A New or Improved Machine or Apparatus for Bending Racket Frames.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 19th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 21st Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Machine or Apparatus for Bending Racket
Frames.
I, THOMAS PITT, of 19 Upper Park Street, Otley Road, Bradford, in the County
of York, Racket Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to a new or improved machine or apparatus for bending or
shaping racket frames and its object is to provide a machine capable of rapidly and
uniformly completing the bending process in the manufacture of rackets comparatively
without the aid of skilled labour.
The said invention consists in the combination and arrangement of apparatus
hereinafter described.
I employ a suitable table or bed plate provided with means for holding in position
a bending block preferably of metal and similar in form to the ordinary block employed
when the rackets are bent by hand. A crescent shaped jaw sliding upon suitable
guides and operated by a screw, lever, or other means is fitted at the end of the block
forming the crown of the racket and is so arranged that a straight racket frame placed
upon the said table may be clamped between the said jaw and block and be thereby
bent round said block into the form of the letter U. Two jaws are fitted between
suitable guides and preferably simultaneously operated by a left and right hand screw
are then brought to bear upon the outside of the parallel arms of the U shaped frame
and are drawn together by said screw until such frame is bent to exactly correspond to
the contour of the racket block. Recesses are left in the pair of jaws to allow a holding
clamp to be driven over the root of the handle then the racket and block may be
removed from the machine to dry and a new block placed in position to shape the
next frame.
When the first bend is put into the frame in order to allow its ends forming the
handle to clear the jaws employed to clamp them together I preferably arrange said
jaws upon a guide capable of descending so as to leave such jaws flush with the bed
plate or table thus allowing the ends of the frame to pass, I then raise said guide
and jaws, preferably by means of a treadle lever, so that the arms lie between them
ready for being clamped together.
To reduce the friction and prevent the jaws tearing the fibres of the frame I fix
anti-friction rollers to the jaws at the points sliding along such frame.
101 1
T
1000
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Machine or Apparatus for Bending Racket
Frames.
I, THOMAS PITT of 19, Upper Park Street, Otley Road, Bradford, in the County
of York, Racket Maker, 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 a new or improved machine or apparatus for bending or
shaping racket frames and its object is to provide a machine capable of rapidly and
uniformly completing the bending process in the manufacture of rackets comparatively
without the aid of skilled labour.
The said invention consists in the combination and arrangement of apparatus herein-
after described.

page_text: 1 employ a suitable table or bed plate provided with means for holding in position
a bending block preferably of metal and similar in form to the ordinary block
employed when the rackets are bent by hand. A crescent shaped jaw sliding upon
suitable guides and operated by a screw, lever or other means is fitted at the end of
said block forming the crown of the racket and is so arranged that a straight racket
frame placed upon the said table may be clamped between the said jaw and block and
be thereby bent round said block into the form of the letter U. Two jaws fitted
between suitable guides and preferably simultaneously operated by a left and right
hand sesew are then brought to bear upon the outside of the parallel arms of the
U shaped frame and are drawn together by said screw until such frame is bent to
exactly correspond to the contour of the racket block. Recesses are left in said pair
of jaws to allow a holding clamp to be driven over the root of the handle, then the
racket and block may be removed from the machine to dry and a new block placed in
position to shape the next frame.
When the first bend is put into the frame in order to allow its ends forming the
handle to clear the jaws employed to clamp them together I preferably arrange said
jaws upon a guide capable of descending so as to leave such jaws flush with the
bed plate or table thus allowing the ends of the frame to pass, I then raise said guide
and jaws so that the ends of the frame lie between them ready for being clamped
together.
Reference is now to be had to the accompanying sheet of drawings forming a part
of this specification in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in each of the figures.
Figure 1 represents a plan view of my improved apparatus having the end of the
table to which it is fitted broken away.
Figure 2, is a side elevation of the upper portion of such bench and apparatus.
Figure 3 is a plan view of the racket fraine bent to a U form between the block
and the above mentioned crescent shaped jaw to form the crown of the racket.
Figure 4 is a similar plan view showing the frame completely bent and held at the
root of the handle between the second pair of jaws.
The table A is provided with longitudinal guides B fitted with a slide C operated
by means of the screw D and hand wheel E. The slide C has a concave jaw F curved
to the shape of the crown G of the racket frame H and a metallic block J corresponding
in shape and size to the inside of a finished frame is mounted over and held stationary
by the stop K fixed to the top of the table A. A pair of jaws L, L are fitted in a
transverse guide M and are operated simultaneously away from or towards each other
and the centre of the table, by the left and right hand screw N and winch handle n.
The guide M is pivoted by its lugs O and pin P to the frame Q flush with the top of
the table A and such guide is supported so that the jaws L, L project above the top
of the table by the catch R or said guide by releasing such catch may be dropped
down thus carrying the jaws L, L below the table.
The catch R is fitted in the frame Q and supports M by projecting into a recess
formed therein. A button S lying in an opening m in the table top is fitted on the
end of the catch spindle T and is provided to withdraw the catch from the said recess
and allow M to drop, and a spiral spring U fixed between the shoulder V in the
frame and a shoulder W on the spindle T tends to press the catch outwards. The
edge of the guide M is bevelled or inclined at Y above the recess in which the catch
fits so as to press back the catch when M is raised and allow it to spring into said
recess.. The jaws L, Land guide M are conveniently raised by the handle n which
is arranged to be approximately in the position represented in figure 2 when the jaws
are separated to their full extent.
When using the above described apparatus the straight frame H prepared for
bending in the ordinary manner is laid on the table in the position represented by
the broken lines in figure 1 and a strip of hoop iron a is laid parallel with it to
prevent the jaws damaging the frame. The slide C with the jaw F is now moved
towards J until the frame is bent to the form shown in figure 3. Up to this time
the jaws L, L have been lying below the top of the table to allow the ends of the

page_text: frame H to pass over them but they are now raised and being traversed towards
each other clamp the frame closely round the block J in the manner represented in
figure 4.
Recesses d are left in the jaws L, L to allow a stout staple e to be driven over the
frame at the root of the handle or shoulder of the racket and hold such frame in this
position round the block J after it is removed from the apparatus to be dried.
Overhanging lips i, i and j, j project from the top of the jaws L, L and F to
prevent the frame slipping out of the jaws during the bending operation. To
reduce the friction I may fit anti-friction rollers to said jaws at the points sliding
along the frame as it is bent.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare what I
claim is :
1. In a racket bending apparatus, the combination with a fixed block J, of a jaw F
and jaws I, L arranged and operated substantially as herein shown and described
and for the purpose specified.
2. The combination with a racket bending apparatus, of a rising and falling
jaw or jaws, substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose
specified.
3. In racket bending apparatus, jaws having lips i, i and j, j and recosses d, sub-
stantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 15th day of August 1889
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.