Setting Out of a Lawn Tennis Court.
Year: 1885

page_text: Setting Out of a Lawn Tennis Court.
I CHARLES HULBERT of Colnehurst Watford in the County of Herts gentleman
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED MEANS FOR
FACILITATING THE MEASUREMENT AND SETTING OUT OF A LAWN TENNIS COURT to
be as follows:-
A machine to be used from the centre of an intended Lawn Tennis Court made
of a circular dial or plate with a pin in the centre thereof upon which an arm or
indicator revolves which by means of a catch thereon and slots or cogs in the said
dial or plate can be stopped or fixed at the various and respective points at which
it will when so stopped point towards or indicate the exact direction or position
of each respective angle or other point of importance in a Lawn Tennis Court, the
said catch on the arm or indicator to have either a line affixed thereto or a hook or
other arrangement whereby an ordinary tape measure or a line can be affixed so
that such line or tape measure can be drawn or stretched out in the respective
directions in which the said arm or indicator (when so stopped or fixed as
aforesaid) points to such distances respectively as the several angles or other points
of a Lawn Tennis Court are from the point at which the said line or tape measure
is so affixed and in such manner that by pulling the said line or measure the catch
can be withdrawn from the respective slot or cog in which it rests and the arm or
indicator thus be permitted to revolve to the next slot or cog.

page_text: Setting Out of a Lawn Tennis Court.
I, CHARLES HULBERT of Colnehurst Watford in the County of Herta Gentleman
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be perforined to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to a machine or apparatus to be used in setting out Lawn
Tennis Courts. The machine or apparatus is intended to be placed at the centre of
the intended Court where it is to be slightly secured by pegging down or otherwise
fixing in place the base board on which the remaining parts of the machine are
mounted.
On the base board a dial or circular plate is fixed in an horizontal position: a
plate eight or nine inches in diameter, will be found suitable. It is convenient to
support the dial at a short distance from the surface of the base board by studs
near its periphery fixed to it and also to the base plate.
In the space between the dial and base a measuring tape is wound about a small
barrel the axis of which passes centrally through the dial. This axis at its upper
end is provided with a handle like that of an ordinary measuring tape by which it
can be turned to wind up the tape. Immediately beneath this handle there is a
straight arm or indicator say two feet long and painted white. The axis passes
through the indicator and this projects beyond the dial at both ends. The
indicator is able to turn freely about the axis. The tape is passed through a guide
eye at the end of the indicator and the tape has marks upon it giving the proper
distances between the centre and the corners of the outer Court and between the
centre and the corners of the service Court; these dimensions according to the
rules now in force are 42 feet 11 inches and 24 feet 11 inches respectively or
thereabout. The tape may also conveniently have marked upon it the measure-
ments of the Court along the centre line and the net line.
.
The indicator and disc give the proper alignment for the corners and the centre
line and for this purpose stops and catches are provided on the dial and indicator
which engage together when the indicator comes to an alignment.
A convenient arrangement is to provide a hemispherical projection on the
underside of the indicator and corresponding recesses in the face of the dial.
When the indicator is aligned with one of the corners or positions to be marked
the projection on the indicator drops into the recess of the dial and the indicator is
steadily held in position. The projection on the indicator is pressed down to the
bottom of the recess when it comes into position either by the elasticity of the
indicator itself which in this case should be a steel blade or by the elasticity of a
separate spring fixed upon the indicator and operating upon the projection to press
it downwards.
The projection and recesses however should only hold the indicator lightly
sufficiently to keep it in place whilst in use but yet so that by pulling on the tape
obliquely to the indicator the indicator may be readily displaced and then drawn
to the next alignment.

page_text: The recesses in the dial are easily provided in the proper relative positions:―
thus for a Court of the size prescribed by the Lawn Tennis Rules at present in
force the positions may be set out on a circle of four inch radius as follows:-
the recess which gives the alignment for the corner of the outer Court will be
1.9 inches from the recess which gives the longitudinal centre line; the recess
which gives the corner of the service Court will be 2.74 inches from the recess
giving the centre line, whilst the recess which gives the alignment for the net line
will be 5.66 inches from the same or thereabout.
In the use of the apparatus after it has been fixed in placed the tape is drawn
out the operator takes in hand the mark on the tape corresponding to the corner
or other point he desires to find. He draws the tape taut and brings the indicator
to the corresponding position; then the tape being aligned with the indicator a
peg is stuck in at the mark on the tape and this is the point required.
The operator then frees the indicator by pulling obliquely on the tape and brings
the indicator to another alignment and so on.
The detail of the arrangements as respects the stops and catches admits of
variation and a line of any description may be used instead of a tape and it is not
essential to the invention that the tape or other line should be wound upon a
barrel on the axis when out of use although this is convenient.
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:
A machine or apparatus suitable to be used in the measurement and setting out
of Lawn Tennis Courts and consisting of a base carrying a dial and indicator and
catches to retain the indicator on the required alignments and a tape or line
having appropriate distances marked upon it attached to the machine or apparatus
and capable of being extended on the alignment given by the indicator sub-
stantially as described.
Dated
1
1007