Abstract:
A process for forming a golf ball cover composition, which process comprises: a) forming a polymer comprising (1) a first monomeric component comprising an olefinic monomer having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms; (2) a second monomeric component comprising an unsaturated carboxylic acid based acrylate class ester having from 4 to 22 carbon atoms; and (3) an optional third monomeric component comprising at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, an anhydride monomer, an unsaturated monocarboxylic acid, an olefin having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms, and a vinyl ester or vinyl ether of an alkyl acid having from 4 to 21 carbon atoms; b) applying a sufficient amount of heat to the polymer to convert it to a substantially molten state; c) adding an inorganic metal base to the molten polymer to form a mixture; and d) saponifying the mixture to form a polymer salt particularly adapted for forming improved golf ball covers.
Abstract:
The present invention is directed towards a multilayer golf ball which comprises a core (2) with one or more layers; at least one cover layer (3); and one or more mantle layers (4) disposed between the core and cover layer, wherein the mantle layer comprises thermoplastic polyetherester, thermoplastic polyester, dynamically vulcanized thermoplastic elastomer, functionalized styrene-butadiene elastomer, thermoplastic polyurethane, metallocene polymer or blends thereof and thermoset materials.
Abstract:
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 DEG and 280 DEG F; cutting the strands into pellets of a desired size and injection molding the pellets into a hemispherical shell.
Abstract:
The present invention is directed towards a golf ball comprising a core, a cover and a protective clear coat layer, wherein the clear coat layer comprises a polyorgano-siloxane polymer. The novel clear coat compositions of the present invention are believed to provide enhanced abrasion resistance, impact resistance, and chemical resistance as well as diminished photodecomposition and increased adhesion. Optionally, the golf balls of the present invention may also employ at least one primer layer disposed between the cover and clear coat layer to improve the adhesion and physical properties of the polyorgano-siloxane clear coat compositions. Likewise, the present invention provides a method for producing the clear coat compositions of the present invention.
Abstract:
A golf ball having a diameter of approximately 1.68 inches to 1.90 inches includes a fluid mass (18) at the center of the ball; a first, solid non-wound mantle layer (20) surrounding the fluid mass (18) comprised of a polymer material selected from the group of thermoset rubber material, thermoplastic elastomeric material and plastic, and having an inner diameter in the range of 30 % to 70 % of the ball diameter; a second, solid, non-wound mantle layer (22) surrounding and abutting the first mantle layer (18) and being a polymer material selected from the group of thermoset rubber material, and thermoplastic elastomeric material, and having an outer diameter in the range of 80 % to 98 % of the ball diameter, a hardness of approximately 30 Shore C to 95 Shore C, and a resiliency greater than 40 bashore; and a cover (11) surrounding the second mantle layer.
Abstract:
The present invention is directed to golf balls which have a lift to weight ratio greater than 1 to enhance the lofting time of the ball and thereby provide the golfer with a slow swing speed increased distance and improved trajectory. The golf ball has a core and a cover. The cover has dimples on its exterior surface. The golf ball weight ranges from about 1.35 ounces to about 1.62 ounces.
Abstract:
This invention is an apparatus for the spatial orientation of a spherical object (110) comprising a camera (180) for gathering an image of the spherical object (110) and its spatial orientation, a computer (190) communicating with the camera (180) for processing the image and for computing a required spatial rotation to bring the spherical object (110) into a desired spatial orientation, and motors (150, 155) communicating with the computer (190) for rotating the spherical object (110) to a desired orientation without substantially moving the center of the spherical object (110).
Abstract:
The disclosed invention provides novel golf ball compositions which contain olefinic based ionomers and non-ionic olefinic copolymers produced by use of metallocene catalysts. These compositions exhibit improved mechanical properties such as tensile and flexural properties, and can be foamed or unfoamed. Golf balls that employ at least one layer of these blends in any of the golf ball cover, core, or a mantle situated between the cover and the core provide ball properties and performance similar to and in some cases better than the state of the art ionomer based golf balls.
Abstract:
The present invention is directed towards the novel use of thermoplastic materials to form center core shells for use in liquid filled golf balls. Wound golf balls of the present invention which employ liquid filled centers formed from thermoplastic materials exhibit the same or superior in-play characteristics such as initial velocity as compared to conventional wound golf balls.
Abstract:
The invention includes a golf ball having a substantially spherical inner core (100), a first wound layer (105) of high tensile elastic modulus fibers wound about the inner core (100), and a second molded layer (110) of a polymeric material surrounding the wound layer (105), as well as a method of making a golf ball, including providing an inner core (100) winding a high elastic modulus fiber on the inner core (100) to create a first wound layer (105), and molding an outer layer (110) of polymeric material about the first wound layer (105). The inner core (100) in the above method and apparatus may be made of solid resilient materials or a center (115) wound with a low modulus fiber (120) and provided with an initial tension.