Batting practice attachment for baseball bats

Abstract

An attachment for bats designed principally for use in batting practice, comprising a thin wall tube of rubber-like material of length approximating the length of the contact zone of the bat. In one embodiment, the tube is closed at one end with the closed end covering the end of the bat. An edge rim of greater thickness is present in one embodiment to protect the end from tearing and in other embodiments, raised patterns are present on the external surface of the tube.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An attachment for the contact zone of baseball bats comprising an elongated tube of resilient rubber-like material have a normal diameter less than the outside diameter of the contact zone of the baseball bat and a wall thickness in the order of ⅛ inch or less.  
     
     
         2 . The combination in accordance with    claim 1   , wherein the length of said tube is in the order of 8-10 inches.  
     
     
         3 . The combination in accordance with    claim 1   , wherein said tube is of natural rubber.  
     
     
         4 . The combination in accordance with    claim 1   , wherein said tube is closed at one end to cover the end of the bat.  
     
     
         5 . The combination in accordance with    claim 1   , wherein said tube includes a pair of open ends, at least one of which has an end bead of thicker material than the wall thickness of the tube.  
     
     
         6 . A batting attachment in accordance with    claim 5   , wherein said tube is closed at one end and said bead is at the opposite end.  
     
     
         7 . The batting attachment in accordance with    claim 1   , wherein the outer surface of said tube has a plurality of embossments thereon of height approximating the wall thickness of the tube.  
     
     
         8 . An attachment for the contact zone and head region of baseball bats, comprising a tube of rubber-like material having one open end and one closed end; 
 said tube having a normal inside diameter less than the outside diameter of the contact zone and head region of a bat and being of sufficient flexibility and thin wall to allow it to be stretched over the head of a bat and substantially cover the contact zone.    
     
     
         9 . The combination in accordance with    claim 8   , wherein the length of said tube is in the order of 8-10 inches.  
     
     
         10 . The combination in accordance with    claim 8   , wherein said tube is of natural rubber.  
     
     
         11 . The combination in accordance with    claim 8   , wherein said tube has a bead at the open end.  
     
     
         12 . The combination in accordance with    claim 8   , wherein the outer surface of said tube includes embossments thereon in the region covering the contact zone of the bat.