Sportments in or relating to the Construction of the audieS of Cricket Bats.
Year: 1885

page_text: Sportments in or relating to the Construction of the audieS
of Cricket Bats.
I, WILLIAM SYKES, of the Yorkshire Athletic Manufactory, Horbury, near
Wakefield in the County of York, Cricket Bat Manufacturer do hereby declare
the nature of the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THE HANDLES OF CRICKET BATS," to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of the handles of
cricket bats in order to impart additional flexibility and elasticity thereto, and at
the same time to reduce the weight of the bat.
Hitherto cricket bat handles have been made out of solid pieces of wood, cane, or
the like material, or else built or made up from a series of pieces of wood, cane,
whalebone, india rubber, cork, leather, or other similar materials, or a combination
of either or all of these materials united and combined together, aud secured to the
blade of the bat.
Now my invention consists in introducing into the handle of a cricket bat a core,
layer, strip or strips of felt, and combing it with the wood, cane, or other material
forming the handle. In carrying my invention into practice I, by preference, build
up the handle from a series of pieces of wood, cane, or other suitable material, and
insert between them or in the centre a core, layer, or strip or strips of felt in such
a manner that the handle can afterwards be turned into shape, wrapped, and
secured to the bat in the ordinary manner. This core, layer, strip or strips of felt
(by preference) only extends a portion of the length of the handle, and the space
remaining in the upper portion of the handle is filled with mahogany, cedar, or
other material. By inserting mahogany, cedar, or other material at the top of the
bat bandle, and placing it immediately over the core, layer, strip or strips of felt a
firmer and lighter handle is produced, and at the same time I am enabled to
regulate the amount of flexibility and elasticity to be given to the bat. Whilst the
jar to the band of the player is greatly reduced, and the bat rendered more durable
by diminishing the concussion and at the same time enabling the player to weild
the bat with great freedom and force.
The felt may be introduced into and combined with the handle in various ways.
Dated this tenth day of Sentember 188K
W FAIRBURN-HART,
Agent for the Applicant..

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Construction of the Handles
of Cricket Bats.
I WILLIAM SYKES of the Yorkshire Athletic Manufactory Horbury near.
Wakefield in the County of York Cricket Bat Manufacturer do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THE CON-
STRUCTION OF THE HANDLES OF CRICKET BATS 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 improvements in the construction of the handles of
Cricket bats, in order to impart additional flexibility and elasticity thereto, and at
the same time to reduce the weight of the bat.
Hitherto cricket bat handles have been made out of solid pieces of wood, cane or
the like materials, or else built or made up from a series of pieces of wood, cane,
whalebone, india-rubber cork, leather or other similar materials, or a combination
of either or all of these materials united and combined together, and secured to the
blade of the bat.
Now my invention consists in introducing into the handle of a Cricket bat a
core, layer, strip or strips of felt, and combining it with the wood, cane, or other
materials forming the handle, and then filling a space left in the upper portion of
the handle, with mahoghany, walnut or other bard materials. In carrying my
invention into practice, I, by preference, build up the handle from a series of pieces
of wood, cane or other suitable materials as shown by the spaces markel C in
drawing Figure 1, and insert between them or in the centre a core, layer, strip
or strips of felt as shown by the part marked B, which only extends through a
portion of the handle, the remainder of the handle below the part marked off as B,
consisting of cane or other suitable materials. The part marked off as A in
Figure 1, consists of mahoghany, walnut, cedar or other hard materials, which is
placed immeidately over the core, layer, strip or strips of felt, which by this method
makes a firmer and lighter handle than any of the other methods of construction.
By covering the felt at the top of the handle in this manner, I am better able to
regulate the amount of elasticity and flexibility required by the bat, whilst the jar
to the hand of the player is greatly reduced, and the bat rendered more durable by
reducing the concussion, and at the same time enabling the player to wield the bat
with great freedom and force. The handle is afterwards turned into shape,
wrapped and secured to the bat in the ordinary way as shown by Figure 3. This
Figure also shows the parts making up the handle as explained in Figure 1,
D being the blade of the bat to which the handle is attached, and the part
marked C forming the splice. Figure 2. is a section of the handle taken across the
tracing, the parts marked C being the cane or other suitable materials, and the
part marked B the felt passing through the centre.
The felt can, of course, be combined in other ways, according to the degree of
elasticity required.

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. The method of constructing the handle of a Cricket bat, by the insertion of
felt in a portion of the handle, and covering it at the top part by mahoghany,
walnut or other hard materials as described by Figure 1.
2. The improved construction of cricket bat handles, by combining with other
materials now generally used, a core, layer, strip or strips of felt.