U.S. patent application number 11/531712 was filed with the patent office on 2007-03-22 for warm-up bat.
Invention is credited to Richard L. Bratt.
Application Number | 20070066424 11/531712 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37884947 |
Filed Date | 2007-03-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070066424 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bratt; Richard L. |
March 22, 2007 |
Warm-Up Bat
Abstract
A warm-up bat with a handle, a tube fixed to one end of the
handle and defining an internal cavity, a volume of flowable
material in the cavity, and a mechanical assembly located in the
cavity and adapted to maintain the material in the cavity.
Inventors: |
Bratt; Richard L.; (Holden,
MA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Brian M. Dingman, Esq.;Mirick, O'Connell, DeMallie & Lougee, LLP
1700 West Park Drive
Westborough
MA
01581
US
|
Family ID: |
37884947 |
Appl. No.: |
11/531712 |
Filed: |
September 14, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60717813 |
Sep 16, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
473/457 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B 59/50 20151001;
A63B 15/005 20130101; A63B 2102/18 20151001 |
Class at
Publication: |
473/457 |
International
Class: |
A63B 69/00 20060101
A63B069/00 |
Claims
1. A warm-up bat, comprising: a handle; a tube fixed to one end of
the handle and defining an internal cavity; a volume of flowable
material in the cavity; and a mechanical assembly located in the
cavity and adapted to maintain the material in the cavity, the
mechanical assembly comprising a compressed resilient member.
2. The warm-up bat of claim 1 in which the handle is the handle of
a bat with some or all of the barrel removed.
3. The warm-up bat of claim 1 in which the tube is a hollow
cylinder.
4. The warm-up bat of claim 3 in which an inside diameter of the
tube is slightly greater than an outside diameter of the
handle.
5. The warm-up bat of claim 4 in which the tube partially overlaps
the handle and is secured to the handle.
6. The warm-up bat of claim 4 in which the tube is made of
plastic.
7. The warm-up bat of claim 4 in which in which the tube is open at
both ends.
8. The warm-up bat of claim 7 in which the overlapping handle
portion closes one end of the tube.
9. The warm-up bat of claim 1 in which the flowable material is
adjacent to the handle.
10. The warm-up bat of claim 1 in which the mechanical assembly
further comprises a compressible member.
11. The warm-up bat of claim 10 in which the compressible member is
located within the tube adjacent to the flowable material.
12. The warm-up bat of claim 11 in which the compressible member
comprises a plastic foam.
13. The warm-up bat of claim 11 in which the compressible member is
generally cylindrical.
14. The warm-up bat of claim 13 in which the cylinder is slightly
smaller in diameter than an inside diameter of the tube.
15. The warm-up bat of claim 14 in which the mechanical assembly
further comprises a filler member between the compressible member
and the resilient member.
16. The warm-up bat of claim 15 in which the filler member
comprises a solid plug that is slightly smaller in diameter than an
inside diameter of the tube.
17. The warm-up bat of claim 16 in which the solid plug is made
from wood.
18. The warm-up bat of claim 16 in which the mechanical assembly
further comprises a closure member to close the end of the tube
farthest from the handle.
19. The warm-up bat of claim 18 in which the closure member
comprise a solid plug that is slightly smaller in diameter than an
inside diameter of the tube.
20. The warm-up bat of claim 19 in which the closure member is held
in place in the tube.
21. A warm-up bat, comprising: a handle of a bat with some or all
of the barrel removed; a plastic open tube fixed to one end of the
handle and defining an internal cavity, the inside diameter of the
tube being slightly greater than an outside diameter of the handle,
the tube partially overlapping the handle and secured to the
handle, with the overlapping handle portion closing one end of the
tube; a volume of flowable material in the cavity against the
handle; and a mechanical assembly located in and filling the
remainder of the cavity, and adapted to maintain the material in
the cavity, the mechanical assembly comprising: a generally
cylindrical compressible member located within the tube adjacent to
the flowable material, the cylinder slightly smaller in diameter
than an inside diameter of the tube; a solid plug filler member
adjacent to the compressible member, the solid plug slightly
smaller in diameter than an inside diameter of the tube; a
compressed spring adjacent to the solid plug filler; and a solid
plug closure member closing the end of the tube farthest from the
handle, the closure member slightly smaller in diameter than an
inside diameter of the tube, and held in place in the tube.
22. A warm-up bat, comprising: a handle of a bat with some or all
of the barrel removed; a plastic open tube fixed to one end of the
handle and defining an internal cavity, the inside diameter of the
tube being slightly greater than an outside diameter of the handle,
the tube partially overlapping the handle and secured to the
handle, with the overlapping handle portion closing one end of the
tube; a volume of flowable material in the cavity against the
handle; and a mechanical assembly located in the cavity and adapted
to maintain the material in the cavity, the mechanical assembly
comprising: a generally cylindrical plastic foam compressible
member located within the tube adjacent to the flowable material,
the cylinder slightly smaller in diameter than an inside diameter
of the tube; a solid plug filler member adjacent to the
compressible member, the solid plug slightly smaller in diameter
than an inside diameter of the tube; a compressed spring adjacent
to the solid plug filler; and a solid plug wooden closure member
closing the end of the tube farthest from the handle, the closure
member slightly smaller in diameter than an inside diameter of the
tube, and held in place in the tube.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority of Provisional application
Ser. No. 60/717,813 filed on Sep. 16, 2005, the disclosure of which
is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to a warm-up bat for sports
training.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Warm-up bats can be used to help increase bat speed and
batting average by working the muscle groups involved in swinging a
bat. It has been found that with the warm-up bat disclosed in U.S.
Pat. No. 3,955,816, the flowable bat weighting material can shift
slightly within the bat over time as the bat is swung. This creates
an unnatural feel which affects the bat's performance, and can make
the bat less useful over time. As the benefits of a warm-up bat are
maintained only if the bat is used frequently, it is important to
provide a bat with a natural feel that will be used over an
extended period of time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The invention comprises a warm-up bat that improves the
warm-up bat disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,816, which is
incorporated herein by reference.
[0005] The invention features a warm-up bat with a handle, a tube
fixed to one end of the handle and defining an internal cavity, a
volume of flowable material in the cavity, and a mechanical
assembly located in the cavity and adapted to maintain the material
in the cavity, the mechanical assembly comprising a compressed
resilient member. The handle may be the handle of a bat with a
portion of the barrel cut off. The tube may be a hollow cylinder,
in which an inside diameter of the tube is slightly greater than an
outside diameter of the handle. The tube may partially overlap the
handle and be secured to the handle. The tube can be made of
plastic. The tube may be open at both ends. The overlapping handle
portion may close one end of the tube.
[0006] The flowable material is preferably in the tube adjacent to
the handle. The mechanical assembly may further comprise a
compressible member. The compressible member may be located within
the tube adjacent to the flowable material. The compressible member
may comprise a plastic foam disk. The compressible member may be
generally cylindrical. The cylinder may be slightly smaller in
diameter than an inside diameter of the tube.
[0007] The mechanical assembly may further comprise a filler member
between the compressible member and the resilient member. The
filler member may comprise a solid plug that is slightly smaller in
diameter than an inside diameter of the tube. The solid plug may be
made of wood.
[0008] The mechanical assembly may further comprise a closure
member to close the end of the tube farthest from the handle. The
closure member may comprise a solid plug that is slightly smaller
in diameter than an inside diameter of the tube. The closure member
may be held in place in the tube.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0009] Other objects, features and advantages will occur to those
skilled in the art from the following description of the preferred
embodiment and the accompanying drawing, which is a partial
cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the warm-up bat
of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0010] The preferred embodiment of bat 10 according to this
invention is shown in the enclosed drawing, which is a partial
cross-sectional view of warm-up bat 10 of the invention. Bat 10
comprises handle 12 which is essentially a normal baseball or
softball bat, but cut off to a desired length. In the embodiment
described herein, handle 12 is from a 29'' bat. Handle 12 is cut
off so as to remove most or all of the barrel, in one example such
that its length is about 19 1/2''. Tube 14 is preferably a uniform
plastic tube open at both ends, and may be made from a
polycarbonate material. In the embodiment, tube 14 has an inside
diameter that is essentially the same as the outside diameter of
the distal portion of bat handle 12. Tube 14 also has a desired
length, in this instance about 15'' to make a bat that has a total
length of about 29'' so as to mimic the actual bat from which the
handle was recovered. One end of tube 14 is paced over the cutoff
end of handle 12, and pins 13 (which may be screws or pins or
dowels, for example) are used to affix tube 14 to bat handle
12.
[0011] The inventive warm-up bat is given a desired total weight
(typically anywhere from 35-120 ounces, but that is not a
limitation of the invention) by adding an appropriate amount of
sand, metallic grit or other flowable material (preferably a
granular material) 16 into the cavity defined by tube 14. The
flowable material is preferably located adjacent the handle.
[0012] Material 16 is maintained in place with a mechanical
assembly located in the cavity adjacent material 16. In the
disclosed embodiment, the mechanical assembly includes compressible
plastic foam disk 18 that may have a diameter of just slightly
greater than the inside diameter of tube 14 so that it effectively
prevents grit 16 from escaping in the area between disk 18 and the
inside of tube 14. Disk 18 is preferably made of ETHAFOAM.RTM.
brand polyethylene foam from The Dow Chemical Company. Solid plug
20, which may be made of wood or plastic, for example, is seated
against disk 18. This plug preferably has a diameter slightly less
than the inside diameter of tube 14 so that it can be slid into the
cavity during assembly. The length of plug 20 is variable depending
on the overall length of the cavity within tube 14, and the volume
of grit 16, but is typically in the range of three to five inches
long.
[0013] The next portion of the mechanical assembly is spring or
other resilient member 22, which is preferably, again, just smaller
in diameter than the inside diameter of tube 14, so that it can be
slid into the tube during assembly. Resilient member 22 is
preferably about two inches long in its relaxed state, and
typically is a metal spring that is compressed to about 1/2'' long
during assembly. Member 22 provides a compression force that urges
plug 20 against disk 18, to thereby maintain grit 16 in
compression. In this embodiment, the spring compression force is in
the range of 30 to 50 pounds, although such is not a limitation of
the invention.
[0014] The last piece of the mechanical assembly is another plug 24
that is fixed in place to close the open end of tube 14 using pins
25. Plug 24 may be made of plastic or wood, and may be about two
inches long, although nether this size or the material is a
limitation of the invention.
[0015] The sizes of the different components of the mechanical
assembly are preferably chosen such that the end of plug 24 is
flush with the end of tube 14.
[0016] The result of the mechanical assembly is that spring 22
through block 20 continuously urges disk 18 against grit 16 so that
as disk 18 compresses over time, and/or as small voids in grit 16
compress over time, the reduction in volume of grit 16 and disk 18
in combination is taken up by the movement of plug 20 caused by the
force applied by compressed spring 22. The bat thus maintains a
solid feel. In other words, the grit does not move as the bat is
swung, unlike in the prior patent referred to above, regardless of
any small volume reductions in grit 16 and/or disk 18.
[0017] Use of the subject invention has resulted in increased bat
speed (improvements of 50-60% or more) and increased batting
average (increases of hundreds of points). Table 1 below provides
examples of actual bat speed data (in miles per hour as measured by
a radar gun) taken from three high-school baseball players
undergoing a bat speed improvement program. The program consisted
of the following:
[0018] A. In weeks 1-12, follow this routine twice per week: [0019]
1. 29'', 35 oz. inventive weighted bat--16 one-hand soft toss
swings [0020] 2. Normal hitting bat--16 soft toss swings [0021] 3.
32'', 55 oz. inventive weighted bat--16 soft toss swings [0022] 4.
Normal hitting bat--16 soft toss swings [0023] 5. 34'', 65 oz.
inventive weighted bat--16 soft toss swings
[0024] B. In weeks 13-16, follow this routine twice per week:
[0025] 1. 29'', 35 oz. inventive weighted bat--16 one-hand soft
toss swings [0026] 2. 32'', 55 oz. inventive weighted bat--16 soft
toss swings [0027] 3. Normal hitting bat--16 soft toss swings
[0028] 4. 34'', 65 oz. inventive weighted bat--16 soft toss swings
[0029] 5. Normal hitting bat--16 soft toss swings [0030] 6. 35'',
80 oz. inventive weighted bat--16 soft toss swings
[0031] C. In weeks 17-20, follow the weeks 13-16 routine, but four
times per week, but use this progression of inventive weighted
bats: 34'', 65 oz., 35'', 80 oz., 35'', 100 oz.
[0032] D. During the whole program, swing a medium-weight inventive
bat 100 times per day. TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Results Week Player 1
Player 2 Player 3 0 61 63 65 1 65 66 69 2 71 70 73 3 81 76 75 4 82
79 78 5 83 81 80 6 85 84 83 7 87 86 85 9 90 15 92 20 94
[0033] After completing the programs, player 1 hit 5 home runs in
his first 4 games; he had never hit a home run previously. Player 2
led the league in home runs and doubles, and increased his batting
average from 0.310 the previous year, to 0.600, while player 3
increased his batting average from 0.285 to 0.580.
[0034] A sampling of other examples include a 12 year old male
player increasing bat speed from 36 to 58 mph, and a female
softball player increasing bat speed from 59 to 81 mph.
[0035] It has also been found that using the inventive bat
increases golf club head speed. Three men had club head speed
measured with a radar device before and after a strengthening
program using the inventive weighted bat. The results arc averages
of 10 swings of their driver. The program consisted of swinging a
35'', 56 Oz. inventive weighted bat 50 times per day for 3 weeks.
Results (in miles per hour) are shown in Table 2 below:
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Player number Speed before program Speed
after program 1 89.9 100 2 101.3 114 3 68 81
[0036] Since certain changes that would be apparent to one skilled
in the art may be made in the above described embodiments of the
invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended
that all matter contained herein be interpreted in an illustrative
and not a limiting sense.
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