Year: 1885

page_text: I FREDERICK HENRY AYRES of 111 Aldersgate Street in the City of London
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
These improvements relate to leg guards such as are used in playing cricket, and
other games.
The object of the invention is mainly to ensure better protection to the leg, with
increased lightness and ventilation, with consequent coolness and comfort in wear,
besides other advantages.
I construct my improved leg guard with a series of pads arranged at intervals
across the inner surface of the leg guard and these pads are made of sheet cork,
or cork backed with hair, or with rubber and hair or similar springy material
(secured in place by leather, canvas or such like covering) adapted to secure the
object and over this layer I superpose in the guard a layer of rods, strips or pieces
of cane, light wood, rubber, rubber and cane, or cork and cane, or like material or
composition material adapted to be formed into ribs of half round or other suitable
section of strip to be laid on in the case of half round ribs with the flat face next
the inner or leg side. It will be found most convenient to arrange the ribs or
the main portions longitudinally of the leg guard because of the facility of rolling
around the leg.
Among the advantages are the efficiency of the obstacle presented by my
improved guard to the ball touching the leg owing to the surface standing out
so far from the protected part, the interspaces for air and the strength and spring
arising from the special construction.

page_text: I FREDERICK HENRY AYRES of 111 Aldersgate Street in the City of London
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN LEG GUARDS and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
These improvements relate to leg guards such as are used in playing cricket, and
other games.
'
The object of the invention is mainly to ensure better protection to the leg, with
increased lightness and ventilation, with consequent coolness and comfort in wear,
besides other advantages.
I construct my improved leg guard with a series of pads arranged at intervals
across the inner surface of the leg guard and these pads are made of sheet cork,
or cork backed with hair, or with rubber and hair or similar springy material
(secured in place by leather, canvas or such like covering) adapted to secure the
object and over this layer I interpose in the guard a layer of rods, strips or pieces
of cane, light wood, rubber, rubber and cane, or cork and cane, or light material or
composition material adapted to be formed into ribs of half round or other suitable
section of strip to be laid on in the case of half round ribs with the flat face next
the inner or leg side. It will be found most convenient to arrange the ribs or the
main portions longitudinally of the leg guard because of the facility of rolling
around the leg.
Among the advantages are the efficiency of the obstacle presented by my
improved guard to the ball touching the leg owing to the surface standing out
so far from the protected part, the interspaces for air and the strength and spring
arising from the special construction.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front view and Fig. 2 a back view of a leg guard constructed
according to my invention.
a, a¹, a³, a³, are a series of (in this particular example) four pads of sheet cork,
or cork backed with hair, or rubber and hair, or other suitable springy material,
secured in place by covering of leather, canvas or such like covering material.
b, b¹, 6ª, 63, 64, 65 are rods, strips or pieces of cane, light wood, rubber, rubber and
cane or like means adapted to produce half round or other suitable sectional forms
of strip. These strips when half, round as shewn and covered with leather are
conveniently laid flat side next the under pads which come next the leg to be
protected.
Ears or prolongations a' form guarding pads over the ankle bones at the side of
the foot of the wearer for which a space as is left.
c is the knee guarding portion and the part adjacent.
d, d², d' are straps for fastening the guard to the leg shewn in this case as
furnished with buckles but any suitable form of connection may be employed as
"

page_text: found convenient but it will be observed that these bands or straps pass com-
pletely through the article from side to side giving great strength and security
with durability whilst as already described the distance of the guard strips from
the leg itself prevents the ball even at speed and with great force of impact from
reaching the leg and the same spaces permit free circulation of air around the
protected parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The improvements in leg guards such as are used in playing cricket and other
games whereby improved protection and ventilation is afforded to the leg substan-
tially as described and illustrated in the drawings.