Improvements in Tennis and other Racquets or Bats.
Year: 1889

page_text: D te of Application, 14th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 4th Jan., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tennis and other Racquets or Bats.
1 JAMES O'NEIL of 55 West 26th Street, New York City, in the County and State
of New York, United States of America, Teacher of Athletics 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 :-
This invention relates to bats of the class employed in playing racquets, tennis and
similar games, the object of the invention being to produce a bat frame which will not
warp or be affected by dampness and to the end named, the invention consists
essentially of a bat frame made up of wood and a pyroxyline compound, such as
zylonite, the wood, by preference, being cut into strips and bent to form upon a
mould or former with interposed layers of the pyroxyline compound, although under
certain circumstances I would wind a wooden bow with a strip composed of such
compound.
Reference is to he had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all
the views.
Figure 1 is a face view of a bat embodying my preferred construction. Figure 2
is a cross sectional view on line x-x of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a face view of
modified construction wherein the bat frame is shown as it would appear if wound by
a strip formed from a pyroxyline compound; and Figure 4 is a cross sectional view
on line y-y of Figure 3.
In the drawings A is the bat of which C is the handle, and 6 the head, bow, or
striking end, made in any proper shape with a woven filling c of catgut or other
proper material.
In making bats of the form illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, I take strips of wood d
and bend them about a form of the shape required for the head, bow, or striking end
of the bat, a layer of zylonite or other pyroxyline compound e being interposed
between the strips and the strips being faced with layers ff made of such compound.
The ends of the strips above referred to are bound down to form the handle and a
crotch or throat piece B is secured to place in the usual manner, this crotch or throat
piece being by preference made up of alternate layers of wood and pyroxyline
compound, the wooden layers being shown at g and the pyroxyline compound being
shown at h.
The handle C is finished in any proper manner, but I prefer to wind such handle
with one or more cords or strips i formed from the pyroxyline compound. This is my
preferred construction, but under certain circumstances I would form the bow of a
single strip of wood, as represented in Figure 4 at k, and this bow and the handle
arranged in connection therewith I would wind with cords or strips a of the said
pyroxyline compound as clearly illustrated in Figures 3 and 4.
By making the binding cords or strips of contrasting colors, a very ornamental bat
will be secured. Instead of the constructions above described a bat frame might be
dipped in the pyroxyline compound when such compound was in a liquid state, and
the compound allowed to dry on the frame.
Bats or racquets constructed as above described will be practically unaffected by
dampness and will maintain their true and required form indefinitely.
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 :-
1st. A game bat wherein the frame is made up of wood and a pyroxyline compound.
2nd. A game bat wherein the frame is made up of alternate layers of wood and a
pyroxyline compound,

page_text: 3rd. A game bat wherein the frame is made up of alternate layers of wood and a
pyroxyline compound, and wherein the handle is wound with a cord or strip formed
from such compound.
Dated this 14th day of November 1000
J. O'NEIL.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.