Improvements in the Outer Covers of Footballs and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Loft DOLL
007
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Outer Covers of Footballs and the like.
1, COMRIE TURNER HILL, of 22, Eastern Court, High Street, Gateshead, in the
County of Durham, Saddler, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to the outer covers of footballs and the like which are usually
made of leather; the object is to obviate the necessity for and to construct a cover
without seams at or about the middle transverse belt or mid-surface of the ball, and
without end pieces or protecting caps.
To this end I form the covers of one piece of leather or other suitable material
of an oblong shape. I cut from each side of this a series of more or less triangular
shaped pieces so as to leave a series of correspondingly shaped projections or tongues;
these are of differing lengths, and some have flattened ends, convex or concave as
required, while others converge with suitable curves to a point. The number,
shapes, and dimensions of these tongues depend primarily upon the size of cover
required. In one design there is a longer tongue at each end and two at the
mid-part of the piece, two shorter and pointed tongues intervening between such end
and middle tongues all suitably formed, or in another design there are two longer
tongues, one central and one at the end, adjoining these are shorter pointed tongues
between which intervenes a flat-ended tongue. The shapes and lengths are so
arranged that when the adjacent edges of tongues are brought and stitched together
a complete cover is produced, having no seams about its middle belt, but all
emanating from the sides and extending partially towards the centre belt, thus
securing better shape and superior wearing qualities. The opening for insertion of
the inner inflating device is arranged as usual.
Dated this 30th day of September 1896
I, COMRIE TURNER HILL, of 22 Eastern Court, High Street, Gateshead, in the County
of Durham, Saddler, 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 :-
My invention relates to the outer covers of footballs and the like which are usually
made of leather; the object is to obviate the necessity for and to construct a cover

page_text: without seans at or about the middle transverse belt or mid-surface of the ball and
without end pieces or protecting cang
To this end, I forng the covers of one piece of leather or other suitable material of
an oblong shape.. E cut from each. side of this a series of more or less triangular
shaped pieces so as to leave a series of correspondingly shaped projections or tongues;
these are of differing lengths and some have flattened ends, convex or concave as
required, while others converge with suitable curves to a point. The number, shapes,
and dimensions of these tongues depend primarily upon the size of cover
required.
I will now fully describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which I have illustrated in sundry modified and alternative forms its application
to footballs of the Association type.
Figures 1, 2, 7 and 9 show varied designs of the cover cut to the required
shape and ready for stitching. Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10 illustrate the completed
cover.
In the design shown in Figure 1 there are four longer tongues A, D, E, H with
flat ends and four shorter tongues B, C, F, G, with pointed ends; a longer tongue A, H,
is formed at each end and two D, E, at the mid-part of the piece, the two shorter
tongues B, C, and F, G, respectively intervening between such end and middle
tongues.
In the design shown in Figure 2 there is the same number of tongues as in
the previous example but they differ somewhat in their formation and disposition.
Here there are two longer tongues a, e, and two shorter tongues c, g, with flat ends,
the remaining four b, d, f, h, having pointed ends.
Figure 3 is a plan and Figure 4 an end elevrtion of a cover after the design
illustrated in Figure 1 while Figures 5 and 6 bear the same relation to each other
and to Figure 2; from them it will be seen that by bringing the adjacent edges
of the tongues together and sewing them in the usual way, with the exception
mentioned below, a cover is produced having no seams about its middle belt J J but
all emanating from the ends K K and extending partially towards the centre
belt.
In order to obtain the opening for the insertion of the inflating device. or bladder
the edges of the two end tongues which meet on the belt J J are not sewn together
but are simply closed by means of a lace passed through the holes P. This opening
is arranged in the usual way and though a laced joint is thus made on the seamless
belt J J it is not a seam in the ordinary sense.
Instead of having the horizontal and vertical seams at the sides of the cover
crossing each other as seen in Figure 4, I may arrange them so as to break joint as
illustrated in Figure 8. This is effected by making. the longer. tongues A, D, E
and H of unequal lengths alternating at each side of the piece of material; thus, as
shown in Figure. 7, I make the ends L of the tongues at one side of the piece
somewhat longer than the ends M. at the other side. In all other respects this
cover is the same as that described with reference to Figure 1, only being somewhat
stronger due to the arrangement of the seams.
In Figure 9 I illustrate a slightly modified form of the tongues, in which the
longer tongues A, D, E, H are cut with a laterally projecting hook-like point N
alternatively at each side of the piece, of material. When the cover is sewn up as
shown in end elevation in Figure 10 each tongue N intervenes between the adjacent
shorter pointed tongues B, C, and F, G. This form makes a very strong and: efficient
cover.
Above I have described covers having eight parts or tongues which are sufficient
for balls of the type referred to, but it is to be understood that there may be a
greater or less number as the required size or type of cover necessitate, their shapes
and dimensions being suitably varied without departing from the nature of my
invention.
The several shapes of the tongue ends, as will be fully understood, ensure the
efficient closing of the cover.

page_text: Covers made in accordance with my invention retain their shape better and ar
much stronger and cheaper to produce than those constructed as at present.
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 I
claim is:-
1. An outer cover for footballs and the like composed or formed of one oblo..g-
shaped piece of selected material having on each side a series of tongues of forms
and shapes such as are herein set forth adapted when sewn together to produce a
cover without seams at or about the middle transverse belt or mid-surface of the ball
and without end pieces or protecting caps substantially as described.
2. The several forms and shapes of outer covers for footballs and the like with
tongues disposed and adapted to be sewn together, substantially as herein described
in reference to and shown respectively in Figures 1, 3 and 4, 2, 5, and 6, 7 and 8
and 9 and 10 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of July 1897.
For the Applicant,
J. C. CHAPMAN,
70 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., and
3 St. Nicholas' Buildings, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Chartered Patent Agent.