Improvements in the Manufacture of Lawn Tennis Nets and Apparatus for Using the same.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Dec., 1886.
Complete Left, 30th July, 1887.
Complete Accepted, 20th Sept., 1887,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Lawn Tennis Nets and
Apparatus for Using the same.
We DAVID DALGLISH and WILLIAM DALGLISH of the Firm of Net Manufacturers
trading under the style or designation of the "Lochwinnoch Net Weaving Co.," at
Burnfoot in the Town and Parish of Lochwinnoch and County of Renfrew, Scotland,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
To obtain more tasteful and artistic. Nets, than those hitherto in use, we use, or
employ any textile substance such as Cotton, Linen, Jute, Flax Mohair, Silk Hemp
and Wool or any combination of any two or more of these substances, either in their
natural condition, or in a bleached or dyed condition, and we knit or net these into
a Lawn Tennis Net forming any design composed of either lateral, perpendicular or
oblique lines or stripes, or a combination of any or all of these lines or stripes, using
for the production of any such design, any two or more colours of any Textile
substance it being understood that for the purposes of this Patent, the natural colour
of any Textile substance, and its bleached and dyed conditions are colours. The
same substances can be used to make a net of one colour for the body of the net,
with a border of white or any other colour knitted or netted on, thus dispensing with
a canvass top or border. Or they can be used to make a net composed of sections,
or courts, each section or court being of a diverse colour, with or without a diverse.
top knitted or netted on, or they can be used to make nets the pattern or design on
which is produced by discharging part of the colour or colours, or by printing or
painting the colour or colours on, or nets can be made composed of a combination
of any two or all of the sorts above described and they may all be made with either
a square mesh, or with a diamond shaped mesh, and by a new and novel arrangement

page_text: We
we make the diamond shaped meshes to hang fair, and retain their diamond form.
Our improvements in the apparatus for using Lawn Tennis Nets are as follows.
make a novel description of net posts or poles, to which not only the top and bottom
cords are attached, but also the end meshes, at both ends of the net and one or both
-of-these-posts, being made to turn by means of a handle, wheel or other similar
appliance upon its own axis, they or it act like a vertical windlass, causing the net
and cords to be equally tightened up and so dispensing with the use of a centre
support for the net. These posts or poles have each a ratchet wheel and pall or
other similar contrivance to prevent them turning back when the strain is on.
The
posts themselves are also properly stayed.
Dated 25th day of Decamba 100

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Lawn Tennis Nets and
Apparatus for Using the same.
We, DAVID DALGLISH and WILLIAM Dalglish, of the Firm of Net Manufacturers,
trading under the style or designation of the "Lochwinnoch Net Weaving Co. " at
Burnfoot in the town and parish of Lochwinnoch and County of Renfrew, Scotland,
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:
To obtain more tasteful and artistic nets than those hitherto in use we use or
employ any textile substance such as Cotton, Linen, Jute, Flax, Mobair, Silk, Hemp,
and Wool or any combination of any two or more of these substances, either in their
natural condition, or in a bleached or dyed condition, and we knit or net these into
a Lawn Tennis Net forming any design composed of either lateral, perpendicular or
oblique lines or stripes, or a combination of any or all of these lines or stripes using
for the production of any such design any two or more colours of any Textile
substance, it being understood that for the purposes of this Patent, the natural colour
of any Textile substance and its bleached and dyed conditions are colours. The
same substances can be used to make a net of one Colour, for the body of the net,
with a border of White, or any other Colour knitted or netted on, thus dispensing
with a Canvas top or border. Or they can be used to make a net of Sections or
Courts, each section or Court being of a diverse colour, with or without a diverse
top, knitted or netted on, or they can be used to make nets, the pattern or design on
which is produced by discharging part of the Colour or Colours or by printing or
painting the Colour or Colours on. Or nets can be made composed of a combination
of any two or more of all of the sorts above described, either by using the square
mesh, or the diamond shaped mesh, and by a novel and simple arrangement we mako
the diamond shaped mesh to retain its diamond form, and the nets formed of it to
hang square and fair.
And we now proceed to explain how the above mentioned
nets are made. The net worker must provide a scale or mesh-pin of the size of
mesh wanted, and a netting needle for each Colour or each material that is to be
used in making the net. To make nets with lateral stripes.-The diamond shaped
mesh is used in this case, and a stripe with as many meshes as are wanted of that
Colour is knit or netted, the whole length of the net. The Colour or material is
then changed and another stripe consisting of as many meshes as are wanted of that
Colour or material is netted, knitting the first stripe to the selvage of the second as
the work proceeds, and so on with each succeeding stripe until the depth of the net
wanted is obtained.
To make nets with perpendicular stripes. The Diamond shaped mesh is used in this
case also, only each stripe will be as long as the net is deep, and as many stripes are
used as are required to make up the length of the net wanted, joining them as
above

page_text: To make Diamand shaped meshes to retain the diamond form.
The nets made with this mesh must be corded all round both sides and ends with a
continuous cord, and the points of all the meshes must be laced to this cord.
To make nets with oblique lines or stripes.
The worker begins with one-mesh at the corner of the net, and the next row lets
out one mesh, this making the second row to consist of two meshes, another row is
then netted, and at the end of it another mesh is let out, thus making the third row
to consist of three meshes, and so on row after row letting out one mesh at the end
of each row until the net has been made the depth that is wanted. The piece of net
now made will be in the form of a right-angled triangle and there will be the same
number of meshes on each of the two sides that are square to one another.
The
worker then proceeds to net row after row along the oblique or sloping side of the
triangle, care being taken to let out at the one side, and take in at the other side
every alternate row, these outlets and intakes must each always be at the same side
where they were begun, that is, there will be an outlet side, and an intake side to
the net, which must not be reversed or departed from in the process or the net will
go off the square. When the selvage of the net that is longest, has obtained the
desired length, the process that was observed at the beginning of the net is now
reversed, that is to say the worker takes in one mesh at the end of each row, which
will narrow in the net and finish it off with one mesh. Whilst the process above
described proceeds, the colour or the material must be changed, at the proper
intervals and always at the end of a row, as often as the pattern wanted requires.
What has been above described will produce nets with oblique stripes all running
in the same direction, from end to end of the net, but should it be desired to form a
net with the stripes sloping in reverse directions from the centre to the ends, or from
any one place to any other place in the net, then the worker nets two pieces of net
whose longest selvages when joined together will make the length of net wanted and
these when so joined by their longest points, will make a net the stripes in which
will radiate as from a centre in opposite directions, and the triangular shaped blank
at the junction is netted in, observing to join colour to colour where they meet, and
maintaining the proper repeat of the pattern.
To make a net with one Colour for the body of the net, and a white or other
coloured border. It is only necessary in this case to follow the directions given for
nots with lateral stripes, the first stripe is the border and the body of the net is done
of any other colour.
To make nets composed of Sections or Courts, each section or court being of a
diverse Colour, with or without a diverse top netted on. In this case follow the
directions for the last immediately preceeding instance making each section or court
a complete and finished net in itself of the size of Court and Colour wanted and
cross join the one court to the other with one of the colours employed and also the
border if it has one with the colour of which the border is made.
To make nets the pattern on which is produced by discharging part of the colour
or colours, or by painting or printing the colour or colours on, are processes so common
in arts and manufactures as not to need any description here, only we adopt them to
produce patterns or designs on any or all of the nets already described or on any
parts of these nets.
Apparatus for using Lawn Tennis Nets.
Our apparatus for using Lawn Tennis Nets consists of an improved description of
Net Posts or Poles, to which both the top and bottom cords of the net can be attached
as well as the end meshes of the net, and one or both of the Poles being made to turn
on its own axis like a vertical windlas the net and cords are all equally tightened up
and a centre support for the net is not required. These poles may either have a
ratchet wheel and pall to prevent them turning back when the strain is put on, and
be turned by a hand wheel or a hand spoke, or they can be turned by a worm wheel
on the pole and worm on a spindle, which spindle can have a barrel organ handle on
the end of it, by which arrangement no ratchet wheel and pall are required.
The size of these Poles must be adapted to the depth of the net to be used. The

page_text: Drawing sent with this Specification shews one for nets three feet six inches deep or
any lesser depth. The frame marked "A." which consists of a sole plate, two side
stays and a collar may be all cast in one piece, and it supports or carries the Pole
marked "B" which may be made of either metal or wood or any other suitable
material. Wo put a cap of metal on the top ofthe Pole and make it fast to it with
screws, or the top of the pole can be squared and the inside of the cap squared to fit
it. The under portion of the cap is made the same diameter as the Pole, and so the
Cap fills the Collar, and acts as a shield to the Pole against the wear of revolving in
the Collar. The cap has an annular ring or groove cast in it and we put a set screw
through the collar, the point of which set screw is let in so far into the groove which
prevents the pole as it is being moved round from rising up out of the step in the
Sole plate. The top of the cap is made square and the worm wheel is made with a
square eye to go over the square head of the Cap, and a bolt not seen in the drawing
as it is inside the ornamental ball on the top, holds the Cap and worm wheel firmly
together. A worm or screw is carried in a bracket cast on or attached to the
Frame "A." this worm is fixed on a spindle and is in gear with the worm wheel, on
one end of the spindle a barrel organ handle is fixed, we put a metal stop on the
bottom end of the Pole, and it is let into a circular opening in the soleplate in which
although the step is fixed to the pole it has freedom to turn in the soleplate. In the
soleplate there are cast two circular openings which are extended into lateral slotts,
and to fix the Pole there are two spikes used, having mushroom shaped heads, these
are driven into the ground at the proper distances and the circular openings in the
soleplate are set over the spike heads, so as these appear through and above the sole-
plate. The operator then drives the barrel organ handle on the end of the worm
spindle around, the pole revolves and the nets and cords, having been previously
attached to their respective hooks upon the pole, are wound around the body of the
Pole in an equable manner. Whenever any strain comes on the pole it slides
forward an inch or so, the spike necks, being now in the slotts, so that the sole plato
and all it carries is firmly fixed to the ground. It will be apparent that whenever
the handle is turned round the screw acting upon the worm wheel will move the Pole
in either direction and thus tighten up, or slacken back the net & cords as may be
desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is.
1st. Improvements in the making of Lawn Tennis Nets by using diverse colours
or materials so as to produce effects such as we have described.
2nd. Improvements in the Apparatus employed in using Lawn Tennis Nets by
inventing a Rotary "Pole which revolves in a Collar and Step, and moved by
either hand power or by mechanism.
Dated this 29th day of July 1887.
DAVD. DALGLISH.
WM. DALGLISH.