Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc.

Marc Schmidt

Zach Runzo

Mitch Hinrichsen

Brandon T Hefer

Jonathan Eziquiel-Shriro

Anton Sutovsky

Matt Slump

Michael Kennedy

Ryan Farrar

David Hill

Justin Snell

Doug Guenther

Representative embodiments of the present technology include a facemask having a first anterior-lateral cage portion, a second anterior-lateral cage portion, and one or more laterally extending bridge elements connecting the first cage portion to the second cage portion. Each of the cage portions may include an upper elongated element, a lower elongated element, and an upright elongated element spanning between the upper and lower elongated elements. In some embodiments, each upper elongated element includes a downwardly extending dip portion forming a void region in the facemask. In some embodiments, the bridge elements are positioned below the upper elongated elements to form a void region in the facemask. In some embodiments, the facemask includes only one single bridge element, which may be the only portion of the facemask connecting the cage portions to one another. In some embodiments, the facemask does not have a bridge element.

Sports facemask

A helmet with an adjustable helmet shell is provided for use in sports including baseball and softball. The helmet shell is expandable and contractable to fit a variety of head shapes and sizes, and hairstyles. The helmet shell may be a single, molded piece or it may include a base member and a flap member. Gaps or slots may be located between flexible side portions and a flexible rear portion of the helmet shell. The slots facilitate outward deflection of the side portions and the rear portion when the helmet is donned. The helmet shell may be biased toward a smaller size such that once the helmet shell is expanded by the force of a wearer's head, it contracts to fit snugly and securely.

Adjustable helmet shell

An adjustable jaw flap is provided that may be selectively attachable with the ear flap of a batter's helmet used in batted ball sports such as baseball or softball. The jaw flap may include each of an adaptor member and a flap member. The adaptor member may be attached to the batter's helmet at or near the helmet's ear flap. The flap member may be attached to the adaptor member at its lower end by a pin. An interior portion of the flap member preferably includes male attachment points that may be selectively attachable with female attachment points found at the upper portion of the adaptor member's exterior. When the flap member is rotated, more or fewer attachment points may be selectively engaged with one another, thus allowing a user to adjust the relative position of the jaw flap.

Adjustable protective helmet jaw flap

A tunable insert is provided that may be placed within a baseball/softball bat at or near its sweet spot. The insert may allow for fine tuning of the bat's compressive strength, and thus the bat's performance. Two opposing inner sleeves may be received within a tapered inner core and may be drawn together with a threaded fastening member. When the inner sleeves are pulled together, the insert segments are pushed outward. The segmented outer piece of the insert may be directly in contact with a ring member or inner barrel that is positioned between the barrel and the tunable insert. When torque is applied to the threaded fastener, the segmented outer piece expands, thus also expanding the ring member. As the ring member expands, it gets nearer to the bat's inner surface. The relative distance of the ring member to the bat's inner surface tunes the stiffness of the bat.

Bat with tunable insert

A helmet comprising a shell, a wire guard, at least one spacer, and at least one fastener. The shell has at least one attachment portion which includes an outer surface. The wire guard has at least one attachment portion corresponding to the at least one attachment portion of the shell. The attachment portion of the wire guard includes an inner surface. Each spacer has an outer surface corresponding to the inner surface of a the attachment portion of the wire guard. Each spacer also has an inner surface corresponding to the outer surface of the attachment portion of the shell. The at least one fastener engages each spacer with the corresponding attachment portions of the shell and wire guard.

Helmet with faceguard system

The present invention relates to a hinged leg guard that may be used by catchers in diamond sports like baseball or softball. The hinged leg guard preferably includes a thigh guard, knee guard, shin guard that may be attached to one another by a flexible fabric. The thigh guard and shin guard also are preferably attached to a double hinge member that allows them to move relative to the knee guard. The knee guard also is preferably coupled to the double hinge member. When the hinged leg guard alternates between the extended and contracted position, an extension member of the knee guard preferably translates in one translational degree of freedom within a receiver of the hinge member. The translational movement preferably helps to keep the knee guard adjacent to the knee when a wearer crouches.

Hinged leg guard

Helmet flap cover

A facemask for a helmet. The helmet includes a forehead area and two side areas. The facemask comprises a plurality of intersecting, integral metal supports forming a face protection area. The face protection area includes a top section, two side attachment sections and a front section. The top section can be shaped to conform to and attached to the forehead area of the helmet while each side attachment section can be shaped and formed to attach to one of the side areas of the helmet. Further, the front section can extend from the top section and each attachment section.

Growing community of inventors

Weldon Spring, MO, United States of America

Marc Schmidt