IMPROVEMENTS IN SUPPORTS FOR LAWN TENNIS NETS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, THOMAS WARD GODDARD of Bitteswell, Leicestershire, Clerk in Holy Orders
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SUPPORTS
FOR LAWN TENNIS NETS" to be as follows:―
The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient support for lawn
tennis nets by means of which the net may be maintained always taut and at
regulation height whether it be wet or dry so that even on a rainy day the net
would not require to be loosened.
For this purpose I employ at each end of the net an upright post or support to
uphold the cord by which the net is carried. The cord may be attached to one of
these posts whilst the other post I provide with an eye or a pulley as is now common
through or over which the cord is led. At a distance below this pulley I joint to
the post a lever arm the extremity of which is drawn downwards by the action of
n weight or spring and I connect the cord to the lever arin at a point intermediate
of its length.
The lever arm and weight or spring may be so adjusted that when the arm is
raised by reason of the shrinking of the cord and the net at the same time gets wet
and heavier and therefore requires a greater strain to be put upon the cord to keep
it held up at the centre by regulation height, the strain put upon the cord by the
weight or spring shall correspondingly increase.
.
In this way the net can always be maintained at one uniform height whether it
be wet or dry and therefore requires no attention either before play, in play, or
after play.
In order to keep the posts upright I use a strut or pair of struts passing forwards
from the post just below the level of the cord to the ground at a distance of about
one yard inwards from the foot of the post. Each post is prevented from being
lifted off the ground by the tension of the cord by means of a small pin driven
obliquely into the ground either through the foot of the post or connected to the
post by rod or cord. One end of the cord I fasten to the post or to the peg driven
into the ground at the back of the post and at the other end I secure it to the
weighted lever as above explained or both posts may be fitted with a weighted
lever if desired.
It will be seen that it is not necessary either for the posts or the struts to enter
into the ground, the only holes which are required are those for the two small pins
which prevent the posts from rising off the ground. The whole of the apparatus
can thus be moved from court to court without injury to the grass.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I THOMAS WARD GODDARD of Bitteswell Leicestershire, Clerk in Holy Orders
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SUPPORTS
FOR LAWN TENNIS NETS" 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 my Invention is to provide means whereby a lawn tennis net may
be kept at a uniform height whilst in use.
For this purpose I joint a lever arm to one of the upright posts which are at the
end of the net-and I connect the cord or wire which carries the net to this lever
arm at a point intermediate of its length-I also cause the lever arm to be drawn
downwards by the action of a weight or spring.
In this way the cord or wire has a constant tension maintained upon it and
whether the cord or wire shrinks or elongates the net will require no attention to
maintain it for a considerable period at the proper level.
Figure 1 of the drawing hereunto annexed shows the said lever in action.
A. A. are the two end posts-B is the cord or wire which passes from post to
post and which carries the net. At the top of each post is a curved eye or a
pulley as is usual to reduce friction between the cord and the posts. C is the lever
arm jointed to one of the posts and having one end of the cord B secured to it at a
point intermediate of its length. D is a weight hung on to the extremity of the
lever arm the other end of the cord may be connected to the other post in the
manner shewn or in other suitable ways.
In the drawing the posts are shewn to be held in place by struts extending from
them but other means than those shewn might be adopted for so doing-The end
of the lever which is jointed to the post is also shewn to be forked to embrace the
post and a pin is passed through the limbs of the fork and through the post-other
ways of jointing the lever to the post might however be adopted if preferred.
A series of holes are shewn to be formed in the lever to allow of the cord and
weight being attached to it at any desired points.
1
In place of the lever arm being drawn downwards by a weight hung on to its
end it might be drawn downwards by a spring passing from it to the lower part of
the post. The net at its centre should be held down to regulation height in the
ordinary manner.
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
Jointing to one or both of the end posts or supports for lawn tennis nets a lever
to which the cord or wire which carries the net is secured, and causing this lever
to be drawn downwards by a weight or spring to keep the cord or wire in constant
tension.