Analogous Purposes.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1888
Specification Accepted, 27th Apr.,
1888
Analogous Purposes.
I, JAMES MCHARDY Dollar, N.B. Scientific Expert 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, which has for its object the improvement of the poles and their
accessories, as used in the game of Lawn Tennis, may be carried out in the following
manner, and consists of the various parts herein described.
A ratchet or friction-pulley is provided, to take up the cord at the top of the
pole. This said ratchet or friction-pulley acts, in itself, as both pulley and ratchet,
and is actuated by a folding handle which shuts up out of the way.
This contrivance consists (a) of a hollow axle, on the inside of one end of which,
there is a suitable shoulder or contracted bearing.
(b) A short solid axle, fitting the greater diameter of the said hollow axle, and
shaped at its outer end so as to be retained by the said shoulder, is provided with
an eye-head which, extending beyond the outer edge of the shoulder, receives the
actuating handle after the manner of a hinge-bolt, or in any other suitable way.
one
(c) The handle is so contrived, that, when turned upon the said hinge in
direction, it becomes rigid with the before-mentioned hollow axle, by means of a
stop or pawl, and the said axle may be forced to revolve; whilst, turned in the
opposite direction (the hollow axle being released from the handle) the handle goes
into a suitable hollow in the pole. (d) In the head of the pole, and capable of
revolving upon the hollow axle, which is enclosed by it, a pulley is provided with a
ratchet which holds it at any desired point of its revolution. (At the same time it
must be understood that the ratchet or friction-gear will be most effectual upon the
said hollow axle instead of the pulley, and this application of the ratchet will be
adopted in the most expensive make of the Invention.)
Now this pulley, together with.the hollow axle upon which it is centred, is bored
through its smaller diameter in such a way that, in a certain position, a cord may be
passed transversely through the pulley and axle and out at the end of the hollow
axle. Consequently if the cord or rope of a tennis-net be passed through the hole,
and if the handle cause the hollow axle to revolve, the rope will be held by the edges
of the holes in the pulley and hollow axle and may be tightened at pleasure.
On the other hand, if the pawl or ratch be pressed out of gear, the pulley and
axle will pay off the coiled rope, which, in the end, will slip out of the hole. The
said pulley may be made without the transverse hole, in which case the rope may be
attached in any suitable manner, and a separate ratch-action between the hollow axle
and the pulley will be necessary; or, the pulley may be rigid with the hollow axle ;

page_text: or, the pulley may be rigid with a solid axle supplied with a suitable ball-cup
or other revolving hinge for the handle. All these parts may be adjusted in the
head of a pole with suitable bearings; or they may be so arranged in a metal
pole-cap as to be readily applied to the head of any pole, whether or not originally
inade for the purpose.
The pole may be telescopic if expedient. (e) The pole shall be supplied with
such ground framework that only one pin shall be required to fix it securely; and it
shall be possible to move the whole (when the net is down) around the said pin as a
centre, for the purpose of cutting the grass &c.
As all the strain is in the direction of the net, a frame is provided of any suitable
shape or design, having sufficient width to steady the pole sideways, and a single hole
to receive a wood screw at any approved distance from the foot of the pole in the
opposite direction to the net. The pole may be fixed in the said frame in any
effective manner the before mentioned object being mainly in view; viz., to pivot the
whole contrivance upon the said pin or wood-screw, so that it may be turned round
to get it out of the way.
As but one pin takes the whole strain it must be of suitable strength and size.
For this purpose I construct a square wooden pin of sufficient strength to be driven
into the ground to the depth required. This pin is capped on the top to prevent its
splitting and is bored down through its centre for three quarters of its length. Its
sides are parallel. The hole is conical. It is square or angular or may have a feather
upon it to prevent its turning when fixed.
The before mentioned frame is fixed down to this pin by a single large wood-screw.
The wood-screw is of the same diameter as the large end of the said conical hole. As
it is screwed down into the conical hole, it opens out the wooden pin and converts it
into a dove-tail in the ground. The splitting of the pin may be guided by saw-drafts.
For very loose ground the head of the pin will be provided with slot-holes inside the
ring which holds it together, and curved spikes with suitable heads may be driven in
such a manner as to hold the pin down with greatly added power, as the spikes will
curve outwards from the centre and form a kind of compound anchor under the
ground. Moreover a metal pin may be used instead of a wooden one. In such a case
it would be in segments held together while being driven, by the taper of the point.
In the event of the pin becoming loose in the ground from drought or long standing
it may be at once tightened by the introduction of a thin wooden pin of the same
diameter as the screw with a similar conical bore, which, on the screw's being
re-entered, will increase the size of the dove-tail and tighten the whole.
With reference to the accompanying drawings, which show a possible method of
carrying this invention into practice,
Fig. I The head of the Tennis-pole.
-
a The circular edge of the flange on said Pulley.
b=(dotted circle) represents the middle-diameter of the Pulley whereon the rope
may be wound.
C=
(plain circle) the diameter of hole in the pulley and the corresponding diameter
of the hollow axle which carries the pulley.
d = The extreme diameter of the inside of the hollow axle and the plain circle
within it represents the shoulder hereinbefore described.
eThe process by which the handle is hinged to a short axle confined by the
shoulder.
f= A chink in the end of the hollow axle which receives the stop on the handle
when thrown into gear.
gThe point at which the pawl or ratch is hinged.
h = A nob at the lever-end of said pawl by which the pulley may be released.
=
The end of the handle by which the pulley is actuated.
Fig. II Shows the head of the pole turned at right angles to the last figure.
a = One of the flanges of the pulley provided with a ratchet edge.
b
-
The drum upon which the rope is wound when in action.
C = The hollow axle.

page_text: JAMES MCHARDY.