An Improved Method of and Means for Setting Out Lawn Tennis Courts.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 30th Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Means for Setting Out Lawn Tennis
Courts.
I, HARRY ARNOLD ARMITAGE, of 4 St. Stephen's Road Canterbury in the County
of Kent Captain in the 15th Hussars, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to set out lawn tennis Courts so that they will
form a perfect rectangle. The invention is based upon the well known relationship
of the hypotenuso to the sides of a right angled triangle thus ensuring mathematical
accuracy in the setting out.
The invention consists of two tapes or other measures of length. One of these
is marked with the width of the Court and the other with the lengths of the side
and of the diagonal and also with positions of the net and service lines. Each of the
tapes or measures is provided with eyelet holes at the required points through which
pegs without heads may be driven into the ground and the tape or measure lifted
off leaving the pegs in the ground.
To set out the court one of the side lines is first drawn. The long measure is
then laid along it and pegs driven into the points required such as the ends of the
court the service lines and the position for the net. The long measure is then taken
off all the pegs except the end one and the short measure is placed over the peg at tho
other end of the court. These two measures are then swivelled on their pegs until
the eyelet on the long measure which represents the length of the diagonal of the
court coincides with the eyelet on the short measure which represents the width of
the court. A peg is then driven through the two eyelets into the ground. This
represents the third corner of the rectangle. The fourth corner is found by placing
the long measure on the third corner and the short measure on the first corner and
swivelling them until the eyelet representing the length of the side of the court
coincides with the eyelet representing its width.
A Th
CASTLE SMITH,
Per F. W. Golby,
"Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Means for Setting Out Lawn Tennis
Courts.
I, HARRY ARNOLD ARMITAGE, of 4 St. Stephen's Road, Canterbury, in the County
of Kent, Captain in the 15th Hussars, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of this invention is to set out lawn tennis courts so that they will form
a perfect rectangle. The invention is based upon the well known relationship of the
bypotenuse to the sides of a right angled triangle, thus ensuring mathematical accuracy
in the setting out.
The invention consists of two tapes or other measures of length. One of these is
marked with the width of the court, and the other with the lengths of the side and of
the diagonal and also with positions of the net and service lines. Each of the tapes
or measures is provided with eyelet holes at the required points through which pegs
DQ37

page_text: without heads may be driven into the ground and the tape or moasure lifted off leaving
the pegs in the ground.
To set out the court, one of the silo lines is first drawn. The long mesure is then
laid along it and pegs driven into the points required such as the ends of the court,
the service lines and the position for the net. The long measure is then taken off
all the pegs except the end one, and the short measure is placed over the peg at the
other end of the court. These two mensures are then swivelled on their pegs until
the eyelet on the long measure which represents the length of the dingonal of the
court, coincides with the eyelet on the short measure which represents the width of
the court. A peg is then driven through the two eyelets into the ground. This
represents the third corner of the rectangle. The fourth corner is found by placing
the long measure on the third corner and the short measure on the first corner and
swivelling them until the eyelet representing the length of the side of the court
coincides with the eyelet representing its width.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood and carried into
practice, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which similar letters indicate corresponding parts throughout.
Figures 1 and 2 shew the two inpes and Figure 3 shows the method adopted for
setting out a court.
All the points required when setting out a court are marked on the tapes etc, and
gyelet holes are placed therein. Beside each eyelet is also placed the word "Net,"
Service, etc. as shewn on the drawings; the points A and G on the long tape and
the points Hand on the short tape being each marked "Corner" indicating the
corners of the court. The eyelets are lettered A, B, C, etc. on the drawings. In
Figure 1 the distance from A to G represents the length of the court and the distanco
from A to F represents the length of the diagonal. B B are the positions for the
service courts, and C, midway between A and G, indientes the position for the net.
In Figure 2 the distance from 11 to J represents the width of the court or the base
line: E, midway between II and J represents the position for the hall court lino,
and DD the positions for the single court lines.
In setting out the court the longer tape (Figure 1) is placed on the known or fixed
straight line, and headless pegs are passed through each of the eyelets A, B, C, B
and and are driven into the ground. The tape is then lifted off all the pegs except
the one through the first "('orner" A, and the tape is then laid down loose upon
the ground. The small tupo (Figure 2) is then taken in hand and one of its corner
eyelets, say H, is placed over the second "Corner" peg ie. the peg which has been
passed through the eyelet G of the long tape. The loose ends of the two tapos are
then swivelled on these first and second corner pegs until the diagonal eyelet Flies
exactly over or under the other corner eyelet J of the short tape. A peg is then driven
through the two eyelets F and J and this indicates the third corner of the court.
Pegs are also driven through the eyelets D, E. and D) of the short tape and ono half
of the court is already set out. This is shewn by the full lines in Figure 3.
To obtain the fourth corner and the remaining half of the court both tapes are taken
up. One of the "Corner" eyelets G or A of the long tapo, say (, as it is the nearer
of the two, is then placed on the peg of the third corner just found, and one of the
"Corner" eyelets, say II, of the short tape is placed over the peg representing the
first corner of the court. The two tapos are then swivelled on these first and third
corner pegs until the oyelet A is immediately over or under the eyelet J. This
indicates the fourth corner of the court, and pegs are driven in through the eyelets as
before. The tapes are then taken up and rolled up or put away, and the court is
now set out, all the points required being marked out with the pegs. The second
half of the court is shewn in dotted lines in Figure 3 for explanation.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what
1 claim is :-
(1) The method of setting out lawn tennis courts by means of two tapes or the

page_text: like provided with eyelet holes through which headless pegs may be passed and driven
into the ground to indicate the points required, one tape being equal to the length
of the diagonal of the court and the other equal to the width or base line of the
court manipulated substantially in the manner described and illustrated.
(2) For setting out lawn tennis courts, the use of two tapes or the like provided
with eyelet holes representing the length, width, diagonal, and other points of the
court, through which said eyelet holes headless pegs may be passed and driven into
the ground to indicate the points required, substantially as and for the purpose
herein before set forth and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
DL: 2012 ...
Ondahan 1040
CASTLE SMITH,
Per F. W. Golby,
"Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.