US 4,123,061 · Granted 1978-10-31
The Polyurethane Golf Ball That Revolutionized Swing Performance
Imagine a golf ball made of a stretchy, tough plastic called polyurethane instead of traditional rubber. This patent covers how to mix and cure that plastic so the ball bounces farther, lasts longer, and performs more consistently on the course.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers the specific composition and manufacturing process for creating a golf ball where either the core or the cover (or both) is made from polyether urethane—a type of plastic polymer. What's protected here is the exact formula: mixing polyether urethane prepolymer with specific curing agents like trifunctional polyols, tetrafunctional polyols, or amine compounds. Anyone manufacturing a golf ball using this exact material recipe and curing method without permission would be infringing.
Why it matters
Acushnet, a major golf equipment manufacturer, filed this patent to lock down a superior golf ball design during a period when polyurethane technology was transforming sports equipment. By patenting the precise composition and curing agents, the company protected its investment in research and manufacturing methods that made their balls perform differently—and presumably better—than competitors using older rubber or less optimized plastic formulations.
Real-world use
Every golfer who bought an Acushnet ball in the late 1970s and 1980s was hitting a ball made with this exact polyurethane recipe, which gave it its distinctive durability and flight characteristics.
Original USPTO abstract
A polyurethane golf ball is disclosed. The golf ball comprises a core and a cover at least one of which is a polyether urethane prepolymer with a curing agent selected from the group consisting of trifunctional polyols, tetrafunctional polyols and amine-type curing agents having at least two reactive amine groups.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 4,123,061
- Filing date
- 1977-03-17
- Grant date
- 1978-10-31
- Assignee
- Acushnet Company
- Inventor(s)
- DUSBIBER; WARREN M.
- CPC class
- A63B37/0003
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