Paddle ball racquet construction
Danchulis et al.  
 1451 Apr. 22, 1975 1 PADDLE BALL RACQUET CONSTRUCTION [75] Inventors: James E. Danchulis: Paul B. Rankin.  
 Jr., both of Pittsburgh. Pa.  
 [73] Assignee: Aluminum Company of America,  
 Pittsburgh. Pa. a part interest [22] Filed: Sept. 28. 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 292,990  
 6117.255 8/1948 United Kingdom..... 273/73 R 758,899 11/1933 France 273/76 802.060 5/1936 France 273/73 R Primary Evamincr-Richard .I. Apley Almrncy, Agent. or Firm-Webb. Burden. Robinson &amp; Webb [57] ABSTRACT An improved racquet construction for paddle ball games and the like including a pair of spaced-apart opposed striking faces having sandwiched therebetween a honeycomb-like network comprising a light weight, high strength composition, especially aluminum The honeycomb network conforms generally to the blade configuration and extends integrally into a handle portion for the racquet to become a part thereof. An edging strip. preferably comprising aluminum, is provided at the periphery of said sandwich construction and extends into said handle portion. The sandwich construction may be maintained by means of a suitable adhesive whereby said striking faces may be bonded to said edging strip.  
 7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PADDLE BALL RACQUET CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A. Field of the Invention This invention relates to racquets or bats for paddle ball games, and the like, and more specifically to an improved construction for such bats.  
 B. Description of the Prior Art Bats, or racquets, for games such as paddle ball and the like, wherein a bat having a relatively broad blade portion is employed to impel a ball, are generally broadly old and well known. Known bats have comprised varying compositions, including wood, metal, synthetic resins, and combinations thereof; For example, one prior art reference discloses a racquet for ping pong (table tennis) which includes a wooden handle 7 portion and a blade comprising a thin metallic sheet. There, a preferred blade comprises a thin sheet of tempered aluminum having a facing material, such as thin strips of bakelite, applied to the blade surfaces. That bat is suitable for playing ping pong wherein a light celluloid ball is employed, but is wholly unsatisfactory for games such as paddle ball wherein a relatively heavy ball is struck while traveling at very high speeds. That being the case, a strong, rather rigid blade is required, as opposed to the thin metal sheet.  
  Another prior art reference discloses a bat for table tennis which includes a metal blade having numerous perforations, or holes, therein. The perforations provided in the metal blade again preferably comprising aluminum, are for the stated purposes of obtaining a relatively light weight in the bat and to increase the resiliency and flexibility of the blade per se. There again, a bat is provided which is suitable for table tennis but wholly unsatisfactory for games such as paddle ball employing a much heavier ball. Another prior art reference discloses a bat for a game such as table tennis wherein the blade portion includes a laminated wood body having a synthetic facing material applied thereto.  
  The foregoing patents have described and disclosed bats of varying construction and composition which are suitable for impelling a celluloid ball such as that employed in table tennis, but have not disclosed a bat of suitable composition or construction for impelling a heavier ball such as a paddle ball, or the like. In the past, a heavy wooden racquet or bat has been employed in playing paddle ball. The wooden bat generally has a plurality of holes drilled through the blade portion thereof. Not only are such bats quite expensive, they are of course saddled with the inherent disadvantages of a wooden composition, for example, warping, cracking, chipping, and the like. A paddle ball bat has been proposed wherein the wooden blade has been replaced with a solid aluminum blade portion having a plurality of holes drilled therethrough, but that bat has not been entirely satisfactory and has had little success in the market place. It is believed that the thick aluminum blade portion tends to fulcrum about rigid handle pieces in the bat upon impact with a ball, and hence bend.  
  This invention provides an improved bat construction for paddle ball and like games which overcomes the disadvantages of known paddle ball bats. More specifically, the invention provides a bat construction of the type described which comprises a high-strength, light-weight bat having a composite, rigid blade portion. In addition, in one embodiment the invention provides an improved paddle ball bat as aforesaid comprising a composite aluminum construction. Other advantages of the invention will become apparent as this specification proceeds.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides an improved construction for bats for paddle ball and like games wherein a bat comprises a composite construction including a blade portion comprising a pair of spaced-apart, opposed striking surfaces having sandwiched therebetween a honeycomb-like network ofa lightweight. high-strength composition, most preferably an aluminum composition. The aluminum honeycomb network conforms generally to the blade configuration and, additionally; extends into a handle portion for said bat to become a part thereof. Each of said opposed striking faces for said bat comprises a lightweight metallic composition, most preferably an anodized aluminum sheet material. An edging strip, preferably formed of aluminum, is provided along the periphery of the bat construction and extends into the handle portion thereof. The edging strip is most preferably adapted to both abut said honeycomb-like network at the edge thereof and also engage each of said striking faces. The sandwich construction, including the aforementioned honeycomblike network, striking surfaces, and edging strip, may be maintained by means of an appropriate adhesive whereby each said striking surface may be bonded to said edging strip. Other details and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the appended drawings and as the following more detailed description thereof proceeds.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view ofa paddle ball bat construction according to the invention including a breakaway portion illustrating a honeycomb network therein;  
  FIG. 2 is a sectional, view taken along line IIII of FIG. 1;  
  FIG. 3 is an expanded sectional view of the handle portion of the bat taken along line IIIIII of FIG. 1;  
  FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a preferred edging strip useful in bat constructions according to the invention; and  
  FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the edge portion of a preferred blade construction in a bat according to the invention.  
 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With reference now to FIG. 1, a preferred paddle ball bat construction according to the invention is illustrated and includes a blade portion designated generally 2, a handle portion designated generally 4, and a rather narrow neck portion designated generally 6 located intermediate said blade and handle portions. Blade portion 2 of the illustrated bat includes a pair of spaced-apart striking surfaces 8 having sandwiched therebetween a honeycomb-like network 10 which comprises a lightweight, high-strength composition. Honeycomb-like material 10 comprises a plurality of interconnected cells 11 defined by sidewall portions 12 thereof, and comprises a material sufficiently rigid to withstand the impact and shock of a ball striking the bat at high velocity. Alternatively, honeycomb material 10 may comprise a plurality of discrete cell-like elements spaced throughout the space defined by striking surfaces such as to approximate a true honeycomb construction. Preferably, honeycomb material com prises a thin-walled expanded metal composition, especially aluminum. It may be noted here that the term aluminum as employed herein is intended to include aluminum of any grade and aluminum base alloy wherein aluminum consists of not less than 80 percent by weight of the total composition. Such compositions are sufficiently lightweight to be employed in the playing of paddle ball, and have sufficient strength to withstand the impact involved in the game. The honeycomb-like network per se is believed to distribute forces encountered in a paddle ball game over the bat surface and hence add to the useful life of a bat according to the invention.  
  Blade portion 2 of the bat includes spaced-apart, parallel striking members or surfaces 8 sandwiching honeycomb-like network 10. The walls of the honeycomb-like network are substantially perpendicular to the striking members or surfaces 8 at substantially all points of contact therewith and form openings in the network which are covered by the striking members. Striking surfaces 8 comprise preferably a thin metallic sheet material able to withstand the impact of a paddle ball game without cracking or breaking. A thin aluminum sheet material has been found to be most satisfactory. It is especially preferred that the aluminum sheet material comprise an anodized aluminum sheet wherein an anodized surface comprises at least the outer (exposed) face of each striking surface 8. Anodizing is an electrolytic oxidation process in which the surface of the aluminum is converted to an oxide coating. An aluminum oxide coating on the striking surfaces 8 results in a non-glare, essentially black, surface which is especially suitable in paddle ball racquet according to the invention. It is also possible to provide a colored, or tinted striking surface 8 as by fixing a known pigment onto an anodized surface or by employing a baked colored enamel or the like onto an unanodized aluminum sheet. Materials with similar properties may likewise be employed in the racquet; for example, a synthetic resin having good impact-resistance, when cast in sheet form may alternatively be used in or on a striking surface construction according to the invention.  
  The sandwich construction including spaced-apart striking surfaces 8 and honeycomb-like network 10 is preferably maintained with the aid of an edging strip, designated generally 20, which runs the periphery of the sandwich construction. The edging strip comprises a workable material able to be bent or worked such that it conforms with the bat construction generally. A most preferred edging strip 20 comprises aluminum, although other workable materials such as rubber or a synthetic resin, e.g., polyethylene or impact resistant polystyrene, may likewise be employed. In FIG. 4, a preferred edging strip configuration is shown in cross section, and includes a body portion 21 extending from a cap portion 22 therefor. Cap portion 22 preferably has a curved, or rounded, surface having a surface arc length of such dimension that a shoulder 24 is formed between cap portion 22 and side walls 23 of the edging strip. Body portion 21 of edging strip 20 includes a base 26 adapted to abut the edge of honeycomb-like network 10 (FIG. 5). Shoulders 24 of either side of edging strip 20 are each adapted to receive respective striking tain preferred embodiments thereof. It is to be ex-&#39; surfaces 8 in a manner whereby a striking surface may abut, or be seated against a shoulder 24. A sandwich thus formed is preferably maintained by means of a suitable adhesive applied between sidewall portion 23 of edging strip 20 and the inner surface of a striking surface 8 whereby each striking surface may be bonded to said edging strip 20.  
  With reference now to FIGS. 1 and 3, the bat there illustrated includes a rigid handle construction, most preferably including a straight portion 5 extending from the handle base to a point near the neck of the racquet or the bat construction. Thereafter an outwardly flared portion 5 is provided which conforms generally to outwardly flaring neck portion 6 of the bat. Outwardly flared portion 5&#39; includes a transverse member 7 connecting opposite sides of the handle construction for reinforcing neck portion 6 which, as is the case with all such racquets, tends to be the weakest structural part of a paddle ball bat construction.  
  In FIG. 3, an expanded cross-section through line I&#34;- -III is shown wherein handle construction details can be readily seen. Honeycomb network 10 extends into the handle construction to become a part thereof. Such is also the case with each striking surface 8 and edging strip 20. Thus, each of the elements of the sandwich construction extends from the blade portion into the base of handle portion 4. The preferred handle construction there illustrated includes a pair of opposed channel-like members 30, each member 30 preferably comprising an aluminum composition, although injection-molded resins such as an impact-resistant polystyrene or polycarbonate may likewise be employed. Each channel member 30 comprises a generally U-shaped channel including a transverse web or base portion 31 having spaced-apart legs 32 extending therefrom. Each channel member 30 additionally includes a center rib 33 for reinforcing a channel throughout its length. The channels 30 are rigidly joined together by suitable fastening means, for example, as by rivets 35 extending through the sandwich construction. In that fashion. the handle construction and sandwich construction become integral.  
  The racquet construction is finally completed by wrapping handle portion 4 with a suitable gripping material. In FIG. 3 a wrapping 36 is partially illustrated and may comprise any of the known gripping materials such as leather, rubber, and the like. Known sleevetype handle grips may also be advantageously employed.  
 The foregoing has described the invention and cerpressly understood however, that the invention is not necessarily limited to the precise embodiments disclosed therein but may be variously practiced within the scope of the following claims.  
 What is claimed is:  
  1. A bat for paddle ball games and the like comprising a substantially rigid composite construction including a blade portion and a handle portion said blade portion being so dimensioned as to define an area which comprises a substantial majority of the area of said bat with said handle portion extending outwardly from said blade portion in substantially the same plane thereof and being so dimensioned as to define the remaining area of said bat, said blade portion comprising a pair of generally parallel, spaced-apart substantially solid, planar striking members having sandwiched therebetween a honeycomb-like network of a lightweight metallic composition, said honeycomb-like network having walls which are substantially perpendicular to said members at substantially all points of contact therewith and which form openings which are covered by said striking members, said honeycomb-like network conforming generally to said blade portion configuration and being slightly smaller than said striking members thereby forming a peripheral margin of space between the outer peripheral edges of said honeycomb-like network, an edging strip for said bat provided in said peripheral margin. said honeycomb-like network. each of said striking members. and said edging strip extending substantially the length of the handle portion for said bat and forming an integral part thereof. said edging strip engaging and being secured to the outer peripheral edge of each of said striking members. and means disposed on the handle portion for gripping the bat. whereby the bat is sufficiently rigid to withstand highvelocity impact of a heavy ball of the paddle ball type without significant fulcruming of the blade portion about the handle portion.  
  2. A bat as set forth in claim 1 wherein said honeycomb-like network and each of said striking surfaces comprise an aluminum composition.  
  3. A bat for paddle ball games and the like comprising a substantially rigid composite construction including a blade portion and a handle portion. said blade portion being so dimensioned as to define an area which comprises a substantial majority of the area of said bat with said handle portion-extending outwardly from said blade portion in substantially the same plane thereof and being so dimensioned as to define the remaining area of said bat, said blade portion comprising a pair of generally parallel spaced apart substantially solid, planar striking members having sandwiched therebetween a honeycomb-like network of lightweight metallic composition, said honeycomb-like network having walls which are substantially perpendicular to said members at substantially all points of contact therewith and which form openings which are covered by said striking members, said honeycomb-like network conforming generally to said blade portion configuration and being slightly smaller than said striking members thereby forming a peripheral margin of space between the outer peripheral edges of said honeycomblike network, an edging strip for said bat provided in said peripheral margin and engaging the outer peripheral edge of each of said striking members, said honeycomb-like network, each of said striking surfaces and said edging strip extending substantially the length of the handle portion for said bat and forming an integral part thereof. whereby the bat is sufficiently rigid to withstand high-velocity impact of a heavy ball of the paddle ball type without significant fulcruming of the blade portion about the handle portion.  
  4. A bat as set forth in claim 3 wherein said honeycomb-like network comprises aluminum.  
  5. A bat as set forth in claim 3 wherein each of said striking faces comprises a thin-metallic sheet.  
  6. A bat as set forth in claim 5 wherein said thinmetallic sheet comprises an aluminum sheet.  
 7. A bat as set forth in claim 6 wherein said aluminum sheet has an anodized surface.