Improvements in Tennis. Poles
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Aug., 1888
Complete. Specification Left 29th. Apr. 1889-Accepted. 1st Aug:. 1889-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Tennis. Poles..
WILLIAM. COLBORNE BUTLLN The Vicarage, Leonard: Stanley, Stonehouse, Gloucester..
shire Engineer. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :--
These: poles, are siinilar in height and size to the ordinary tennis poles; and are
fitted into flat bottom cast-iron feet or stands: Each pole has as pulley wheel in
the top of it one pole has: the usual winding arrangement to which the wire or
rope which carries the net, is fixed. This rope or wire passes over a pulley
wheel in the other pole; and is fastened to a strong coil spring which is secured
to the other pole, about half way, down, either inside or outside the tennis pole. These
poles are kept in position by a screw, with a square hole through it, lengthways through
which a loose fitting square iron rod passos, with a head top & bottom. This
screws into the ground, the top head catches in a slot or clutch, in iron' stand,
which holds the pole or poles.
Datad this 21st day afT... 1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tennis. Poles..
I, WILLIAM COLBORNE BUTLIN, Leonard Stanley, Stonehouse; Gloucestershire
Engineer 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:-
My Invention. has. for its object the better securing of the. Poles or supports which
hold in position the net used in playing Tennis or other similar games.
My Invention consists of an improved method of securing, the iron standards in
which the said poles are usually erected and whereby the net is kept in position
with greater accuracy and at the same time with less liability to break as the strain
upon the net, or upon the rope or wire which carries the net; is rendered. more
uniform by the coil spring which is provided for that purpose.
In carrying out my Invention I make the poles of the ordinary dimensions and I fit
the same into cast iron stands in the usual manner.. The ordinary pulley: wheels and
winding arrangement:are also provided and attached to one of the poles.
In addition to these arrangements I provide a pulley wheel for the upper part
of the opposite pole, and the rope or wire carrying the net passes over the same
and is then secured to a strong coil spring,, the latter being securely fixed upon
and in about the middle of the said pole, or the said coil spring may be fixed
within and down the centre of the said pole.
The iron stands are now placed in position and at the outer end of each of the
said stands, a suitable space, slot or indent is left to receive the iron bolt the
head of which partly covers the end of the stand. This bolt is square in section
and five or six inches long.
I next provide a cone-shaped piece of metal having a round section and upon the
surface of which is worked a suitable worm or screw for screwing into the ground.
In the middle of the said piece of metal hereinafter called the screw-piece I make a
hole about 4 inches deep and of an inch square. Into this hole fits loosely the square
bolt aforesaid.
A suitable wrench is now applied to the head of the said bolt and the screw-
piece is thereby forced into the ground by turning the bolt round. In order that
the bolt may not lift out of the screw-piece on the head of the former coming

page_text: into contact with the end of the stand, which it binds tightly to the ground, I
make a slot in the said bolt about 3 inches long and I pierce a hole through the
said screw-piece and a suitable rivet is passed through the screw-piece and through
the slot in the bolt. By this means I am able to remove the stands and poles
and on doing so each bolt falls into the respective screw-pieces which in fixing
have been screwed down about two inches lower than the ground. On the bolt
thus being allowed to fall into the hole in the screw-piece, the head of the bolt becomes
level with the ground and is consequently out of the way of, and is no impediment to,
the Lawn mower or other instrument by which the grass is cut from time to time.
I now refer to the Three Figures on the annexed sheet of Drawings, the same
Letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1. is a part sectional view of the poles, net, stands bolt and screw-piece.
Figure 2. is a part plan view of one of the stands.
"
Figure 3. is an enlarged sectional view of the bolt slot and rivet.
A. A." are the poles,
"B. B. B." the net,
"C." the winding arrangement,
"D" the coil spring,
"F" the standard,
"F" the top or head of the bolt.
"G." indicates the ground level,
"H." the square bolt,
"I." the screw-piece.
"J." represents the square hole in the screw-piece.
"K. K." are the sockets for the polos.
"L. L." shew the space or indent at the end of the stand for receiving the bolt.
"M." is the slot in the bolt, and
"N" is a sectional illustration of the rivet which passes through slot in bolt.
Having now-particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.:-
The method of erecting and securing Tennis poles substantially as hereinbefore
described and set forth or any mere modification theroof that is to say
The coil spring "D."
4
The screw-piece "I" combined with the arrangement theroin of the bolt "H”
having slot "J" and the rivet "N."
Datad this 22nd day of A 1000
JOSEPH HALL,
Agent for Applicant.