Baseball/Softball Bats (sting stop)

 

Our invented sting-stop baseball bat consists of two parts, the barrel-throat-stem and the handle.  The barrel is conventional, but, instead of tapering into a conventional hollow handle, the throat is swedged into a relatively thin solid rod.  The handle part is a hollow circular tube with an outward taper at the end facing the barrel.  An elastomer is molded to fill the space between the two parts.  The dimensions of the thin rod, and the elastic modulus of the elastomer are chosen by computer such that the transverse waves, which propagate down the bat after impact with the ball, are absorbed in the elastomer and are not transmitted to the outer handle. Conventional end-caps and handle-knobs are added to complete the bat. One measure of the effectiveness of the Shock-Block mechanism for elimination bat handle sting is demonstrated in the following photographs of oscilloscope readings (amplitude verses time) of vibrations on bat handles.  The transverse wave on a conventional bat handle during the first 0.1 seconds after impact is shown in Fig. 4.3, and the wave on the SB handle during the same time interval is shown in Fig. 4.4.

                          Fig. 4.3

                          Fig. 4.3

                       Fig.4.4

                       Fig.4.4

The wave on the conventional handle is seen to be undiminished in this time interval, whereas the wave on the Shock-Block handle decreases by a factor of 15.  The same waves are shown in Fig. 4.5 during the first 0.5 seconds after impact.

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                                    Fig. 4.5

                                    Fig. 4.5

The wave on the conventional handle is seen to remain undiminished in even this large time interval, whereas the wave on the Shock-Block handle is completely dissipated after 0.25 seconds.  The dramatic sting attenuation properties of the Shock-Block technology are clearly demonstrated in these photographs.