An Improved Ground Attachment for Lawn Tennis Poles and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 2nd June, 1894-Accepted, 7th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Ground Attachment for Lawn Tennis Poles and
the like.
I ROBERT RAMSBOTTOM of 81 Market Street, Manchester in the County of
Lancaster, Sportsman's Outfitter do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to means for securing the bases of portable poles to the
ground, for instance the poles in connection with the game of lawn tennis for the
purpose of supporting a net stretched between them, and consists in the construction
and arrangement of the base plate or foot of pole and anchoring device, the inven-
tion being an improvement upon that described and claimed in Rofe's Specification
No. 9586 1889, and the object of this invention to more readily and effectively secure
the poles in a rigidly upright position.
In carrying out this invention I form an oblong base plate or foot to the pole
and at the end of the foot or base plate I may form a hole slot or fork; the other
end of the base-plate, or heel, may also be similarly formed.
The ground attachment or anchoring device consists of a stake or bar to which
is hinged at or about the centre an arm. The free end of the arm may be pierced
with holes or formed with a screw head. The nose end of the stake is pointed to
facilitate its being driven into the ground. The head of the stake may be formed
in any convenient manner.
The stake is driven into the ground in an inclined direction having the hinged
arm upwards and lying parallel with the stake, until the head of the stake is level
with the surface of the ground. The hinged arm of the stake is then forced up
The forked
into a vertical position and projects above the level of the ground.
end, or toe, of the base plate engages with the projecting part of the hinged arm,
and the heel of the plate rests upon the head of the stake. The base plate may
be secured to the hinged arm by passing a cotter or pin through the latter above
the foot or in any other convenient manner.
£ Cantauber 1802
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, and 5, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Ground Attachment for Lawn Tennis Poles and
the like.
I, ROBERT RAMSBOTTOM of 81 Market Street, Manchester in the County
of Lancaster, Sportsman's Outfitter do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to means for securing the bases of portable poles to the
ground, for instance the poles used in connection with the game of lawn tennis for
the purpose of supporting a net stretched between them, and consists in the
construction and arrangement of the base-plate or foot of pole and anchoring
device, the invention being an improvement upon that described and claimed in

page_text: Rofe's Specification No. 9586 of 1889 and the object of this invention is to more
readily and effectively secure the poles in a rigidly upright position.
On the sheet of drawings appended hereunto Figure shows a side view,
Figure 2 an end view and Figure 3 a plan of the improved base plate and
anchoring device, Figure 4 showing the anchoring device folded for driving into
the ground.
In carrying out this invention I form an oblong base plate or foot a to the pole b
and at the end a¹ or toe of the foot or base plate I form a hole, slot or fork, the
other end a² or heel of the base plate being preferably formed similarly.
The ground attachment or anchoring device consists of a preferably broad stake
or bar c to which at or about the centre an arm d is hinged. The free end of the
arm may be pierced with holes as shown. The nose of the stake is bevelled to
facilitate its being driven into the ground The head of the stake is preferably
reduced in width so as to form shoulders c¹ with a projecting central part c².
To fix the pole the stake is driven into the ground in an inclined direction as
shown on the drawing, the hinged arm d being turned upwards and laid against the
stake while it is driven in as shown by Figure 4, until the shoulders care level
with the ground. The arm d is then turned up into a position about vertical to the
stake e so that it will project above the ground. The base plate a is placed over
the arm and stake so that the projecting part of the arm passes through the hole,
slot or fork of the toe a' of the base plate, and the heel a² of the same rests upon
the shoulders of the stake with the projecting part of the head passing through
the hole, slot or fork of this end. The base plate is secured to the arm d by means
of a pin or cottar e passed through the arm above the base plate.
Instead of pins or cottars being used to connect the arm to the base plate, other
fastenings may be employed, for instance, the end of the bar may be formed into
a screw and a nut screwed upon it above the base plate, or the end may be thickened
or bent over and tapped and a screw screwed into it bearing upon the base plate,
or equivalent means may be used for transferring an upward pull on the toe of the
plate to the arm and stake.
The pull of the net on the top of the pole (towards the left of Fig. 1) tends to
lift the toe end a¹ of the plate, which tendency is effectually resisted by the arm
and the soil above the lower part of the stake.
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. In combination with a lawn tennis and like pole having an oblong base plate,
the use and arrangement of a stake with hinged arm and means for connecting the
end of the arm and base plate substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The arrangement or construction of ground attachment or anchoring device
for lawn tennis and like poles substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
by the drawings.
R. J. URQUHART,
57, Barton Arcade, Manchester, and 5, Clayton Square, Liverpool,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent.