Year: 1885

page_text: I PATRICK ALPHONSUS MARTIN 24 Great Charles Street Birmingham in the
county of Warwick Manufacturer. do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in making or manufacturing Foot Balls in such a manner
that when completed each ball will be very nearly of a perfect spherical con-
figuration and when a number of balls have been completed ready for sale the
variations in size one from another will be infinitesimal.
I form the shell of the foot ball out of leather or other suitable material. I can
where desired cut or manipulate the leather or other material in such a manner
that one piece when sewn or otherwiso fastened together will form the shell, but
I prefer to use two or more suitably shaped pieces.
.
The one two or more pieces having been sewn or otherwise fastened together is
in some cases turned with the seams inside, a small opening or mouth being left
unfastened.
I next provide an india rubber bag technically termed a bladder.
In the opening or neck of the said bladder I secure an expander-pipe I then
place the bladder inside the shell (passing it in through the mouth of the shell).
I provide a pair or set of dies formed out of metal or other suitable material
I prefer to make the dies in two pieces, bored turned or otherwise shaped
geometrically perfect so that the two pieces when fitted together form a perfect
spherical concavity.
An opening is provided in the set of dies to admit the expander pipe I can
where desired form the set of dies out of three or more parts The shell with the
bladder in it baving been softened (where necessary) is next placed inside the dies,
the expander pipe passing through the opening provided for that purpose.
The expander pipe is connected by suitable joints to an air pump or a liquid pump
or to some other suitable forcing arrangement.

page_text: Air Gas or liquid is then forced through the expander pipe into the bladder,
the elastic bladder expanding with the pressure would impinge on the inside of the
shell and expand the same to fit evenly over the internal surface of the dies.
I do not confine myself to using a bladder as I can where more convenient
connect the expander pipe to the mouth of shell direct and exert the pressure from
pump or other arrangenient on the internal surface of shell.
After the pressure has been exerted (either with or without the bladder) a
suffient length of time to thoroughly expand the shell the pressure is withdrawn
and the shell removed from the dies, thus by my improved method a perfect
spherical ball is produced.
I can where desired form my dies of an oval or other internal configuration and
produce balls of an oval or other perfect form by the hereinbefore described
processes.

page_text: Footballs.
I PATRICK ALPHONSUS MARTIN of 24 Great Charles Street Birmingham in the
County of Warwick, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of, said invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF MAKING OR MANUFACTURING FOOTBALLS"
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to the production of foot and like balls to be used in
games; and my said invention consists essentially in producing or manufacturing
the shell or outer covering of the said balls within a mould, or upon a mould block,
by which means, the shells are made perfectly true in form, and uniform in size,
which is unattainable by the ordinary means of production; and when a round
ball is made, it is made perfectly spherical or orbicular in shape, from the fact that
the outside covering part constituting the outer shell, is made to take the shape of
a mould wherein or upon which it is made.
In carrying out my invention, I take one, two or more pieces of leather suitably
cut out or shaped, so that on the edges being brought together, and sewn, it shall
assume as near as possible the shape of the ball to be made, a slit or opening being
left through which a flexible or bladder bag is introduced into the interior, so as
to prevent the escape of the shaping medium (water or fluid) through the pores or
divisions of the outer skin, and to render the ball sound when inflated.
The covering or outside part and flexible bag within its interior is next placed
in the cavity of a mould, the inside surface of which is the conformation which the
ball is required to have. Water is then forced under pressure into the interior of
the bladder when the covering or outside shell is made to take the inside shape of
the mould-The mould and ball within it are then heated in a furnace of sufficient
temperature to set or fix the leather in its distended and shaped condition-Holes
or reticulations in the moulds allow the escape of vapour or moisture given off
on the drying of the leather during the process of setting.
The outer leather covering or shell instead of being shaped to the inside surface
of a mould, it may be formed upon a segmental block, and finally shaped upon the
block by a segmental hollow mould.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawings the
manner in which the same is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in elevation a football made according to my invention; the
neck of the inflating or expander tube in connection with the internal bladder, is
shown out of the slit or slit aperture-Figure 2 is the same with a portion of the
ball in section Figure 3 shows the ball distended within a mould or two half-dies,
the mould being only in section-Figure 4 is a section on the dotted lines A B
figure 3, and figure 5 represents one of the segmental blanks' or pieces of leather
which I prefer to employ in the making up of a ball.
J

page_text: In carrying out my invention I take two blanks or pieces of leather of any
suitable shape, but preferably of the form of the blank a figure 5-These blanks
are then sewn or united together at their edges, so as to make a shell more or less
resembling a sphere-The united edges of the blanks have their seams turned
inside, so that no uneveness or irregularities are on the outside-The shell is
provided with a slit or mouth aperture a through which the flexible bag or
bladder is introduced into the interior, and also through which the expander pipe
or inflating tube 62 protrudes--a³ is a supplementary piece of leather sewn on the
inside of the shell, and a is the joint of the seam, formed by the uniting of the
edges of the two hour glass shaped pieces of leather.
The roughly shaped ball with bladder within its interior is next placed within
the hollow or cavity of a mould c whose concave inner surface is spherical or
orbicular in form. The mould is preferably made in halves, although it may be
made in any number of segments, secured together by flanged or other connections c²
and screw pins cs; this I do not confine myself thereto, as clamps or other means
may be employed for holding the half moulds or segments together. c is an
opening or passage in the side of the mould, to allow of the outward passage of the
expander neck 6 of the inflating or expander bag b. When in this position, water,
air or other liquid or fluid matter is forced under pressure into, the interior of
the bag b. The pressure thus exerted, forces or compels the shell or outer leather
'covering to follow or take the curved inside surface of the mould, thereby
imparting to the exterior surface of the said ball, a true spherical figure, without
any irregularities or standing up seams which occur in footballs made in the
ordinary way; and further, the balls so made bound and roll with great freedom
in consequence of being shaped perfectly true.
The mould and ball within it is then placed within a furnace or drying chamber
and heated to a temperature sufficient to set or fix the leather in its distended or
shaped condition. The vapour and moisture from the wetted or prepared leather
is given off through the holes or reticulations c³.
On the leather of the ball being set as indicated, the internal pressure is relieved,
when the ball thus produced is removed from the mould or half dies.
Figure 6 represents a modification in which the outer covering or shell is shaped
or formed between the outside of an inside block mould and the inside of an outer
mould. Figure 7 represents in elevation a hollow sphere of leather shaped and
tacked upon the outside surface of the said inside segmental block mould.
In carrying out this modification, I take a segmental block d made up preferably
of a series of segments or pieces secured in position by pegs d², taking into holes d³
and also by shoulders d. And upon the external surface of the said block d, two
pieces of prepared or wetted leather of the shape as in figure 5 is then tacked, so
as to secure them in their proper positions for the uniting of their boundary or
meeting edges by stitching or sewing. When this has been done, I then shape
the leather to the block by means of a segmental outer die or mould c-A slit fis
made in one of the pieces of leather through which the bladder is introduced to the
interior, and also through this slit or opening, the segments of the block dare
introduced and withdrawn.
The leather is set by drying in any convenient way.
Instead of employing two pieces of leather as in figure 5, a single piece may be
shaped like two hour glasses disposed at right angles to each other, (see figure 8)
and on the boundary edges being united, it makes a somewhat spherical outer
covering which is subsequently shaped by dies and pressure.
The outside leather covering or skin of a football may be made up of a series of
segmental pieces in the ordinary way, and afterwards shaped upon or within a
mould.
Instead of making balls spherical as described, they may be made elliptical or
oval or of any form or configuration as may be desired.
Instead of employing holes in the dies figures 3 and 4, an absorbant lining may
be substituted therefor.
'

page_text: 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
First. Shaping and giving a true form to the shells or outside leather coverings
of foot and other hollow playing balls, by means of dies or moulds; that is to say,
giving or imparting to the shells or outside leather coverings of hollow playing
balls a true or determinate shape, by compressing the parts within, or to, the
concaved inner surface of a mould or die, by means of water, or other liquid or
gaseous matters under pressure; or shaping the said outer leather shells, or outer
coverings, upon a mould block, or between the concaved outer surface of an inside
mould block, and the concaved inner surface of an outside die or inould-The
shaping or moulding being conducted and carried out in the ways, and by the
process or combination of processes, substantially as described and illustrated.
Secondly. In moulds or moulding appliances for shaping the leather shells of
hollow balls, consisting of segmental block moulds in combination with concaved
outside moulds, substantially as described and illustrated.
Thirdly. Making the outer shells of foot or hollow playing balls from a single
piece of leather as described and illustrated in figure 8.
Dated this eighth day of June 1886.
PATRICK ALPHONSUS MARTIN.
By Henry Skerrett,
Agent for the Applicant.