US Patent 9108347 Golf ball mold and golf ball manufacturing method

A golf ball mold that includes a mold body configured as a plurality of mold parts which have at least a parting surface that defines a parting line at a golf ball equator and removably mate to form a cavity having an inner wall with a plurality of dimple-forming protrusions thereon is provided. The golf ball mold includes a support pin which has an end face with a plurality of dimple-forming protrusions thereon and is extendable into and retractable from the cavity. The support pin extends into the cavity to support a center sphere and, when in a retracted state, the end face thereof defines a portion of the inner wall of the cavity. The end face of the support pin includes a pole of the cavity and has a peripheral edge which intersects a parallel of latitude at 10 degrees from the pole.