Apparatus and method for winding a golf ball

摘要

An apparatus for winding filament on respective cores to form golf balls comprises fixed winding stations 1 about turntable N. Each station has pairs of rotatable rollers which are advanced towards one another to clamp and rotate a core for winding filament thereon. Turntable N is indexable between stations and carries:- core supplying means 4; means 2 to start winding filament on a core and to load a part-wound core between the rollers of respective winding stations; and means 3 for removing wound cores and finish-wind filaments. Means 2 comprises rotatable shafts which may be urged together so that a fresh core is clamped between shaft ends, there being a needle movable to hold a filament to the core for initial winding. Means 2 is movable to place an initially wound core between the rollers. Means 3 is similar to means 2, but uses a latch needle and a filament cutter. Cores may be solid, or comprise frozen liquid or paste.