Abstract: A form-fitting chest protector. In one embodiment, the chest protector includes a pair of detachably secured wing portions. A main portion of the chest protector has a variable thickness and substantially overlies the chest and abdomen of the athlete to absorb impacts to the athlete from a projectile. The wing portions are separate from the main portion, but are detachably secured to the chest protector to permit each wing portion to be adjustable when the chest protector is worn by the athlete. The wing portions facilitate a constant form-fit no matter how the body of the athlete flexes.

Abstract: A trial golf club and golf fitting system for determining at least one custom fitted golf club. The trial club includes a golf club head having a sole defined by a radius of curvature. The sole of the golf club head includes graduated indicia for identifying an optimal lie angle for the fitted club. When the golfer swings the trial golf club, the optimal lie angle of the fitted club is identified by locating the point of impact on the sole of the head of the trial golf club.

Abstract: A glove for baseball or softball includes a thumb stall receiving a thumb, an index finger stall receiving an index finger, a middle finger stall receiving a middle finger, a ring finger stall receiving a ring finger, a little finger stall receiving a little finger, a back portion located on a back surface and covering the back of a hand, a web portion provided between the thumb stall and the index finger stall, and a hand inserting portion for inserting a hand into the glove. On the back surfaces of the index finger stall, the middle finger stall and the ring finger stall, thin leather portions are provided, which are curved toward the thumb stall on the back portion.

Abstract: A ball catching tool includes an outer leather member and an inner leather member inserted in the outer leather member. The inner leather member is formed by coupling a palm-side inner leather portion and a back-side inner leather portion to each other, and has a plurality of thumb and finger portions receiving the thumb and the fingers respectively. An interdigital extensional member is mounted on at least one portion between the bases of the finger portions. Thus, the extensional portion is provided between the bases of desired ones of the thumb and finger portions of the inner leather member for increasing the interval between the bases.

Abstract: The present invention provides a belt fastening means that can improve fittability of a shoe and that can equally tighten an upper of the shoe to a wearer's foot without hindering the movement of the foot. A belt fastening means for a shoe includes a first belt member disposed mainly on a lateral side portion of an upper and a second belt member disposed mainly on a medial side portion of the upper. The first and second belt members are located at nearly symmetrical positions with respect to an opening portion. A proximal end portion of the first belt member is connected to a sole on the lateral side and a distal end portion thereof extends over the opening portion. The first belt member extends in a direction nearly perpendicular to a ridge line of an instep portion as viewed from a lateral side of the shoe. A proximal end portion of the second belt member is connected to the sole on the medial side and a distal end portion thereof extends over the opening portion.

Abstract: A golf bag has a body and a frame. The frame receiving the body includes a strut portion, a bottom connecting portion, a pressing member rotatably attached to the bottom connecting portion, a resilient member having one end connected to the pressing member, and a support member connected to the other end of the resilient member and driven by being pressed via the resilient member by the pressing member. The pressing member is placed below a bottom curved portion of the frame.

Abstract: A consumable ground poultry product is obtained from spent laying hens using a mechanical deboning machine equipped with a filter and temperature and pressure controls. The leghorn is produced to have an appearance and texture similar to ground beef.

Abstract: A variable payload towing vehicle with several storage containers for carrying bulk crop inputs. The storage containers are releasably attached to the vehicle and can be changed based on the type of crop inputs applied and any implements towed by the vehicle. The vehicle is also equipped with high flotation tires or tracks to minimize soil compaction. A delivery system in combination with a control system coordinates the movement of the crop inputs from the vehicle to places located off the vehicle. The vehicle may be equipped with articulated steering and all wheel steering to increase maneuverability.

Abstract: A groove is provided a surface on a cavity portion side of a sole portion in a head portion of an iron golf club, and a thickness of a ball hitting portion in a face portion is made larger than a thickness of a top edge side portion of the face portion and at least as large as a thickness of a sole side portion of the face portion. In a golf club set according to the present invention, the groove has the greatest depth in a long iron golf club, while the groove has the smallest depth in a short iron golf club or no groove is provided in the short iron golf club.

Abstract: An athletic shoe includes a sole, an upper, a plurality of band-shaped members, and a fastening member. The upper has a toe portion, a heel portion, a forefoot portion and a lower periphery. The upper is secured to the sole and has a plurality of elongated through holes at regions except the toe portion and the heel portion. The band-shaped members are secured to the sole or the lower periphery of the upper and extend upwardly toward an instep of a foot of a shoe wearer. The fastening member is connected to each upper end of the band-shaped members.

Abstract: A golf club head (11) has an ellipsoid of inertia (12) with its center at a center of gravity G. When the ellipsoid of inertia (12) is virtually cut with a plane passing through the center of gravity of the golf club head (11) and being parallel to a face surface (11f), a major axis of a plane ellipse (13) appearing on its cut surface forms an angle of &thgr; with an intersecting line (15) of the cut surface and a ground surface (16). The major axis extends upward and away from the ground surface (16) as it approaches a toe part (11t). The angle &thgr; is not smaller than 0.5° and not larger than 9.5°. An aspect ratio a/b defined by a ratio of the length a of the major axis (13d) to the length b of a minor axis (13e) of the plane ellipse (13) is not smaller than 1 and not larger than 4.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hydrant locking device to be used in conjunction with a fire hydrant having locking nuts which includes, a base arm having a first base arm portion and a second base arm portion. A top arm extends upwardly from the base arm and includes a top arm cap for covering at least one of the locking nuts. The first base arm portion is detachably secured to the second base arm portion, wherein the base arm and the top arm are secured to the fire hydrant when the first base arm portion is secured to the second base arm portion.

Abstract: A package of material for unwinding from a flush end. The package of material includes an elongated winding member to receive a continuous strand of material substantially normal to an axis of the elongated winding member. The continuous strand of material wound about the elongated winding member substantially covers at least one of two ends of the winding member to define a flush end of the package of material. The covered end of the winding member does not protrude beyond the continuous strand of material wound on the winding member. The continuous strand of material is to be unwound over the flush end in a substantially parallel misaligned manner relative to the axis of the elongated winding member. The continuous strand of material being unwound from the elongated winding member is free of obstruction from the covered end of the winding member.

Abstract: A folding agricultural implement is disclosed having a frame including an inner section, a pair of intermediate sections, and a pair of end sections. The inner section and the end sections of the frame are equipped with lift wheel assemblies including a ground engaging wheel and a wheel cylinder connected to the ground engaging wheel for selectively raising and lowering the frame relative to the ground. The intermediate sections have no lift wheel assemblies. The joints between the end sections and the intermediate sections are held rigid when the implement is in the working position, but can be folded to move the implement into the transport position. When the implement is folded, the intermediate sections and end sections are first raised together relative to the inner section. After the intermediate sections and end sections reach a generally vertical position, the end sections are then folded downwardly over the inner section.

Abstract: A form-fitting chest protector. In one embodiment, the chest protector includes a pair of detachably secured wing portions. A main portion of the chest protector has a variable thickness and substantially overlies the chest and abdomen of the athlete to absorb impacts to the athlete from a projectile. The wing portions are separate from the main portion, but are detachably secured to the chest protector to permit each wing portion to be adjustable when the chest protector is worn by the athlete. The wing portions facilitate a constant form-fit no matter how the body of the athlete flexes.

Abstract: A utility meter reading device includes a set of stator wheels each including a plurality of conductive segments and a set of indexable digit discs driven sequentially by consumption of a provided utility and having each a conductive segment movable upon rotation of a respective disc into capacitive alignment with one of the conductive segments of a stator wheel; a micro-controller supplies a current signal to the meter discs and stators and through a circuit reads the amount of the utility consumed as reflected in the alignment of certain ones of the conductive segments of the discs and stator wheels.

Abstract: A golf club according to the present invention comprises a face portion (1) and a neck portion (2), and metal flow lines (3) continue from the face portion (1) to the neck portion (2). These metal flow lines (3) extend in a single direction on the face portion (1). A method of manufacturing a golf club according to the present invention comprises steps of bending a rod member subjected to drawing plastic working on an end and forging the rod member after the bending for integrally molding a face portion (1) and a neck portion (2).

Abstract: A golf club shaft has a braid layer including first and second diagonal yarns. The diagonal yarns are positioned at the degrees of orientation (+&thgr;, −&thgr;) of +30° to +60° and −30° to −60° against the longitudinal axis 13 of the shaft, respectively. The braid layer has a portion that satisfies an inequality, n·{(t−&sgr;t)/cos &thgr;}≦&pgr;·D≦n·{(t+&sgr;t)/cos&thgr;}, wherein t is the average width of the diagonal yarns, &sgr;t is the standard deviation of the width of the diagonal yarns, D is the shaft diameter, and n is the number of diagonal yarns. The braid layer satisfying the inequality minimizes spaces S between the diagonal yarns.