Improvements in the Handles of Cricket Bats.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 29th Feb., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Handles of Cricket Bats.
I, ERNEST SEFTON, of 71, Cathedral Square, Christchurch, in the Provincial
District of Canterbury, in the Colony of New Zealand, Post Master, do
bereby 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:-
7
The object of this invention is to provide cricket bats with handles which will
have more spring than those in common use, will present a better surface to
the grasp of the player and will also be simple in construction and durable
in use..
Bats are usually made with handles composed of a number of pieces of cane
fitted together and fastened by glue or similar adhesive material the whole being
bound round with string.
Sometimes slips of whalebone or india rubber have been interposed with pieces
of cane.
other
I find in practice that connecting together the pieces of cane by glue or other
material greatly reduces the elasticity of the handle and the string with which it is
bound is not a satisfactory surface to be grasped by the player as it is liable to gall
or chafe the hands.
In my invention I divide the caue or similar material employed for the handle
into fibres and dispense entirely with glue to hold them together, an envelope of
gutta-percha or similar elastic material serving for that purpose and forming a good
surface to the grasp of the player.
Referring to the accompanying drawings;
Fig. 1 is a front elevation, and
Fig. 2 a vertical central section of a hat illustrating my invention.
The blade (a) is formed in the usual manner with the dove-tail (b) receiving
the bottom of the handle (e) which is secured therein by glue or any usual means.
The handle (c) is divided into fibres (e) throughout its length beyond the part
dovetailed in the blade (a).
The division into fibres may be accomplished by splitting the cane with a knife,
or by passing the handle between rollers which will compress it sufficiently to
separate the fibres without injuring the material.
An envelope (d) of gutta-percha, india rubber, or similar material (rendered
plastic for the purpose) is then placed over the fibres to hold them together.
The gutta-percha envelope forms a much better surface to the hands of the
player than the usual string binding and does not so much reduce the flexibility of
the fibres.
The handle is shaped so as to taper towards the middle from either end and to
obtain this the external fibres may be cut through thus giving greater elasticity to
the handle while not materially reducing its strength.
The fibres might, if desired, be held together by the usual string binding, but I
prefer to employ the envelope of elastic material described.
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. The improvements in the handles of cricket bats as and for the purposes
herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 2. A cricket bat handle formed of cane or similar material divided into separate
fibres which are not glued or cemented together but held by an external binding of
string or other convenient means substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In combination a cricket bat handle of cane or similar material divided into
fibres with an envelope formed of gutta-percha or similar elastic material
substantially as and for the purposes herein described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 3rd day of December 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.