IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN TENNIS AND OTHER RACKETS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
We HENRY ELTON, Cashier, of Fern Lea, Fallowfield, near Manchester, CHARLES
JOHN ELTON, Bank Clerk, of Fern Lea, Fallowfield, near Manchester and CHARLES
SPENCER MADAN, Engineer, of 21 Mansfield Chambers, St. Ann's Square,
Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of our
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN TENNIS AND OTHER RACKETS" to be as
follows:-
:-
Our Invention relates to an improved combination and construction of lawn
tennis and other rackets, by making the rim of the head or blade to which the
strings are fastened of steel, or any other convenient metal instead of wood, as
heretofore, the said metal rim to be of any shape or section, solid or hollow that
we may deem expedient and further the joining of the said rim to a handle of
wood or other material either by continuation of the said rim through the said
handle or by any other method that we may deem expedient.
-1נ י
T
HENRY ELTON.
CHARLES JOHN ELTON.
CHARLES SPENCER MADAN.

page_text: We HENRY ELTON, Cashier, of Fern Lea, Fallowfield near Manchester CHARLES
JOHN ELTON, Bank Clerk, of Fern Lea Fallowfield near Manchester and CHARLES
SPENCER MADAN, Engineer, of 21 Mansfield Chambers, St. Ann's Square
Manchester in the County of Lancaster do hereby declare the nature of our
Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN TENNIS AND OTHER RACKETS and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
The object of our Invention is so to construct tennis or other rackets that the
head or frame to which the strings are fastened shall not be subject to the action
of the weather and shall be less liable to breakage when in use. And our Invention
consists in an improved combination, arrangement and construction of the parts of
the said tennis or other racketa, by making the head or frame of a thin strip of
spring steel, tempered and corrugated in such a manner as to give the requisite
strength, and being prepared to receive the strings by drilling holes through it as
in the ordinary racket. The head or frame is secured to the handle of wood in
the following manner :-
The ends of the strip are carried down through the handle on each side of the
tongue or piece of wood which forms the centre of the handle, round which the
handle is built up of other strips of wood as shewn in the Drawings hereunto
appended. The junction between the steel head and wooden handle is further
strengthened by a ring of brass. The strips forming the handle are also grooved
out to suit the corrugations of the steel and the whole is cemented together. The
racket shewn in the Drawing is for the game of lawn tennis, and is modified in
shape and in the thickness of the steel of the head for use, in the games of racquets
and tennis. A. B. C. D. and E are cross sections of the head shewing the
modifications necessary to secure the requisite vertical and lateral strength, and the
elevation F shews the other view of the modification. GH. KL. MN. PT. shew
the sections of the handle, at the points indicated, shewing the method of building
up the handle, and the sections of the tongue of wood, the continuation of the
steel head, and the strips of wood with which the handle is built up. S shews the
strip of steel of which the head is formed before corrugation and bending. 1. 2. 3. 4.
and 5. shew changes in the section which may be used with advantage. 1. 4. and 5.
being made from strips as in the case of the section selected for illustration, and
2 and 3 being made from tubes. The brass ring is placed above the section G.H,
binding the handle together at the point where the steel enters it. The got strings
used in the head are left out in the Drawings for convenience, but the stringing is
done in precisely the same way as in the ordinary racket.
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 :-
(1). The combination, arrangement, and construction of lawn tennis rackets
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the Drawings.
(2). The construction and arrangement of the head or frame of corrugated steel
of different sections substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the
Drawings.
(3). The modification of the section of the head or frame where it enters or is
about to enter the handle so as to secure the requisite vertical and lateral strength
as herein before described and illustrated by the Drawings.

page_text: (4). The combination, arrangement and construction of the handle with the
continuation of the head or frame through it substantially as herein before described
and illustrated by the Drawings.