Improvements in Cricket Balls.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 10th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 11th Jan., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cricket Balls.
I, LEONARD WOODHAMS, Junior, of 51 Edwards Street, Southborough,
Tunbridge Wells, in the County of Kent, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
To augment the resiliency of a cricket ball, I place a layer of horsehair inside
5 the outer layer of cork, the interior part (inside the layer of horsehair), being
composed of cork or suitable material.
Dated this 12th day of March 1895.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23 Coleman Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Cricket Balls.
I, LEONARD WOODHAMS Junr., of 51 Edwards Street, Southborough,
Tunbridge Wells, in the County of Kent, Manufacturer, 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 :—
In making my improved cricket ball, I commence by taking a cubical piece of
cork or the like measuring about one inch each way. This is built round with
cork and wound with worsted, so as to form a ball of about one inch and a quarter
in diameter, the cork and worsted being scalded, put together, and then heavily
hammered into shape. At this stage the ball is dried in an oven and another
layer of cork and another of worsted put on, in the same manner and the ball again
dried. Another similar layer is added and the ball dried again. We now reach
the part of the construction which constitutes the more essential feature of my
invention, and this is the putting on of a very thin layer of good horse-hair or
the like, followed by a thin layer of cork, the whole being bound down tightly
with worsted and well hammered. The hammering being an important matter at
all stages of the making of the ball. Thus constructed I obtain a perfect "quilt" or
inside of a cricket ball which will not get hard and which responds readily to the
blow of the bat. The cover or outside of the ball may be hand turned or shaped
with wooden pins and moulds or otherwise formed in two halves, and when these
are put on and sewn in the usual manner the ball is complete. All the cork used
should be of good quality, and cut slantingly, and not straight, so as to give
elasticity.
Although the main and essential feature of the invention is the employment of
horse hair in or in about the manner already mentioned, nevertheless unless the other
details of construction are carefully attended to, the hair will not have the effect
intended, that is to say, will not produce a perfect cricket ball, which should not
only not be "stoney "in character and thus liable to sting the batsman in the
hand and shoulder, but must also keep its shape and stand rough "play," all of
which qualities a ball will have if properly constructed in accordance with my
invention.

page_text: My improved method of construction is applicable to any other balls as well as
to those for use in cricket.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
CLAIMS.
"
1. The method of constructing the "quilts or insides of cricket or other balls,
consisting in the employment of an inner core of cork or the like, surrounded by
layers of slantingly cut pieces of cork and of worsted, followed by a layer of
horse hair or the like, and finished by another layer or other layers of cork and
worsted, the whole substantially as described in the above Specification.
2. In the construction of cricket or other balls the use of one layer or
more layers of horse hair or the like, substantially as described in the above
Specification.
3. Constructing cricket and other balls, substantially as described in the above
Specification.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23 Coleman Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.