IMPROVEMENTS IN RACKETS FOR USE IN PLAYING LAWN TENNIS AND OTHER GAMES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JULIAN MARSHALL, of 13 Belsize Avenue, Hampstead, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN RACKETS FOR USE IN PLAYING LAWN TENNIS AND OTHER
GAMES to be as follows:-
The object of the improvements is the production of a Lawn Tennis Racket, or
Racket for use in playing other games the stringing of which shall be tighter and
the hold afforded to the hand of the user shall be firmer and more secure than in
those at present in use; with increased durability.
In stringing Lawn Tennis Rackets I dispense with the use of gut, as generally
employed for the purpose, and in place thereof I use silk, whereby I am enabled to
obtain better sustained and closer tension of the Stringing. The description of
silk which I have found best adapted for the purpose is that known as "Silver
Strand," and I proceed to stretch the same up and down, and across the head of
the racket, and fasten off the ends thereof, much as is now done when stringing
rackets with gut.
Another part of the improvements has reference to the formation of the handle
so as to afford a better holding or gripping surface for the hand of the user. This
I effect by wholly, or in part; covering, or encasing, the framework of the handle
with walnut wood, or other like substance, adapted to receive indentations and
retain same in use and preserve a better holding surface. These indentations, or
impressions, I obtain by means of a suitable tool to form grooves therein. These
grooves I prefer to form in more, or less, parallel lines crossing each other in series,
so as to form diamonds, or other forms by their intersection. And at the end of
the handle, or the butt, I form as part of the material of the handle an enlarge-
ment, or swell, adapted to prevent the implement passing out of the grasp of the
user even should the grip on the roughened portion already described become
somewhat relaxed. This enlargement should bear relation in its contour to the
sectional form of the handle, that is to say, if the handle be in section, circular,
oval, octagonal, or of other form, the enlargement at the end of the handle should
follow the same contour in order not to permit of such enlargement interfering with
the play of the user and also for the sake of better appearance,
WILLIAM BROOKES & SON,
55, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I JULIAN MARSHALL of 13 Belsize Avenue, Hampstead, in the County of
Middlesex Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN RACKETS FOR USE IN PLAYING LAWN TENNIS AND OTHER,
GAMES 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 the improvements is the production of a Lawn Tennis Racket or
Racket for use in playing other games in the use of which the hold afforded to the
hand of the user shall be firmer and more secure than in those at present in use.
In my provisional specification I have described the use of silk whereby to
obtain better sustained and closer tension of the stringing of Lawn Tennis Rackets
in place of gut but I have found from experience that the results obtained are not
sufficiently satisfactory to induce me to make that portion of my invention the
Bubject of any claim whatever and I discard such portion.
This
Figure 1 shews by a front view, Figure 2 by edge view and Figure 3 by section
on the lines A. A. of the preceding figures, a handle of a racket constructed
according to my improvements in the formation of the handles of such implements
so as to afford a better holding or gripping surface for the hand of the user.
according to my invention is effected by wholly or in part covering or encasing the
framework of the handle of the racket with walnut or other like substance a
adapted to receive indentations a¹ and retain the same in use and preserve a better
holding surface to the handle. These indentations or impressions may be varied in
their arrangement so long as the foregoing object be secured and they are obtained
by preference by means of a checkering machine or other suitable tool adapted to
form grooves therein of the desired depth and character and these grooves a¹ I
prefer to form in more or less parallel lines crossing each other in series so as to
form diamond, lattice, lozenge, or other forms by their intersection or combination.
The drawing shows a pattern of diamond form and the encasing with say walnut
wood a, a on two sides but this may be continued all around or otherwise arranged.
At the end of the handle or the butt I form an enlargement or swell b constructed
as part of the material of the handle and adapted in use of the implement to
prevent the handle passing out of the grasp of the user even should the grip on the
roughened portion al already described become somewhat relaxed. This enlarge-
ment 6 should bear.relation or approximate in its contour to the sectional form or
shape of the handle, that is to say that if the handle be in section circular, oval,
octagonal, or of other form, this enlargement b at the end of the handle should
follow the same contour in order not to permit of such enlargement b interfering
with the play of the user and also for the sake of better appearance of the article.
I am aware that enlargements or buttons for the ends of rackets have been formed
by nailing or securing leather around the part so as to give a stop for the hand to
come against and therefore I make no claim to enlargements, or buttons, or
stopping swells at the ends of rackets apart from the particular constructions set
forth.

page_text: 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
1. The construction of the handles of Rackets, for use in Lawn Tennis and
other games, with grooves arranged to form diamonds or shapes, by their crossings
or intersections adapted to secure the better hold of the user as set forth.
2. The construction of the handle of a racket, for Lawn Tennis and other
games, with an enlargement at the end thereof, adapted to prevent such handle
passing out of the user's hand formed of the material of the handle and following.
the design or shape of the section of the handle as set forth.
3. The combination and arrangement in a Racket handle for Lawn Tennis or
use in other games of grooves arranged as described and an enlargement of the
material and contour of such handle as set forth.