IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN-TENNIS POLES AND MEANS FOR FIXING THE SAME to be as follows
Year: 1885

page_text: I WILLIAM BRENTON of East Cornwall Iron Works, Polbathic, Saint Germans,
in the county of Cornwall, Agricultural Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN-TENNIS POLES AND MEANS FOR
FIXING THE SAME to be as follows
"
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of lawn-tennis poles
and in the means for fixing the saine to the ground, whereby the poles can be
quickly set up and the net be attached to the poles and stretched in an easy and
expeditious manner.
In carrying out my invention I form the lawn-tennis pole of a tube of metal by
preference, and to the top of the tube I adapt a knob having a neck or groove for
receiving the cord of the net; the said knob is provided with a spindle or down-
ward extension which, by turning the knob, can be rotated within the tube; or if
preferred I can wind the cord within the tube between the top and the ratchet
hereinafter described; upon the lower end of the spindle is a ratchet into which
takes a spring catch working through the tube and which can be moved out of
engagement with the teeth of the ratchet from the exterior of the tube; a collar
is provided under the ratchet to prevent the spindle and knob from rising in the
tube; the knob is formed with a recess to receive a key or with other suitable
means for rotating the same; the lower end of the tube or pole is provided with
a stand consisting of a socket and a plate having a short spike at one end for
entering the ground; the other end of the plate has an angle iron foot piece
screwed or otherwise attached thereto, the said foot piece having long spikes which,
when driven into the ground, firmly hold the socket in position; the pole is fixed
in the socket by means of a set screw or a spring catch similar to that hereinbefore
described.
To fix and tighten a net by means of poles of this construction, the stands
having been fixed to the ground and the poles fixed in the sockets of the stands as
hereinbefore described, it is simply necessary to attach one end of the cord of the
net to the knob of each pole and by then rotating the knob or knobs the cord
will be tightly drawn so as to stretch the net, which will be so maintained by the
ratchet and spring catch. To detach the net the spring catch is withdrawn from
engagement with the teeth of the ratchet, when the net will slacken and can
then be removed; or the net can be rolled around the pole by rotating it before it
is taken out of the socket..
1

page_text: I WILLIAM BRENTON of East Cornwall Iron Works, Polbathic, Saint Germans,
in the county of Cornwall, Agricultural Engineer do hereby declare the nature of
the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN-TENNIS POLES AND MEANS FOR
FIXING THE SAME" 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 improvements in the construction of lawn-tennis poles
and in the means for fixing the same to the ground, whereby the poles can be
quickly set up and the net be attached to the poles and stretched in an easy and
expeditious manner.
In carrying out my invention I form the lawn-tennis pole of a tube of metal by
preference, and to the top of the tube I adapt a knob having a neck or groove for
receiving the cord of the net; the said knob is provided with a spindle or down-
ward extension which, by turning the knob, can be rotated within the tube; (or if
preferred I can wind the cord within the tube between the top and a ratchet or its
equivalent); the said ratchet is situated upon the lower end of the spindle into
which ratchet takes a spring catch working through the tube and which can be
moved out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet from the exterior of the
tube; a collar is provided under the ratchet to prevent the spindle and knob from
rising in the tube; the knob is formed with a recess to receive a key or with other
suitable means for rotating the same; the lower end of the tube or pole is provided
with a stand consisting of a socket and a plate or bar having a short spike at one
end for entering the ground; the other end of the plate or socket has an angle or
other iron foot piece screwed or otherwise attached thereto, the said foot piece
having a spike or spikes, which when driven into the ground firmly hold the socket
in position; the pole is fixed in the socket by means of a set screw or a spring
catch similar to that hereinbefore described or by means of a pin fitted across the
socket and entering notches or recesses in the end of the pole.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will proceed to describe
the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1 represents
a front elevation partly in section of a lawn-tennis pole and means for fixing the
same constructed according to my invention; figure 2, is a sectional plan of the
same; figure 3 is an end view of the stand and part of the pole; figure 4 is a
horizontal section on line A, B, of figure 1; figure 5 is a perspective view on
a smaller scale of one of the poles and stands shewing the same fixed in position
and part of a net attached thereto. Similar letters of reference in all the figures
represent similar parts.
a, is the lawn-tennis pole formed of a tube of metal by preference; b, is the
knob adapted to the top of the tube a, and c, is the neck or groove of the knob
for receiving the cord d, of the net; e, is a collar on the said knob b, bearing on
the upper edge of the tube a f; is the spindle or downward extension of the
knob b, which spindle by rotating the knob b, can be rotated within the tube a;
9, is the ratchet (shewn clearly in figure 4) upon the lower end of the spindle f;

page_text: h, is the spring catch which takes into the ratchet g, and works through a projecting
tube i, and enters the tube a; the catch h, by means of its head j, can be moved
out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet g, from the exterior of the tube;
k, is the collar under the ratchet g, for preventing the spindle f, and knob b, from
rising in the tube a; 1, figure 1 shews in dotted lines the recess in the knob b, for
receiving a key for rotating the same (or other suitable means may be employed
for this purpose); m, is the socket and n, the plate or bar forming the stand for -
the tube or pole a; o, is a collar or flange on the bottom end of the tube or pole a,
which collar or flange rests on the upper edge of the socket m; p. is the short
spike at one end of the plate or bar n, for entering the ground; q is the iron foot
piece fixed to the socket m, by means of the screws r, r, and s, is the spike on the
iron foot piece which spike together with the foot piece q, is driven into the ground
so as to firmly hold the socket m, in position; t, is the pin fixed across the
socket m, and u, are the grooves or recesses in the lower end of the pole which
grooves or recesses fit over the pin t, for fixing the tube or pole a, in the socket m,
and preventing it from rotating therein (or a spring catch similar to that herein-
before described and shewn at h, or a set screw or other suitable means may be
employed for this purpose.)
To fix and tighten a net by means of poles of this construction, the stands
having been fixed to the ground and the poles a, fixed in the sockets m, of the
stands as herein efore described, it is simply necessary to attach one end of the
cord d, of the net to the knob b, of each pole a, as shewn in figure 1, and by then
rotating the knob or knobs a, the cord d, will be tightly drawn so as to stretch the
net, which will be so maintained by the ratchet g, and spring catch h. To detach
the net the spring catch h, is withdrawn by means of its head or button j, from
engagement with the teeth of the ratchet g, when the net will slacken and can
then be removed; or the net can be rolled around the pole a by raising the pole
from engagement with the pin t, and then rotating it before it is taken out of the
socket m; the stands can be left in the ground if required and can be easily driven
level with the surface thereof so as to allow of the lawn being cut by the usual
lawn mowers.
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 combination with a lawn tennis pole of a rotating spindle adapted to
receive the end of the cord of a lawn tenuis net the said spindle being fixed in
position by suitable means as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and
represented in the accompanying drawing.
2. The improved stand for fixing lawn tennis poles in position substantially as
hereinbefore described and represented in the accompanying drawing.
3. The improved lawn tennis pole and means for fixing the same herein before
described and represented in the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 19th day of September 1885.
G. F. REDFERN,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agent for the Applicant.