IMPROVEMENTS IN PRESSES FOR LAWN TENNIS RACKETS AND OTHER ARTICLES REQUIRING MEANS FOR RETAINING OR PRESERVING THEIR SHAPES
Year: 1885

page_text: I FRANK BRYAN, of 38 Charterhouse Square, in the City of London, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRESSES FOR LAWN TENNIS RACKETS AND OTHER ARTICLES REQUIRING MEANS FOR
RETAINING OR PRESERVING THEIR SHAPES, to be as follows:-
The object of the invention is to improve the construction of presses or clamping
means for retaining or preserving the forms, or shapes, of Lawn Tennis Rackets
and other articles which have a tendency under changes of temperature or other
causes to lose their truth or proper forms, and to avoid the objectionable projecting
parts of the tightening means which characterise existing arrangements.
According to my improvements I form the opposite side parts or plates of the
press or clamp substantially as usual, or otherwise, as regards form, and I regulate
and control the distance of these parts, from each other, by means of a number of
male and female screw devices. Each having a hollow cylinder, or part cylinder,
having an internal screw thread and a flange, or enlargement, by which it is
secured to the one clamping plate of the press, taking onto a male-screw projecting
from the other plate of the press and secured thereto, with capability of removal, if
desired, by means of an enlargement on the head of that male screw being formed
with a collar or recess to receive or engage with a correspondingly shaped plate
affixed to its clamping plate of the press. To this screw head is also hinged a
thumb-piece, or catch, adapted to be turned up, or out, for use and down, or in,
when not needed to be turned but to be then out of the way, whilst when shut
down it serves as a locking catch.
The flanges or retaining parts for the male and female screws that serve to
adjust the distance of the parts or plates of the clamp apart may be screwed to the
wood or other material thereof by screwing or otherwise.
By these means whilst the general utility is increased, the great advantage is
attained that whether one racket or article, or more, be in the press no undesirable
projecting parts are necessary.

page_text: Articles Requiring Means for Retaining or Preserving their
Shapes.
I FRANK BRYAN of 38 Charterhouse Square, in the City of London, Manu-
facturer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
PRESSES FOR LAWN TENNIS RACKETS AND OTHER ARTICLES REQUIRING MEANS
FOR RETAINING OR PRESERVING THEIR SHAPES and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
The object of the Invention is to improve the construction of presses or clamping
means for retaining or preserving the forms, or shapes, of lawn tennis rackets and
other articles which have a tendency under changes of temperature or other causes
to lose their truth or proper forms, and to avoid the objectionable projecting parts
of the tightening means which characterise existing arrangements.
According to my improvements I form the opposite side parts or plates of the
press. or clamp substantially as usual, or otherwise, as regards form, and I regulate
and control the distance of these parts, from each other, by means of a number of
male and female screw devices. Each having a hollow cylinder, or part cylinder,
having an internal screw thread and a flange, or enlargement,, by which it is
secured to the one clamping plate of the, press, taking on to a male screw projecting
from the other plate of the press and secured thereto, with capability of removal, if
desired, by means of an enlargement on the head of that male screw being formed
with a collar or recess to receive or engage with a correspondingly shaped plate
affixed to its clamping plate of the press. To this screw head, is also hinged a
thumb-piece, or catch, adapted to be turned up, or out, for use and, down, or in,
when not needed to be turned but to be then out of the way, whilst when shut
down it serves as a locking catch.
The flanges or retaining parts for the male and female screws that serve to
adjust the distance. of the parts or plates of the clamp apart may be secured to, the
wood or other material thereof by screwing or otherwise.
By, these means whilst the general utility, is increased, the great advantage is
attained that whether one racket or article, or more, be in, the press no undesirable
projecting parts are necessary,

page_text: In Figure 1 the dotted lines r shew the contour of a racket frame in position in
the press and Figure 2 shows by dotted lines how three such rackets may be
simultaneously pressed in one press divided from one another by dividing plates e
and e. is another plate adapted to divide a fourth racket if needed from the
others. These dividing plates è are designed to compensate for the differences in
thickness of the parts of the racket handles and to enable the parallelness of the
faces of the rackets to be preserved in the press.
The press proper is constructed of the outer faces or plates c, d connected by the
engagement of the screws ab respectively connected to each plate in sets. The
screws a are formed of a thread part a¹, a collar a³, an annular groove a³ and an
enlarged head at provided with a ring a' or other folding, or removable handle or
other means of turning the screw, this screw is secured in a flanged plate a secured
say by screws a to the plate c on its outer face the stem. a¹ passing through the
plate c. The female screws b are similarly secured to the other plates d but as
these are not required to revolve the flanges or heads 62 do not need to be other
than fixtures on the stems b¹ and they may be and are shown simply screwed to the
under outer plates & by screws 63. fis a handle for carrying the press or press and
contained rackets.
The capacity of the press is within practicable limits only limited by the lengths
of the connecting screws a b and the portability or such like requirements of the
article.
The means of turning the screws a may be of the well known character of key
and be removable such as are sometimes employed to lock stoppers in bottles or
other articles, the advantage sought being to avoid inconvenient projections from
the press whilst otherwise securing compactness.
The rings or other holding means for the screws to be turned by, may be counter
sunk or when out of use wholly within the press plates surface contour.
Fig. 6 shews a modification in the form of the opposite side parts or plates of the
press or clamp c. d In this arrangement the like form of telescopic male and
female extending and contracting screw connection a. b is employed, each screw
connection being distributed around the press but in this modification the outer
opposite sides c. d instead of following substantially the approximate form of a
racket head, here take the form of a cross with metal or other strengthening cross
ribs or stays c¹ to the ends of which c³ the screws a with the parts, as already
described with reference to the previous figures, are applied.
The under side part or plate, answering to d in Fig. 1, is similarly formed to this
plate c of Fig. 6 so as to receive the screw b and its parts. The part c¹ also has its
counterpart below.
Instead of employing the cross form of outer plates shewn by the previous figure
the form of outer plates or parts may more resemble a Maltese cross and four screw
connecting parts a, may be employed one at each extremity of each limb and the
part of the plates pressing on the rackets may be thus still more lessened or
reduced for lightness or otherwise and these and other of the parts may be of metal
or metal and wood, or of other suitable material.
Or, the form of pear shaped plates c*, shewn in Fig. 1, may be employed in
combination with the forms of crossed parts c¹ shewn by Figs. 6 and 7, either
attached thereto or formed therewith.
It will from this description be readily understood that the number of limbs to
the part may be varied."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. In a press for lawn tennis rackets or other articles requiring to be similarly
pressed, the combination or arrangement of male and female screws operating so as

page_text: not inconveniently to project beyond the outer faces of the press, substantially as
set forth.
2. The combinations or arrangements of parts of lawn tennis presses or such like
presses described and shewn with reference particularly to Figures 6 and 7.
3. In lawn tennis racket presses or such like presses the combinations or
arrangements of parts operating as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 14th day of January 1886.