Abstract: A flexible skate boot having lower and upper portions made of leather, synthetic leather or similar material is provided with a flexible ankle encircling cuff made of synthetic moldable plastic material capable flexing designed in amounts in the forward and aft and lateral directions to act as an energy storage and release device and without wrinkling so as to minimize discomfort and abrasion on the user's ankle and extend the useful life of the boot. The tongue portion of the boot has a similar molded synthetic flexible panel separating the upper and lower sections of the tongue, the tongue panel being aligned with the flexible ankle encircling cuff which separates the upper and lower parts of the boot from each other. The parts are designed to essentially lock the tongue in the desired frontal position to prevent tongue migration from the desired frontal position during skating.

Abstract: A governed performance metal shell bat designed to ensure ball exit speed approximating and not exceeding that of a wood bat of comparable weight and geometry is comprised of a thin wall metal shell filled such as aluminum or titanium or alloys thereof with light weight semi-rigid material such as a syntactic foam in the hitting area, the bat having longitudinal flexibility approximating that of a similarly shaped wood bat and the filler material having a density and hardness correlated with the thickness of the metal shell wall in the hitting area.

Abstract: An end cap assembly for a thin wall tubular ball bat includes an insert sleeve which is closely received inside the barrel end of the bat and defines, with the barrel, a glue chamber into which adhesive is injected to affix the sleeve to the barrel without a mechanical interlock. The end cap is mechanically locked into the sleeve and held in place by a radially projecting locking collar on an axially depending skirt portion of the end cap which is received in an annular recess in the internal cylindrical surface of the sleeve. Abutting shoulders on the end cap and sleeve prevent axial movement of the end cap relative to the sleeve.

Abstract: A process for producing sharp surface visible patterns on composite articles formed of resin coated reinforcing strands employs a liquid uncured resin having a coloring component therein to produce an opaque resin of light color to mask the color of the reinforcing strands. An absorbent surface veil is applied to the surface of the article before curing the resin to produce an absorbent opaque surface layer of light color into which a pattern of contrasting color is then transferred by sublimating an ink or dye pattern from a pattern carrier into the opaque resin impregnated surface layer and veil. Articles ready for application of the surface pattern thereto by sublimation may be produced using pultrusion or hand lay-up methods. Distribution of the surface pattern partially or entirely through the thickness of the surface layer results in an article having a surface in which the pattern remains sharply visible despite surface wear.

Abstract: Formed tubular sporting articles subjected to repeated flexure such as golf club shafts are made from metal matrix composite materials (MMCs) in which a metal alloy matrix is discontinuously reinforced with undissolved particles or platelets in proportions to result in an article having a variable wall thickness, and a minimum modulus of elasticity of 10.4 and a minimum yield strength and minimum modulus of elasticity related by the equation: Y=71+6.84(E−10.4) where Y is yield strength in KSI and E is modulus of elasticity in units×106 psi. The sporting articles are lighter than conventional and have a modulus of elasticity substantially less than that of ordinary MMCs.

Abstract: A governed performance aluminum shell bat designed to ensure ball exit speed approximating and not exceeding that of a wood bat of comparable weight and geometry is comprised of a thin wall aluminum shell filled with syntactic foam in the hitting area, the foam having a density and hardness correlated with the thickness of the bat wall in the hitting area.

Abstract: A light weight high strength bicycle seat post comprised of a metal tube having a pre-stressed, tubular composite core therein, with the core having an exposed end extending from the tube, and method making same are disclosed in which the tube includes a composite core compressively engaged with the interior of the metal tube. The composite core is compressively restrained inside the metal tube by compressive stresses in the order of not less than about twenty thousand pounds per square inch. The composite core is formed of a plurality of layers of carbon fibers in a triaxial arrangement. The method of making the bicycle seat post consists of inserting an uncured composite core into a metal tube and expanding the core into engagement with the metal tube under heat and pressure to cure the composite and establish a light weight high strength bicycle seat post. Accordingly, the article is particularly useful as a bicycle seat post that possess strength, rigidity, and light weight.

Abstract: A tubular structural part made of composite material such as carbon strand reinforced epoxy resin is provided with an elongated flat area along the outer surface of the tubular part to avoid cracking of the part when the part is telescopically engaged with and clamped in an outer tube part. The flat clamp side area of the inner tube part prevents contact between the facing edges of an elongate split in the outer tube part which are drawn together during clamping so that the edges of the outer tube part are prevented from coming into contact with and thus gouging the outer surface of the composite tube causing cracks and eventual structural failure of the inner tube.

Abstract: A limb protector comprising a knee element. In a preferred embodiment the knee element is pivotally coupled to an outer shell shin element. Padding is positioned between the leg and the outer shell(s) and may be formed of a shock absorbent foam, a plurality of interconnected fluid filled cushions, or a combination thereof. The padding may be coupled to the outer shell shin element so as to create a gap between itself and the outer shell shin element. Alternatively, the padding may positioned on the lateral and medial sides of the outer shell knee element to cradle the underlying leg. The outer shell shin element comprises a raised groove element protruding outward from the shin to form a shin-knee transition cavity located between the shin-knee transition of the leg and the outer shell shin element. The outer shell knee element comprises a centrally positioned domed element protruding outward from the knee generally overlying the patella and may also overlie the shin-knee transition area.

Abstract: A steering tube clamp and stem assembly for a bicycle or other cycle in which the steering tube clamping parts are concealed inside a stem tube which extends away from the rider. The clamping assembly employs an axially extending cut and intersecting arcuate cuts in a wall of a sleeve which connects to the steering tube and a pair of spaced lugs which are integrally formed with the steering tube sleeve and extend in parallel into the stem tube. A clamping screw head is accessible through an aperture in the wall of the stem tube. The stem tube is welded to the steering tube sleeve and to two additional outside lugs which parallel the concealed lugs to minimize stresses in a welded connection of the stem tube to the sleeve.

Abstract: The bat of the present invention has a barrel with a thinner outer shell in compressive and/or adhesive engagement with an insert laminate comprised of one or more pieces of a thin metallic (preferably titanium) sheet (or foil) and one or more sheets of a composite material. The titanium portion of the insert laminate may be on the inner-most portion of the insert, may be on the outer-most portion of the laminate, or may be in the interior of the laminate (that is, with one or more sheets of composite material on either side of it). Alternatively, the bat may simply be provided with only a titanium insert. In yet another set of embodiments, the titanium sheet may be replaced by another suitable metallic sheet. In all embodiments, the reinforcing sleeve allows the barrel portion to deflect farther when impacted by an object such as a ball without detrimental yielding (denting) and increases the rate of return of the barrel wall.

Abstract: A hollow archery arrow shaft has a rearward end portion which is reduced in inside diameter to frictionally receive and hold the mounting shank of a standard nock. This configuration eliminates the need for a bushing in the rearward end of the arrow shaft for accepting the mounting shank of the nock. Reduced arrow weight and better nock positioning and alignment results in faster and more accurate arrow flight. In aluminum arrows, the reduced diameter portion can be formed by swaging the end portion of the arrow shaft to the smaller diameter.

Abstract: A hockey stick shaft of the type employing a shaft susceptible to damage from heating to high temperatures and a socket for receiving a replaceable blade which is held fixedly therein during play, and where the shaft is heated to allow replacement of the blade, incorporating a heat tolerant shaft segment for receiving the blade, the heat tolerant segment extending not more than one half the total length of the shaft and formed of a heat tolerant material not degraded for hockey play by application of heat from a high temperature heat source in changing the blade, the remainder of the shaft being heated to a lesser extent than the heat tolerant segment when heat is applied in carrying out blade replacement.

Abstract: This invention relates to a thumb protector for a protective athletic glove, such as used in hockey, lacrosse, and motorcycle racing. The thumb protector involves two elements secured dorsally to the thumb stall and thumb receiving area of the glove, which cooperate to allow opposable thumb movement while still providing superior protection against external blows and injury due to hyper-extension and over-extension. As another aspect of the invention, the thumb-piece of the thumb protector is ergonomically configured to approximate the contour the metacarpalphalangeal joint will typically assume when the wearer is lightly gripping an athletic stick or handlebar.