Improvements in Apparatus for Practising Football, Tennis, Cricket, and like Games; applicable also for Physical Exercise.
Year: 1899

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Practising Football, Tennis, Cricket,
and like Games; applicable also for Physical Exercise.
I, EUSTACE HAMILTON MILES, M.A., of No. 5, St. Paul's Road, Cambridge,
Cambridgeshire Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in captive-ball apparatus for practising
foot-ball, tennis, cricket, and like games, applicable also for physical exercise.
The object of the invention is to provide a means whereby a person can practise
the various strokes, hits, kicks, and the like, as actually used in the real games,
and also various physical exercises such as kicking, punching and "heading,"
that is, stopping a ball in motion with the head from which by skilful movements
the ball may be caused to rebound in any direction desired, such as is done in
football.
I am aware that various captive-ball devices. having the same or similar
objects in view are already known, but they all possess in a greater or less
degree the disadvantages of not affording the actual conditions and experiences
met with in the real game or exercise, as the case may be, and therefore do not
fulfil the requirements of such apparatus for sound practice. They are provided
with a special ball, not one of the identical balls used in the actual game, and
moreover the ball is invariably fixed either firmly or loosely to some attachment
on the suspending cords, such as a ring or hook, or fixed to a helical wire coil
so that it cannot turn freely in every direction, as it can in the actual game;
again, a special bat, racket or other implement is provided to take the place of
the bat, racket, etc., used in the game itself; and moreover the ball has hitherto
been suspended or supported by cords, which have been stretched vertically
between two fixed points, and finally means of adjusting the tension of the cords
have not always been provided, so that the conditions in all these respects are
different to those met with in the real game.
It has been my aim to construct an apparatus for practise which shall fulfil
all the conditions and afford the experience of the actual game as nearly as
possible
In my apparatus which I am about to describe, the actual ball and bat,
racket, or other implement of the game or exercise are employed. The ball is
free to turn in all directions and the cords by which it is suspended or held captive
are rendered adjustable at will to any desired height or tension, and also to any
desired angle including the vertical or horizontal, so that the ball can be moved
and made to approach at any angle desired, or at all events sufficiently to meet
all practical requirements.
According to my invention, the ball, which as above stated is one of the actual
as used in the came itself is enclosed a vocket or bag made of
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طمسم

page_text: netting or similar openwork. This pocket is so made that the ball may be easily
placed in, secured in, and taken out again when desired. To enable this, the
said bag is or may be provided with a draw-up mouth closed by means of a
string, tape or the like, or it may be furnished with any suitable fastening or
clasp easily opened by hand, but which when closed will hold the ball securely
and will not damage, the bat, racket or other implement used. It is not essential
that this net-pocket should be composed of non-elastic material such as string;
it may be composed either wholly or partly of elastic material such for example,
as indiarubber cords or strands. The ball fits the net pocket easily, but is not
connected to it in any way, so that it is free to turn in all directions; attached
by one end to the said pocket at two opposite points are two cords or strands,
made of some suitable elastic material such as indiarubber, the other ends of
which are attached to one end of cords advantageously made of some suitable
non-elastic or non-stretchable material, such as string or the like, and the free
ends of these latter cords are, when the apparatus erected for use, passed through
any pair of hooks, rings or cleats secured in a row at intervals in the ceiling and
floor or in two side walls, or in lieu thereof, a special frame (e.g. of stout wood)
may be provided to take these hooks, rings or cleats, and over one or more
rings or pulleys, and finally the ends are secured adjustably in a cleat or clamp,
or other adjustable fastening device, or other bolder fixed in the walls or any
other suitable fixture. The number of hooks, rings pulleys and cleats or clamps,
or other adjustable fastening device employed will depend entirely upon the
number of different heights and angles needed.
From the above description it will be understood that a ball, such as is used
in the actual game, is placed in a net or openwork pocket which is held captive
and suspended by two or more elastic cords or strands stretched out laterally in
opposite directions, the extremities being held in or attached to an adjustable
clamp or holding device fixed to the walls of a room or a special frame, the said
cords passing through hooks or rings and over pulleys so that they may be drawn
taut or to any degree of tension by means of the adjustable cleat, clamp, or
fastening device, at will. Thus, by the arrangement of several hooks or rings
secured in some frame or fixture surrounding the apparatus, the suspending-
cords, can be attached to any pair of these hooks opposite each other diagonally
or at any angle to either plane of projection, in addition to the usual vertical
position to which these apparatuses have hitherto been confined.
Two or more apparatuses could be used as an exercise in variety and change,
as they could be adjusted to different heights and angles, and degrees of tension,
so that the ball can be approached at any angle and caused to rebound after being
hit or kicked at any pace practically required.
Dated this 27th day of November 1899.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Apparatus for Practising Football, Tennis, Cricket,
and like Games; applicable also for Physical Exercise.
I, EUSTACE HAMILTON MILES, M.A., of No. 5, St. Paul's Road, Cambridge,
Cambridgeshire Gentleman, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in captive-ball apparatus for practising

page_text: football, tennis, cricket, and like games, applicable also for physical exercisc.
The object of the invention is to provide a means whereby a person can practise
the various strokes, hits, kicks, and the like, as actually used in the real game,
and also various physical exercises, such as kicking, punching and "heading,"
that is stopping a ball in motion with the head from which by skilful movements
the ball may be caused to rebound in any direction desired, such as is done in
football.
I am aware that various captive-ball devices having the same or similar
objects in view are already known, but they all possess in a greater or less
degree the disadvantages of not affording or not simulating closely enough the
actual conditions and experiences met with in the real game or exercise as
the case may be, and therefore do not fulfil the requirements of such apparatus
for sound practice. They are provided with a special ball, not one of the
identical balls used in the actual game, and the ball is invariably fixed either
firmly or loosely to some attachment on the suspending cords, such as a ring
or hooked or fixed to a helical wire coil or pivoted rod, so that it (the ball) cannot
turn freely in every direction as it can in the actual game; a special bat, racket
or other implement is provided to take the place of the bat, racket &c. used in
the game itself; and moreover the ball has hitherto been suspended or supported
by cords, which have been stretched vertically between two fixed points only,
and finally means for adjusting the tension of the cords with facility and at
will have been provided, so that the conditions in all these respects are different
to those met with in the real game.
It has been my aim to construct an apparatus for practice which shall fulfil
all the conditions and afford the experiences of the actual game as nearly as
possible.
In my apparatus which I am about to describe, the actual ball and (where
required by the game), the bat, racket, or other implement of the game or exercise,
are employed. The ball is free to move and to turn in all directions, and the
cords by which it is suspended or held captive are rendered adjustable at will
to any desired height or tension and also to any desired angle including the
vertical or horizontal, so that the ball can be moved and made to approach at
any angle desired, or at all events sufficiently to meet all practical requirements.
I will now proceed to describe the invention in detail with the aid of the
accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 represents, in elevation, the apparatus suspended between two
horizontal supports, showing how the suspension lines may be stretched either
vertical or at some other angle to the horizontal plane..
Figure 2 represents, in plan, the apparatus suspended between two vertical
supports, shewing how the suspension lines may be stretched at an angle to
the vertical plane.
Figure 3 represents in elevation, the apparatus stretched horizontally between
two vertical supports, and is intended to show how the height of the ball from
the ground may be varied at will.
Figure 4 represents in plan the apparatus suspended between two vertical
supports, and is intended to show how the suspension lines may be stretched at
various angles to the vertical plane.
It may be mentioned that although these figures have been drawn from the
points or positions of vision above indicated yet nevertheless either of the plans
may be also considered as elevations and vice versa by simply imagining the
vertical supports to be horizontal or vice versa, and this is desirable since it is
a characteristic of my apparatus that it can be adjusted at any practically required
angle to either planes of projection, including the true horizontal and vertical
positions.
According to my invention, the ball which, as above stated, is one of the
actual ones such as used in the game itself, is enclosed in a pocket or bag b
made preferably of netting or similar openwork material. This pocket is so

page_text: made that the ball may be easily placed in, secured in, and taken out again when
desired. To enable this, the bag is or may be provided with a draw-up mouth
closed by means of a string, tape or the like c or it may be furnished with any
suitable fastening or clasp easily opened by hand but which when closed will
hold the ball securely and will not damage the bat, racket or other implement
or instrument used. This pocket may be composed of a non-elastic material such
as string or twine, but it is not essential that it should be composed of non-
elastic material, it may be composed wholly or partly of elastic material, such
for example as india-rubber, cords or strands. The ball fits the net pocket loosely,
that is, easily, but is not connected to it in any way, so that it is free to turn
in all directions. Attached by one end to the said pocket at two opposite points
are two cords or strands d, d, made of some suitable elastic material such as
india-rubber or elastic contrivance such as closely coiled helical springs. the other
ends of which are attached to one end of cords e e advantageously made of cords
or strands of some suitable non-elastic or non-stretchable material, such as string,
leather, wire cord or the like, and the free ends of these latter cords are, when
the apparatus is erected for use, passed through any opposite pair of hooks such
as h,, rings or cleats secured in one or more rows at intervals in any suitable
vertical or horizontal supports, such, for instance, as the ceiling and floor or two
side walls or in lieu thereof a special frame, say of stout wood, or metal tube
may be provided to support these hooks, rings or cleats, and over one or more
pulleys such as shewn at f f and finally the ends are secured one adjustably in a
cleat or clamp or other adjustable fastening device, such as shewn at g, and the
other adjustably to a ring, hook or other holder, such as shewn at i fixed. in the
walls, ceiling, Hoor, post or any other suitable support. The number of hooks,
rings, pulleys and cleats or clamps or other adjustable fastening device employed
will depend entirely upon the number of different heights and angles and the
number of balls needed.
From the above description it will be understood that a ball such as is used
in the actual game, is placed in a net or open-work pocket such as b which is
held captive and suspended by two or more elastic (considering them as a whole)
cords or strands stretched out laterally in opposite directions, the extremities being
held in or attached to an adjustable clamp or holding device fixed to the walls of
a room or a special frame, the said cords passing through hooks or rings and over
pulleys so that they may be drawn taut or to any degree of tension by means of
the adjustable cleat, clamp, or fastening device at will. Thus, by the arrangement]
of several hooks or rings secured in some frame or fixture surrounding the
apparatus, the suspending-cords can be attached to any pair of these hooks
opposite each other directly, diagonally or at any angle to either plane of pro-
jection, in addition to the usual vertical position to which these apparatuses have
hitherto been confined.
Two or more apparatuses could be used together as an exercise in variety and
change, as they could be adjusted to different heights and angles and degrees
of tension, so that the balls can be approached at any angles and caused to
rebound after being hit or kicked at any pace practically required.
my said
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In captive-ball apparatus of the class herein referred to for practising ball
games and physical exercise, the combination with the ball, the two suspension
cords and means for the attachment of the said cords to fixed supports, of a
pocket attached at opposite points to one end of each of the suspension cords,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. In captive ball apparatus of the class herein referred to for practising ball
games and physical exercise, the combination with the ball and two suspension
cords of the pocket adapted to hold the ball and means for attaching the suspension

page_text: cords to the supports at any angle to either plane or projection and any height
consisting of two pulleys and rows of hooks and adjustable fastening device, all
substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 10th day of May 1900
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.