Acushnet Company

Robert N Lammi

Stanley W Brown

David W Sauerbrey

Samuel A Pasqua, Jr

Lawrence E Stanton

A method for preheating golf ball covers prior to painting. The process comprises forming a golf ball with a cover, then heating the cover from about 90&#xb0; F. to about 150&#xb0; F. for 1 to 3 hours in a heated enclosure prior to applying a coat of primer or paint to the ball. This is done to accelerate the evaporation of paint solvents, immediately after the paint is applied. The painted balls are subsequently dried in a heated enclosure at about 105&#xb0; F. to 108&#xb0; F. All additional coats of primer or paint are applied in a similar fashion, wherein the balls are painted while still in the heated state and not cooled down.

Heating of golf balls prior to painting

A method and apparatus for preheating golf balls prior to painting. The process includes forming golf balls with covers, heating, coating, and further heating the golf balls in a heated enclosure. The apparatus includes a ventilated holding tray that in addition to supporting the golf balls with a minimum of contact between balls and tray will allow for a thorough flow of heat about the balls for quick and uniform heating. This also will aid in reducing blemishes to the golf balls, by suspending freshly painted golf balls on conical pins set at right angles to the balls, thereby reducing the physical contact between the tray and freshly painted golf balls. The tray comprises replaceable ball support inserts. The inserts will generally be made from injection molded plastic and will be friction-fitted to the tray, and if damaged can be easily and inexpensively replaced.

The present invention is directed towards a multi-layer golf ball cover formed by a sandwich injection molding process, wherein said golf ball cover comprises an inner layer and an outer layer of a first material and an intermediate layer therebetween of a second material. The present invention is directed towards a sandwich injection molding process for forming a multi-layer golf ball cover involving the steps of pushing a measured amount of a plasticized first material into one end of an accumulation cylinder, pushing a measured amount of a plasticized second material into the opposite end of the accumulation cylinder, and injecting both materials in a single plunging step, so that the first material substantially coats the surface of the mold while the second material substantially fills the interior of the first material.

Golf ball with a multi-layered cover

A method for manufacturing hemispherical shells for covering a golf ball core, which comprises: mixing a quantity of balata sufficient to form a desired number of hemispherical shells configured and adapted for covering golf ball cores; transferring a predetermined quantity of the mixed balata to an extruder and extruding a plurality of strands of the balata at a temperature of between about 140.degree. and 280.degree. F.; cutting the strands into pellets of a desired size and injection molding the pellets into a hemispherical shell.

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Norton, MA, United States of America

Robert N Lammi