Patent ID: 6709352
Filing Date: 2004-03-23
Classification: A63B

Abstract:
A metal baseball bat comprising:(a) a tubular outer metal shell portion that tapers from a tubular ball striking end down to a tubular hand gripping end; (b) a vibration damping mechanism coupled to the tubular outer metal shell portion for rapidly damping vibrations caused in the tubular outer metal shell portion by the impact between the ball striking end of the tubular metal shell portion and a baseball; (c) the vibration damping mechanism being mechanically coupled to the tubular hand gripping end of the tubular outer metal shell portion around a hand gripping end circumference thereof and including a damping mass supported by a resilient surrounding support structure formed from a number of resilient mass supports extending between a resilient outer attachment ring and an inner damping mass holding ring; (d) the inner damping mass holding ring being within the resilient outer attachment ring; (e) the resilient outer attachment ring having an outer ring attachment circumference mechanically coupled to the hand gripping end circumference such that vibrations travel from the hand gripping end circumference to the outer ring attachment circumference; and (e) each of said resilient mass supports having at least some portion that is not radially oriented with respect to the radii of said outer attachment ring.