Year: 1886

page_text: I WILLIAM BENJAMIN GASSON Cabnet Maker, 70 Springfield Road South-
borough Tonbridge Wells do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention is for the strengthening of the Blade of a Cricket bat, to prevent
its splitting, by inserting a peice of cross grain wood about one eighth of an inch¸
in thickness & nine inches upwards from the bottom of the bat.
And another piece of cross grain wood inserted as the above commening about
six inches from the shoulder of the Bat downwards.
Each of the above pieces will be inserted in the flat way of the Bat,.

page_text: I, WILLIAM BENJAMIN GASSON, of 70 Springfield Road, Southborough, Tun-
bridge Wells, Cabinet Maker, 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, reference being had to the
accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification :-
The object of my invention is to strengthen the bat so as to render it practically
unbreakable, and my invention consists in inserting in the lower end of the blade
of the bat a piece of hard wood extending from edge to edge of the bat and from
the bottom of the blade about nine inches up the said blade and also in inserting
in the upper end of the blade a' similar, piece of hard, wood extending from edge to
edge of the bat and about six inches down the blade, and through the handle of
the bat. The said inserted pieces or cross-tongues may be about an eighth of an
inch (more or less) in thickness, and they are inserted so that the grain of the said
cross-tongues runs transversely or at right angles to the grain of the blade of
the bat.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a front view of one of my improved bats.
Figure 2 is an edge view of the same.
Figure 3 is an edge view of the handle before being inserted into the bat.
Like letters indicate like parts in all the figures.
こ
a is the blade of the bat, b is the handle; and c c¹ are the cross-tongues or pieces
of hard wood inserted at the upper and lower ends of the blade.
In carrying out my invention I form a kerf or saw-cut in the lower end of the
blade of the bat, the said kerf or saw-cut extending from the bottom a' of the bat,
about nine inches (more or less) up the said blade. I also form in the upper end
of the said blade a similar kerf or saw-cut extending from the upper extremity a
of the blade about six inches (more or less) down the said blade. Both of the said
kerfs or saw-cuts are made in about the centre of the edge of the blade a of the
bat. The said kerfs extend from edge to edge of the blade and may be about an
eighth of an inch (more or less) in width.
A piece of hard wood or cross-tongue c c¹, of such a size and thickness as to fit
tightly within and fill the kerf, is then well and carefully glued on both sides and
forced into each of the said kerfs, the said kerfs being also glued on both sides
before the cross-tongues are inserted. The glue may be run into the said kerfs by
a thin piece of wood or a knife. The grain of each of the said inserted pieces or
cross-tongues runs from edge to edge of the bat, that is, transversely or at right
angles to the grain of the blade.
The handle b is then inserted into the bat, the cross-tongue o in the upper end
of the bat passing into and filling the groove b' cut in the end 6 of the handle
which is inserted into the blade of the bat.. The whole is then placed between
cramps until dry when the bat can be finished.

page_text: The cross-tongue c' in the bottom of the blade greatly reduces the risk of splitting
at this point and the cross-tongue c in the upper end of the blade and passing
through the handle adds greatly to the strength and security of the joint between
the handle and the blade: The bat is thus rendered capable of being used with '
greater driving power and is practically unbreakable.
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 :-
A cricket bat having a cross-tongue c¹ inserted at the bottom of the blade and
a cross-tongue cinserted at the upper end of the blade and passing through the
handle, substantially as herein set forth.