Closing final panels of machine sewn sports balls

Abstract

In a sports ball, such as a soccer ball, which comprises a plurality of shaped panels which are joined together by stitching to form an enclosed volume housing a bladder for inflation, several contiguous seams are left unstitched but are instead joined together adhesively by means of an underlying fabric patch. The contiguous seams are preferably provided with curved edges and markings to simulate stitching. The fabric patch is adhesively attached to the bladder (which preferably includes an over winding) and to the panels having the contiguous seams.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An object for sports play comprising:
 a plurality of exterior, stitched together panels sewn at their edges, configured to form a closed volume and forming, by said stitching, raised interior edges at the edges of said panels;   an inflatable bladder occupying said closed volume;   a subset of said plurality of exterior panels forming an adjacent set of said panels having edges lying at a closure for said ball; and   a patch lying beneath and between said adjacent ones of said closure forming panels and adhesively affixed thereto.   
     
     
         2 . The object of  claim 1  in which said patch is further adhesively affixed to at least one of said panels 
     
     
         3 . The object of  claim 1  in which said adjacent set of said panels have curved edges, whereby said edges more closely resemble said stitched together panels. 
     
     
         4 . The object of  claim 3  further including markings along said curved edges which simulate stitching; 
     
     
         5 . The object of  claim 3  in which said curved edges are joined with adhesive. 
     
     
         6 . The object for sports play of  claim 1  which is in the shape of a soccer ball. 
     
     
         7 . The object of  claim 1  in which bladder is covered in an exterior winding for strength.