Improved Manufacture of Playing Balls.
Year: 1899

page_text: TRUVIDIONAL DELICATION
Improved Manufacture of Playing Balls.
I, ANTON RICHARD BREINE, of Graslitz, Bohemia, Manufacturer of Toys, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
The present invention relates to the manufacture of playing balls which have
the advantage of being light, durable and much more elastic and also cheaper
than balls of this kind hitherto known. These improved playing balls consist
of waste pieces of the ordinary so-called bath or other sponge, a suitable quantity
of which to make up the required size is prepared according to the process herein-
after described, the fragments being sewn or bound with yarn or thread and then
provided with a covering consisting of cotton or other fabric, over which for the
purpose of keeping out water a thin impermeable skin or covering of animal or
other skin, for example, gold-beater skin, is placed, the covering being then
preferably coated with a varnish-like non-cracking layer of cellulose material or
the like.
The ball therefore consists in its most complete form of (a) a filling-mass con-
sisting of waste pieces of sponge, (b) the yarn winding, (c) the covering of fabric
(d) the outer covering skin impermeable to moisture, and (e) the external coating
(of varnish, celluloid, or other coating matter).
The method of manufacturing these balls is as follows:
Waste-pieces of sponge of the kind known as bath-sponge are not suitable in
their original condition to be used as a filling-mass for these playing-balls
as they are either too hard or too soft and in most cases are more or less filled
with sand or other substances and do not possess sufficient elasticity. In order
to make this sponge elastic and suitable for ball filling it is exposed for some
time to the action of steam and then immediately cooled with cold water. This
operation makes the hard parts of the sponge soft and removes the impurities.
The product prepared in this manner is elastic and is excellently suitable as a
springy-material to be used as the filling material for balls, in fact it excels in
consequence of its lightness and extreme elasticity that of all rubber-balls
hitherto used.
The required amount of sponge, prepared in this manner, suitable for the size
of ball required, is then chosen and is wound round with cotton-yarn or other
binding or fastening material until the approximate spherical shape of the ball
is attained. This partly formed ball is then pressed into a round shape in a
suitable hand-press until it has acquired the desired degree of elastic bounce.
After this has been done the ball is again wound round until any portions of
the sponge which may still project beyond the original meshes are completely
covered and invisible. The next covering which is placed over the ball is one of
cotton or other fabric for which parts of the well-known tubular fabrics made
on knitting-machines are particularly suitable, these parts being suitably cut out
from these tubes and the free meshes of which are drawn together above and
below in order to enclose the filling on all sides.

page_text: By this means the ball assumes a uniform appearance and could in this
condition be used as a ball in dry places.
In order, however, to make the ball suitable for any use and to make it imper-
meable to water and moisture the above mentioned covering of fabric is covered
with a thin water- and moisture-tight skin of animal or other nature and is then
coated with a rapidly drying coating of non-cracking oil-color, celluloid or rubber-
mass, varnish, etc., for the purpose on the one hand of entirely keeping out
moisture and on the other hand of making the outer appearance of the ball of
a suitable color or appearance.
Dated this Rul day of August 1800
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
I, ANTON RICHARD BREINL, of Graslitz, Bohemia, Manufacturer of Toys, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The present invention relates to the manufacture of playing-balls which have
the advantage of being light, durable and much more elastic and also cheaper
than balls of this kind hitherto known. As the accompanying drawing will
show these improved playing-balls consist of waste-pieces of the ordinary so-
called bath or other sponge, a suitable quantity of which to make up the required
size is prepared according to the process hereinafter described, the fragments
being sewn or bound with yarn or thread and then provided with a covering con-
sisting of cotton or other fabric, over which for the purpose of keeping out water
a thin impermeable skin or covering of animal or other skin, for example, gold-
beater-skin is placed, the covering being then preferably coated with a varnish-
like, non-cracking layer of cellulose-material or the like.
In the accompanying drawing a is the filling-mass of the ball consisting of
waste-pieces of sponge. the yarn-winding, e the covering of fabric, d the
outer covering impermeable to moisture, and the external coating of varnish,
eclluloid or other coating matter.
The method of manufacturing these balls is as follows:-
Waste-pieces of sponge of the kind known as bath-sponge are not suitable in
their original condition to be used as a filling-mass for these playing-balls
as they are either too hard or too soft and in most cases are more or less filled
with sand or other substances and do not possess sufficient elasticity. In order
to make this sponge elastic and suitable for ball filling it is exposed for some
time to the action of steam and then immediately cooled with cold water. This
operation makes the hard parts of the sponge soft and removes the impurities.
The product prepared in this manner is elastic and is excellently suitable as a
springy-material to be used as the filling material for balls, in fact it excels in
consequence of its lightness and extreme elasticity that of all rubber-balls
hitherto used.
The required amount of sponge, prepared in this manner, suitable for the size
of ball required, is then chosen and is wound round with cotton-yarn or other
binding or fastening. material until the approximate spherical shape of the ball
is attained. This partly formed ball is then pressed into a round shape in a
suitable hand-press until it has acquired the desired degree of elastic bounce.

page_text: After this has been done the ball is again wound round until any portions of
the sponge which may still project beyond the original meshes are completely
covered and invisible. The next covering which is placed over the ball is one of
cotton or other fabric for which parts of those well-known tubular fabrics made
on knitting-machines are particularly suitable, these parts being suitably cut out.
from these tubes and the free meshes of which are drawn together above and
below in order to enclose the filling on all sides.
By this means the ball assumes a uniform appearance and could in this
condition be used as a ball in dry places.
In order, however, to make the ball suitable for any use and to make it imper-
meable to water and moisture the above mentioned covering of fabric is covered
with a thin water- and moisture-tight skin of animal or other nature and is then
coated with a rapidly drying coating of non-cracking oil-color, celluloid or rubber-
mass, varnish etc., for the purpose on the one hand of entirely keeping out
moisture and on the other hand of making the outer appearance of the ball of
a suitable color or appearance.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A playing-ball consisting of a body made of waste-pieces of sponge kept in
shape by threads or yarn-windings a fabric covering and a thin impermeable
skin over said fabric covering and a coating of water-proof material substantially as
described.
2. The manufacture of balls of the kind described consisting in submitting
waste-pieces of sponge to the action of steam cooling them in water and forming
them into a ball winding yarn or thread round said ball and covering it first
with fabric and then with an impermeable skin or cover substantially as described.
Dated this 28th day of March 1900.
BOULT, WADE & KILBURN,
Agents for the Applicant.