A New or Improved Football.
Year: 1897

page_text: FRANK HERBERT HARRIS, 5, Oxford Villas, Wormby, Broxbourne, Herts,
Nurseryman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The novelty of this invention is to have a hole and cap for inserting the
bladder.
The hole or opening in the case, has a rim of leather, or other suitable material
sewn, or otherwise fixed, round the inside edge, to form an aperture for the cap
to fit in.
The cap is a piece of leather, or other suitable material, cut sufficiently large
to cover the opening in the outside case, a piece of leather, or other material,
is sewn or otherwise fixed on the outside edge of the cap, to butt against the
rim inside the case, to prevent the cap from moving out of its proper position,
a piece of leather is cut the same size and shape as the hole in the outside case,
and sewn or otherwise fixed, on the outside of the cap, to form a level surface
with case of football when the ball is inflated.
A hole is made in centre of cap to allow of inflation and deflation.
Dated this 10th day of September 1897.
FRANK H. HARRIS.
A New or Improved Football.
FRANK HERBERT HARRIS, 5, Oxford Villas, Wormby, Broxbourne, Herts,
Nurseryman, 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 footballs, and has for its object to provide a simple,
effective and leak proof valve for footballs, and to do away with the lace which
is ordinarily provided with footballs.
The invention consists of a football constructed substantially as hereinafter
described and defined in the claims.
This invention to apply either to the cap, or the flap method of affixing bladder
in ball. Both methods are done by a system of butts, or projections fixed inside
of case; and cap or flap so that when the ball is blown up the projections coming
one against the other form a close joint and also prevents the bladder from being
blown out.

page_text: The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which, the
accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my im-
provements are designated by the same letters of reference in each of the views,
and in which I take the cap method of affixing first, in which:-
Fig. 1, represents a top view of a portion of the improved football, shewing
the casing and
Fig. 2 is a central, longitudinal, vertical section thereof.
"
In the drawings, "A" represents a football of any ordinary, or preferred
shape, and may be constructed of any suitable material such as rubber, celluloid,
gutta percha, leather and the like.
56
"
In one of the segments a hole B of any preferred shape is cut, oval I show.
Round the edge of the hole "B" on the inside, is sewn a ring "b," of celluloid
or other material. This ring is sewn on to form a corresponding butt for the
ring "d" of the cap "D" to fit in. The ring "6" being smaller than the
ring "d" enables the cap to fit close to the inside of the case when the bladder
is fully blown out.
44
The cap
'D," is composed of one or various pieces of leather and other
material, sewn together, so as to form a complete covering for hole, and also to
form a butt "d" against the outside rim of the hole in the case. The back
piece of the cap is in one, covering the hole with enough overlap to form a butt
so that the cap shall not be blown out, on this piece of leather or other material
is stitched another piece of leather or other material, celluloid preferred, in the
form of a ring "d," this piece is to form a butt against the outer ring "6" of
the case, to keep the case when full blown out from stretching out of its place,
also, as an extra guard from blowing the cap "D" out. The inner piece of
leather or other material, is sewn on in the exact shape of the hole in the case,
to bring the surface level with the ball. If desirable in this inner piece a hole
is cut right through the cap "D" for the pump nozzle to reach the valve "E"
in the bladder. On the under side of the cap "D," is sewn a collar, with a hole
through the centre, threaded with the same thread as on the outside case of valve,
to allow of the fixing of the valve to the cap "D" so as to remove the bladder
and cap together also to keep the valve and bladder in place.
We will now take the flap method of affixing in which:
:-
Fig. 1 represents a top view of a portion of the improved football shewing
the casing and
Fig. 2 is a central, longitudinal, vertical section thereof.
In the drawings, "A" represents a football of any ordinary, or preferred
shape, and may be constructed of any suitable material such as rubber, celluloid,
gutta-percha leather and the like.
"
In any of the segments or seams a hole or slip "B, a," is cut. On one of the
edges of hole "Ba," on the inside is sewn a strip "b, a," of celluloid or other
material. This strip is sewn on to form a corresponding butt for the strip "d, a,
of the flap "D" to fit in. The strip "ba," being stitched on the edge of seam or
hole and the strip "da," being stitched on to flap with sufficient room left
between one edge of seam and the strip "d, a," to allow the strip "b, a," to fit in
and so form a close joint when the bladder is fully blown out.
The flap "D" is composed of one or various pieces of leather or other material
sewn together so as to form a complete covering for the hole or seam and also
to form a butt " d, a," against the edge of the butt "b, a." The back piece
of the flap is in one piece covering the seam or hole with enough overlap to form
a butt against case so that the flap shall not be blown out, on this piece of
leather or other material is stitched another strip "d, a," of leather or other
material, celluloid preferred, this piece is to form a butt against the outer
strip "b, a," of the case to keep the case when full blown out from stretching
out of its place also an extra guard from blowing the cap out.
The collar "H," of valve can be sewn on flap or on any part of ball as advis-
able, method adapted hereinafter disclosed.

page_text: The hole in the collar "H" being in direct line with the hole in the cap, flap,
or case to allow of the inserting of the pump nozzle as before stated.
The bladder "F," for the ball is made preferably of rubber and formed so that,
instead of the tube "f" coming outside, it goes inside of the bladder. The
tube "f" of the bladder is of sufficient length to just take the valve, which is
fixed by any way advisable.
The body of the valve "E" is made of ebonite or any other material suitable.
The outside of the valve is plain turne! with a raised or minus thread on one
end of it opposite to the end which is faced and champerid inside & out to form
the valve seat "e," this thread is made of the same pitch as the thread in the hole of
the collar "H." The end has a hole e 1" partly drilled up and tapped, a smaller
hole "e 2," is continued right through the valve seat to allow the valve pin "e 3"
to come through also for the injection and ejection of the air.
The inside of the body of the valve is made with a thread right up as far as the
larger hole will allow the same pitch as the nipple of the pump so that, when
the pump nipple is screwed into place it lifts the valve pin e3," which is kept
down by a spring "e4," off the valve seat and so enable the air to escape.
The pin "e3," of the valve "E" has a head, "e5," on the bottom in the body
of valve, and is screwed on the other end, to allow a disc of metal "e7," to be
secured thereto. Under this disc of metal is a rubber washer, "e 6," to form
a close joint with the seat of valve when closed.
The spring "e4," which keeps the pin down in its place is placed between
the shoulder; which is made by the difference between the larger and smaller
holes drilled in the body of valve case; and the head of pin.
The nipple of the pump is made a little longer than the distance from the
entrance of valve to the bottom of pin so that, when the nipple is screwed up
it lifts the pin & so opens the valve.
A plug "G," is made and screwed the same thread as inside of valve with a
shoulder "g" on the end, the same size as the diameters of outside case of valve,
on this shoulder "g," a rubber or leather washer "91" is used to prevent any
likely escape of air. This plug when fixed in valve should not be above the
outside case of football or cap.
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). An improved football, comprising a casing, provided with an opening,
a cap adapted to close said opening, a tubular valve casing secured to said cap
by a collar and arranged wholly within the ball casing, a valve in said valve
casing and a bladder arranged within said ball casing, substantially as described.
(2). An improved football, comprising a casing provided with an opening,
a cap or flap adapted to close said opening, a stiffening ring or strip arranged
in the upper portion of said cap or hap, a tubular valve casing secured to said
cap and arranged wholly within the ball casing, a valve in said ball casing, sub-
stantially as described.
(3). An improved football, comprising a casing provided with an opening,
a cap having a centre portion adapted to fill said opening and having an under-
lying flange portion, a stiffening ring arranged in said flange, at the edge of
said opening, a tubular valve casing secured to said cap and arranged wholly
.within the ball casing, a valve in said valve casing and a bladder within said
ball casing, substantially as described.
(4). An improved football, comprising a casing provided with an opening,
a flap adapted to close said opening and having an underlying stiffening strip
portion, a stiffening strip arranged at the edge of the said opening, a tubular
valve casing secured to the said flap or case and arranged wholly within the said
ball casing and a bladder arranged within said ball casing substantially as
described.

page_text: (5). An improved football, comprising a casing provided with an opening, a
cap or flap adapted to close said opening, a tubular valve casing secured to said
cap and projecting wholly within said ball casing, a valve in said valve casing
and a bladder in said ball casing provided with a downwardly extending tubular
portion surrounding the tubular valve casing substantially as described.
(6). An improved football, comprising a casing, a casing provided with an
opening, a cap or flap adapted to close said opening, a tubular valve casing
secured to said cap and projecting wholly within the ball casing and provided
with interior screw threads at its outer end, said valve casing being provided
with a restricted opening in its lower end forming a valve seat, a flat valve
adapted to said valve seat and provided with a valve stem projecting upwardly
through said opening and provided with a head at its upper end, a spring sleeved
upon a valve stem and bearing upon the said head and the bottom of the valve
casing and a threaded plug adapted to close the outer end of the said valve
casing substantially as described.
Dated this 31et dow of Mo 1909