IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN TENNIS APPARATUS
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Brookes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd June 1882.
WILLIAM BROOKES, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN TENNIS APPARATUS"
As is well known, for the purpose of playing lawn tennis, a net is employed that
is attached to a cord stretched between poles or uprights of wood or metal and
there is considerable strain, not only upon the said cord, but also upon the said
poles or uprights. The weight of the net tends to cause the cord that holds it to
dip considerably between the poles or uprights, and also the said cord is liable to
considerable expansion and contraction.
With a view to obviate these evils in some cases a weight and in other cases a
ratchet has been attached to one or both ends of the rope, aud props have been
applied to the poles or uprights; but in practice the result of these arrangements
is not found to be satisfactory, and the weighted cord, by pulling the one pole or
upright, whose prop then acts as a fulcrum, tends to draw that pole or upright
out of the ground, and to cause constant disarrangements of the net to the spoiling
of the game.
Now, according to my invention the net is suspended by a wire or metal rope,
which has introduced into it, or is attached to, a cord and a coiled or spiral spring
connections or a spiral spring in union with india rubber at one or each end which
are so arranged that they tend always to tighten the wire or metal rope, and also
to support the pillars in their upright position, and this tendency I propose to
regulate and control by making the spring connections adjustable. And in order
firmly to secure the poles or uprights in position I provide them with flanges, plates,
or projections or with clips arranged partly to embrace the same, and these flanges,

page_text: plates or clips I secure to the ground by large metallic screws or spirals constructed
to scrow into the ground and hold the pillars or clips firmly; or in some cases the
clips may be dispensed with and the flanges, plates or projections of the poles or
uprights in such cases aro perforated or otherwise shaped for the passage of the
above named screws into the ground, so that when they are screwed into the ground
the poles or uprights will be firmly held by the screws. Those ground screws may
be used, independently of holding the pillars, as the attachments of the springs or
cords so as to relieve the pillars of all strain, whilst also the action of a spring at
each end of the wire or metal cord keeps the pillars steadily fixed to the ground.
Then further to keep the centre of the net exactly to the regulation height, now
settled at three feet, I propose to set astride upon it a forked holder kept in
position by a spiral pin or pins screwed through its foot into the ground.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Brookes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st December 1882.
•
"
WILLIAM BROOKES of the City of Manchester in the County of Lancaster,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN TENNIS APPARATUS."
As is well known, for the purpose of playing lawn tennis, a net is employed that
is attached to a cord stretched between poles or uprights of wood or metal and
there is considerable strain, not only upon the said cord, but also upon the poles or
uprights.
The weight of the net tends to cause the cord that holds it to dip considerably
between the poles or uprights, and also that cord is liable to considerable expansion
and contraction.
With a view to obviate these evils in some cases a weight and in other cases &
ratchet has been attachod to one or both ends of the cord and props have been
applied to the poles or uprights; but in practice the result of these arrangements
is not found to be satisfactory for the weighted cord, by pulling the poles or uprights,
whose props then act as fulcra and tend to draw the poles or uprights out of the
ground, causes frequent disarrangements of the net to the spoiling of the game.
Now, according to my invention the net. is suspended to a wire or metal rope
which has a spring (or springs) introduced into it, or is attached to a cord or cords
connected with a spring (or springs) which may be a coiled or spiral spring (or
springs) or of india rubber or a spiral spring in conjunction with india rubbor.
There may be one at one end or one at each end of the wire or metal rope so
arranged that they tend always to tighten it and also to support the pillars in
their upright positions, and this tendency I propose. to regulate and control by
making the spring connections adjustable.
And in order firmly to secure the poles or uprights in position I provide them
with flanges, plates or projections or with clips arranged partly to embrace the
same, and these flanges, plates or clips I secure to the ground by large metallic
ground screws or spirals constructed to screw into the ground and hold the pillars
or clips firmly; or in some cases the clips may be dispensed with and the flanges,
plates or projections of the poles or uprights in such cases are perforated or other-
wise shaped for the passage of the above named ground screws into the ground so
that when they are screwed into the ground the poles or uprights will be firmly
held by the ground screws.
=
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Such ground screws may be used independently of holding the pillars, as the
attachments of the springs or cords so as to relievo the pillars of strain whilst a
spring at each end of the wire or metal cord will tend to keep the pillars steadily.
fixed to the ground; or as an alternative modo the ground screws alone seize and
rotain the metallic or other cord in position and hold it firmly.
Then further to keep the contre of the net exactly to tho regulation height (now
settled at three feet) I set astride upon it a forked holder kept in position by a
spiral foot screwed into the ground.
The accompanying drawing represents one arrangement of lawn tennis apparatus
according to my invention.
The metal or other tennis poles or pillars a.a have each a perforated flange or
foot-b which rests upon the ground and is fixed by screws or spirals d, or instead.
of making the poles or pillars permanently fast to the feet b these latter may be
made as separate parts with sockets to receive the poles or pillars..
Stays may be used which are at their upper ends buttoned to the pillars a a
as well understood and at their lower ends can be fastened to the ground by screws
similar to d, or simply by iron pins,

page_text: The net (which may be of any suitable material such as hemp gut or metal) is
suspended from a wire or metal rope e.
This wire or metal rope passes over a brass or other pulley fat the top of each
pole or pillar a and at each end is connected to one end of a spring g, or is attached
direct to a ground screw. The other end of the spring is connected to a stout metal
screw which as shewn is screwed into the ground at a short distance outward
from each pillar a
To keep the centre of the net exactly at the required height I employ an
upright whose lower end terminates in a screw j which is screwed into the
ground in the same way as are those to which the ends of the wire or rope e are
connected.
This upright i has a hook at its upper end under which the wire or rope c is
caused to pass.
In putting the apparatus together the poles or pillars a are first fixed in position
by their screws (or it may be by spear feet when my ground screws are not used
for this purpose) the upper ends of the stays are then passed over the buttons
provided to receive them in the pillars a (as well understood) and their lower ends
are pegged to the ground as described.
Then the screws h being screwed into the ground to within a short distance of
their upper ends the spring connected to one end of the wire or rope e is hooked
to one of the screws (or the spring may be omitted) and the wire or rope is passed
over the pulleys fand hooked to the other of the screws h. The screws h are then
further screwed into the ground (a lever being if needful used for the purpose) so
as to tighten the wire or rope e to the desired extent, and finally the upright i is
scrowed in the ground midway between the pillars a and the wire or rope e is
passed under and into the hook at its upper part.
In some cases the central upright i as also the stays may be dispensed with
Having described the nature of the said invention and the manner of performing
the same I would have it understood that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the invention secured to me under the hereinbefore in part
recited Letters Patent is :-
1. In lawn tennis apparatus the use of screws in conjunction with flanges or
plates for securing in place the poles or pillars that support the net substantially
as described
2. In lawn tennis apparatus the use in conjunction with a cord wire or rope for
supporting the metallic or other net and which passes over pulleys carried by poles
or uprights of screws for securing the ends of the cord, wire or rope to the ground
substantially as described.
3. In lawn tennis apparatus the use in conjunction with uprights for supporting
the net of a wire or rope kept in tension by a spring or springs substantially as
described.
4 The improved lawn tennis apparatus substantially as described and
illustrated
In Witness whereof I the said William Brookes have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this twentieth day of December in the year of our Lord, Ono
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.