Patents Represented by Attorney William B. Lacy
  • Patent number: 6794429
    Abstract: A golf ball comprising a core; and a cover layer disposed concentrically about the core; wherein at least one of the core or the cover is formed of a polymer comprising metallized lipid-based nanotubules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventor: William B. Lacy
  • Patent number: 6793592
    Abstract: A golf ball comprising a core and a cover layer, wherein at least one of the core or cover layer comprises a hybrid material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael J Sullivan, Derek A Ladd
  • Patent number: 6794472
    Abstract: A golf ball comprising a core and a cover disposed concentrically about the core, wherein at least one of the core or the cover is formed of a polymer comprising thermally reversible covalent bonds. Additionally, a composition for sporting equipment formed of a polymer comprising thermally reversible covalent bonds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Kevin M Harris, Murali Rajagopalan
  • Patent number: 6783808
    Abstract: A method for coating a golf ball, including the steps of providing a golf ball component; providing a polymeric material; creating a particulate from the polymer material; charging at least one of the component or the particulate; fluidizing the polymer particulate; and coating the golf ball component with a thin layer of the polymer material by placing the golf ball component within the fluidized particulate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2004
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Mitchell E. Lutz, Matthew F. Hogge
  • Patent number: 6767940
    Abstract: A golf ball comprising a core, a cover, and optionally an intermediate layer between the core and the cover, wherein a stable free radical is incorporated into at least one portion of the core, the cover, and the optional intermediate layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Peter R. Voorheis, David A. Bulpett
  • Patent number: 6762247
    Abstract: A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein the core is formed from a polymer composition comprising a mono or polyunsaturated long chain organic acid or a salt thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2004
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Peter R Voorheis, Murali Rajagopalan
  • Patent number: 6756436
    Abstract: A golf ball comprising a core comprised of a polymer containing an acid group neutralized by an organic acid or a salt thereof, the organic acid or salt thereof being present in an amount sufficient to neutralize the polymer by at least about 80%, wherein the core has a first Shore D hardness, a compression of no greater than about 80, and a diameter of no less than about 1.53 inches; and a cover comprised of a material having a second Shore D hardness at least 10 points less than the first hardness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Murali Rajagopalan, Michael J. Sullivan, Jeffrey L. Dalton, Kevin M. Harris, Christopher Cavallaro, Herbert C. Boehm
  • Patent number: 6757353
    Abstract: A method for inspecting a golf ball comprising the steps of providing a golf ball comprising a core and a cover; providing at least one flat reference marker; abutting the golf ball against at least one marker; rotating the golf ball about a single axis; capturing an x-ray image of the golf ball and marker; and determining the eccentricity of the golf ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2004
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventor: Paul A Furze
  • Patent number: 6747110
    Abstract: A golf ball comprising a core, a cover, and an intermediate layer disposed between the core and the cover, wherein the intermediate layer comprises a non-ionomeric fluoropolymer having a formula: wherein X1 to X12 are hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, CH3, CF3, linear or branched alkyl group, partially fluorinated or perfluorinated alkyl group, linear or branched alkoxy group, partially fluorinated or perfluorinated alkoxy group, aromatic, or alicyclic; at least one of X1 to X4 comprises a fluorine; m ranges from 100 to 1 percent by weight of the fluoropolymer; n ranges from 0 to 50 percent by weight of the fluoropolymer; and o ranges from 0 to 35 percent by weight of the fluoropolymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventor: Murali Rajagopalan
  • Patent number: 6736055
    Abstract: A method for finishing a golf ball comprising the steps of providing a golf ball having a three-dimensional dimpled surface; preparing the surface for receiving at least one indicia; providing a digital image having at least one color; transferring the image to the surface with an inkjet head; and treating the surface with a coating comprising a clear coat, a top coat, a primer, or a mixture thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2004
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Mitchell E. Lutz, Steven A. Bresnahan
  • Patent number: 6709349
    Abstract: A golf ball including a substantially spherical outer surface; and a plurality of dimples formed on the outer surface of the ball, the dimples including a perimeter and an inner surface therebetween, wherein a plurality of dimples include a plurality of sub-dimples formed on the dimple inner surface and an un-dimpled portion of the outer surface substantially conforms to a spherical surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Inventor: Michael J. Sullivan
  • Patent number: 6706332
    Abstract: A method for coating a golf ball comprising the steps of providing a golf ball component; providing a polymer material; creating a polymer particulate; fluidizing the polymer particulate; placing the golf ball component within the fluidized particulate; and fluidized coating the golf ball component with a thin layer of the polymer material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Mitchell E. Lutz, Matthew F. Hogge
  • Patent number: 6677401
    Abstract: A golf ball comprising a core, an intermediate layer, and a cover layer; wherein the intermediate layer is formed of a polymer blend comprising an ionomer having at least about 16% acid groups and a grafted-metallocene polymer; and the cover layer comprises a castable reactive liquid material. Optionally, a non-ionomer may be blended with the polymer blend or, in an alternative, the high acid ionomer may be blended solely with the non-ionomer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Herbert C Boehm, William E Morgan, Jeffrey L Dalton, Douglas E Jones, Christopher Cavallaro, Murali Rajagopalan
  • Patent number: 6663496
    Abstract: A putter, comprising a head comprising an offset hosel; a heel; a toe; and a planar striking face; wherein the head comprises a first reference line is spaced from and parallel to said planar striking face; and a ladder comprised of a plurality of second reference lines, wherein the ladder is located substantially between the hosel and the heel and the second reference lines are perpendicular to the striking face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Donald T. Cameron, William B. Lacy
  • Patent number: 6645414
    Abstract: A method of making a golf ball core, including the steps of providing a plurality of centers; providing a top mold plate defining a first plurality of cavities, a bottom mold plate defining a second plurality of cavities corresponding to the first cavities, and a center mold plate disposed between the top and bottom mold plates and comprising a plurality of corresponding protrusions; forming a plurality of shells from a layer material by placing the layer material into the top and bottom mold plate cavities; and molding the layer material around the protrusions of the center plate by applying at least one of heat and pressure to the top and bottom mold plates such that the layer material has a different temperature than the mold plates; opening at least one mold plate from the center plate and placing the centers in the shells; and joining the top and bottom mold plates to join the shells around the centers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2003
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Walter L. Reid, Jr., Stephen K. Scolamiero, Thomas E. Moore, John W. Kennedy, Steven Earle, Daniel Ditzel
  • Patent number: 6634964
    Abstract: A golf ball comprising a core and a cover layer, wherein the core has an outer diameter of no greater than about 1.62 inches; the cover layer comprises an inner cover layer and an outer cover layer having a material hardness of less than about 60 Shore D; and at least one of the core or the cover comprises high-Mooney-viscosity rubber, high-Mooney-viscosity rubber regrind, or a mixture thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Michael D Jordan, Jeffrey L. Dalton, Christopher Cavallaro
  • Patent number: 6635716
    Abstract: A golf ball formed of a core and a cover, wherein the core has a diameter of at least about 1.50 inches and comprises a polybutadiene rubber composition comprising at least about 2.2 parts per hundred of a halogenated organosulfur compound, and wherein the cover has a thickness of less than about 0.1 inches and comprises a polyurethane composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Peter R. Voorheis, Murali Rajagopalan
  • Patent number: 6632147
    Abstract: A golf ball comprising a core, an intermediate layer and a cover, wherein the intermediate layer has a moisture vapor transmission rate that is lower than that of the cover and, additionally, a primary ingredient of the intermediate layer is made from a material including polybutadiene, natural rubber, butyl-based rubber, acrylics, trans-polyisoprene, neoprene, chlorinated polyethylene, balata, multi-layer thermoplastic films, blends of ionomers, polyvinyl alcohol copolymer and polyamides, and dispersions of acid salts of polyetheramines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2003
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Christopher Cavallaro, Roman D. Halko, Matthew F. Hogge, Mitchell E. Lutz, William E. Morgan, Megan Morgan
  • Patent number: 6613842
    Abstract: A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, the cover having a thickness of less than about 0.08 inches, the core having a compression of less than about 90 and is formed from a composition comprising a base rubber, a metal salt acrylate or diacrylate, an initiator, a highly-neutralized polymer, and at least one of a low modulus ionomer or an acid terpolymer of the formula: having a dynamic shear storage modulus at 23° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2003
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventor: Murali Rajagopalan
  • Patent number: 6610812
    Abstract: A golf ball comprising a core and a cover, wherein the core or the cover is formed from a composition comprising at least one acid functional polyurethane, polyurea, or copolymer thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2003
    Assignee: Acushnet Company
    Inventors: Shenshen Wu, Shawn Ricci, Murali Rajagopalan, Michael J. Sullivan