Abstract: A baseball bat includes a wood portion and a filling material contained by the wood portion. The filling material fills a longitudinal hole in the length of the wood portion to form a cord and a pair of widened portions at either end of the longitudinal portion to form a pair of plugs. The plugs positively contain the wood portion and the cord maintains a connection between the plugs in case of breakage of the wood portion. The filling material is preferably selected such that it does not alter the hitting properties of the baseball bat. In some embodiments the filling material is a polymeric material applied to the hole in a molten state and allowed to cure. In some embodiments the filling material is a mixture of multiple components. Methods of manufacturing a baseball bat are also disclosed.

Abstract: A baseball bat includes a wood portion and a filling material contained by the wood portion. The filling material fills a longitudinal hole in the length of the wood portion to form a cord and a pair of widened portions at either end of the longitudinal portion to form a pair of plugs. The plugs positively contain the wood portion and the cord maintains a connection between the plugs in case of breakage of the wood portion. The filling material is preferably selected such that it does not alter the hitting properties of the baseball bat. In some embodiments the filling material is a polymeric material applied to the hole in a molten state and allowed to cure. In some embodiments the filling material is a mixture of multiple components. Methods of manufacturing a baseball bat are also disclosed.

Abstract: The two-stroke engine includes an engine head, a cylinder block, and a lower block. The lower block is sealed from the engine head except for a cylinder bore in the cylinder block. A piston in the cylinder block has at least one compression ring groove for a compression ring to seal the lower block from the engine head. The piston also includes an oil control ring groove for an oil control ring to provide appropriate lubrication to the compression ring during each stroke of the piston. The piston further includes at least one drainage opening providing fluid communication between the outer circumference of the piston and an interior surface of the piston.