US2659605A - Baseball bat grip - Google Patents

Description

N v- 7, 1953 G. J. LE TOURNEAU 2,659,605 3 BASEBALL BAT GRIP J Filed Feb. 25, 1952 INVENTOR. George J. LeTourneuu wdw W444 Attorneys Patented Nov. 17, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BASEBALL BAT GRIP George J. Letourneau, Central Falls, R. I. Application February 25, 1952, Serial No. 273,229

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a baseball bat.

Baseball bats are usually formed of one solid piece of wood tapered throughout substantially its length, and the smaller end of the bat is used as the handle. The balance of the bat usually requires that the bat be held at a certain position. There is nothing on the usual bat to indicate what this position should be.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a handle portion which will definitely locate Where the hands are to be positioned with reference to the balance of the bat.

Another object of the invention is to provide a grip portion of the bat which will permit the bat to be more readily gripped and hung on to than were the bare wood presented to the hands of the user.

Another object of this invention is to provide beads at opposite ends of the handle portion so that the bat cannot readily slip from the hands lengthwise or axially of the bat.

Another object of the invention is to protect the knuckles of the batters hands against being hit by the ball under certain conditions.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the bat made in conformity with this invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view of a fragmental portion of the bat showing particularly the handle of the bat wherein my invention lies; and

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

In proceedin with this invention, I have provided sponge rubber along the handle of the bat between two beads which will assist in preventing the hands from slipping lengthwise along the handle while providing a better grip for the bat and also locating the hands by positioning the grip where the bat will be best balanced when the hands are positioned on the grip.

With reference to the drawings, l designates the body of the bat which is formed of wood and is turned down on a usual taper along the outer portion ll thereof. At the handle portion designated generally l2, the wood is turned down to a smaller cylindrical diameter designated generally I2 of substantially uniform diameter, presenting square shoulders l3 and I4 at either end of this reduced portion.

Along this reduced portion 12 I have provided two layers, an inner layer I and an outer layer 16, of sponge rubber which are cemented to the portion 1 2 with the ends of the inner layer abutting, While the outer layer is Wrapped about the inner layer with its end portions also in abutting relation and cemented together and the outer layer is secured to the inner layer. The two layers combined extend to the shoulders 13 and I4.

At either end of the rubber layers there extend radially outwardly rounded beads H and I8 which extend circularly about the bat and are of such dimension as to prevent the hands from sliding axially along the handle in either direction. The taper from one end of the bat to the handle is substantially uniform with the beads having a diameter so as to project outwardly beyond this line of taper. The beads are of the same solid piece of material as the wood of the bat and are thus rigid therewith.

The rounded beads will extend sufliciently so that the knuckles of the batters hands will be protected against certain foul balls that may be deflected toward the hands.

The rubber may be replaced when worn or should the same become injured in use.

I claim:

A baseball bat comprising a wooden body of sharply reduced diameter adjacent one end providing spaced shoulders, a layer of sponge rubber embracing said portion of reduced diameter and extending from one shoulder to the other, a second similar layer of sponge rubber extendmg between said shoulders, said layers being ce- Inented together and providing a handle gripping portion, the outer surface of said body being tapered, and circular Wooden beads of the same piece of material as the body and of a diameter to extend outwardly beyond the said tapered surface at either end of the handle gripping portion to assist in locating the hands on the handle between said beads to prevent the hands from slipping along the bat.

GEORGE J. LETOURNEAU.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 748,000 Murnane Dec. 29, 1903 1,063,563 May June 3, 1913 1,110,487 Hillerich Sept. 15, 1914 1,325,813 Taylor Dec. 23, 1919 1,469,766 Blair Oct. 9, 1923 1,626,967 Reach May 3, 1927 2,099,521 Herkimer et al. Nov. 16, 1937

Images