An Improved Tennis-court Marker.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 20th Feb., 1890-Accepted, 29th Mar., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Tennis-court Marker.
I WILLIAM JAMES BOWLING, of 43 Parkers Terrace, Canterbury, in the County
of Kent, Ironmonger, do hereby declare the nature of my said, invention to be as
follows:
The object of my invention is to manufacture an improved, compact, portable, and
easily worked form of apparatus for marking tennis courts.
My improved apparatus consists of a small tank or cistern mounted on three wheels.
The front wheel is made of sufficient width to correspond with the breadth of the
required mark. A spout is fitted to the tank, which carries the whiting on to the
upper part of the front wheel.
Suitable handles are fitted to the back part of the tank, whereby the operator is
enabled to propel and guide the apparatus as required.
A scraper is fitted to the front wheel to scrape off any mould or other material
adhering thereto, when in use.
The entrance to the spout is fitted with a valve, which is rendered self closing by
means of a spring or weight; the valve is provided with a pin, which clears the port
of any obstruction. The valve is also fitted with levers and connecting rods, or
equivalent appliances, leading to one of the handles, whereby the operator is enabled
to open and close the valve at will.
A movable screen is fitted to the tank, to screen the mixture of whiting and water
as it enters the tank.
J. G. WILSON,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Tennis-court Marker.
I WILLIAM JAMES BOWLING of 43 Parkers Terrace, Canterbury in the County
of Kent, Ironmonger do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what
imanner 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 manufacture an improved compact portable and
easily worked form of apparatus for marking tennis or other courts.
On the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a side view. Fig. 2 a front view and
Fig. 3 a plan view of a tennis court marker constructed in accordance with my inven-
tion. Fig. 4 is a side sectional view of the tank or cistern alone.
In all the views a is the small tank or cistern (consisting by preference of sheet or
cast metal) mounted on one or three wheels by preference and as illustrated.
The front wheel is made of a width to correspond with the breadth of the required
mark. Above this wheel and affixed to the tank is a spout which conveys the
whiting on to the upper part of the front wheel whilst a scraper d is applied to the
back of the same wheel to scrape off any mould or other material adhering thereto
and which also serves to prevent the wheel from getting clogged with leaves or other
impediments which it is liable to pick up off the ground.
is
Suitable handles e e are fitted to the back of the tank whereby the operator is
enabled to propel and guide the apparatus as required. An orifice leading from the
interior of the tank and by preference through a tubular socket into the spout
fitted with a valve 9 secured at the extremity of one arm of a lever the other arm of
which lever is connected through the intervention of the connecting rod j bell crank ķ

page_text: and rod with another lever m mounted bongathithe handle. The valve which is by
preference faced with india rubber is provided-with a projecting pin which serves
to clear the orifice of any obstruction whilst a constant tendency to keep such valve
closed, is imparted by a spiral extension spring applied to the lever.
which
It will now be apparent that by simply pressing the lever m the liquid whiting is
permitted to escape through the orifice and to flow on to the front wheel
wheel then carries and, presses it on, totherground, thus making the desired line or
mark. In some cases I secure the valve in the open position by means of a piece of
wire depending from the handle bar being hooked underneath, the lever m thus
preventing the valve closing against its seating or socket.
At the top the tank is fitted, with a removable screen. or sieve g.. to screen the
mixture of whiting and water as it enters the tank and thus any lumps which are
not dissolved are arrested in the said sieve and not allowed to enter the tank. A
sliding sieve could also (or as an alternative) be applied behind the outlet orifice or
be fixed over the said orifice inside the tank and thus prevent sediment or lumps
stopping up the passage of whiting.
In Figs. 5 and 6 I represent side and front exterior views respectively of a modified
form of my improved tennis court marker, in which the double, handles herein before
described are substituted by a single handle e.
The lever carrying and operating the valve in this case works upon a single
bracket and is pressed forwards by a flat steel spring fastened to the front of the
tank a by the same screws which secure the bracket i.
The tank being supported upon one or three wheels fitted with a sieve, outlet-valve
and trough or spout in precisely the same manner as in the previous figures no further
description of this modification is needed suffice it to say that this arrangement is
simpler in construction and, less expensive to manufacture.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed L.declarenthat, what I
claim is
1st. The general arrangement and construction of parts constituting my improved
tennis-court-marker substantially as hereinbefore described.
2nd. In a tennis court marker the employment. of a valve (fitted with an india
rubber facing) carried by a lever, arm, mounted and operating substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
3rd. In a tennis-court-marker the improved construction and application of screens
or sieves to the tank and outlet orifice of the same substantially as, and, for, the
purpose hereinbefore described.
Dated this 17th day of February 1890
JOHN G. WILSON,
Patent Office, 55, Market Street, Manchester, Agent for the Applicant.