IMPROVEMENTS IN ACCESSORIES AND APPLIANCES FOR THE GAME OF LAWN TENNIS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Gibson Bussey, of Museum Works, Rye Lane,
Peckham, in the County of Surrey, Manufacturer, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN ACCESSORIES AND APPLIANCES FOR THE GAME OF LAWN
TENNIS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Gibson Bussey at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd January 1880.
GEORGE GIBSON BUSSEY, of Museum Works, Rye Lane, Peckham, in the County
of Surrey, Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ACCESSORIES AND APPLIANCES FOR
THE GAME OF LAWN TENNIS."
My first improvement consists in the substituting metal or ebonite for wood in
the bows of rackets, which are less liable to warp and become deformed than those
which are made of wood, and are much superior in appearance.
My next improvement consists in the form I give to the frame by making its
periphery hollow (whether made of ebonite or any other material), which hollow
form admits the introduction of various plans for adjusting the tension of the strings,
afterwards described, the said hollow being covered by a metallic, leather, or
band or girdle, which not only strengthens but gives a highly finished appearance
to the racket.
My third improvement consists in stringing the racket with a metallic cord,
preferably steel, in place of the gut or hempen cord usually used, which stringing
results in great durability and in a constant unvariable tension, unaffected by either
excessive dryness or dampness.
A further improvement relates to the means I adopt for adjusting the tension of
those rackets which are strung with material of a more or less elastic nature. The
hollow frame is provided with a metallic or other band or girdle and the tension
of the string tightened by wedges, such wedges being made of wood, metal, or any
other material, and of any form desired, which are simply forced under the loop of
the string, or by steel springs hardened and tempered being placed under the
string, which latter plan forms an automatic adjustment of the tension. I do not
confine myself to any form of spring. Another mode of adjusting the tension
consists of the string being looped through small links, the turning of which twists
the string and thus increases the tension.

page_text: My next improvement has reference to the balance of the racket, a matter of
great importance when the game is skilfully played; this I effect by boring a
recess in the handle close to the bow or frame and another in the rear end of the
bandle. Into one or other of these recesses I insert a weight which enables the
player to adjust the balance of his racket to suit his particular stroke and mode of
play; the aforesaid recesses I cover by neat plates, on which may be engraved the
monogram or crest of the owner. The handles, by preference, I cover with leather,
which gives a smooth yet firm hold to the player.
A further improvement relates to my mode of fixing the net poles into the
ground; this I effect by attaching to the bottom of the post an iron screw 6" to
12" long, and of a diameter corresponding with the post; by this plan no driving is
required and stay lines are rendered unnecessary. This mode of fixing posts in the
ground is also applicable to wicket stumps in the game of cricket.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Gibson Bussey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd July
1880.
GEORGE GIBSON BUSSEY, of Museum Works, Rye Lane, Peckham, in the County
of Surrey, Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN ACCESSORIES AND APPLIANCES FOR
THE GAME OF LAWN TENNIS."
Whereas in my Provisional Specification I stated that my first improvement
consisted in the substituting metal or ebonite for wood in the bows of rackets,
which are less liable to warp and become deformed than those which are made of
wood, and are much superior in appearance, but since the filing of my Provisional
Specification it has come to my knowledge that iny first improvement, viz., that of
substituting ebonite and metal for wood in the formation of the bow of the racket,
had been anticipated by previous inventors, and I therefore withdraw any claim
thereto.
My next improvement consists in the form I give to the frame by making its
periphery of a hollow or channel form (whether made of ebonite or any other
material) which hollow or channel form admits the introduction of various plans for
adjusting the tension of the strings, afterwards described, the said hollow being
covered by a metallic, leather, or other band or girdle, which not only strengthens
but gives a highly finished appearance to the racket.
My third improvement consists in stringing the racket with a metallic cord,
preferably steel, in place of the gut or hempen cord usually used, which stringing
results in great durability and in a constant invariable tension, unaffected by either
excessive dryness or dampness. As however the stringing of rackets with both
metallic cord and very stout gut through holes is found in practice somewhat
difficult, I have effected a further improvement by forming grooves or recesses
round the outside of the bow or frame at a distance varying from a quarter of an

page_text: inch to one inch, according to the size of the mesh I desire to form, thereby
dispensing with the necessity of holes being drilled through the frame, or at most
a very small number being required; by this plan my metallic cord, gut, or other
string passes mainly round the outside of the frame and fits in the grooves instead
of through holes in the centre, the result being that the frame not being weakened
by the boring of so many holes is left much stronger to resist the great tension
which a tightly strung racket is required to bear.
A further improvement relates to the means I adopt for adjusting the tension of
those rackets which are strung with material of a more or less elastic nature. The
hollow frame is provided with a metallic or other band or girdle and the tension of
the string tightened by wedges, such wedges being made of wood, metal, or any
other material, and of any form desired, which are simply forced under the loop of
the string, or by steel springs hardened and tempered being placed under the string,
which latter plan forms an automatic adjustment of the tension. I do not confine
myself to any form of spring. Another mode of adjusting the tension consists of
the string being looped through small links, the turning of which twists the string
and thus increases the tension.
My next improvement has reference to the balance of the racket, a matter of
great importance when the game is skilfully played; this I effect by boring a recess
in the handle close to the bow or frame and another at the rear end of the handle.
Into one or other of these recesses I insert a weight, which enables the player to
adjust the balance of his racket to suit his particular stroke and mode of play; the
aforesaid recesses I cover by neat plates, on which may be engraved the monogram
or crest of the owner. The handles, by preference, I cover with leather, which
gives a smooth yet firm hold to the player.
A further improvement relates to my mode of fixing the net poles into the
ground. This I effect by attaching to the bottom of the post an iron screw, six to
twelve inches long, and of a diameter corresponding with the post; by this plan
no driving is required and stay lines are rendered unnecessary. This mode of fixing
posts in the ground is also applicable to wicket stumps in the game of cricket.
The game of lawn tennis as hitherto played requires a lawn of considerable size,
and to make the game available within more prescribed limits I have designed a
new mode of play, to which I have given the name of bell tennis, and which is
performed as follows:-
In the place of the net now used I erect an arch in the centre of the place set
apart for play; this arch may be of any size desired and may reach from a few
inches to several feet from the ground, and may be constructed of any material
desired, say, a hoop of wood or metal rod; from the centre of this arch is suspended
a bell, and the skill of the game is to cause the ball to strike the bell either by a
direct stroke of the ball or after it has rebounded once (only) from the ground;
every time the bell is struck it counts a certain fixed number to the score of the
striker; a hit from a first stroke should count one, if from a return stroke it should
count two, and the player who first scores a given number, say, twenty, fifty, or
one hundred, wins the game. For this game the ball is first set in motion by
a spring propeller constructed as follows:-
Inside a tube of any desired length and diameter I fix a spiral spring of sufficient
strength to throw a ball a few feet from the ground; a small catch is inserted from
the outside of the tube to keep the spring compressed, and is provided with a trigger
on which the foot can press and liberate the spring. The tube is sunk in the
ground in a vertical position by means of a ground screw, as previously described
for net posts and wicket stumps.
The player whose turn it is to have the leading stroke places his ball in the tube
or a cup formed mouth at the top thereof, and liberating the compressed spring by
touching the trigger with his foot sends the ball into the air and endeavours by a
stroke from his racket to make the ball sound the bell; if he succeeds in doing so
it counts one to his advantage, but if his opponent succeeds in making the bell
ring by a return stroke it counts two. The game may also be played by using

page_text: two bells, one suspended from an arch, say, over five or six feet high, and the other
from an arch one foot high placed directly under the large arch, and the striker
sounding either of the bells counts as before described, the excitement being by
the latter mode increased.
From the above description it is quite obvious that all the details of the game
are quite matters of taste and choice, such as the size and configuration of the
ground, .the size of the arches, bells, distance apart, method of scoring, &c., and in
no way affects the principle of my improved game of bell tennis.
Having now described and ascertained the nature and objects of my said Invention,
I declare that what I claim and desire to be secured to me by the herein before in
. part recited Letters Patent is,―
1. The form and arrangement of hollow or channel periphery as and for means
of adjusting tension of the strings, substantially as herein before described.
2. The improved mode of stringing the racket with a metallic cord, substantially
as herein before described. .
3. The method and means of adjusting the tension of rackets which are strung
with a material of more or less elastic nature, substantially as herein before
described.
4. The novel arrangement and manner of balancing racket bats, substantially as
herein before described.
5. The mode of fixing the net poles, posts, and wicket stumps, substantially as
herein before described.
6. The arrangement of arch and bell, and other appliances and accessories for
the game of lawn and bell tennis, substantially as herein before described, or any
mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Gibson Bussey, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
NON RIISSEY
GEORGE GIBSON BUSSEY. (IS)