Patent ID: 8119051

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a cover for a golf ball, comprising the following steps in the sequence set forth: providing a continuous conveyor system; providing pre-heated first and second mold halves, each mold half comprising at least one cavity; providing a pair of mixers to supply cover material to the first and second mold halves, each mixer having a dispensing apparatus that contains dual dispensing nozzles; providing a rotary table with a mechanism for presenting the first and second mold halves to the dual dispensing nozzles whereby a shot of the cover material is dispensed from each nozzle into each of the at least one cavity such that when the mold halves are mated all the cover material in each mold half is from the same dispensing nozzle; then depositing molded golf ball subassemblies into the cover material of the first mold half; then automatically mating the first and second mold halves by applying a programmable electronically controlled rate to mold a cover over each golf ball subassembly to form a golf ball; then flipping each mated mold into a vertical position for greater space utilization and better thermodynamic processing thereof; subsequently curing the cover of each golf ball in the mated mold halves; then pre-cooling the cover; then chilling the cover; then disassembling the molds; and removing each golf ball from the system by an automatic robotic device for further finishing, painting and pad printing.