Improvements in Presses for Rackets and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 9th Nov., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Presses for Rackets and the like.
We, THOMAS BERTRAM DAVIES, of 8 Weatherall Place, Gordon Road,
Clifton, Bristol, Gentleman, and ARTHUR CUTHBERT THORNE, of 8 Lansdowne
Road, Bournemouth, Assistant, 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 :-
In carrying out our invention, we provide a press consisting of two parts between
which is held the racket by an improved tightening appliance, which is the essential
feature of our invention. Each of the two parts of the press is preferably, but not
necessarily, made in the form of a cross of wood or other suitable material, and has
a hole made through the centre. The tightening appliance consists of a spindle
having at one end a small hole bored transversely through it, and at the other en 1
a slot in which is pivotted a cam having attached to it a lever or handle. One of
the crosses forming part of the press has a small piece of chain or the like attached
to it, and at the end of the chain is a pin which will fit the hole at the end of the
spindle above mentioned. In use the racket is placed in the usual manner on the
cross which has the chain attached to it, and the other cross is then placed on top
of the racket. The spindle is then passed through the hole in the centre of the
uppermost cross, then through the racket, and finally through the lower cross, and
the pin inserted in the hole in the end of the spindle, and on turning down the
handle or lever of the cam the latter will be partly revolved on the pivots and in
doing so will press down the upper cross on to the racket and thus hold it tightly
between the two parts of the press. To release the racket the lever is turned back
again, and the pin removed from the hole in the spindle, and on drawing out the
spindle the racket is released. A cam arrangement of this kind has many
advantages over the central-screw press. There are no screw threads to wear out,
and the putting in and taking out of the racket can be more promptly performed
than by any other press.
In order to more clearly explain the nature of our invention, we refer to the
accompanying sheet of drawings in which,
Fig. 1 is a plan of one of the crosses of the press,
Fig. 2 is a plan of the other cross to which the chain and pin are attached.
Fig. 3 is a plan of the racket as placed between the two crosses.
Fig. 4 is a side view of the tightening appliance, and Fig. 5 a front view of it.
Fig. 6 shows the tightening appliance in operation.
Similar letters in each figure refer to the same parts.
a and a¹ are the two parts of the press, preferably in the form of crosses. b is the
hole through each of them. c is the chain attached to one of the crosses, and d the
pin at the end of it. e is the spindle of the tightening appliance, the hole through
the end, g is the slot at the other end of the spindle, in which is pivotted the cam h
having the lever or handle i. Fig. 6 shows the appliance in action, the view being
partly in section. a and a' are the upper and lower parts of the press and is the
racket held between them. The pin d is shown inserted in the hole f, and the
lever as turned down from the position shown in dotted lines to that shown in full
lines, and thus drawing the under cross towards the upper one and sandwiching the
racket in between them. The spindle, cam, and handle can be made of metal or
any other suitable material or combination or materials.
Although I have described a racket press constructed in accordance with my

page_text: invention, we do not confine ourselves to the precise details, relative proportions,
conformations or disposition of parts herein described and shown in the drawings
as any or all of them may be considerably varied without departing from the spirit
of our invention. For instance this cam arrangement can be used with racket
presses which are tightened otherwise than ceutrally.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
In presses for rackets or the like, the tightening arrangement consisting of a
spindle having at one end a slot in which works a pivotted cam moved by a handle
or lever, the lower end of the spindle being temporarily held to one part of the
press by a chain and pin, the whole acting substantially as described in the above
Specification, and exemplified in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 8th day of October 1895.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23 Coleman Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicants.