Necessary for the Game of Lawn Tennis or other such Games.
Year: 1885

page_text: Necessary for the Game of Lawn Tennis or other such Games.
We THOMAS MACDONALD of 5 Essex Court Temple in the City of London
Barrister at Law and ROBERT HENRY EGGAR of Jenkyn Place Bentley in the
County of Hanta Solicitor do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
MARKING LAWN TENNIS COURTS to be as follows:-
'
An improved method of effecting in a permanent manner the marking on ground
of the necessary Courts boundaries or division in Lawn Tennis and other games
requiring divisions or boundaries of a like nature.
This is an invention by which all the lines which it is necessary to describe
upon grass lawns or other ground for the purpose of marking out the Courts
boundaries or divisions requisite in the game of Lawn Tennis or other similar
games can be effected in a more permanent and complete manner than by any
other method now in use.
The lines referred to are effected by sinking in the earth in an inverted position
the bottom being upwards narrow troughs of thin metal preferably light coloured
such as zinc or galvanized iron so that the length of the trough runs in the
direction of the line required.
The trough is best described as being about as deep as it is broad and may or
may not be open at the ends. The section of the trough may be rectangular or
U shaped.
The trough is made of convenient length for laying down and of such a width
as will suitably indicate a line on the ground on which the game is to be played.
The trough is held in the earth by means of the flanges or sides [which run
downwards at both sides and (if necessary) at the ends from the extreme edges]
being driven into the ground until the outer surface of the bottom of the trough is
quite level and flush with the surface of the ground.
When driven into the ground in the manner described the interior of the trough
becomes filled with earth and turf and it is thereby held firmly in its place and
will not by the tread of the players be loosened removed or (although the metal of
which it is made is quite thin and yielding) be made to bend or rise at the ends
but will keep its place perfectly flush with the earth.
On placing the trough down in the manner above described a line will be
represented which can be continued to any length by laying others of the said

page_text: troughs in the same direction and in the same way all the lines necessary for
marking out a Lawn Tennis or other court may be represented.
The sides of the trough are made sufficiently deep to secure a good hold in the
ground and the metal is made sufficiently thin to penetrate the ground easily and
that the whole length may be sufficiently flexible to yield to any inequality there
may be in the ground and the flexibility of the whole length may be improved if
required by making at intervals and at right angles to the edge in the sides of the
trough.
The portion which is uppermost of the trough when placed in the ground is
made so as not in the slightest degree to overlap the sides or end of the trough
hence there is nothing in which the players foot can catch and so trip him up or
pull the marker out of the ground.
Troughs of metal made in the shape described will be found efficient if applied
as explained to mark out the necessary lines in a tennis or other court and if
desired corner pieces may be made on the same principle in the shape of a right
angle or piece as most required.
The invention may be rendered still more serviceable by painting with white oil
enamel or other prominent paint after the trougbs are laid down.
are
The advantages claimed for this new method of marking Courts or boundaries
That the marking is more permanent than any other method now in use.
That unlike the chalk lines now generally in use the marking is not liable to be
washed out by rain or obliterated by footmarks.
That the marking is not removed by the grass being cut whereas a chalk line is
liable to be more or less removed on cutting the grass.
That unlike the method sometimes used of marking with linen tapes it is not
necessary when once the troughs have been laid down to take them up again for
the purpose of rolling or cutting the lawn.
That there is less tendency to trip than in any other method of permanent
marker such as strips of metal spiked into the earth under which the toe of the
player may catch.
1007

page_text: тротошопе што мошои от миссии ще щагаш од сточна
Necessary for the Game of Lawn Tennis or other such Games.
We THOMAS MACDONALD of 5 Essex Court Temple London Barrister at Law
& ROBERT HENRY EGGAR of Jenkyn Place Bentley in the County of Hants
Solicitor do hereby declare the nature of our invention for IMPROVEMENT IN
THE METHOD OF EFFECTING THE MARKING ON GROUND NECESSARY FOR THE GAME
OF LAWN TENNIS OR OTHER SUCH GAMES and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
To describe lines or boundaries upon the ground by means of this invention
sink in the earth or grass in an inverted position along the required line a series
of troughs made of thin metal preferably zinc or galvanised iron.
These troughs are best made from 3. to 6. feet in length (according to the total
length of the line to be described) about an inch broad and an inch and a half
deep and closed at the ends. They should be constructed (as far as possible) in
one piece of sheet metal about as thick as the blade of an ordinary table knife and
bent into the shape of a rectangular trough. The sides of the trough should be
joined to the ends of the trough by soldering at the angles :-The ends being like
the sides in that they are one piece with the bottom of the trough and bent over
to form the trough. The edges should be left sharp or raw i.e. not turned in or
hammered over so that they may more readily cut their way into the ground.
The object of making the troughs as much as possible in one piece is that the
exterior of the trough may be left smooth and free from seams roughness or
projecting part under which the toe of the player may catch; such seams or joins
as may be necessary where a trough is required of elaborate form must be made
flush on the outside and with this said object in view, otherwise the chief advantage
of the trough shape will be lost.
To sink these troughs in the ground properly care must be taken that prior to
doing so no earth or turf is removed from the place where the trough is to lie all
that is necessary is to lay the trough bottom upwards along the line which is to be
described and gradually press or hammer it into the ground, the edges of the
trough being downwards will cut their way into the earth until the bottom of the
trough (which is now upwards) is level or flush with the surface of the ground.
The troughs are laid continuously along the line required until it is completed,
the bottoms of the troughs should then alone be visible lying quite flush with the
ground and will represent the required line or boundary.
When driven into the ground in the manner described the interior of the trough
becomes filled with earth or turf and it is thereby held firmly in its position and
will not be loosened, removed or made to bend, or rise at the ends by the tread of
the player, and presenting as it does no edge under which the toe of the player
can catch it cannot be pulled up and cause of tripping is avoided.
For Lawn Tennis Courts each line required to be described must be ascertained
and a sufficient number of troughs made for each line of such a length that when
all are laid down continuously the exact length of each particular line will be
described.

page_text: Should it be desired to mark out by means of this invention only the corners of
the courts and the places where the lines intersect and not the whole court, corner
pieces may be made of trough shape but in a right angle form and troughs in the
form of the letter T for the points where the lines intersect.
After laying down the exposed portion of the trough may if desired be painted
white to make it more apparent.
Among the advantages of this new method of marking Courts & boundaries
are-
(i) That it is a practical method of permanently marking lines & boundaries.
(ii) That unlike chalk lines there is no tendency to be obliterated by rain or
mowing of the grass.
(iii) That unlike some other methods of permanently marking it is not necessary
to take up and relay the markers for the purpose of rolling or cutting the grass.
(iv) That owing to the trough shape there is nothing under which the toe of the
player can catch and therefore there is less tendency to cause tripping than when
other methods are employed such as strips of metal spiked into the earth or held
in it by means of metal tongues, where the toe of the player readily catches under
the metal strip.
We disclaim the method of marking by means of metal strips spiked into the
ground or held in the ground by a series of tongues of metal.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
==
The trough shape by which thin metal when so shaped made and used as
directed may be a means for representing a line, or boundary, or mark, upon
ground where lines, boundaries, or marks are required under the conditions which
present themselves where such games as Lawn Tennis are to be played.
Dated this ninth day of September 1886.