Abstract: When manufacturing golf balls having a structural component which is a molded and vulcanized material obtained by vulcanizing a rubber composition containing, as the essential ingredients, a base rubber and an unsaturated carboxylic acid or a salt thereof, the distinguishability of structural components such as cores can be enhanced by including also a soluble pigment within, and thereby coloring, the rubber composition. Moreover, vulcanized rubber powder obtained by rendering processing scrap and waste from such cores into powder can be easily decolorized by liquid washing to remove the pigment, thus enabling advantageous use of the vulcanized rubber powder as a compounding ingredient in the manufacture of other golf ball cores without affecting the color tone of the manufactured balls.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of manufacturing golf balls having covers of very high transparency, which method includes, prior to formation of the cover, a preformed body fabricating step wherein a temperature-responsive pigment that responds to a change in temperature by developing a color is included in or coated onto the preformed body. In this way, a preformed body that matches the cover to be formed can be easily and reliably identified from among a plurality of types of preformed bodies stored at a temporary storage place. The invention also provides golf balls having a construction suitable for carrying out such a manufacturing method. The invention enables golf balls of excellent visibility and stylishness to be efficiently produced.

Abstract: When manufacturing golf balls having a structural component which is a molded and vulcanized material obtained by vulcanizing a rubber composition containing, as the essential ingredients, a base rubber and an unsaturated carboxylic acid or a salt thereof, the distinguishability of structural components such as cores can be enhanced by including also a soluble pigment within, and thereby coloring, the rubber composition. Moreover, vulcanized rubber powder obtained by rendering processing scrap and waste from such cores into powder can be easily decolorized by liquid washing to remove the pigment, thus enabling advantageous use of the vulcanized rubber powder as a compounding ingredient in the manufacture of other golf ball cores without affecting the color tone of the manufactured balls.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of manufacturing golf balls which includes the step of printing specific markings on the surface of a golf ball by pad printing. Prior to the printing step, the surface of the ball is subjected to heat and pressure treatment.

Abstract: There are provided a golf ball having a paint coating that is prevented from being unevenly distributed over the ball surface, and a method and apparatus for manufacturing the golf ball. The method for manufacturing the golf ball comprises the steps of coating the surface of the golf ball with paint in a painting section; transferring the coated golf ball from the painting section to a drying section; and drying the coated golf ball in the drying section. The transferring step comprises attaching the coated golf ball to a moving unit by suction in the painting section; moving the moving unit to which the golf ball is attached by suction from the painting section to the drying section; and blowing gas to the golf ball toward the direction opposite to the suction direction for attaching the golf ball to release the golf ball from the moving unit in the drying section.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of manufacturing golf balls having covers of very high transparency, which method includes, prior to formation of the cover, a preformed body fabricating step wherein a material that develops a specific color when exposed to ultraviolet radiation is included in or coated onto the preformed body. In this way, a preformed body that matches the cover to be formed can be easily and reliably identified from among a plurality of types of preformed bodies stored at a temporary storage place. The invention also provides golf balls having a construction suitable for carrying out such a manufacturing method. The invention enables golf balls of excellent visibility and stylishness to be efficiently produced.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of manufacturing a golf ball composed at least in part of a spherical elastomeric body. The method includes the steps of extruding a bar of an unvulcanized rubber compound for obtaining the elastomeric body, cutting the extruded bar into slugs of a given length, and coating the slug with a saturated or unsaturated carboxylic acid metal salt in powder form having a melting point at or below a vulcanizing temperature. This method prevents the slugs from clumping together and improves mold releasability.

Abstract: The invention provides a golf ball composed of a hot-molded material obtained by vulcanizing a rubber composition made primarily of a base rubber and an unsaturated carboxylic acid or salt thereof, wherein the rubber composition additionally includes a vulcanized rubber powder from which soluble ingredients have been removed by liquid washing. The golf ball of the invention is able to increase the hardness (deflection) of the core and has an excellent durability, in addition to which it effectively re-uses vulcanized rubber powder that is a waste material and so is industrially beneficial by lowering manufacturing costs and reducing the burden on the environment.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing golf balls having a rubber core of at least one layer and a cover of at least one layer which encloses the rubber core, which method includes the step of molding at least one layer of the rubber core by directly injecting a rubber composition into a spherical cavity and vulcanizing the injected composition. This process enables the sphericity of the rubber core to be enhanced, the rubber materials to be used without waste, and balls of an excellent scuff resistance to be obtained.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a golf ball having a core or a sphere composed of a core over which at least a first covering layer and a second covering layer are consecutively formed using at least two vertically separating two-part molds of differing size cavities, each mold being composed of a top half and a bottom half, that are installed in such a way that the top mold halves are horizontally rotatable together and the bottom mold halves are horizontally rotatable together.

Abstract: There are provided a golf ball having a paint coating that is prevented from being unevenly distributed over the ball surface, and a method and apparatus for manufacturing the golf ball. The method for manufacturing the golf ball comprises the steps of coating the surface of the golf ball with paint in a painting section; transferring the coated golf ball from the painting section to a drying section; and drying the coated golf ball in the drying section. The transferring step comprises attaching the coated golf ball to a moving unit by suction in the painting section; moving the moving unit to which the golf ball is attached by suction from the painting section to the drying section; and blowing gas to the golf ball toward the direction opposite to the suction direction for attaching the golf ball to release the golf ball from the moving unit in the drying section.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing golf balls having a rubber core of at least one layer and a cover of at least one layer which encloses the rubber core, which method includes the step of molding at least one layer of the rubber core by directly injecting a rubber composition into a spherical cavity and vulcanizing the injected composition. This process enables the sphericity of the rubber core to be enhanced, the rubber materials to be used without waste, and balls of an excellent scuff resistance to be obtained.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a golf ball having a core or a sphere composed of a core enclosed by an envelope layer over which core or sphere at least a first covering layer and a second covering layer are consecutively formed using at least two vertically separating two-part molds of differing size cavities, each mold being composed of a top half and a bottom half, that are installed in such a way that the top mold halves are horizontally rotatable together and the bottom mold halves are horizontally rotatable together.

Abstract: The invention provides a golf ball composed of a hot-molded material obtained by vulcanizing a rubber composition made primarily of a base rubber and an unsaturated carboxylic acid or salt thereof, wherein the rubber composition additionally includes a vulcanized rubber powder from which soluble ingredients have been removed by liquid washing. The golf ball of the invention is able to increase the hardness (deflection) of the core and has an excellent durability, in addition to which it effectively re-uses vulcanized rubber powder that is a waste material and so is industrially beneficial by lowering manufacturing costs and reducing the burden on the environment.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of manufacturing a golf ball composed at least in part of a spherical elastomeric body. The method includes the steps of extruding a bar of an unvulcanized rubber compound for obtaining the elastomeric body, cutting the extruded bar into slugs of a given length, and coating the slug with a saturated or unsaturated carboxylic acid metal salt in powder form having a melting point at or below a vulcanizing temperature. This method prevents the slugs from clumping together and improves mold releasability.

Abstract: A golf ball is made by a process comprising:

Abstract: A golf ball is made by a process comprising: