Abstract: A reinforced wood bat has a solid wood core with the same shape as standard wood bats but with slightly smaller dimensions. One or more continuous, uninterrupted layers of a conformable fabric sleeve, constructed of high strength fibers, snugly fitting over substantially the entire outer surface of the core forms a preformed bat assembly. The fabric sleeve is dimensioned to expand slightly over the barrel of the core and compress over the handle of the core. A fiberglass braided sleeve, with strands initially aligned at about +45.degree./-45.degree. orientation, is preferred. When the braided sleeve strands are tensioned over the handle portion, they align more longitudinally, and tend to lock, which significantly increases the reinforcing strength in the handle portion of the bat. An epoxy resin, which self-cures at or near room temperature, laminates and bonds the sleeve layers to the wood core to the full size dimension specified for wood bats.

Abstract: In a two piece hockey stick, or some other tool or sporting apparatus including a handle and a blade or implement portion, the handle is secured to the blade by means of inserting a tapered screw into an aperture in the shaft of the blade and tightening the screw, which causes the shaft of the blade to enlarge and fit snugly within the hollow handle.

Abstract: A laminated wood ball bat and a method of making the same. The bat is constructed of a plurality of thin wood veneer strips extending longitudinally in generally parallel relation throughout the length of the bat and are bonded together throughout their facing surfaces. The method of forming the bat includes the steps of placing large sheets of thin wood veneer in stacked relation in the cavity of a press with glue being applied to the contacting surfaces of the stacked sheets of veneer. The press exerts pressure on the veneer sheets to densify and compress the stacked veneer sheets while the glue is cured to form a large laminated panel having a thickness of half bat billets. One surface of each half bat billet panel is optionally grooved to form a core in the hitting zone to optionally receive material less dense or more dense than the wood veneer and a recess in the handle portion to receive a reinforcing rod.

Abstract: A hollow metal ball bat and end cap in which a full length barrel that is substantially straight throughout its hitting zone to its outer end is included. The end cap is installed in the end of the straight barrel to dampen vibrations, provide enhanced impact characteristics to the bat, concentrate the weight load of the bat at the outer end and create a longer acceptable hitting area or zone.

Abstract: A hollow metal ball bat and end cap in which a full length barrel that is substantially straight throughout its hitting zone to its outer end is included. The end cap is installed in the end of the straight barrel to dampen vibrations, provide enhanced impact characteristics to the bat, concentrate the weight load of the bat at the outer end and create a longer acceptable hitting area or zone.

Abstract: A bat having a rolled sheet inserted into the barrel of the bat. Preferably the insert is of spring steel and has a width greater than the inside circumference of the bat barrel so that the edges of the insert overlap within the barrel. The insert provides a trampoline effect to the bat that a single wall bat without insert will not have.

Abstract: A metal wood type golf club head has a substantially hollow metallic body defining a bottom sole extending between a toe and heel, a top wall or crown, a ball striking face having parallel horizontal grooves, and a hosel formed at the heel to receive a shaft. The interior of the hollow body is filled with a foam material. The weight of the metallic body is distributed to establish an optimum impact point or sweet spot at substantially the geometric center of the ball striking face, and further establishes a plurality of substantially elliptical force lines on the face concentric with the sweet spot. Each elliptical force line represents a locus of points operative to impart substantially equal impact forces to a ball struck at a point on the corresponding elliptical force line, the major axis of the concentric elliptical force lines passing generally through the sweet spot substantially parallel to the grooves.

Abstract: Golf club irons of the perimeter weighted type are provided wherein each iron of a set includes a club head having a toe portion, a heel portion having a hosel, a ball-striking face having a plurality of parallel substantially horizontal grooves formed therein, and a generally convex back surface. A cavity is formed in the back surface of each club head and configured to selectively distribute the weight about the perimeter of the head no create a plurality of elliptical force lines concentric with the sweet spot on the club face and having their major axis substantially parallel to the grooves on the club face. Golf irons in accordance with the present invention effectively provide larger sweet spots on the hitting faces of the irons so as to produce results from off-center shots that more closely approach the results produced when balls are struck by the exact sweet spot on the club face.