Securing the Netting Used in Lawn Tennis and similar Games.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 16th July, 1886.
Complete Left, 14th Apr., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 17th May, 1887
Securing the Netting Used in Lawn Tennis and similar Games.
I PERCIVAL KING of 54B Lothian Street in the City and County of Edinburgh,
Cricket Outfitter do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In the game of lawn tennis a net is secured to and stretched between two standards
or poles fixed in the ground at suitable distances apart. Wires pass horizontally
through the top and lower parts of the net, and are secured at their looped ends to
screws or pins on the respective poles; while the vertical edge meshes or binders of
the net are laced on to a vertical rod passing through eyes in the one pole, and
attached to screws or pins on the other pole.
The improvements of this invention comprise a new or improved mode and
means of properly tightening up the net longitudinally and parallelly from top to
bottom at and to one of the poles, which has not been well or conveniently effected
heretofore.
The improvements of this invention consist as follows:-In mounting over one of
the poles a hollow tube, with a turning cross handle or other equivalent, preferably
at its upper end, and carried on a retaining strong lateral pin at its lower end
edge near the ground, secured in the pole. This lower end edge of the hollow
tube is formed with two, three, or more ratchet notches which take on to the pin
as the tube is turned round by the handle; and instead of securing the vertical
edge meshes or binders to the polo, as heretofore, they are fixed to this outer
turning and tightening tube, by pins or otherwise, so that as this is turned by
the cross handle, it tightens and rolls the netting on its outer surface parallelly and
equally from bottom to top, the tube simply rising from one notch or tooth to
another at a time over the retaining pin which secures the tube as the net is
rolled up to any desired tightness, which the standards will sustain.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
Agents.

page_text: Improvements in and Connected with the Standards or Foles Ior
Securing the Netting Used in Lawn Tennis and similar Games.
I, PERCIVAL KING, of 54B Lothian Street, in the City and County of Edinburgh,
Cricket Outfitter, do hereby declare the nature of my said 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 accom-
panying Sheet of Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked theroon; that
is to say:
In the game of lawn tennis a net C, is secured to and stretched between two
standards or poles A, B, fixed in the ground Z at suitable distances apart. Wires
or ropes C¹ pass horizontally through the top and lower parts of the net C, and are
secured at their lower and upper looped ends to screws or pins at (2, on the respective
poles; while the vertical edge meshes or binders c¹ of the net are laced on to a
vertical rod B¹ passing through eyes B2, in the one pole B, and attached to screws or
pins equivalent to a² on the other pole A.
The improvements of my invention comprise a new or improved mode and means
of properly tightening up the net C, longitudinally and parallelly from top to bottom
at and to one of the poles A, which has not been well or conveniently effected
heretofore.
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
an explanatory Sheet of Drawings in which the same reference letters are used to
indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 represents a front view of a lawn-tennis net C, secured according to the
improvements of my invention to its vertical supporting poles or standards A A'
and B, both poles A and B, having lateral brackets z with spikes z¹ formed on their
lower ends and sunk in the ground Z; and the poles A and B, would preferably bo
made of tubes welded and solid at their lower ends A³, B³, where they are driven into
the ground, and E is the ordinary stretching stay of the net C.
Figure 2, represents a vertical section, and sectional plan respectively of my new
or improved arrangement of hollow tube A¹, which is mounted over the one pole A;
and Figure 2A, represents a view of the horizontal handle A2, which is fitted at the
upper part of the tube A¹ for the purpose of turning it round by its ratchet teeth a¹
moving on the pin a, to tighten up the net C, as will hereinafter be described.
Figure 3, represents a vertical section and a corresponding plan respectively, to an
enlarged scale, of the lower part A3 of the pole A which is secured in the ground Z;
while Figure 4, represents similar views of the pole B.
Referring to these Drawings, the improvements of my invention consist all as
follows: In mounting over one of the poles A, a hollow tubo A', with a turning
handle A, or other equivalent, preferably inserted into holes a³, at its upper end, and

page_text: carried on a retaining strong lateral pin a, at its lower end edge near the ground Z,
secured in the pole A. This lower end edge of the hollow tube A¹, is formed with
two, three, or more ratchet notches a' which take on to the pin a as the tube A', is
turned round by the handle A2; and instead of securing the vertical edge meshes or
binders c, to the pole A, as heretofore, they are fitted to this outer turning and
tightening tube A¹, by a series of pins a secured in the one side of the tube A¹, or
other equivalent, so that as this tube A¹, is turned round by the handle A², it tightens
and rolls the netting C, on its outer surface parallelly and equally from bottom to top,
the tube A', simply rising from one notch or tooth a¹, to another at a time, over the
retaining pin a which secures the tube A¹, as the net C is rolled up, to any desired
tightness, which the standard A, B, will sustain.
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. In lawn-tennis and similar games the construction and use or mounting of a
tube, provided with securing pins or other equivalent and retaining teeth or notches,
over one of the standards or poles, for the purpose of stretching and tightening up
the net, substantially as and in the manner herein described in reference to and shown
in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In lawn-tennis and similar games, the construction or combination of an
outer tube on and with one of the poles, for the purpose of stretching and tightening
up the net, substantially as herein described, in reference to and shown in the
accompanying Drawings.