Improvements in Presses or Grips for Tennis and other Racquets.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 11th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 13th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Presses or Grips for Tennis and other Racquets.
I. NEVILLE GEORGE DE BRETTON PRIESTLEY, District Traffic Superin-
tendent In:lian State Railways, attached at present to the B.B. & C.I. Railway Co.
at Bandikui, in the Empire of India, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The press is made up of wood and steel or of metal or other suitable material
only, with metal or other fittings and consists of preferably four lower wooden or
metal arms shaped in such a manner as to give the greatest strength with the
smallest amount of material, fixed on a longitudinal preferably wooden or metal
base. From the base at one end rises a bracket or lugs which in turn carry a
hinged spring cover. At the other end of the base rises a bracket or lugs with
hinged lever or springs on one arm and catch for holding the lever on another
bracket or lug. The cover extends from one metal bracket on base to the outside
of the other metal bracket and lever on base and is provided with a stop hinge
metal eye at end which answers the purpose when opened out of extra leverage
for closing the press and a handy means of carrying or hanging up by.
The catch is so constructed as to close inwards on the spring thus avoiding any
projection. When the cover is brought down in parallel with the base the lever
or strap can be brought over it and fixed by the catch thus preventing the cover
from rising. On the lower side of the cover four arms similar to those on the
base are fixed and are arranged so as to come immediately over the lower arms
when the cover is brought into position for use.
By this means the pressure upon the bat is obtained by a spring in place of
screws as heretofore. The spring cover or tops may be directly jointed to the
base instead of to a bracket thereon or it may be formed in one piece with the
base with a spring bow or connection or other suitable spring connection between
the two parts, the base and the tops or cover.
Dated this 28th day of March 1894
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Presses or Grips for Tennis and other Racquets.
1, NEVILLE GEORGE DE BRETTON PRIESTLEY, District Traffic Superin-
tendent, Indian State Railways, attached at present to the B. B. & C. I.
Railway Co., at Bandikui, in the Empire of India, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The presses hitherto used for tennis, racquet, badminton and other similar bats,
have usually been constructed of two parts, capable of being secured together
The use of
with the bat between them, by the aid of thumb and other screws.
screws for this purpose is always found inconvenient and troublesome, and the
object of my invention is to substitute therefor a spring or springs so arranged
that the bat may be quickly and easily secured in or released from the press.

page_text: For the purposes of my invention I construct my improved press of two parts
of metal, wood or other material, each preferably in the form of an X or of
four arms projecting from a central boss at right angles to one another.
Each of these X pieces is rivetted or otherwise secured to the middle of a flat
oblong spring of steel, wood or other suitable material, from one end of which
projects a lug at right angles to the length thereof, and from the same side as
that to which the X piece is secured.
The free ends of these lugs on the oblong springs are hinged together, whilst a
clasp or other suitable fastening is provided for securing the opposite ends of
oblong springs together.
And in order that this invention may be more fully understood and carried into
practice, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawings, of which Fig. 1 is an elevation; and Fig. 2 a plan of a press constructed
according to my invention.
The pieces a, which are of wood, metal or other material are preferably formed
of four arms projecting from a central boss at right angles to one another and
having their outer ends suitably shaped to receive the rim of a bat between them,
and are each rivetted or otherwise secured to the middle of an oblong spring of
steel, or other material.
These springs are hinged together at one end by means of lugs c, whilst at their
opposite ends a clasp d of any suitable form is provided by means of which
they may be secured together and. so hold the pieces a together with a bat
between them.
The combined length of the lugs c and that of the fastening d is such that when
a bat is placed in the press the rim thereof will be gripped between the free ends
of the pieces a owing to the tension on the springs b.
Where found desirable an oblong or other suitable frame may be substituted for
one of the springs b, whilst the press may be modified so that it will hold two or
more bats this being effected by providing two or more pairs of the pieces a
arranged side by side on a single pair of springs or providing three or more springs
arranged one above the other the pieces a being secured to each side of the
intermediate springs in this case.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
(1) A press for tennis, racquet, badminton and other bats, in which the pressure
upon the parts shaped to receive the bat between them is effected by an oblong or
other suitably shaped spring or springs substantially as and in the manner described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
(2) A press for tennis and other bats constructed and operated substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of September 1894.
66
CASTLE SMITH,
Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.
CASTLE SMITH,
65 Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.