Improvements in Apparatus for Supporting and Straining Nets employed in Playing Games.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 12th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Jan., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Feb., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Supporting and Straining Nets
employed in Playing 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 apparatus for use in supporting and straining nets
employed in playing games, such as lawn tennis, Badminton and the like.
In carrying out our invention we employ posts or supports which may be
socketted, or otherwise held to the ground, with the aid of pins, screws and
the like.
The heads of the posts are slotted and provided one with suitable roller and stay
for one end of the net; cord or top wire rope, whilst the other post has a pulley or
roller for the other end of said cord or rope to pass around, also with a suitable
barrel or winding part provided with an eye or part to engage the loose end of the
cord. This barrel is mounted on or formed with an axis supported in bearings
provided in the post. On this axis is alsó formed or mounted a bevelled or other
suitable toothed gear. Another axis at about right angles to the barrel axis is
mounted in other bearings carried in the post and is provided with a winch handle
or equivalent holding means by which to rotate said handle. On this latter axis is
a worm gear adapted in the rotation thereof, to give rotation to the barrel to wind
up the slack of the cord and strain the net, whilst at the end of each such winding
movements the cord is prevented returning and the barrel from unwinding by
reason of the continued hold of the worm on the gear,. thus dispensing with the
necessity for pawls or catches for the purpose, while certainty of action, with great
power in operation and other advantages are secured.
1004
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Supporting and Straining Nets
employed in Playing 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 apparatus for use in supporting and straining nets
employed in playing games, such as lawn tennis, Badminton and the like.
In carrying out our invention we employ posts or supports which may be
socketed, or otherwise held to the ground, with the aid of pins, screws and
the like

page_text: Fig. 1 shews by front view our improved supporting and straining apparatus.
The posts are shewn broken and the middle portion of the net is removed thereby
bringing the posts abnormally close together for the convenience of the drawing.
One of the feet is shewn in section.
Fig. 2 shews by plan view the supports or bases for the posts. The left haud
side base is shewn with the post removed, and the right hand side is in section, the
section being taken on the line -y of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a side view of the top of a post having gearing applied according to
our invention, drawn to a larger scale than the previous figures, and
Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the parts shewn in Fig. 3, the section being
at right angles to, and on the same scale as, that figure.
The heads of the posts a are slotted as at band provided one with suitable
roller e and stay cl for one end of the net, cord or top wire rope d, whilst the other
post has a pulley or roller e for the other end of said cord or rope d to pass around,
also with a suitable barrel or winding part ƒ provided with an eye or part to
engage the loose end of the cord d. This barrel fis mounted on, or formed with,
an axis supported in bearings provided on the post. On this axis f¹ is
also formed or mounted a bevelled or other suitable toothed gear f³ another axis
at about right angles to the barrel axis ft is mounted in other bearings g¹ g
carried in the post and is provided with a winch handle or equivalent holding
means by which to rotate said axis. On this latter axis g is a worm gear g³,
adapted, in the rotation thereof, to give rotation to the barrel to wind up the
slack of the cord d and strain the net d' whilst at the end of each of such winding
movements the cord is prevented returning and the barrel from unwinding by
reason of the continued hold of the worm g on the gear wheel, thus dispensing
with the necessity for pawls or catches for the purpose, whilst certainty of action,
with great power in operation and other advantages are secured.
The sides of the posts are provided with suitable ordinary hooks or loops for
holding the net and the lower ends of the posts have a metal shoe a¹ which is
seated in the base or support k. This base k, which is held to the ground by
means of the screw , may be supplemented by the clutch or base / when used
upon soft ground. The clutch is made removable and when linked or hooked to
the support as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, forms a greater supporting area upon the
soft ground upon which to receive the straining of the net.
k
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 construction or arrangement in combination of the parts of the apparatus
for supporting and straining nets employed in playing lawn tennis and other games,
as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The construction and arrangement in combination of barrel and gear wheel
driving worm wheel axle and handle with the supports and parts of apparatus for
straining nets employed in playing lawn tennis and other games, so as to dispense
with separate pawls or catches, substantially as set forth and shewn by the
drawings.
Dated the 22nd day of January 1895.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.