Improvements in Bats and Racquets for Playing Games partaking of the Nature of Cricket, Lawn-tennis, or the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 27th Oct., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Bats and Racquets for Playing Games partaking
of the Nature of Cricket, Lawn-tennis, or the like.
We, GEORGE HAMLET WEBB, Schoolmaster, and HARRY MORETON WALKER,
Schoolmaster, both of Highworth Grammar School Highworth, in the County of
Wiltshire, 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 :-
Our invention relates to bats and racquets for playing games partaking of the
nature of cricket, lawn or other tennis, or a combination of these and other similar
games, and has for its object means for playing games with balls, that shall be
enjoyable and productive of healthful exercise while at the same time the risks of
damaging adjacent objects and of losing the balls will be entirely eliminated.
In order that the said invention may be the more readily understood, we have
shewn same upon the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings, wherein :-
Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a bat in accordance with our invention.
Fig. 2 being a longitudinal section thereof through line x. x.
Figs. 3 and 4 are a front elevation and a perspective view, respectively of a
racquet constructed according to our invention, while,
Fig. 5. is a front view of a modified form of same.
Referring to the drawings in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts throughout the figures a (Figs. 1 and 2) is a bat which may be formed as
shewn in the shape of a cricket bat or of any other suitable form, such bat
consisting of a blade a and a handle a', in the centre or other suitable part of
which blade a is provided a pocket or cup b of sufficient size to accommodate a
ball c.
The said pocket or cup may be formed of metal or other material, and be
let into a recess fashioned in the blade of the bat a, or it may simply consist in a
recess formed in the said blade. The ball aforesaid c is attached to one end of an
elastic cord c¹ the other end of which passes through an opening d¹ in a lid d
covering the recess or cup b, and is secured to the bed of the latter in any suitable
manner.
A
The lid d is hinged to the bat at d² and is provided with a spring or other
suitable catch d³ to maintain such lid in a closed position when necessary.
suitable spring d may also be provided upon the inside or outside of such lid d in
order to throw open or raise the latter, when the catch d³ is released. The
periphery of the lid d is notched, for the purpose of keeping the elastic cord c¹ in
position when the lid is closed. The said elastic cord c¹ may be suitably covered,
if found desirable.
In applying the invention to racquets, we preferably fix the pocket or cup 6 in
the centre or other suitable part of the blade of same by stringing the interlaced
cat-gut strips e to the rim of such pocket or cup b, such rim being pierced for this
purpose.
If desirable the blade a of the racquet may be of solid construction, instead of
being composed of a number of interlaced cat-gut strips or strings and a rim as in
the form shewn in Figs. 3 and 4.
.
In Fig. 5 I have shewn a racquet having a solid blade a in which are provided
three or more pockets f, preferably arranged near the edge of the blade as shewn
and unprovided with lids.
A pocket or cup having a lid d is provided as in the forms herein before
described, or may dispense with this covered pocket or cup b and fix the end of

page_text: the elastic cord c' having the ball c attached to its other end directly to the flat
surface of the blade if desirable.
In use the ball c is released from the pocket 6 where it normally reposes by
raising the lid d which is then allowed to spring back to its shut position. The
bat or racquet is given a forward or upward movement to drive the ball away,
the latter being returned to the player by the action of the elastic cord when
such ball has lost its forward momentum.
In the form of racquet shewn in Fig. 5 the ball is placed in one of the pockets,
and then ejected in the manner before described, the player scoring as long as he
(or she) strikes such ball after it has left the pocket.
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 bat or racquet, a pocket or cup provided with a hinged, spring-lid having
a suitable catch through an opening in which lid passes an elastic cord attached at
one end to the said pocket or cup and, at the other to a ball, substantially as
described with reference to Figs. 1. 2. 3. and 4 of the drawings.
2. The bat or racquet substantially as described and illustrated by Fig. 5 of
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 13th day of September 1894.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
12, Basinghall Street, London, E.C., Agents.