Improvements in Lawn Tennis Apparatus.
Year: 1894

page_text: COMPLETE STRAITATION.
Improvements in Lawn Tennis Apparatus.
I, WILLIAM BERNARD HOPKINS, of corner of 9th and F Streets Washington,
in the District of Columbia, United States of America, Gentleman do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described aud ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention relates to the class of lawn tenuis and particularly to a device for
detachably connecting the tennis net to a post and tightening it, and to means for
protecting such device and the net without removing them from the tennis court.
The object of the invention is to provide a simple durable and inexpensive means
for connecting the net to a post and to protect and preserve said means as well as
the net from exposure when not in use without removing the net from the court.
A further object of the invention is to provide a tightening device for lawn
tennis nets by means of which the top and bottom guy ropes of the net are tightened
simultaneously and equally one with the other while said device at the same time
stretches or spreads the net with equal uniformity throughout.
Experience has proven that it is a very difficult matter for a lady to handle a
lawn tennis net; first it is impossible for such person to stretch the net properly
upon the posts by hand; second, it is almost impossible for the net to be stretched
and rendered sufficiently taut without exposing the net and the devices for
stretching it to the elements when not in use, and to avoid such exposure the net
and its tightening devices have to be removed from the court requiring repeated
settings of the net; it is to overcome these difficulties and defects of the stretching
devices now in vogue, that my invention is especially designed.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and the
novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
My invention consists in the improved construction of the tightening device,
means for operating and protecting it and the net, whereby I greatly simplify the
operation of tightening the net, and render its setting perfect, and secure from
exposure when not in use.
My invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which when
taken in connection with the reference letters marked thereon form a part of this
application, and in which:
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a lawn tennis net set up and stretched upon the
ordinary posts by my improved connecting and stretching device.
Fig. 2 shows the end of the net having the connecting and stretching device,
detached from one post and the net rolled upon the said device to the other post
where it is covered by my protector.
Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view partly broken away of the connecting and
tightening device.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the windlass.
Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the portion of the device carrying the
windlass, showing the manner of attaching the latter, with the slidable stop pin in
elevation.
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the post having the locking
catch.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the protector or hood.
The same letters of reference denote the same parts throughout the several
figures of the drawings.

page_text: a,
The posts A and B, are of the usual type, provided with ordinary hooks and b,
while the net C is of ordinary form having top and bottom guy ropes D and E
respectively.
The connection between the net and the post B is made in the customary way,
but the connection between the post A and the net is made by means of the rod or
bar F, which may be of any suitable material but I prefer to make it of galvanized
iron having at each end an aperture c, through which the head of the hooks a, are
passed so as to locate the bar firmly upon the hooks.
This bar F is provided with ordinary small rollers or guide pulleys G and H,
which are journalled in the slots e, and, of the said bar, and in the centre of the
latter is journalled the stem g, of the windlass I by simply upsetting the end of the
stem upon the opposite side of the bar from the windlass, which leaves the latter
between the post A and bar F, and in the same plane with the longitudinal center
of the net. This constitutes the tightening device.
The rope D after being passed over the pulley G is attached to the windlass at h,
while the rope E carried by the pulley H is attached to the windlass at i, so that
by turning the latter both ropes will wind upon the windlass equally and
simultaneously.
The bar F is provided with a short slidable pin L to be pushed in engagement
with one of the arms 1, of the windlass to stop and hold the latter in any desired
position.
The stem and arms of the windlass are intended to be made in the most simple
inexpensive manner, but preferably of light galvanized metal; the said arms being
close together and not wider than the bar in order that the net may be rolled
upon the bar in a very compact form, as shown in Fig. 2. The bottom of the
post B is provided with a spring catch M, or the latter may simply be firmly
driven in the ground near the said post and its free end engage and project through
the slot m, in the protector or hood N when the latter is placed over the rolled-up
net and post B.
The said free end of the spring catch has an aperture n, to receive the ring of a
suitable lock O, which renders the hood securely locked in position to thoroughly
protect and house the net and tightening device when not in use without removing
the same from the court. This protector may be made of any suitable waterproof
material found best fitted for the purpose.
It will be observed that after the net ropes are once put in place upon the bars
and attached to the windlass the net can be readily rolled upon and off the bar
without detaching the other end of the ropes, and should it be desired to remove
the net from the court it can be easily lifted from the post against which it is rolled
in a body with the tightening device, without detaching the latter from the net,
displacement of the ropes, or entanglement of the net and its ropes with the said
device.
It will be observed that the windlass is turned at right angles to the turn of the
pulleys, and that the pull of the ropes by the windlass is equal toward the center of
the bar, while the said bar stretches or spreads the net vertically at the same time
it is stretched horizontally.
It will be further observed that I do not prohibit the use of a central net
supporting rod, as the same may or may not be used, but its use will be found not
at all necessary with my improved device.
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 [
claim is
1. In a stretching and tightening device for lawn tennis nets, the bar having
apertures to connect it to a tennis post, combined with the rollers or guide pulleys
journalled in the bar for the net ropes, and the windlass journalled in the bar
carrying the ropes and adapted to be turned at right angles to the turn of the
pulleys, as set forth.

page_text: 2. In a lawn tennis apparatus, the combination of the post provided with the
catch M, the tightening device, the tennis net adapted to be wrapped around the
tightening device and secured to the post, and the protector adapted to be placed
over the assembled parts and locked to the said catch, as set forth.
Dated this 31st day of July 1894.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.