Improvements in Means for Supporting and Straining the Cords Carrying Nets Employed in Playing Lawn Tennis and other Games, and for Supporting and Straining Ropes or Cords Employed for other Purposes.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Means for Supporting and Straining the Cords
Carrying Nets Employed in Playing Lawn Tennis and other
Games, and for Supporting and Straining Ropes or Cords
Employed for other Purposes.
I JOHN SAUNDERS of 23 Coxwell Street, Cirencester in the County of
Gloucester Builder and Contracter, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR SUPPORTING AND STRAINING THE CORDS
CARRYING NETS EMPLOYED IN PLAYING LAWN TENNIS AND OTHER GAMES AND
FOR SUPPORTING AND STRAINING ROPES OR CORDS EMPLOYED FOR OTHER PURPOSES
to be as follows
-
For this purpose I employ at each end of the net a tripod stand, the legs
of which are so Jointed or hinged at their upper parts as to enable them to be
folded together when not in use and to be extended to the required distance when
opened out In order to effect this object the upper part of one of the legs is fitted
with a socket carrying studs arranged at an angle upon which the other two legs
are mounted.
The feet of two of the legs of each tripod are provided with fittings formed with
spikes projecting therefrom at an angle so as to enter the ground vertically and the
third leg is provided with a fitting formed with straight spikes for a similar
purpose and these fittings are also formed with studs, projections or flanges to
enable a person by the aid of his foot to readily press the spikes into the
ground
i
When in use the two legs of each tripod fitted with the inclined spikes and
which legs are somewhat longer than the other are placed one on each side of the
net and at an inclination thus bringing the spikes into a vertical position and the
third leg fitted with the straight spikes is placed vertically at the extreme end of
the net This position is most favourable for resisting the strain applied to the
cord of the net
The vertical leg of one tripod is provided with a device for tightening or
straining the cord supporting the net. This tightening device consists of a fitting

page_text: secured to the leg and carrying a revolving barrel or shaft having a flange at one
end and a handle to enable it to be revolved, at the other The flange or the
barrel is provided with ratchet teeth and a pawl is employed in connection there-
with to prevent the barrel running back A stud or projection is formed or fixed
on the barrel or on the flange and between this projection and the barrel or shaft
or between the projection and the flange the straining cord (which is provided with
a knot at the end) is placed
The cord is then led over a wheel or pulley carried by a fitting at the upper part
of the vertical leg of the tripod and it also passes over a similar pulley carried by
the fitting on the corresponding leg of the other tripod, it thence passes down to
a cleat or catch on such leg where it is secured
By revolving the barrel by the aid of the handle the required amount of tension
may be easily and quickly applied to the straining cord.
It will be readily understood that the means herein described in connection
with a lawn tennis net may be employed for straining cords or ropes for other
purposes.

page_text: I JOHN SAUNDERS of 23 Coxwell Street Cirencester in the County of Gloucester,
Builder and Contractor do hereby declare the nature of the invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement
For facility of description I have represented my invention as applied to a lawn
tennis net, reference. being had to the drawings hereunto annexed and to the
Figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say
Figure 1 18 an elevation and Figure 2 is an end view of means or apparatus
constructed according to my invention Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a side
view and plan showing the upper part of one of the tripod stands to an enlarged
scale and Figure 5 is a separate enlarged view of the upper part of the vertical leg
thereof Figures 6 and 7 are respectively an elevation and plan showing the foot
of the vertical leg separately to an enlarged scale
Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11 are respectively a side view, a sectional side view, a plan
and a sectional plan of the tightening device also drawn to an enlarged scale
Figures 12 and 13 are respectively a side view and plan of a modified form of
foot for the vertical leg and Figure 14 1s a cross section to an enlarged scale taken
on the line 1, 1, of Figure 12
A and B represent the two tripod stands in position for use a is the vertical leg
of the tripod stand and b b represent the inclined legs thereof
The upper part of the vertical legs a are provided with a metal socket or
fitting a carrying studs a² arranged at a slight angle as shown more clearly at
Figure 4 upon which the two inclined legs bb are mounted and secured by means
of keys or cotters a* passed through holes a³ formed in the ends of the studs a*
and such fitting a¹ is also furnished with a wheel or pulley a mounted with
capability of revolving on an axis a for the purpose hereinafter explained
The upper parts of the inclined legs b 6 are provided with metal fittings b¹
formed with holes therethrough to receive the studs a' and the feet of such legs b b
are furnished with metal fittings b³ formed with spikes 6 projecting therefrom at
an angle so as to enter the ground vertically and the vertical leg a is provided with
a metal fitting a formed with straight spikes a' for a similar purpose.
These fittings a and b are also respectively formed with studs or projections, a
and 6 to enable a person by the aid of his foot to readily press the spikes a' or b
into the ground.
The vertical leg a of the tripod stand B is provided with a device for tightening
or straining the cord a for annnorting the net...
+1

page_text: This tightening device consists of a metal fitting d secured to the leg a and
carrying a revolving barrel or shaft ₫ having a disc or flange d' at each end
thereof and provided with a handle or handles to enable it to be revolved
The barrel or shaft d is provided with a ratchet wheel d' and a pawl d³ 18
employed in connection therewith to prevent the barrel or shaft dď running back
but the pawl d may when desired be disengaged from the ratchet wheel d' by the
aid of the thumb piece de
A stud or projection dis formed or fixed on one of the flanges of the barrel
or shaft or it might be on the barrel or shaft and between this stud d' and the
barrel or shaft d or between the stud d' and the flange d as the case may be the
straining cord c which is provided with a knot or enlargement c² 18 placed
The cord c is then led over the wheel or pulley as carried by the fitting a¹ at the
top of the vertical leg a of the tripod B and it also passes over a similar pulley a
carried by the fitting a¹ of the corresponding leg a of the tripod A, it thence
passes down to a cleat or catch a fixed to such leg where it is secured
When in use the two legs b of each tripod fitted with the inclined spikes 6' and
which legs as will be seen on reference to Figure 1 are somewhat longer than the
third leg a are arranged one on each side of the net and necessarily at an
inclination and with their feet some distance apart thus bringing the spikes b*
into a vertical position and the third leg a fitted with the straight spikes a is
placed vertically at the extreme end of the net
This position is most favourable for resisting the strain applied to the cord c
The angular arrangement of the studs a' ensures the legs b being separated in
the act of opening out the tripod stand whilst it also enables all the legs to be
folded together when not in use
•
In the modification shown at Figures 12, 13, and 14 the fittang aº at the bottom
of the vertical leg a is furnished with curved spikes a', movably connected to the
fitting a by means of hinges a¹ or otherwise
This construction enables the spikes a to obtain a firmer hold of the ground
and it also enables them when out of use to be turned up out of the way as shown
by the dotted lines in Figure 12 in which position they may be secured by means
of the open ring or fastening all as shown in Figures 12 and 14
The ring or
fastening a will also serve to secure the bottom edge of the net to the vertical
lega of the tripod when in use
The action of the apparatus is as follows
The tripod stands having been placed in position as shown in Figures 1 and 2
and the cord c having been threaded through the meshes at the upper part of the
net, the cord c 18 laid in the groove of the pulley a' of the tripod B and the end
thereof is placed between the barrel or shaft d¹ and the stud d' with the knot c¹ in
the position shown at Figure 9
The other end of the cord c 18 laid in the groove of the pulley a³ on the top of
the tripod A and is made fast to the cleat a on the leg a thereof
Now by revolving the barrel or shaft d by means of the handles d³ the requisite
amount of tension may be easily and quickly applied to the straining cord
Although I have herein shown and described my invention in connection with a
lawn tennis net, I would have it understood that it is equally applicable for
supporting and straining cords or ropes employed for other purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same 18 to be performed, I declare that what
I claim 18
1 In an apparatus for supporting or straining cords or ropes, the employment of
a tripod stand B the vertical leg a of which is provided with a metal, fitting a¹
carrying angularly arranged studs a³ and a wheel or pulley as and the inclined
legarb of which are furnished with metal fittings 61 to receive said studs, such
tripod being provided with a tightening device, for the cord on rope and, the feet

page_text: thereof having studs or projections as 6 and spikes a 6* all acting in manner
substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose stated.
2 In an apparatus for supporting or straining cords or ropes the employment of
two tripod stands A, B, the vertical legs a of which are provided with metal
fittings al carrying angularly arranged studs a' and wheels or pulleys a³ and the
inclined legs 6 of which are furnished with metal fittings b¹ to receive said studs
the one tripod being provided with a cleat or fastening device a for one end of the
cord or rope and the other being furnished with a tightening device for the other
end of the cord or rope and the feet of both tripods baving studs or projections as bo
and spikes a b' all acting in manner substantially as herein shown and described
and for the purpose stated.
3 In an apparatus for supporting and straining cords or ropes the general
construction arrangement and combination of parts substantially as herein shown
and described and for the purposes stated.