Patent ID: 7427246

Claim:
Method for manufacturing a ball for a ball game, said ball comprising: (a) a bladder including a valve for introducing air into said bladder; (b) a fabric layer located on an outer surface of said bladder comprising a plurality of fabric pieces, wherein each of said plurality of fabric pieces has marginal edges which are folded inwardly, wherein said marginal edges of adjacent fabric pieces are sewn together with a sewing machine, so that said plurality of fabric pieces are joined to have a spherical shape, wherein a valve opening is formed in a first one of said plurality of fabric pieces, and a hole for reversing said fabric layer and for accommodating said bladder is formed in a second one of said plurality of fabric pieces wherein the second one of said plurality of fabric pieces is located opposite the first one of said plurality of fabric pieces; and (c) a skin layer located on an outer surface of said fabric layer, said skin layer comprising a plurality of panels; said method comprising the steps of: (i) forming the fabric layer by superposing two adjacent fabric pieces, sewing along a marginal edge of the superimposed fabric pieces with a sewing machine, locating said marginal edge on the outer side of the fabric layer and repeating until all fabric pieces are joined to form a spherical fabric layer; (ii) reversing said fabric layer through said hole to locate said marginal edges on an inner side of the fabric layer; (iii) inserting said bladder into the fabric layer through said hole within said fabric layer; (iv) closing said hole; and (v) forming said skin layer on the outer surface of said fabric layer.