Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Nov., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 20th Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 21st Sept.,
1888
I, WILLIAM HAWCRIDGE, of the Firm of W. and J. J. Haweridge, of Darley Street,
Bradford in the County of York, Athletic Outfitters, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a new or improved press for holding and keeping lawn
tennis rackets true, or preventing them twisting, and its object is to provide a rigid
press of simple construction which may be readily applied to or taken off the
racket.
For this purpose I employ two triangular shaped pieces of wood, metal, or other
suitable substance, connected at each angle by screws adapted to allow the racket to
be passed between them at the base, and to be pressed between them by tightening
said screws.
The said triangular pieces are preferably made of three pieces of wood jointed and
fitted at each angle with metallic pieces, through which the said screws pass, of a
suitable form adapted to strengthen said joints. Or such triangular pieces may be
made solid preferably of two or more layers of wood the grain of each layer being at
right angles with the layer or layers coming next to it. In this case one central
screw may be used to connect said triangular pieces, passing through the mesh of
the racket.
Motel triangles formed of one piece may also be employed.

page_text: A New or Improved Press for Lawn Tennis Rackets.
I, WILLIAM HAWORIDGE, of the Firm of W. and J. J. Hawcridge, of Darley
Street, Bradford, in the County of York, Athletic Outfitters, 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 improvements in presses for holding and keeping lawn
tennis rackets true and preventing twisting, and its object is to provide a rigid press
of simple construction which may be readily applied to or taken off the racket.
For this purpose I employ two triangular shaped pieces of wood, metal or other
suitable substance connected together at each angle by screws adapted to allow the
racket to be passed between such triangular pieces and be pressed by tightening said
screws.
Triangular frames are preferably used made of three pieces of wood suitably jointed
together at the angles and having the clamping screws passing through each angle.
Or such triangular pieces may be made solid preferably of two or more layers of wood
the grain of each layer being arranged to cross the grain of the layer or layers coming
next to it.
Metallic triangles formed of one piece may also be employed.
For the purpose of clearly describing my invention I have appended a sheet of
drawings in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the
figures.
Figure 1, is a plan of a wooden press, constructed in accordance with my invention,
and Figure 2, is a perspective view of the same looking towards one of the sides.
The sides A of each triangle are jointed together at the angles and clamping
screws Bare rigidly fixed in each angle of the lower triangle the projecting ends of
which pass freely through holes in each angle of the upper one and are provided with
thumb screws D on their outer ends.
To place a racket in the press it is passed between the two triangular pieces from
any side and the screws D are tightened so as to draw it up where required.
ๆ
It will be understood that the triangular form of the press specially adapts it to
restore twisted rackets to their proper form as it enables pressure to be readily applied 3
to any part of the racket that is out of truth.
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:
A racket press, consisting of two triangles connected together at each angle by 3
clamping screws, substantially as herein. shown and described and for the purpose
specified..