Improvements in Leather-covered Balls of the kind used for Cricket.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd May, 1898
Complete Specification I aft 2nd Fah
000
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Leather-covered Balls of the kind used for Cricket.
We, WALTER SIMMONS and JAMES SIMMONS, both of Chapel Street, Dawley, in
the County of Salop, Football Makers, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
Leather-covered balls, of the kind used for cricket, as heretofore or commonly
made, each have the halves of the leather case or covering sewn together by stitches
which appear at the outer surface of the ball. The exposed portions of the stitches
are liable to become quickly cut or worn through, thus rendering the ball useless.
Now, this invention has for its object to construct such balls in a manner which
avoids any projection of the stitches at the outer face of a ball, whereby the stitches
are not liable to come in contact with the bat or ground, and the durability of the
ball is thus greatly increased.
course,
The above object is accomplished, according to this invention, by forming each
half of the leather case by which the core of the ball is covered, with a welt which
is placed flat against the edge of the nearly hemispherical portion of the half
case and is sewn thereto by means of stitches which appear only at the face of the
welt which is to come opposite to the welt of the opposite half
case, and at the interior of the half case. The welt is, of
sewn to the other portion of the half case while such is in its inside-out
form. The half cases are sewn together, around the core, by stitching through
the two welts, and these stitches enter and pass out from the welts in the grooves
or joints between the welts and the other portions of the half cases.
of the stitches which are outside the welts are consequently enclosed, or largely so,
The portions
in such grooves or joints, and are protected from exposure to rough usage.
The welts may at first be of somewhat larger diameter than the diameter of the
intended ball, so as to leave plenty of substance while they are being sewn together,
and may be afterwards pared down to the diameter of the ball.
Dated the 2nd day of May 1898

page_text: tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement;-
Leather-covered balls, of the kind used for cricket, as heretofore made, each have
the halves of the leather case or covering sewn together by stitches which appear
at the outer surface of the ball. The exposed portions of the stitches are liable to
become quickly cut or worn through, thus rendering the ball useless.
Now, this invention has for its object to construct such balls in a manner which
avoids any exposure of the stitches at the outer face of a ball, whereby the stitches
are not liable to come in contact with the bat or ground, and the durability of the
ball is thus greatly increased.
The above object is accomplished, according to this invention, by forming cach
half of the leather case by which the core of the ball is covered, with a welt which
is placed against the edge of the other or nearly hemispherical portion of the half
case and is sewn thereto by means of stitches which appear only at the face of
the welt which is to come opposite to the welt of the opposite half
of the case, and at the interior of the half case. The welt is sewn
to the other portion of the half case while such is in its inside-out
form. The half cases are sewn together, around the core, by stitching
through the two welts, and these stitches enter and pass out from the welts in the
divisions or joints between the welts and the other portions of the half cases.
portions of the stitches which are outside the welts are, consequently, enclosed,
or largely so, in such divisions or joints, and are protected from exposure to rough
usage.
The
In order that the invention may be clearly understood, we have illustrated in
the accompanying drawings a practical example of the same. Figures 1, 2 and 3
are, respectively, a transverse section, a side elevation, and an elevation looking
towards the outer annular face of the welt, of one half of the case, shewing the
same inside-out. Figure 4 is a view corresponding to Figure 3, but shews the half
case turned right-side-out preparatory to being sewn to the opposite half of the
case. Figure 5 is a section taken through the centre of the half cases, and trans-
versely of the welts, shewing the halves of the case sewn together. Figure 6 is
a side elevation of the finished ball shewing a front view of the joint; and Figure 7
is a section taken on line a x of Figure 5.
When the halves are sewn together the core is, of course, inside them, and such
core would appear in sections of the ball corresponding to the views shewn by
Figures 5 and 7. In these views, however, the core is omitted for convenience of
illustration.
Each half of the case consists of a nearly hemispherical portion A, which may
be formed in the manner usual in the formation of half cases for balls, or in any
convenient manner, and of a welt B, the welt being placed against the edge of
the portion A and sewn thereto by stitches a which pass through the welt and
through a margin of the portion A, but which appear only at the face of the welt
which comes against the corresponding face of the welt of the other half of the case
when the halves are brought together, and at the inner face of the half case and
some distance inwards from the edge thereof. Each welt is sewn to its corre-
sponding portion of the half case while such corresponding portion is in its inside-
out form, shewn by Figures 1, 2 and 3. The halves of the case are next turned
to bring their wearing faces outwards, and are sewn together around the core by
stitches d, see Figures 5, 6 and 7, which pass through both the welts, entering and
leaving the same in the divisions or joints e which occur between the welts and
the portions of the half cases to which they are sewn. The portions of these
stitches d which are within such divisions or joints are some distance inwards
from the outer edges of the divisions or joints, and are, consequently,, not exposed
at the outer face of the finished ball. The stitches a by which the welts are sewn
to the corresponding portions of the half cases are completely hidden as the parts
thereof which are between the welts are some distance inwards from the outer

page_text: edge of the division or joint between the welts. In Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5, for
the sake of clearness, only single stitching is shewn instead of the double stitching
which would be used. It is preferred that the ends of one welt shall meet at a
point in the circumference of the ball which is opposite to that at which the ends
of the other welt meet.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what wo
claim is:-
1. A leather-covered ball of the kind used for cricket, in which no stitches by
which the halves of the case are sewn together are exposed at the surface of the
ball, substantially as described.
2. A leather-covered ball of the kind used for cricket, having the two halves of
the case sewn together around the core by means of stitches which enter and pass
out from the portions of leather through which they pass from and into grooves
or recesses which run out to the surface of the ball, substantially as described.
3. In a leather-covered ball of the kind used for cricket, the use of welts in
joining together the portions of the case which surround the core, substantially
as described.
4. A leather-covered ball of the kind used for cricket, of which each half case
is formed of a nearly hemispherical portion and of a welt, the portions forming
a half case being sewn together in such manner that no portions of the stitches
are exposed at the outer surface of the ball, substantially as described.
5. A leather-covered ball of the kind used for cricket, of which each half case
is formed of a nearly hemispherical portion and of a welt, the portions forming a
half case being sewn together by stitches which appear only at the annular face
of the welt and at the inside of the half case, so that no portions of such stitches
are exposed at the outer surface of the ball, substantially as described.
6. A leather-covered ball of the kind used for cricket, in which cach half case
is formed of a nearly hemispherical portion and of a welt, and in which the two
half cases are sewn together by stitches which simply pass through the welts,
entering and passing out therefrom in the divisions or joints between the welts
and the nearly hemispherical portions, so that such stitches are not exposed at
the surface of the ball, substantially as described.
7. A leather-covered ball of the kind used for cricket, having the case made and
sewn around the core in the manner substantially as described and shewn by the
Irawings herewith..
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