Improvements in Apparatus for use in Marking the Ground for Lawn Tennis and other Games.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 12th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 18th Nov., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for use in Marking the Ground for
Lawn Tennis and other Games.
We FREDERICK HENRY AYRES of 111 Aldersgate Street, in the City of
London, Manufacturer, and HARRY PITTS of 31 Wycombe Road, Coleraine
Park, Tottenham, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in apparatus for marking the
ground for playing lawn tennis and other games, of the character of that described
in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me the aforesaid Frederick Henry
Ayres dated 21st February 1881 No. 739, and which apparatus is designed to
effect distribution in stripes or bands of a mixture of whiting and water or other
suitable marking material of a liquid form.
In the improved apparatus we employ a tank or vessel to contain the supply of
marking matter from which the stream to be distributed is drawn by means of a
wheel or wheels or equivalent rotatory means which is mounted on a suitable axis,
or axes, carried by the body of the vehicle. Also to the front of this body (which.
may be the tank itself) we attach a channel open or partly covered, which termi-
nates in such close proximity rearward to the periphery of the wheel rotating in
the tank that a substantially constant thin stream of marking matter, is delivered
thereinto and then therefrom directly on the leading wheel, or wheels, and there-
from onto the turf, or surface, to be marked, a lip or swing plate dependent from
the lower end of the said channel (the same being inclined) serves to control the
flow of the matter.
The axis of the leading wheel we find it convenient to place in a line approxi-
mately parallel and slightly below the front bottom angle of the tank, to the under
front surface of which tank or body the journals for the said axis may be bolted.
On the axis of the mixing and channel supplying wheel or wheels, and outside the
tank we mount a gear wheel and on the axis of one of the pair of supporting
rearward wheels we mount another gear wheel and these two gear wheels we cause
to be engaged in train or disengaged, by means of an intermediate gear wheel, or
wheels, mounted on a rock arm centred to the framing the other end of this arm,
or crank lever being carried outward so as to be capable of being engaged or
disengaged from the driving wheel by the foot or hand at will. Or the controlling
arm may be lengthened and carried up the handle by which the marker is propelled
and so arranged as to be operable by pressure of the hand on a subsidiary handle
or divided handle much as is commonly employed in velocipedes for operating the
brake lever, or rod.
The intermittent gear for the interlocking of the wheels for producing motion
and distributing the marking matter from the tank may be of any convenient or
ordinary form.
By these means a more compact apparatus is attained, the supply of marking
liquid is rendered more uniform and certain, and further the manipulation of the
entire apparatus in effecting the marking out of the courts or divisions, or lines is
greatly facilitated.
Dated the 6th day of February 1893.

page_text: Lawn Tennis and other Games.
We FREDERICK HENRY AYRES of 111 Aldersgate Street, in the City of
London Manufacturer, and HARRY PITTS, of 31 Wycombe Road, Coleraine Park,
Tottenham, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer 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 certain improvements in apparatus for marking the
ground for playing lawn tennis and other games, of the character of that described
in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me the aforesaid Frederick Henry
Ayres dated 21st February 1881 No. 739, and which apparatus is designed to effect
distribution in stripes or bands of a mixture of whiting and water or other suitable
marking material of a liquid form.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 shews by side view Fig. 2 by plan view and Fig. 3 by a diagram one form
of the invention in which the connection and disconnection of the delivery of marking
liquid is arranged for operation by the foot.
Fig. 4 shews by side view Fig. 5 by plan view and Figs. 6 and 7 by views of
parts separately a modification of the foregoing in which the operation of the delivery
of marking liquid is arranged for operation by the hand.
d
a is a tank or vessel to contain the supply of marking matter from which the
stream to be distributed is drawn by means of a wheel or it may be wheels, or
equivalent rotatory means, which is mounted on a suitable axis c or it may be axes,
carried by the body a of the vehicle. Also to the front of this body a (which may
be the tank itself or may be additional thereof) we attach a channel & open or partly
covered, which terminates in such close proximity rearward to the periphery of the
wheel 6 rotating in the tank a that a substantially constant thin stream of marking
matter, is delivered thereinto and then therefrom directly on the leading wheel e or
it may be wheels, and therefrom on to the turf, or surface indicated by the line f to
be marked, a lip or swing plate g dependent from the lower end of the said channel d
(the same being inclined) serves to control the flow of the matter.
The axis e¹ of the leading wheel e we find it convenient to place in a line approxi-
mately parallel and slightly below the front bottom angle a¹ of the tank a, to the
under front surface of which tank or body the journals e² for the said axis may be
bolted. On the axis c of the mixing and channel supplying wheel 6 or wheels as
the case may be and outside the tank a we mount a gear wheel c¹ and on the axis h¹
of one of the pair of supporting rearward wheels we mount another gear wheel i
and these two gear wheels we cause to be engaged in train or disengaged, by means
of an intermediate gear wheel k or wheels, mounted on a rock arm centred to the
framing at the other end of this arm, or crank lever being carried outward so
as to be capable of being engaged or disengaged from the driving wheel by the foot
or hand at will. According to this arrangement in drawing back the marker the
wheel by the act of withdrawal becomes disengaged and supply of marking
fluid ceases so long as the machine is caused to travel rearward but as soon as it is
again pushed forward the gears again engage.
According to the modification Figs. 4 to 7 the controlling arm 7 may be lengthened
and carried up the handle a² by which the marker is propelled and so arranged as
to be operable by pressure of the hand on a subsidiary handle or divided handle
much as is commonly employed in velocipedes for operating the brake lever,
or rod.
As will be seen in the plan view Fig. and partial view Fig. 6 of this modifica
tion the intermediate wheel k is moved laterally into or out of gear with the wheels c¹
and as required.

page_text: Fig. 7 is a longitudinal vertical section of the front of the machine.
The intermittent gear for the interlocking of the wheels for producing motion and
distributing the marking matter from the tank may be of any convenient or ordinary
form.
By these means a more compact apparatus is attained, the supply of marking
liquid is rendered more uniform and certain, and further the manipulation of the
entire apparatus in effecting the marking out of the courts or divisions, or lines is
greatly facilitated.
Having now 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. The improved construction and arrangement of parts of apparatus for use in
marking the ground for lawn tennis and other games so as to enable the marking
liquid to be kept better mixed, more directly and uniformly supplied and the driving
gear therefor to be moved into and out of operation, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
2. The combination or arrangement and use of a stirring and supplying wheel b
within a tank of marking liquid a, a channel d and a marking wheel, substantially
as set forth.
3. The combination or arrangement and use in apparatus for use in marking
ground for lawn tennis or like games of disconnectable intermediate gear wheelwork
so as to enable the parts supplying marking liquid to be thrown out of operation, as
set forth.
30000
30340
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for Applicants.