Improvements in Racket Presses.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 19th Sept., 1895-Accepted, 26th Oct., 1895
PROVISIONAL DE MULTICAHUN.
Improvements in Racket Presses.
I, ALFRED EDWARD PROSSER, of Nos. 198 and 200 Pentonville Road, in the
County of Middlesex, Racket and Ball and Lawn Tennis Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in racket presses and is particularly
applicable to lawn tennis rackets.
In carrying it into effect, I pivot together two bars of wood, one upon the other,.
at their centres, in such a way that either can be turned about the said pivot over
the other of them. Wood as the material of the bars in question may be replaced
by any other that may be suitable for the purpose of the invention.
The ends of one of the bars are thickened sufficiently to stand flush with the
outer face of the other bar, the two bars being thereby adapted, when they are.
set at right angles with each other, to form a star shaped bearing surface for the
racket. The thickening pieces serve also as stops for the other bar.
A pair of bars constructed as above described forms one half of the press..
Each half of the press is a duplicate of its fellow, and the two halves present the
thickened ends and inner face of the inner bar of the one half to the corresponding
portions of the other half.
The two halves are held together and tightened up towards, or slackened away
from, each other by screw devices working in and through the ends of the pairs
of bars.
Dated this 19th day of December 1894.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: My improved racket press consists of two halves, counterparts of the other.
Each half can be made to assume the form of a cross having its arms at any
angle. The two halves are fitted at their light extremities with four tightening
bolts. It is between the two halves of the press and the four screws that the
racket lies.
A half press consists according to the present invention of two bars a, a, of
suitable material and of suitable and the same length and cross section. They are
pivotted together by a pivot 6 passed through the centre of one, into or through,
the centre of the other of them. This position of the pivot 6 admits of either bar
being turned about the said pivot and over the other bar in either direction. The
two faces on one side of the pair of pivotted bars must provide one of the working
faces of the racket press but they are in different planes, being separated by a
distance equal to the thickness of the inner bar a. The face of the outer bar a is
made up to the plane of the said face of the inner bar by blocks o having the same
thickness as the inner bar a, of which blocks one is made fast to each end of the
outer bar, preferably upon the said face of it. This position of the blocks
prevents the inner bar a being turned about the pivot b until its sides are flush with
those of the outer bar a. So, to provide for the inner bar a and blocks o, o, fitting
snugly to each other, the respective sides d, d, of the latter, are cut diagonally to
the proper angle.
0
e, e, e, e, are the four tightening bolts. They are all counterparts of each other,
and are, further, of the usual type, viz. :-adapted to be held fast by their heads
to one half of the press and having their screw threaded shanks fitted with wing
nuts e. Each bolt is made fast by its head and shoulder to one extremity of a
bar, preferably by having the shank of it passed through the said extremity
midway of the width of the latter and at a right angle with the face of it. All
the four bolts are, preferably, passed through in the same direction in order that
all the winged nuts may be on the same side of the press. The extremities of the
bars of the other half press are bored to permit of their being passed over the
screw threaded ends of the bolts, the shanks of the bolts which have their heads
fast in the extremities of the inside bar, passing through the extremities of the
outside bar while the shanks of those which have their heads fast in the
extremities of the outside bar pass through the extremities of the inside bar.
They are so passed over; the wing nuts are turned on to their respective bolt ends
and the press is finished.
When the press is out of use, it is closed up by turning one bar a of each half press
upon the respective pivot 6 until the extremities of the said bars and the sides d of
the blocks c are in contact, and screwing the wing nuts e' up their respective bolts e
until the working faces of the two halves are in contact.
The press is opened to receive a racket by unscrewing the nuts e' as far as may
be necessary, moving the moveable half press along the shanks of the bolts
e, up to
the said nuts; and extended, to set the bars in the proper position for gripping
the frame of the racket with the best effect, by turning these two bars a, a, which
are held together by one pair of bolts e about the two pivots b.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manuer the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The hereinbefore described combination of two half presses and their complement
Lightening bolts, as set forth.
Lagotching Dois, as set 1UTCH.
Dated this 19th day of September 1905
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,