Improvements in Lawn-tennis and such like Rackets.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar.. 1890
Complete Specification Left, 28th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 24th Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Lawn-tennis and such like Rackets.
We FREDERICK HENRY AYRES of 111 Aldersgate Street, in the City of London,
Manufacturer and ANDREW FOSTER of 70 Estcourt Road, Watford in the County of
Herts, Wood Turner do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of rackets for playing lawn tennis and
like games.
In the wooden frame the head from the shoulder round over the top to the other
side is bored for stringing in the usual manner, but instead of leaving the gat and the
holes through which it passes exposed we form the whole as one plain smooth surface,
by filling up the holes with a sufficiently elastic cement and then painting and
polishing.
The portion of the edge of the frame usually occupied by a guard-leather may be
imitated in coloured paint and polished, when it will not be usually discerned that it
is not really leather.
The advantages gained from our improvements are very important: access of
moisture is prevented at a part where it is very desirable to exclude it, a stronger
racket is obtained and an article of very beautiful appearance is the result.
According to a modification instead of carrying the filling-up, painting and polishing
all round, it is only applied over a portion of the distance-preferably from a certain
distance above one shoulder, round and down to a certain distance above the other
shoulder.
Dated the 5th day of March 1890
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPÉCIFICATION.
Improvements in Lawn-tennis and such like Rackets.
We FREDERICK HENRY AYRES of 111 Aldersgate Street in the City of London
Manufacturer and ANDREW FOSTER, of 70 Estcourt Road Watford in the County of
Herts, Wood Turner, 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:—
This invention relates to the manufacture of rackets for playing lawn tennis and
other like games.
In the accompanying drawings we have shewn by a face view of a racket head
frame Figure 1 and by an edge view Fig. 2 the appearance presented when the racket
is made as will be described, the dotted lines indicating the positions of the holes in
the frame and of the stringing.
In this figure the stringing holes are filled and the appearance of leather carried
some considerable distance down the sides of the head.
Fig. 3 shews a like view to Fig. 2 except that the filling and covering band is not
carried so far around the frame.
The filling in of the frame and the covering band or layer of the cement is in each
case carried around from (1) to (1).
a indicates the racket frame.
b the tongue.
c the stringing.

page_text: It will be understood that the wooden frame a from the shoulder (1) Fig. 1. round
over the top to the other side is bored with the holes a¹ in the usual manner, but
instead of leaving the gut and the holes a' through which the gut passes open and the
gut exposed, or only protected by the application of a strip of leather easily permeable
by moisture, we form the whole surface of the frame over holes and gut, as one plain
smooth polished surface impermeable to damp or water, by filling up the stringing
holes a with a sufficiently elastic cement and then painting and polishing over the
parts.
The parts so treated may be coloured dark blue, red or other color and made to
resemble the band of leather, sometimes applied to ordinary rackets, or the substance
of the racket may be matched, in either case the imitation may be very complete.
Amongst the advantages gained from the adoption of our improvements which are
very important are the prevention of access of moisture to the gut and gut holes at
the portion of the head most liable to be leant on so as to bring them in contact with
the lawn or ground the manufacture of a stronger and more rigid racket, and an
article is produced having a beautiful and neat appearance.
:
In practice the extent to which the filling cement may be applied will be variable
but that indicated by Fig. 3 will in general be convenient.
The cement employed should be capable of being softened by heat for application
and of becoming hard on cooling with an elastic hardness and this we find can be
attained by a composition prepared much as in making sealing wax and consisting of
(say) shellac 4 oz. melted adding Venice turpentine 1 oz. and mixing therewith
vermilion 3 ozs. for a red cement, or for a black one shellac 60 parts, very fine ivory
black 30 parts and Venice turpentine 20 parts or we use what is known commonly
amongst wood workers as "elastic glue" for this purpose but the composition may be
varied so long as it constitutes a sufficiently tough and elastic filling.
Having new particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In the manufacture of lawn tennis rackets and other such like rackets the
formation of a solid smooth surface around the head or a part or parts of the head of
a racket by filling up the gut hollows and holes in the frame with an elastic hard
cement and coating substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.
Dated the 27th day of November 1800
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.