Bat with maraging steel shell

Abstract

A bat includes a bat frame and an outer sleeve. The bat frame has a barrel portion, a tapered transition portion, and a handle portion. The bat frame is preferably constructed of aluminum material. The outer sleeve is constructed of a maraging steel material and is received over the barrel portion of the frame. The outer sleeve preferably includes a tapered proximal end which is received in a nesting engagement with the tapered transition portion of the bat frame.

1 . A bat, comprising: 
 a frame having a barrel portion, a tapered transition portion, and a handle portion; and    an outer sleeve received over the barrel portion of the frame, the sleeve being constructed of a maraging steel.    
     
     
         2 . The bat of  claim 1 , wherein the maraging steel outer sleeve is formed by a flowforming process.  
     
     
         3 . The bat of  claim 1 , wherein the maraging steel is selected from the group of alloys consisting of C-350 Maraging Steel, C-300 Maraging Steel, C-250 Maraging Steel, T-200 Maraging Steel, and T-250 Maraging Steel.  
     
     
         4 . The bat of  claim 1 , wherein the maraging steel outer sleeve has a wall thickness in the range of from about 0.025″ to about 0.045″.  
     
     
         5 . The bat of  claim 4 , wherein the bat frame is constructed of an aluminum material, and the barrel portion of the bat frame has a wall thickness in the range of from about 0.040″ to about 0.060″.  
     
     
         6 . The bat of  claim 1 , further comprising a protective corrosion resistant coating on the exterior of the maraging steel outer shell.  
     
     
         7 . The bat of  claim 6 , wherein the protective corrosion resistant coating comprises acrylic powder coating.  
     
     
         8 . The bat of  claim 6 , wherein the maraging steel out shell has been treated to improve the corrosion resistance of the shell.  
     
     
         9 . The bat of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the maraging steel outer shell includes a tapered end that nests about a part of the tapered portion of the frame.    
     
     
         10 . The bat of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an adhesive between the bat frame and the maraging steel outer shell.    
     
     
         11 . The bat of  claim 10 , wherein: 
 the adhesive is a two-part urethane adhesive.    
     
     
         12 . The bat of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an annular end cap having a first annular lip engaging a distal end of the bat frame, and having a second annular lip engaging a distal end of the maraging steel outer shell.    
     
     
         13 . A bat, comprising: 
 a barrel portion, a handle portion, and a tapered transition portion between the barrel portion and the handle portion; and    wherein the barrel portion includes a hitting surface including a maraging steel material.    
     
     
         14 . The bat of  claim 13 , wherein: 
 the maraging steel material is an alloy selected from the group of alloys consisting of C-350, C-300, C-250, T-250 and T-200 Maraging Steels.    
     
     
         15 . A method of constructing a bat, comprising: 
 (a) providing a bat frame having a barrel portion, a tapered transition portion, and a handle portion;    (b) providing an outer shell including a maraging steel material;    (c) securely attaching the outer shell to the bat frame so that the outer shell extends over at least a majority of the barrel portion of the bat frame.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein: 
 in step (b), the outer shell includes a tapered proximal end; and    further comprising the step between steps (b) and (c), of sliding a distal end of the outer shell over the handle portion of the bat frame and engaging the tapered proximal end of the outer shell in a nesting engagement with the tapered transition portion of the bat frame.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 pressing the outer shell into said nesting engagement by means of a mechanical press.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the pressing step comprises: 
 locking the outer shell into a mold; and    pushing the bat frame through the outer shell and into said nesting engagement, said pushing being accomplished by mechanical means.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 applying a corrosion resistant coating over the outer shell.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 treating the outer shell by to make the outer shell more corrosion resistant.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein: 
 the bat frame is constructed of an aluminum material, the barrel portion of which has a wall thickness in the range of from about 0.040″ to about 0.060″ inch; and    the maraging steel outer shell has a wall thickness in the range from about 0.025″ to about 0.045″.