Bats, and for Golf Clubs and other Articles.
Year: 1885

page_text: Bats, and for Golf Clubs and other Articles.
I JAMES DAVIDSON of 63 Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, in the County of
Lanark, General India-Rubber Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my said
Invention to be as follows:-
My said Invention has reference to special improvements in the construction of
handles for Lawn tennis, Racquet, and, cricket bats and for Golf Clubs and other
articles and purposes, whereby greater and better holding power is given and a
more safe and pleasent feeling in their use requiring a much less gripping or
compressing action of the fingers and hand than with those heretofore constructed.
My improvements consists all as follows:-first, according to one arrangement of
the improvements, in turning or otherwise forming at intervals apart along the
said handles, flattish rounded or eleptical shaped raised bands round their circum-
ference sunk at the edges, and in springing and fitting over these raised or rounded
parts, thin bands or short tubular pieces of good elastic vulcanised india rubber, of
such a thickness that the edges of the rings will just coincide flush with the body
parts of the handle between the rubber bands, while the middle parts of these
bands will be raised in a curved form in longitudinal section, to give the gripping
effect when the hand closes over these ring parts, and at the same time giving a
soft and neither heating nor cooling feeling or effect to the hands of the user.
These bands of india-rubber would be of different widths but little difference in
their heights above the general height of the body of the handles to which they
were attached; they might vary from the width of one finger to three fingers and
always broad enough to give the gripping effect without friction or a heating
action to the hands; and they would preferably be fixed to the surface of the
grooved and raised parts of the handles made for them by a good cementing
solution and their outer raised rounded surface might either be of a plain flat soft
texture of the rubber itself or have fine rounded ribs on the surface to have the
effect of the combing frequently used in ordinary wood handles and the body parts
of the bandles between the rubber bands might either be polished or combed in
the usual manner. When button shaped heads are formed or fitted on the extreme
end of these handles, these might have a band or covering of the same india rubber

page_text: construction sprung over them and have an ornamental plate fitted on the extreme
end over the outer edges of this end rubber ring.
By another arrangement when desired, broad rings of rubber might be used
sprung or fitted over two or more such rounded bulged parts of the handle or one
two or more convex bulges might be formed on the rubber bands when made broad
for the purpose at the desired distance apart.
Bats, and for Golf Clubs and other Articles.
I, JAMES DAVIDSON, of 63 Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, in the county of
Lanark, General, India Rubber Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing, reference
being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said invention has reference to special improvements in the construction of
handles for lawn tennis, racquet and cricket bats, and for golf clubs and other
articles and purposes, whereby greater and better holding power is given, and a
more safe and pleasant feeling in their use, requiring a much less gripping or com-
pressing action of the fingers and hand, than with those heretofore constructed.
And in order that my said invention, and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended a Sheet of explanatory Drawings, in which Figure 1, is an elevation of a
handle A, of a lawn-tennis bat, representing one arrangement of my improvements,
which consists in fitting slightly raised or convex gripping bands a, of india-
rubber, or similar elastic material, over and into corresponding raised and sunk
grooves or recesses b, at intervals along the length of the handle A, and flush
therewith at the edges a¹. While Figure 1, is a sectional elevation to an enlarged
scale, of part of the handle A, to show it fitted with one of the slightly raised or
convex bands a, corresponding to Figure 1.
Figures 2 and 2ª, are elevations corresponding to Figures 1 and 1ª, respectively,
of a lawn-tennis bat handle A, representing a slightly different, but equivalent
arrangement of my improvements from that shown in Figures 1 and 1°, for
effecting the same purposes. In this arrangement the sunk grooves b, in the wood

page_text: or other handle A, are formed parallel or flat, so that when the gripping india-
rubber or elastic bands a, are sprung over and into them, they shall lie level or
flush at a¹, a¹ with the wood handle A, thus forming the handle, with the outer
surface of the india-rubber a, and the uncovered wood parts A, perfectly level..
And Figures 3 and 3*, are corresponding elevations of a lawn-tennis bat handle A,
representing another slightly modified, but equivalent arrangement of my improve-
ments for effecting the same purposes or advantages of my invention. In this
arrangement the sunk grooves b in the handle A, are formed slightly concave, so
that when the gripping bands a are sprung over and into them, they will have.
their outer surfaces of a slightly concave shape, but coinciding with the wood
part A, at the edges a¹, as in the two former arrangements..
Referring to these Drawings, my improvements consist all as follows:-First,
according to one arrangement of the improvements as shown in Figures 1 and 1*, in
turning or otherwise forming at intervals apart indicated at 1, 2, 3, in Figure 1,
along the said handles, flattish, rounded, or elliptical shaped, raised bands or parts,
round their circumference sunk at the edges b', and in springing and fitting over
these raised or rounded parts, thin bands or short tubular pieces of good elastic
vulcanized india-rubber a, of such a thickness that the edges a¹ of the rings a will
just coincide flush with the body parts of the handle A, between the rubber bands;
while the middle parts of these bands will be raised in a curved form in longi-
tudinal section, as shown particularly in Figure 1*, to give the gripping effect when
the hand closes over these ring parts, and at the same time giving a soft and
neither heating nor cooling feeling or effect to the hands of the user.
These bands a of india-rubber, would be of different widths, but little difference
in their heights above the general height of the body of the handles to which they
were attached; they might vary from the width of one finger to three fingers, and
always broad enough to give the gripping effect without friction or a heating
action to the hands; and they would preferably be fixed to the surface of the
grooved and raised parts of the handles A, made for them, by a good cementing
solution such as shellac, or dissolved gutta-percha or india-rubber.
By another arrangement when desired, although not shown in the Drawings,
broad rings of rubber might be used sprung or fitted over two or more such
rounded bulged parts of the handle, or one or two or more convex bulges might be
formed on the rubber bands when made broad for the purpose at the desired
distance apart.
The arrangements of my improvements shown in Figures 2 and 2ª, and 3 and 3ª,
would be carried out in a similar manner to that just described in connection with
the arrangement shown in Figures 1, and 1ª, the only difference being that the
grooves or sunk parts b, b', would be formed a little deeper at the centre b, the
former being parallel, and the latter slightly concave, so that in the arrangement
shown in Figures 2 and 2ª, the gripping bands a would lie parallel in the flat sunk
grooved parts b, b¹, and have no raised or curved parts, but have their outer
surface flush or level with the uncovered parts of the handle A, throughout.
While in the arrangement shown in Figures 3 and 3*, the sunk grooves or
parts b, b', would be formed of, and give to the bands sprung over and into them
a slightly concave shape on their outer surface. The bands a, are preferably made
cylindrical or parallel and to the width of the grooves or sunk parts from b¹ to b¹,
but of a smaller circumference than the sunk parts, and with an elasticity such
that when sprung over and into the recesses 6, 61, they take the shape of this
sunk part whether slightly convex, parallel or concave, as respectively shown in
Figures 1, 2, and 3. Although these bands a have only been described as made
of india-rubber, they might also be formed of equivalent elastic material such as of
leather or cloth.
The outer surfaces of these bands a, might either be of a plain flat soft texture
of the rubber itself, or as is preferred and shown in the Drawings, have fine
rounded ribs on the surface, to have the effect of the combing frequently used in
ordinary wood handles; and the body parts of the handles between the rubber

page_text: bands might either be polished or combed in the usual manner. When button
shaped heads A¹, are formed or fitted on the extreme end of these handles, these
might have a band or covering of the same india-rubber construction, sprung over
them, as that forming the bands a, and have an ornamental plate B, fitted on the
extreme end, over the outer edges of this rubber ring, secured by a nail or otherwise.
Although not shown so in the Drawings, instead of using india-rubber as described
when preferred, these handles may have a sheet-metal ornamental covering fitted
over their outer ends.
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 :-
First. The constructing of handles for lawn-tennis bats, and other games, with
longitudinally alternate bands of wood, and india-rubber or similar elastic covering
material, all substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the
accompanying Drawings.
Second. In handles for lawn-tennis bats, and other games, the forming of sunk
grooves or recesses at intervals along their length to receive gripping bands of
india-rubber or similar elastic material, so as to have the outer surface of these
bands flush with the handle at the edges, whether they are slightly convex,
parallel, or concave, all substantially as herein described, in reference to and shown
in the accompanying Drawings.