IMPROVEMENTS IN BATS FOR LAWN TENNIS, TENNIS RACQUET BADMINTON AND OTHER ANALOGOUS GAMES
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
"
I RALPH SLAZENGER Moss of the National Liberal Club Trafalgar Square in
the County of Middlesex Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BATS FOR LAWN TENNIS, TENNIS RACQUET
BADMINTON AND OTHER ANALOGOUS GAMES". to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to effect improvements in bats for lawn tennis,
Racquet, Badminton, and other analogous games, such improvements consisting
of an improved method of stringing such bats and an improved method of forming
the handle to obtain a firm hold of the same.
As the principal wear of the strung portion of the bat takes place at or near the
middle, leaving that portion which is near the frame comparatively unimpaired
by use; I provide an additional amount of string or catgut or other suitable.
material and interlace the same in such central portion such additional portion
of stringing being placed diagonally to the main strings or otherwise.
And my improvement in the handles of such bats consists in forming grooves
or projections upon such handles by means of slips of wood rubber ebonite or other
suitable material being glued pinned screwed or otherwise attached thereto.
A
1 1001

page_text: I RALPH SLAZENGER Moss, of The National Liberal Club, Trafalgar Square,
in the County of Middlesex, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BATS FOR LAWN TENNIS, TENNIS,
RACQUET, BADMINTON, AND OTHER ANALOGOUS 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 my invention is to effect improvements in bats for Lawn Tennis,
Racquet, Badminton, and other analogous games, such improvements consisting of
an improved method of stringing such bats, and an improved method of forming
the handle, to obtain a firm hold of the same.
As the principal wear of the strung portion of the bat takes place at or near the
middle, leaving that portion which is near the frame comparatively unimpaired
by use provide an additional amount of string, or catgut, or other suitable
material, and interlace the same in such central portion; such additional portion
of stringing being placed diagonally to the main strings or otherwise.
And my improvement in the handles of such bats consists in forming grooves
and other projections upon such handles by means of slips of wood, rubber, ebonite,
or other suitable material, glued, pinned, screwed, or otherwise attached thereto, or
otherwise formed therein or thereon.
And in order that my said invention may be clearly understood; reference is
hereby made to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 represents my improved bat, in which figure the improved method of
stringing the same is shewn, by means of additional strings a a placed and inter-
I woven diagonally in and among the ordinary transverse strings, whereby the
durability of the bat is greatly increased. The handle is furnished with a number
of grooves, projections or corrugations cut out of the solid, or by attaching slips of
wood, rubber, ebonite, or other suitable material, which are glued, pinned, screwed,
or otherwise fastened as shewn in the drawings; the handles of Figs 1, 2, 3, 4
and 5 are formed with 4 projections, but I do not confine myself to any particular
number of such slips or projections, and such slips or projections may also be
placed spirally, as shewn in Fig. 8, a section of such corrugations being shown in
Fig. 7. In Fig. 4a built up form is shewn. In Fig. 5 the same form is shewn cut
out of the solid. In Fig. 6 multiple grooves and projections are shewn in parallel
straight lines, Fig. 7 being a section of the same. In Fig. 8 the projections are
spirally arranged. Fig. 9 shews another form, and Figs 10 and 11 represent spiral
grooves forined in such bandles.
By the means aforesaid a corrugated surface is produced which is specially
suitable for the hand, and for affording a firm grip of the bat.
The end of the handle may be finished as shewn in Figs 1 and 2; the outer end
being capped and cambered at b as shewn, and I sometimes curve the handles, as
shewn in Fig. 2. 1

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 In the construction of Lawn Tennis and other bats for the purposes aforesaid,
the use of parallel, spiral, and other projections, substantially as herein before
described, and illustrated on the drawings.
2 In the construction of the aforesaid bats, the use of parallel, spiral, and other
grooves, substantially as herein before described, and illustrated on the drawings.
Dated 29th December 1884.
GEO. DOWNING,
Agent for Applicant.