Year: 1886

page_text: I JAMES EDWARD RANSOME of Holme Wood Ipswich in the County of Suffolk
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
Lawn tennis balls are at the present time usually covered with cloth but they
are also often used without such covering and it is then found that the bare smooth
surface of the ball does not hold like a covered ball to the racket with which the
ball is struck nor can sufficient cut or rotary motion be put upon the ball; and in
like manner when the smooth uncovered ball strikes the ground any cut or rotary
motion as the case may be upon it does not take full effect. To obviate this and
to make the play of uncovered balls as much as possible like that of covered ones
I form the ball with a grained or roughened in place of a smooth surface and for
this purpose I employ moulds indented within to correspond to the graining or
roughening which I desire to produce on the surface of the ball.
A grain like that of morocca leather is that which I employ and it gives the best
results.
Balls thus made are more suitable than covered balls for use when the ground is
wet as they do not absorb moisture and also for use on asphalte cinder and gravel
courts as they last longer and are also less expensive.

page_text: I JAMES EDWARD RANSOME of Holme Wood Ipswich in the County of Suffolk
Engineer 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:-
Lawn tennis balls are at the present time usually covered with cloth but they
are also often used without such covering and it is then found that the bare smooth
surface of the ball does not hold like a covered ball to the racket with which the
ball is struck nor can sufficient cut or rotary motion be put upon the ball; and in
like manner when the smooth uncovered ball strikes the ground any cut or rotary
motion as the case may be upon it does not take full effect. To obviate this and 1
to make the play of uncovered balls as much as possible like that of covered ones
I form the ball with a grained or roughened in place of a smooth surface and for
this purpose I employ moulds indented within to correspond to the graining or
roughening which I desire to produce on the surface of the ball.
A grain like that of morocco leather or a surface studded with small projections 1
I employ and it gives the best results.
Balls thus made are more suitable than covered balls for use when the ground
is wet as they do not absorb moisture and also for use on asphalte cinder and
gravel courts as they last longer and are also less expensive.
In order that my said invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the drawing hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The drawing represents a ball made in accordance with my invention with a
surface uniformly roughened. The surface is closely studded with minute pro-
jections approximately semi-globular in form; these as already stated are produced
by the mould in which as is usual the ball is vulcanised; cavities in the surface of
the mould being represented by corresponding projections on the face of the ball.
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 :-
An uncovered india rubber lawn tennis ball with an uniformly roughened
surface such as to give better hold on the racket and upon the ground and con-
sequently greater capability of applying and utilising twist and cut than is
obtained with ordinary smooth surface uncovered balls.