To all whom it may concern:

    Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. SHIBE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bala, in the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Base-Balls, of which the following is a specification.

    My invention relates to playing balls, and pertains more particularly to base balls in which the center is formed of a resilient sphere, upon which the ball is constructed to the desired diameter of yarn or other thread tightly wound thereon and secured by a binder of adhesive plastic composition upon its surface adjacent to the outer cover of horse hide or similar material.

    As heretofore constructed, the central resilient sphere or core of base balls has been formed of solid india-rubber, having layers of yarn wound thereon.

    The object of my invention is to produce a playing ball of said class having a resilient central core that is less yielding than rubber upon which the layers of yarn may be wound under greater tension, whereby greater compactness results, perfect concentric formation is attained and a more durable and rigid structure secured and uniform resiliency acquired and maintained.

    A further object of my invention is to provide a central spherical core of cork or similar material which may be incased in a layer of strands of soft india-rubber wound thereon under tension whereby the resiliency thereof may be regulated, and the said layers secured thereon against displacement or irregular drawing by being hardened in such position by the usual method of baking or vulcanizing.

    To these ends my invention includes the combination and arrangement of component parts to be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

    In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention, in which like characters designate similar parts, Figure 1 is a cross section of a base ball embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the central core.

    Referring now to the drawings, 1 designates my central spherical core, which comprises a center of cork 2 or similar material that is less yielding than rubber. Upon said center, layers of resilient soft india-rubber strands 3 are wound, in the winding of which the tension maybe regulated to modify the degree of resiliency of the core and ball. For the purpose of more rigidly securing said layers of soft rubber upon the center 2 and overcoming any tendency thereof to draw irregularly thereupon, I subject them to the ordinary hardening or vulcanizing treatment under twenty-five pounds steam pressure or approximately 264 degrees Fahrenheit for a period of approximately forty-five minutes, whereby the said strands retain their resiliency and degree of compactness imparted by the tension, and are stiffened and, set against displacement and irregular tightening upon the center. Upon said central sphere is tightly wound a layer of yarn or other thread 4, which is held in its spherical contour by a layer of adhesive plastic composition 5, and the whole structure is incased in an outer cover 6, preferably of horse hide stitched thereon.

    From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that a much more rigid construction of the entire ball will result from the more rigid core and the greater tension and more compact winding of the layers of thread wound thereon, and that the resiliency of the central core may be modified by the regulation of the tension of the rubber strands covering the cork center, and furthermore, that the preferred degree of resiliency thus acquired may be maintained by the hardening of the layer of rubber upon the cork center.

    Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and, desire to be secured by Letters Patent, is—

    1. A base ball comprising a spherical center of cork, layers of resilient hard rubber strands, thereon, layers of thread, wound upon said layers, and an outer cover incasing same, substantially as described.

    2. A baseball comprising a spherical center of cork, adherent layers of resilient hard rubber strands thereon, layers of thread wound upon said layers, and an outer cover incasing the same, substantially as described.

    In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed by name in this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses

    Witnesses:
        ALMIRA. B. MACBETH.
        ELSIE J. MOHR.