| Wilson Sporting Goods Co. Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
|---|
| 20120108371 | BALL BAT INCLUDING A BARREL PORTION HAVING SEPARATE PROXIMAL AND DISTAL MEMBERS - A ball bat extending about a longitudinal axis. A bat includes a tubular bat frame. The bat frame includes first and second frame pieces. The first frame piece has a gripping portion integrally formed to a transition portion, and the transition portion has a distal end region. The second frame piece has a proximal end region. The distal end region of the first piece is coupled to the proximal end region of the second piece. One of the distal and proximal end regions overlaps the other of the distal and proximal end regions. The bat has a center of percussion, and the mid-length of the overlap of the distal and proximal end regions is positioned within plus or minus three inches of the center of percussion of the bat. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120108369 | BALL BAT INCLUDING A BARREL PORTION HAVING SEPARATE PROXIMAL AND DISTAL MEMBERS - A ball bat extending about a longitudinal axis. The bat includes a handle and a barrel portion having an outer surface and including a proximal member and a distal member. The proximal member has first and second end regions and the distal member has third and fourth end regions. The first end region is coupled to the handle portion, the second end region of the proximal member is coupled to the third end region of the distal member, and the fourth end region of the distal member is coupled to an end cap. The proximal and distal members are formed of first and second materials, respectively. The second material is a fiber composite material, the second fiber composite material of the distal member is co-molded to the outer surface of the second end region of the proximal member. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120108368 | BALL BAT INCLUDING A BARREL PORTION HAVING SEPARATE PROXIMAL AND DISTAL MEMBERS - A ball bat extending about a longitudinal axis. The bat includes a handle and a barrel portion. The barrel portion has an outer surface and includes a proximal member and a distal member. The proximal member has first and second end regions and the distal member has third and fourth end regions. The first end region is coupled to the handle portion, the second end region of the proximal member is coupled to the third end region of the distal member, and the fourth end region of the distal member is coupled to an end cap. At least a portion of each of the proximal and distal members defines the outer surface of the barrel portion. One of the second and third end regions overlaps the other of the second and third end regions. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20110289664 | PROTECTIVE SHOULDER PADS - A shoulder pad assembly includes a flexible vest, a pair of shoulder pads coupled to the vest, and first and second straps. The flexible vest has a back side and right and left front sides. The first strap has a first end region coupled to and extending from a first location on the back side and a second end region refastenably and selectively attached to the right or left front sides. The second strap has a third end region coupled to and extending from a second location on the back side and a fourth end region refastenably and selectively attached to the right or left front sides. At least a portion of the left front side is configured to releasably engage the first or the second straps, and at least a portion of the right front side is configured to releasably engage the first or the second straps. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110287877 | BALL BAT HAVING PERFORMANCE ADJUSTING ANNULAR MEMBER - A ball bat extending about a longitudinal axis. The bat includes a bat frame, a knob and an annular member. The bat frame has a handle portion and a tubular barrel portion. The bat has a proximal end, a distal end, a center of percussion and a length of at least thirty inches. The barrel portion has an inner surface. The knob is coupled to the handle portion. The annular member is coupled to the inner surface. The annular member has a center of mass and is positioned within the barrel portion such that the center of mass is longitudinally spaced apart from the center of percussion by a first distance of at least 0.25 inches. The annular member increases the moment of inertia of the bat measured about an axis positioned six inches from the base of the knob of the bat by no more than twenty percent. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110287875 | BALL BAT HAVING PERFORMANCE ADJUSTING ANNULAR MEMBER - A ball bat including a bat frame and a performance adjusting annular member positioned within the barrel portion. The bat frame has a handle portion and a barrel portion. The annular member has an outer diameter, a weight within the range of 0.4 to 1.85 ounces and a radial cross-sectional area. The radial cross sectional area has a maximum height and a maximum width. The maximum height over the maximum width defines a first aspect ratio. The outer diameter over the maximum width defines a second aspect ratio. The first aspect ratio is at least 0.5 and the second aspect ratio is greater than 1.5. The annular member has at least first and second annular portions. The first annular portion extends over no more than 50 percent of the width of the body and includes over sixty percent of the mass of the body. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110224014 | GOLF PUTTER HEAD INCLUDING A CANTILEVERED ALIGNMENT AID - A putter head including a fore body and an aft body. The fore body includes a planar front strike face, heel and toe side walls, a rear wall, a top surface and a generally planar sole. The top surface includes a sight line. The sight line extends along a first plane that is perpendicular to the strike face and to the sole, and is substantially evenly spaced from the heel and toe side walls. The aft body is coupled to the fore body and includes a rear main portion and an overhang. The rear main portion is engaged to the rear wall of the fore body, and has a central region positioned between first and second end regions. The overhang forwardly extends from the central region. The overhang includes an elongate slot extending along the first plane, and is positioned over at least a portion of the sight line. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110214652 | ARM PITCHING MACHINE HAVING IMPROVED BALL DELIVERY ASSEMBLY AND PITCHING ARM - A pitching machine including a frame, a ball feed trough coupled to the frame, a ball acquisition structure coupled to the frame, and a ball cup coupled to the frame. The trough is configured to retain at least three of the balls. The cup is positioned at the lower end of the trough and is adjacent the acquisition structure. The trough is sloped to allow for gravity feed of the balls to the cup. The cup has a curved wall defusing a ball opening sized for receiving and dispensing the one of the balls. The cup is rotatable about a ball cup axis such that, during use, the cup receives one of the balls when the ball opening of the cup rotates to meet the lowest ball in the trough and the curved wall inhibits more than one ball from entering the cup, and as the cup continues to rotate. | 09-08-2011 |
| 20110214651 | ARM PITCHING MACHINE HAVING A LEAD TIMING ARM - A pitching machine for pitching a ball to a batter positioned in a first batting location. The pitching machine including a frame, a drive assembly coupled to the frame, a pitching arm and a lead timing arm. The pitching arm is coupled to drive assembly and rotatable in a first direction about a first axis. The pitching arm includes a forward side configured to contact and project the ball during a portion of the rotation of the pitching arm about the first axis. The pitching arm is configured to project the ball at least a first ball release position with respect to the first axis. The lead timing arm includes a marker. The lead timing arm is coupled to the pitching arm such that the marker is visible to the batter positioned in the first batting location prior to the pitching arm reaching the first ball release position. | 09-08-2011 |
| 20110039641 | RACQUET HAVING ARTICULATING GROMMET ASSEMBLIES - A sports racquet including a frame, at least one grommet assembly. The frame includes a head portion coupled to a handle portion. The head portion includes a hoop having inner and outer peripheral walls. At least a first set of concave recesses and channels are formed into the outer peripheral wall. The hoop includes first, second and third groups of string openings. The second and third groups of string openings are aligned with the first set of concave recesses. The second group of string openings extends through the outer peripheral wall at the first set of concave recesses. The grommet assembly engages the outer peripheral wall. The grommet assembly includes at least three pivotable elements interconnected by torque transmitting arms, each pivotable element including a string passage. The pivotable elements and the torque transmitting arms are pivotable about an axis parallel to a string bed plane. | 02-17-2011 |
| 20100227716 | RACQUET STRINGING MACHINE - A stringing machine includes a base and an adjustable stringing platform coupled to the base. The stringing platform includes a turntable rotatable about a first axis, and a first releasable resistance assembly coupled to the turntable. The first releasable resistance assembly is selectable between an engaged operating mode in which the releasable resistance assembly resists rotation of the turntable about the first axis, and a disengaged operating mode in which the releasable resistance assembly does not resist rotation of the turntable about the first axis. The releasable resistance assembly includes a magnetorheological fluid for resisting rotation of the turntable about the first axis when in the engaged operating mode. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20090325743 | GAME BALL HAVING OPTIMALLY POSITIONED GROOVES AND/OR RIDGES - A basketball having an outer surface and including a first set of channels formed into the outer surface of the basketball. The basketball further includes a bladder, a carcass and at least one cover panel. The carcass covers the bladder and has an outer surface that defines a second set of channels. The cover panel(s) is positioned over the carcass and over at least one of the channels of the second set of channels. The cover panel(s) generally conforms to the shape of the outer surface of the carcass such that the cover panel defines at least one groove in the outer surface of the basketball corresponding to the channels of the second set of channels. The depth of the groove is greater than or equal to 0.7 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20090325742 | GAME BALL HAVING OPTIMALLY POSITIONED GROOVES - A basketball having an outer surface and including a first set of channels formed into the outer surface of the basketball. The basketball further includes a bladder, a carcass and at least one cover panel. The carcass covers the bladder and has an outer surface that defines a second set of channels. The cover panel(s) is positioned over the carcass and over at least one of the channels of the second set of channels. The cover panel(s) generally conforms to the shape of the outer surface of the carcass such that the cover panel defines at least one groove in the outer surface of the basketball corresponding to the channels of the second set of channels. The depth of the groove is greater than or equal to 0.7 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20090325741 | GAME BALL HAVING OPTIMALLY POSITIONED GROOVES - A basketball having an outer surface and including a first set of channels formed into the outer surface of the basketball. The basketball further includes a bladder, a carcass and at least one cover panel. The carcass covers the bladder and has an outer surface that defines a second set of channels. The cover panel(s) is positioned over the carcass and over at least one of the channels of the second set of channels. The cover panel(s) generally conforms to the shape of the outer surface of the carcass such that the cover panel defines at least one groove in the outer surface of the basketball corresponding to the channels of the second set of channels. The depth of the groove is greater than or equal to 0.7 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20090325740 | GAME BALL HAVING OPTIMALLY POSITIONED GROOVES VISIBLE UPON GRASPING BY A USER - A basketball having an outer surface and including a first set of channels formed into the outer surface of the basketball. The basketball further includes a bladder, a carcass and at least one cover panel. The carcass covers the bladder and has an outer surface that defines a second set of channels. The cover panel(s) is positioned over the carcass and over at least one of the channels of the second set of channels. The cover panel(s) generally conforms to the shape of the outer surface of the carcass such that the cover panel defines at least one groove in the outer surface of the basketball corresponding to the channels of the second set of channels. The depth of the groove is greater than or equal to 0.7 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20090260612 | Ball projecting machine - A ball projecting machine having a C-shaped arm that provides the ability to adjust the length or elevation of pitched balls. The C-shaped arm connects a ball projecting head to a stand, with the ball projecting head affixed to one end of the C-shaped arm, and the C-shaped arm is slidably engaged through a frame atop the stand to allow rotation of the ball projecting head about a horizontal axis. A center of gravity of the ball projecting head in combination with the C-shaped arm facilitates stability of the ball projecting machine when the C-shaped arm is slid up or down. A locking device, when loosened, allows the C-shaped arm to slide up or down through the frame. | 10-22-2009 |
| 20090260611 | Pitching machine having optimal adjustability - A pitching machine configured for adjustment by a user, and including a pitching head, a first macro-adjustment device and a first micro-adjustment device. The pitching head is situated atop a stand. The pitching head includes a first wheel spaced apart from an opposing surface and a first motor for driving the first wheel. The first macro-adjustment device is coupled to the pitching head and includes a first locking assembly that, when loosened, allows manual rotation of the pitching head about a first pivot axis. The first micro-adjustment device is coupled to the pitching head, and includes a first adjusting element that, when repositioned, incrementally rotates the pitching head about the first pivot axis. The first micro-adjustment device configured for operation by a single hand of a user, and the first macro-adjustment device retaining the pitching head in a secure position during adjustment of the first micro-adjustment device. | 10-22-2009 |
| 20080254924 | Racquet stringing machine - An ergonomically-designed racquet stringing machine. In certain embodiments, the stringing machine includes a stand extending from a base at an angle between about 70 and about 89 degrees from horizontal. In certain embodiments, the stringing machine includes a releasable resistance assembly configured to provide resistance to rotation of the turntable about an axis. | 10-16-2008 |
| 20080254923 | Racquet stringing machine
- An ergonomically-designed racquet stringing machine. In certain embodiments, the stringing machine includes a stringing platform supporting at least one racquet mount for securing the racquet in a stringing plane at an angle of about 1 to about 15 degrees from a horizontal surface. A control unit may be coupled to the stringing platform and operably coupled to a platform tilt assembly for adjusting the position of the stringing platform and the angle of the stringing plane. Additionally, the stringing machine may include a tool storage tray coupled to the stringing platform, with the tool storage tray having a bottom surface that is in a plane non-parallel with the stringing plane. | 10-16-2008 |
| 20080254922 | Racquet stringing machine - An ergonomically-designed racquet stringing machine. The stringing machine includes an electronic control unit coupled to a platform and/or to a height adjustment assembly. The control unit is capable of generating a control signal to automatically adjust at least one parameter of the machine, such as machine height, angle of stringing platform, or string tension, based upon a selected user profile. A method of controlling tension in a racquet while stringing the racquet entails the use of the stringing machine. | 10-16-2008 |
