Abstract: There is provided a golf ball having excellent whiteness, comprising a core and a cover wrapping said core. The cover comprises 100 parts by weight of an ionomer resin, 1 to 10 parts by weight of an inorganic white pigment containing barium sulfate having a particle size of 1 to 10 .mu.m in the amount of not less than 60% by weight, 0.0001 to 0.05 parts by weight of a blue coloring agent and 0.01 to 0.4 parts by weight of a fluorescent whitening agent. The cover may be coated first with clear epoxy, and second with clear urethane.

Abstract: Disclosed is a golf ball having improved short iron and wood playability and improved puttability relative to conventional, ionomer covered balls. The golf balls comprise a novel cover which is far more durable than balata-covered balls yet closely approach or exceed their playability characteristics. The cover comprises a blend of a thermoplastic urethane having a Shore A hardness less than 95 and an ionomer having a Shore D hardness greater than 55. The relative amounts of the urethane and ionomer are set so that the cover has a Shore C hardness within the range of 70 to 85, most preferably 72 to 76.

Abstract: A baseball or softball having a size, weight, sound and rebound in accordance with standards set for the game. The ball is formed of a spherical plastic shell covered with a conventional sewn cover. The plastic shell is a thermoplastic consisting of a mixture of "Surlyn" ionomer with about 50% ethylene vinyl acetate. The proportions are variable to achieve the desired characteristics, the "Surlyn" providing strength and sound while the EVA provides softness and ease of thermo-welding. The shell is made by injection molding hemispheres and thermally welding two hemispheres together. As an alternative, the shell can be formed with a hole, and liquid components of an expanded plastic placed into the shell and expanded to fill the shell. The shell still provides all characteristics desired, and the expanded plastic is for weight only.

Abstract: A game ball for playing baseball or softball, and the method for making the ball. The ball is formed of a hollow plastic shell filled with an expanded plastic material, and a cover completes the ball. The weight of the ball is provided by the weight of the shell, the expanded plastic filling the shell, and the cover. The COR, sound, and feel off the bat are provided almost entirely by the plastic shell. The material of the shell is an ionomer or a polyolefin, and the preferred material is an ethylene acid copolymer, the material for the shell being selected to have a hardness in the range of Shore D 30 to 65. The expanded plastic filling the shell may be any self-initiating material. The method for forming the ball is to mold two hemispheres, place a liquid mix for forming the expanded plastic into the lower hemisphere, weld the upper hemisphere to the lower hemisphere, the upper hemisphere having a vent hole at the top, and let the shell rest while the material expands to fill the shell.

Abstract: A ball, such as a baseball or softball, which includes a thermoplastic resin center, an outer winding and a two-piece cover is disclosed. The core comprises at least 45% of a partially blown copolymer of at least one olefin with at least one unsaturated monocarboxylic acid which is wrapped with a suitable winding impregnated with a latex based adhesive which winding is heat fused to the outer surface of the thermoplastic resin center. The partially blown spherical center has a micro cellular structure wherein the cells increase in number and decrease in size radially outward from the center. The core, consisting of the thermoplastic resin center and winding which is heat fused thereto, is covered with a two-piece stitched cover. The process for making the described ball is also disclosed.

Abstract: A baseball or softball having a size, weight, sound and rebound in accordance with standards set for the game. The ball is formed of a spherical plastic shell covered with a conventional sewn cover. The plastic shell is a thermoplastic consisting of a mixture of "Surlyn" ionomer with about 50% ethylene vinyl acetate. The proportions are variable to achieve the desired characteristics, the "Surlyn" providing strength and sound while the EVA provides softness and ease of thermo-welding. The shell is made by injection molding hemispheres and thermally welding two hemispheres together. As an alternative, the shell can be formed with a hole, and liquid components of an expanded plastic placed into the shell and expanded to fill the shell. The shell still provides all characteristics desired, and the expanded plastic is for weight only.

Abstract: A game ball and method for making the ball. The game ball is for use as a conventional, standard baseball or softball having the desired size, rebound and sound when hit. The ball includes a conventional preformed core of cork or the like, and a plastic shell covering the preformed core in lieu of the conventional windings. The conventional leather cover is received over the shell to complete the ball. The shell may be molded of 100% ionomer resin, or ethylene vinyl acetate may be added up to 25% to reduce the rebound, the ionomer resin and EVA being mixed together before molding the shell. The thickness of the shell is at least one-sixteenth inch to provide the desired rebound, and the shell is spherical with a diameter such that the covered ball will have the standard diameter. A liquid anti-bonding agent may cover the preformed core between the core and the shell, the anti-bonding agent being sodium oleate, silicone or urethane.

Abstract: A bowling pin having a preformed wood body core is provided with an ionomer resin cladding.

Abstract: The disclosure embraces a golf ball and method of making same wherein the golf ball has a solid (not thread-wound) resilient center or core, and a multilayer cover construction which involves a first layer or ply of molded hard, high flexural modulus resinous material on the core, and a second or cover layer of soft, low flexural modulus resinous material molded over the first layer to form a finished golf ball. The first layer is of a thickness in a range of 0.020 inches and 0.070 inches and may be of resinous material such as Type 1605 Surlyn marketed by E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, and the second or cover layer is of a thickness in a range of 0.020 inches and 0.100 inches and may be of resinous material such as Type 1855 Surlyn marketed by E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. Foamable materials for producing a cellular first layer or cellular cover layer are polymeric materials such as ionomer resins.

Abstract: A transparent, flexible, scratch resistant covering (12) is adhesively affixed to the top surface of a snow ski (10). The covering protects the top surface of the ski against scratching during use. The covering is preferably a sheet of plasticized ionomer resin.

Abstract: An exterior lock groove is formed in the bowling pin base insert and the insert is locked in place by flow of the exterior plastic coat on the pin into the groove.

Abstract: A cross-linked, cellular elastomeric composition is made from a formulation which includes one or more natural and/or synthetic rubbers, a cross-linking agent, a monomeric metallic salt of an ethylenically-unsaturated carboxylic acid and a blowing agent. The metallic salt is preferably basic zinc methacrylate. The composition may be used to provide a core for a tennis-ball or a sponge for a table-tennis bat. The former use enables advantage to be taken of the properties hitherto only found in pressurized playballs, while the latter use leads to a marked increase in the speed of the ball when struck by the bat.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improved golf ball cover comprised of an ionomer based upon the copolymers of, e.g., ethylene and acrylic or methacrylic acid and a chlorosulfonated polyethylene. Covers made in accordance with this invention exhibit high durability features.