding to form or reform shaped article

To produce composite, plural part or multilayered article

C264S250000, C264S275000, C264S278000, C264S279100, C425S116000, C425S126100, C425S003000, C425S515000, C425SDIG003

Reexamination Certificate

active

06436327

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Desirable features of golf balls include the spin rate and “feel” of the ball when struck. A golf ball with the capacity to obtain a high rate of spin allows a skilled golfer the opportunity to maximize control over the ball which is particularly beneficial when hitting a shot on an approach to the green. A softer feel to the ball is also desirable to the skilled golfer.
Balata covered golf balls are known for their soft feel and high spin rate, but suffer from low durability. Accordingly, another way to soften the feel of the ball is to modify its core material. By concentrating the weight of the golf ball in its center or nucleus, a lighter, more resilient material may be used for the remainder of the core.
Most golf balls currently in use have one of three types of cores: solid, wound, or liquid. Solid cores are formed of various materials, including polybutadiene, natural rubber, metallocene catalyzed polyolefin, polyurethane, other thermoplastic or thermoset elastomers, and mixtures of one or more of the above materials. The core material is generally in the form of a slug which is compression molded to form a spherical core. The core may be formed from a uniform composition or may have two or more layers.
Some solid core golf balls also include a small generally spherical nucleus such as a ball bearing or BB formed of metal or a composite material of metal, plastic, and rubber arranged in the center. The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for accurately positioning the nucleus in the center of a compression molded golf ball core.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
According to current techniques for forming golf ball cores with a weighted nucleus, half slugs of core material are manually placed in upper and lower cavities contained in upper and lower plates of a mold press, and then depressions are formed in the opposing surfaces of the half-slugs by a transfer plate. After removal of the transfer plate, a small nucleus is placed in the depression in the lower half-slug. The press is then closed to mold the core with the nucleus therein.
An example of the current core molding technique is shown in the Brown patent No. 6,096,255. After the half slugs of core material are arranged in concave mold parts, a protrusive mold part is arranged between the slugs and the mold plates are pressed against the protrusive mold part to form cups of core material by compression molding. The center, which may include a liquid component or may be solid, is then placed in the lower cup and the cups are molded together to form the core of a golf ball.
A major drawback of the prior techniques is that the manual placement of the center in the cup formed by the half-slug does not always result in the center being concentrically arranged within the core. Accordingly, there are a high number or defective cores or rejects. In addition, the manual placement of the centers in the cups is time-consuming.
The present invention was developed in order to overcome these and other drawbacks of the prior golf ball core forming devices and techniques by providing an improved core transfer or loading plate which insures that the small nuclei which are arranged within the cores are accurately centered therein while minimizing the time of the core forming process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for forming golf ball cores having a centered nucleus of metal or metal composite material including upper and lower mold plates each containing at least one hemispherical cavity which are adapted to mate to define a spherical cavity when the plates are brought together. A transfer plate is arranged between the mold plates. The transfer plate is operable to support a nucleus for each spherical cavity and to position the nucleus in the center of a pair of upper and lower slugs of core material which are molded within the upper and lower hemispherical cavities. The transfer plate also includes a projection on one surface opposite the supported nucleus. When the mold plates are initially brought together with the transfer plate arranged between the mold plates and with the upper and lower slugs of core material arranged on opposite sides of the transfer plate relative to the nucleus, the slugs are pre-formed or initially molded in the hemispherical cavities with the nucleus being pressed within one of the slugs and a cavity being formed in the other slug by the projection on the transfer plate. The mold plates are then separated and the transfer plate is removed. When the mold plates are subsequently brought together in mating fashion, the nucleus enters the cavity in the other slug and a golf ball core is formed from the slugs with the nucleus centrally arranged therein.
According to a first embodiment, the transfer plate includes a plurality of recesses in the upper surface thereof above each of the projections for receiving the nuclei. Each of the nuclei extends above the upper surface of the transfer plate and is pressed into the lower surface of the upper slug when the mold plates are initially brought together. The mold plates are then separated and the transfer plate removed, with the nuclei being retained in the upper slugs.
According to another embodiment, the transfer plate includes a slide plate containing magnets which suspend a nucleus beneath each of the projections in the transfer plate. The nuclei extend below a bottom surface of the transfer plate and are pressed into the upper surfaces of the lower slugs when the mold plates are initially brought together. The slide plate is then shifted to displace the magnets and release the nuclei. The mold plates are then separated and the transfer plate removed, with the nuclei being retained in the lower slugs.


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