Metal baseball bat with wood bat performance characteristics

Abstract

A metal bat in which the performance characteristics of an impact of the metal bat with a baseball are the same as or substantially the same as the performance characteristics of a wood bat impacting a baseball. The construction of the metal bat dampens the resilience of the metal bat barrel and reduces the trampoline effect of the bat when impacting the baseball to reduce the exit velocity of the baseball at impact. In addition, the bat speed at the point of impact with a baseball can be decreased by increasing the weight of the bat, preferably at its outer end and adjusting the balance point of the bat toward the outer end.

What is claimed as new is as follows:  
     
         1 . A metal baseball bat comprising a hollow metal bat barrel tapering from an outer bat barrel end to a reduced diameter handle at a knob end, a closure for the outer bat barrel end of said barrel, said hollow metal bat barrel having a generally cylindrical barrel wall defining an interior barrel surface, said bat barrel wall having a resistance to deformation and a resistance to trampoline effect upon ball impact, and mechanical means in direct contact with said interior wall surface to increase said resistance to deformation and decrease said trampoline effect of said bat barrel when impacted by a baseball.  
     
     
         2 . The metal bat as defined in    claim 1   , wherein the increase in said resistance to deformation and decrease in said trampoline effect of said bat barrel reduces the velocity of a baseball impacted by said baseball bat.  
     
     
         3 . The metal baseball bat as defined in    claim 1   , wherein said mechanical means reduces the ball exit velocity of a baseball impacted by said metal bat to 90-98 mph when said bat is moving at 72 mph and said ball is moving at 72 mph.  
     
     
         4 . The metal baseball bat as defined in    claim 3   , wherein said ball exit velocity is about 93 mph.  
     
     
         5 . The metal baseball bat as defined in    claim 1   , wherein said outer bat barrel end includes weight material shifting the balance point of said metal baseball bat to about 65% of the length of the bat from said knob end.  
     
     
         6 . The metal bat as defined in    claim 1   , wherein said means comprises a plurality of foam plastic blocks forced into an open end of the bat barrel to completely fill the bat barrel and resist inward deformation of the bat barrel wall when impacted with a baseball thereby reducing the trampoline effect of the bat barrel wall and reducing exit velocity of a baseball impacted by the wall of the bat barrel.  
     
     
         7 . The metal bat as defined in    claim 1   , wherein said means comprises an expanded plastic foam material substantially completely filling the bat barrel, said plastic being foamed in situ and resisting deformation of the bat barrel wall when impacting a baseball to obtain an exit velocity of a baseball impacted by the metal bat barrel to a speed substantially equal to the exit speed of a baseball impacted by a wood bat.  
     
     
         8 . The metal bat as defined in    claim 1   , wherein said means comprises an inflated bladder extending substantially throughout the length of the bat barrel and engaging the internal surface thereof to reduce inward deformation of the bat barrel upon impact with a baseball thereby reducing the trampoline effect.  
     
     
         9 . The metal bat as defined in    claim 1   , wherein said closure for the outer end of the bat barrel includes a weight to provide a length to weight ratio in which the weight in ounces without grip is at least three less than the length in inches to shift the balance point of the bat to a position on the metal bat barrel to substantially coincide with the position of the center of gravity of a wood bat.  
     
     
         10 . The metal bat as defined in    claim 9   , wherein said closure for the outer end of the bat barrel includes an end cap having a cylindrical portion telescoped into the end of the bat barrel, said bat barrel and cylindrical portion of the end cap including a rib and groove engaging surfaces, said cylindrical portion of the end cap defining a cavity filled with an added weight to locate the balance point of the metal bat to a position on the bat barrel more than 21 inches from the end of knob.  
     
     
         11 . The metal bat as defined in    claim 6   , wherein said closure for the outer end of the bat barrel includes an inturned end on the bat barrel terminating in an opening in the outer end of the bat barrel, a closure plug of resilient material closing the opening end extending peripherally of the end turned end of the bat barrel, said enclosure plug being constructed of weighted material to position the balance point on the metal bat barrel in substantially the same position as a balance point on a wood bat barrel.  
     
     
         12 . A metal baseball bat comprising a hollow metal bat barrel tapering from an outer bat barrel end to a reduced diameter handle at a knob end, a closure for the outer bat barrel end of said barrel, said outer metal bat barrel having a generally cylindrical barrel wall and defining a ball hitting zone, said cylindrical barrel wall uniformly thickened in said ball hitting zone by about 0.005 inches to about 0.120 inches in order to resist deformation and trampoline effect of said bat barrel wall upon ball impact, said bat having an adjusted balance point more than about 21 inches from said knob end.  
     
     
         13 . The metal bat as defined in    claim 12   , and further including a mechanical means in direct contact with an interior surface of said bat barrel in said hitting zone to further increase said resistance to deformation and trampoline effect.  
     
     
         14 . The metal bat as defined in    claim 13   , wherein said wall thickness and said mechanical means reduce the ball exit velocity of a baseball impacted by said metal bat to 90-98 mph when said bat is moving at 72 mph and said ball is moving at 72 mph.  
     
     
         15 . The metal bat as defined in    claim 14   , wherein said ball exit velocity is about 93 mph.  
     
     
         16 . The metal bat as defined in    claim 12   , wherein said hollow metal bat barrel has a barrel wall uniformly thickened throughout its length.  
     
     
         17 . The metal bat as defined in    claim 13   , wherein said mechanical means comprises a plurality of foam plastic blocks forced into an open end of the bat barrel to completely fill the bat barrel and resist inward deformation of the bat barrel wall when impacted with a baseball thereby reducing the trampoline effect of the bat barrel wall and reducing exit velocity of a baseball impacted by the wall of the bat barrel.  
     
     
         18 . The metal bat as defined in    claim 13   , wherein said mechanical means comprises an expanded plastic foam material substantially completely filling the bat barrel, said plastic being foamed in situ and resisting deformation of the bat barrel wall when impacting a baseball to obtain an exit velocity of a baseball impacted by the metal bat barrel to a speed substantially equal to the exit speed of a baseball impacted by a wood bat.  
     
     
         19 . The metal bat as defined in    claim 13   , wherein said mechanical means comprises an inflated bladder extending substantially throughout the length of the bat barrel and engaging the internal surface thereof to reduce inward deformation of the bat barrel upon impact with a baseball thereby reducing the trampoline effect.  
     
     
         20 . The metal bat as defined in    claim 1   , wherein the length of the bat in inches is not more than 3 units greater than the weight of the bat in ounces, without a grip wrap, said bat barrel having a diameter no greater than 2.625 inches, and said bat having a balance point at least 21.5 inches from said knob end and the ball exit velocity under a 72×72 test no greater than 93±1 mph.  
     
     
         21 . A method for custom designing a metal bat to have performance characteristics closer to a wood bat, said bat having a hollow metal bat barrel tapering from an outer bat barrel end to a reduced diameter handle at a knob end, said outer metal bat barrel having a generally cylindrical barrel wall and defining a ball hitting zone, which comprises selecting said hollow metal bat barrel to have a length in inches no more than 3 units greater than a weight in ounces of said bat and being no greater than 2.625 inches in diameter throughout its length, dampening said generally cylindrical barrel wall in said ball hitting zone to increase resistance to deformation and decrease trampoline effect of said barrel wall and adjusting the center of gravity away from said knob end at least about 21.5 inches from said knob end.  
     
     
         22 . The method of    claim 21   , wherein said dampening reduces the ball exit velocity of a baseball impacted by said metal bat to 90-98 mph when said bat is moving at 72 mph and said ball is moving at 72 mph.  
     
     
         23 . The metal baseball bat as defined in    claim 1   , wherein said mechanical means comprises a sleeve which cooperates with said bat barrel wall to increase said resistance to deformation and decrease said trampoline effect.