Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 23rd Nov.; 1887
Complete Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1887
1, WILLIAM RENNIE THOMLINSON, of 8, Rosevalo Terrace, Partick, Lanarkshire,
Saddler, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows —
My invention comprises, and has for its object a new mode of constructing the
leather covers for footballs and sewing them together, so as to avoid the evil of having
so many seams at the ends of the sections coming together at the poles of the ball,
which heretofore has formed a weakness, and in most cases required the use of a
covering and strengthening button or patch sewn over these joining or pole parts,
which is also found to be objectionable; which improvements will make the covers
and footballs more durable than as heretofore constructed.
The nature and novelty of my improvements consist in forming each of two
diametrically opposite pairs of the elliptical sections of the cover, out of one piece
of the leather or other covering material employed; that is each double section would
bave a band of some considerable width passing round each opposite end or pole, and
only have their other two free ends to join, the band of the opposite pair some distance
froin the pole. The full circumference of the ball or cover would be made up of two
or more single elliptical sections sewn between these two pair of double sections so as
to join the bands and free ends of these double elliptical sections at a little distance
from the poles, thus leaving a strong solid band of leather without a seam across the
two poles, with the fewest possible ends and seams joined together at one end near
the poles. The seams of these sections of the cover would be otherwise sewn together
as usual preferably with a single welt between them. A part of one of the seams
would be left open near the middle, preferably bound for the insertion of the india-
rubber ball and admission to its blowing up orifice, and have the usual holes along the
open edge for lacing it close over the rubber ball and orifice. In this way it will
be seen that each opposite pole is formed and strengthened by a band of the solid
leather of the cover without seams; and a cover which would usually be made in
six sections would thus be formed in four sections and one usually made of eight
sections would in this way be made of six sections or pieces of leather and have fewer
ends and seams; and those would be removed considerably from the poles thus making
the whole cover more equally strong.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Covers for Foot-balls.
I, WILLIAM RENNIE THOMLINSON, of 8 Rosevale Terrace, Partick, Lanarkshire,
Saddler, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My Invention comprises, and has for its object a new mode of constructing the
outer leather covers for foot-balls and sewing them together, so as to avoid the evil
of having so many seams at the ends of the sections coming together at the poles of
the ball, which heretofore has formed a weakness, and in most cases required the use
of a covering and strengthening button or patch sewn over these joining or pole parts
which is also found to be objectionable; which improvements will make the covers
and foot-balls more durable than as heretofore constructed.
And in order that my said invention, and the manner of performing and carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended
an explanatory sheet of Drawings, in which the same reference letters are used to
indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
on
Figure 1 shows an elevation of a blown up and complete foot-ball A looking
the poles, or that end of the ball where the contracted ends of the segments A¹, A², A³,
of leather forming the outer covering come towards each other and are joined.
Figure 2 represents the opposite end of the ball turned quite half round on a horizontal
plane through the axis a and laced joint A' for inserting the internal blown up rubber
ball, and all constructed in accordance with my improvements. Figure 3 shows a
face view of one of the double parts A1, A2, of the leather as cut out to form the
covering of the ball in accordance with my improvements. And Figure 4 is a face
view of the two corresponding short parts A³, A³, as cut out to complete the covering
of the ball in accordance with my improvements.
Referring to these Figures 1 to 4, the nature and novelty of my improvements
consist in forming each of two diametrically opposite pairs A¹, A¹, and A2, A2, of the
elliptical sections of the cover, each pair out of one piece of the leather or other covering
material employed as shown detached in Figure 3, that is each double section A' A¹
and A2, A2, has a band of some considerable width passing round each opposite end
or pole at a, and only have their other two free ends a', a', to join the band of the
opposite pair some distance from the pole a. The full circumference of the ball or
cover A is completed or made up of two similar single elliptical sections A³, shown
detached in Figure 4, sewn between these two pair of double sections A', A², so as to
have their free ends a² to join the pole bands a, and the free ends a' of these double
elliptical sections at a little distance from the poles a, thus leaving a strong solid band
of leather at each of the poles a without a seam across the two poles, which forms
the essential feature, purpose, and advantage of my invention, with the fewest possible
ends and seams joined together at each end near the poles. The seams a³ of all these

page_text: sections of the cover A are otherwise sewn together as usual, preferably with a single
narrow welt between them, to give strength to the sewing, as shown full size in side
and sectional elevation of a part of the inside of seam a³ in Figure 5. A part of one
of the seams a³ is left open at A' near the middle, preferably bound for the insertion
of the india-rubber ball and admission to its blowing up and closing tube, and have
the usual holes along the open edge for lacing it close over the rubber ball and orifice with
a small loose protecting flap of leather inside, to prevent the laces from injuring the
rubber ball. In this way it will be seen that each opposite pole a is formed and
strengthened by a band of the solid leather of the cover A without seams; and a
cover which would usually be made in six sections would thus be formed in four
sections, and one usually make of eight sections would in this way be made of six
sections or pieces of leather as indicated in Figure 6, that is as A', A² A³ A*, and
have fewer ends and seams, and those would be removed considerably from the poles,
thus making the whole cover more equally strong, and the strain more equally
upon the seams; and in cutting out the double and single sections for these forms of
balls, little waste of leather is incurred, as the short single parts A³ or A* can be cut
out of the hollows in the double parts A¹, as indicated in Figures 3 and 4.
Although it is preferred to make these covers A with short intermediate parts A³
or A between the double parts A', A1 and A2, A2 to save leather in cutting them out
of the hide, and give more shapeliness to the ball, yet still it will be understood that
they might also be made without these single parts A³, A, that is of two double
parts AA as shown in Figure 7, and complete A' A' and A2 A2 as shown in Figure 8,
by enlarging the sections at their widest parts a", a". Although these double
parts A'A and A2 A2 crossing the poles with solid leather at a are shown in Figures 1
to 6 as preferably cut and jointed at their narrow free ends a', a², they might be cut
and jointed by cross seams as indicated by the dotted lines at a, a, and thus be
diametrically disposed opposite each other, instead of at an angle as shown in
Figures 1 and 2 and completing the ball by two or more single pieces A³ on either
side of the polar bands A, A1, A² A².
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
First. The constructing of the outer leather covers of foot-balls in sections without
seams or joints at their poles or ends, all substantially as herein described in reference
to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. The constructing of the outer covers of foot-balls with two opposite pairs
of elliptical double sections, each pair out of one piece of the leather or covering
material used and crossing the opposite pole without seams or joints either with or
without single elliptical sections between these two pairs of double sections, all sub-
stantially as and for the purposes herein described in reference to and shown in the
accompanying Drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of November 1887.