Abstract:
A bat that possesses remarkable durability and hitting strength comprising a new type of handle construction that creates a helical groove pattern in the surface of the bat in the handle area to provide protection from breaking and shattering bats, and also to provide improved hitting energy.

Description:
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/461,864, filed Jan. 24, 2011 which is incorporated herein for what it teaches about helical groove patterned ball bats. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In many sports activities, there are certain articles that need to be employed to play the sport. Such activities, for example, include baseball and softball in which bats are used to hit the balls. 
     Currently, these articles are made from wood, metal, or from fiberglass, where the rules of the sport allow. However, all of these forms of the articles are subject to breakage and it is common to observe, for example, a baseball player swing at a pitched ball and break the bat when contact is made between the bat and the ball. This breakage is dangerous, ranging from portions of the broken bat hitting players or fans, to sharp pieces of the broken bat piercing the player&#39;s hands and arms. 
     The invention disclosed and claimed herein is a unique new single piece bat that possesses remarkable durability and hitting strength. 
     THE INVENTION 
     This invention deals primarily with a new type of handle construction that creates a helical groove pattern in the surface of the bat in the handle area. 
     This unique grooving creates a shock baffling system that disperses the stress created by the bowing of the bat upon contact with the ball. By dispersing the stress, the handle is less likely to undergo catastrophic failure. Secondly, the increase in controlled flexion of the handle dissipates the shock of hitting an object and reduces common hand sting. 
     Thus, the invention is a ball bat, wherein the ball bat comprises a handle, a barrel, and a knob at one terminus of the handle. The ball bat has a helical groove pattern in the surface of the bat extending from the knob along the surface of the handle to the beginning of the barrel. The helical groove contains in it a high strength cord. The cord is secured in the helical groove by a durable cured resin and the cord is covered by a flexible tape. The bat and the tape are covered by a durable finish cured over them. 
     Another embodiment of this invention is a method for manufacturing a helical grooved bat, the method comprising providing a bat, wherein the bat has a handle, a knob at a terminus of the handle and, a barrel. 
     Routing two grooves ⅛″ wide by 1/32″ deep in the bat wherein each groove has a beginning point. The beginning point is at the juncture of the knob and the handle and the beginning points are located 180° from each other. The grooves have a helix pattern and the grooves terminate at a point where the handle meets the barrel. 
     Thereafter, providing a high strength braided cord in the grooves and securing the braided cord with a first curable resin. Thereafter, covering and securing the high strength braided cords with flexible tape. 
     Finally, overcoating the entire bat with at least one coating of a second curable resin and curing the second curable resin. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a full view of a bat of this invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a full end view of the bat from the knob end. 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged handle of a bat of this invention showing the detail of the helical groove pattern. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view of the handle taken through line A-A of  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Turning now to  FIG. 1  of this invention, there is shown a full view of a bat  1  of this invention in which there is shown a handle  2 , a knob  3  on a terminal end  5  of the handle  2 , and a barrel  4 . Also shown are the grooves  12  of the helical pattern  6  that is the essence of this invention. Further, there is shown a circumferential groove  7  at the juncture  8  of the knob  3  and the handle  2 , and an additional circumferential groove  10  in the bat  1  at the juncture  9  of the handle  2  and the barrel  4 . 
       FIG. 2  is a full end view of the bat  1  from the knob  3  end, showing the grain  11  of the bat  1  (also shown in  FIGS. 1 and 3 ), and the end of the handle  2  in phantom. Also shown in this Figure are the beginning points  13  and  14  of the helical grooves, also in phantom. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 3 , which is an enlarged handle of a bat  1  of this invention, there is shown the handle  2 , a knob  3 , barrel  4 , grooves  12  of the helical pattern  6 , a circumferential groove  7  at juncture  8  of the knob  3  and the handle  2 , and, circumferential groove  10  at the juncture  9  of the handle  2  and the barrel  4 . The grooves  6  as shown at points  20  are accentuated to show them more clearly and it should be understood that these the grooves  6  are fully filled when the braided cord  16  and the flexible tape  17  are in place. 
     The grooving creates a shock baffling system that disperses the stress created by the bowing of the bat upon contact with the ball. By dispersing the stress, the wood handle is less likely to undergo catastrophic failure. Secondly, the increase in controlled flexion of the handle dissipates the shock of hitting an object and reduces hand sting. 
     With regard to the manufacture of the bat of this invention, the groove formation is achieved with a routing jig which routs a ⅛″ wide by 1/32″ deep set of grooves beginning at the knob end of the handle, such beginnings located 180 degrees from each other at the junction  8  of the knob  3  and the handle  2 . Each set of grooves  6  moves up the handle in opposition to each other to create a helical pattern  12  as shown in  FIG. 3 . A circumferential groove is  7  created of the same dimensions at the junction  8  and another circumferential groove  10  is placed at the termination of the helical pattern at the junction  9 . 
     In a youth bat, the junction  9  is about 15 to 16 inches from the very end of the knob  3  and in an adult bat, this groove is about 17 to 18 inches from the very end of the knob  3 . 
     The junctions of the nodes  15  are centered on the face grain of the bat  1 . In a typical pattern  12 , the node junctions  15  are about 1 and ½ inches apart. 
     After the grooves  6  are routed, they are inlaid with a high strength braided cord  16  (See  FIG. 4 ). By “high strength”, it is intended that the braided cord  16  of this invention have strength of from about 30# to about 80# test Spider wire fishing line. 
     The braided cord  16  is fixed into place by a low viscosity curable penetrating epoxy resin. Thereafter, the braided cord  16  is overlaid with a flexible tape  17 . The flexible tape  17  can be any plastic or polymeric tape that will flex as the braided cord  16  is flexed. Thereafter, the entire bat is overcoated with a curable epoxy resin  18  and cured. It should be understood that the bat at this stage can be overcoated with several layers of curable resin if desired, and that some of the portions of the bat, for example, the barrel  4 , can be colored or dyed using such resins. It should also be understood that the flexible tapes can be colored to create more brilliant patterns. 
     The purpose of the braided cord  16  in the groove  6  is to create a region of fracture restriction. Should the bat handle fracture, the weaved cord  16  provides sufficient resistance to the bat pieces separating and will not allow bat fragments to fly off and potentially cause serious injury. The unique helical grooving pattern allows the handle of the bat to flex over multiple points instead of just one as well as acting as a shock baffle to eliminate hand sting. 
     In addition, the bat of this invention has a unique feature in that the bat virtually launches the ball off the bat with little or no effort. The handle hyper-flexes much like a catapult and as the handle releases, it injects the stored energy of the flexed handle back into the ball.