AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MARKING AND TELEGRAPHING THE "SCORE" AND STATE OF GAMES IN THE GAME OF LAWN TENNIS 33
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Wilkinson of Durdham Down in the City
of Bristol Clerk in Holy Orders and Gerard Saltren Rogers of Durdham
Down aforesaid Bachelor of Arts for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR MARKING AND TELEGRAPHING THE "SCORE" AND STATE OF
GAMES IN THE GAME OF LAWN TENNIS
33
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Wilkinson and
Gerard Saltren Rogers at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
14th June 1883.
JOHN HENRY WILKINSON, of Durdham Down, in the City of Bristol, Clerk
in Holy Orders, and GERARD SALTREN ROGERS, of Durdham Down aforesaid,
Bachelor of Arts "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MARKING AND TELEGRAPHING
THE "SCORE" AND STATE OF GAMES IN THE GAME of Lawn TENNIS "
Our Invention relates to an apparatus to be used for marking the score, or games
in a “set,” and also for marking the "sets" in a rubber in the game of Lawn
Tennis The apparatus acts as a telegraph both for the players and onlookers.
The apparatus according to our Invention consists of a vertical post of about
six feet in heighth from the ground. The upper portion of the post is provided
with ten arms for marking the games, set five on each side and one over the other
and pointing in reverse directions. The arms are hinged, or pivotted to the post
and may be provided with thumb-buttons for operating them, elastic washers, or
equivalent devices being provided for keeping the arms tight where they are
attached to the post. The arms on each side of the post are of different colours,
or shades, namely, those on one side being of one colour, or shade and those on the
other side being of another colour, or shade. Immediately below these arms and
attached to the post in a similar manner are four other arms set two on each side
of the post and one above the other, the arms on each side being of different
LP 011

page_text: colours, or shades. These four arms are used to mark the "sets" in a "rubber.”
Over the ten upper arms the word "games" is printed and over the under arms
the word "sets" is printed.
The telegraph post is fixed in, or on the ground near one of the poles of the
Tennis net, so that its arms when exhibiting the state of the game point respectively
towards the two different sides. At the commencement of a game the arms are
not exposed and when a game is won, one of the upper arms of the telegraph post
is exposed on the winning side and so scores and telegraphs the game and so on
throughout the set, an arm being exposed for each game. When a set is won one
of the lower arms of the telegraph post is exposed on the winning side and so
scores and telegraphs the sets and state of the rubber.
The telegraph post and arms may be made of wood, or other-suitable-material.
and the arms may be hinged and pivotted, or sliding on the post.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Henry Wilkinson and Gerard Saltren Rogers in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 14th December 1883.
JOHN HENRY WILKINSON, of Durdham Down, in the City of Bristol, Clerk
in Holy Orders, and GERARD SALTREN ROGERS, of Durdham Down, aforesaid,
Bachelor of Arts "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MARKING AND TELEGRAPHING
THE 'SCORE' AND STATE OF GAMES IN THE GAME OF LAWN TENNIS
"
Our Invention relates to an apparatus to be used for marking the score, or games
in a “set” and also for marking the "sets" in a rubber in the game of lawn
tennis. The apparatus acts as a telegraph both for the players and onlookers, and
the following is a full, clear and exact description of our Invention sufficient to
enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains or with which it is most
nearly connected to make, use and put the same into practico reference being had
to the sheet of Drawings making a part of this Specification and to the letters and
figures of reference marked thereon, which correspond with those used in this
Specification, like letters and figures being used to denote the same, or corresponding
parts throughout the various views and figures.

page_text: Over the arms B the word "Games" is printed, and over the arms C the words
"Sets" is printed.
The scoring post A is fixed in, or on the ground near one of the poles of the
tennis net so that the signal arms when exhibiting the state of the game point
respectively towards the two different sides, namely the arms BC point to one
side and the arms B'C' point to the other side. At the commencement of a game
the arms are not exposed, but as the game proceeds one of the upper arms B, or B¹
as the case may be, is exposed on the winning side, and so scores and telegraphs
the game, and so on throughout the set, an arm B, or B¹, being exposed for each
game. When a "set" is to be scored one of the lower arms C, or C¹ is exposed on
the winning side and so scores and telegraphs the "sets" and stato of the rubber.
The telegraph post and arms may be made-of-wood-or-other-suitable-material.
and the arms may be hinged, or made to slide on the post as shown.
Having now described our Invention and shown how the same may be put into
practice, we would have it understood that our Invention is not limited to the
precise form of post, nor to the particular way of fitting the signal arms thereon,
but what we claim as our Invention and secured to us by the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is:-
=
An apparatus for marking and telegraphing the score and state of games in the
game of lawn tennis, which apparatus consists essentially of an upright post
provided with moveablo arms operating substantially as herein described and
shown in the Drawings hereto annexed.
In Witness whereof, we the said John Henry Wilkinson and Gerard Saltren
Rogers have hereunto set our hands and seals this Eighth day of December, in
the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty-three.-
JOHN HENRY / \ WTLINGAN