Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Oct., 1887
Complete Left, 30th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 3rd Feb., 1888
I HARRY HERBERT WADDINGTON Manager for Messieurs Charles Macintosh and
Company of Cambridge Street Manchester in the County of Lancaster India Rubber
Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to obviate the projecting ridge caused by the seam
or seams produced by the sewing of the edges of the cover, so as to manufacture a
finished ball in the form of a perfect sphere.
According to my invention I mould the ball in the ordinary way, but the mould
(instead of being a perfect hollow sphere) has a projection formed in the inside
thereof following the line of the sewed seam or seams of the cover which is afterwards
applied to the ball.
This projecting line in the mould forms a corresponding groove or grooves in the
india rubber ball, and the edges of the cloth cover when sewn on meet in the middle of
this groove, so that the raised seam caused by the sewing may be pressed or embedded
into the groove in the ball. There is in consequence no perceptible "ridge" on the
finished ball which is a perfect sphere, and the sewn seam being sunk below the general
surface, is also protected from wear and tear.
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: I HARRY HERBERT WADDINGTON, Manager for Messieurs Charles Macintosh and
Company of Cambridge Street, Manchester in the County of Lancaster, India Rubber
Manufacturers, 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:-
The object of my invention is to obviate the projecting ridge caused by the seam or
seams produced by the sewing together of the edges of the cover so as to manufacture
a finished ball in the form of a perfect sphere.
The nature of my said invention will be readily understood on reference to the
annexed sheet of drawings and the following explanation thereof.
Figs. 1 and 2 on the drawing represent two views of the exterior of my improved
ball before covering, the form selected as an example being that in which the cover
is made of two pieces somewhat in the form of a figure 8.
Fig. 3 is a section showing the cover with the seams sewn and forming a projecting
ridge and Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the finished ball.
According to my invention I mould the india rubber ball a. a. in the ordinary way
but the mould (instead of being a perfect hollow sphere as heretofore) has a projection
formed in the inside thereof following the line of the sewed seam or seanis of the cover
which is afterwards applied to the ball. This projecting line in the mould forms a
corresponding groove (or grooves) b. b. see Figs. 1 and 2 on the india rubber ball a. a.
and the edges of the cloth or other cover c. c. when sewn on as shown at Fig. 3 meet
above the middle of this groove, and being drawn tightly together in sewing form a
raised seam as at d. d.
The ball is then placed in a spherical mould and being submitted to pressure the
raised seam d. d. is pressed into the groove b. b. as shown at Fig. 4 and there is in
consequence no perceptible ridge on the finished ball, which is a perfect sphere and
the stitches of the scam being thereby drawn below the general surface are also
protected from wear and tear.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is :-
The improvement in the manufacture of lawn tennis balls consisting in moulding
in the surface of the india rubber ball a groove (or grooves) corresponding in form
with the seam or seams, and after sewing on the cover as usual, pressing the seam
(or seams) into the said groove (or grooves) so as to produce a ball in the form of a
perfect sphere and with the stitches below the surface substantially as hereinbefore
described and illustrated by the drawing annexed.
Dated this 29th day of December 1887.
GEORGE DAVIES,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester,
Agent for the Applicant.