AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MARKING THE PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Golding Howard of Biddenham in the County of
Bedford for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MARKING THE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Golding Howard at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th June 1883.
« AN
JOHN GOLDING HOWARD of Biddenham in the County of Bedford
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MARKING THE GROUND FOR LAWN TENNIS AND OTHER
GAMES
"
My invention relates to apparatus for marking the ground for lawn tennis,
cricket, and other games by means of whitening and water or similar mixture.
According to the said invention I dispense with marking wheels, and push the
apparatus along the ground whereby a clearer line is produced than heretofore.
In carrying my said invention into practice I provide a receptacle for the
whitening which is preferably V-shaped in transverse section the bottom having
about the same width as the mark which is to be made.
In the said bottom are a number of perforations through which the whitening or
other mixture passes, so that as the apparatus is pushed along the ground the
whitening will run through the said perforations and be evenly distributed by the
other parts of the bottom passing over it.
The supply of whitening is regulated by means of a valve arranged inside the
said receptacle. The said valve is preferably composed of a plate of iron having a
ring of india-rubber tubing or the like cemented to it in such a manner that when
the said valve rests upon the bottom the said ring will surround the perforated
portion of the plate and prevent the escape of liquid. Attached to the top of the
valve is a rod which passes through suitable guides and is surrounded by a spiral
spring to press the said valve into its seat.
The valve is actuated by a cord or chain which passes over a pulley suitably
arranged on the top of the receptacle, and is connected with the handle, by which

page_text: the apparatus is pushed along, in such a manner that when the said handle is in
position for work the said valve will be raised. When the handle is thrown back
the valve is pressed into its seat by the spiral spring.
The handle is preferably a straight rod bifurcated at one end. The extremities
of the fork thus formed are connected to suitable pivots, slightly above the centre
of the sides of the receptacle.
At each end of the bottom of the receptacle is a continuation which is turned
up slightly to facilitate the movement of the marker along the ground.
I may if desired arrange wheels to steady the apparatus when in use; and
facilitate its removal from place to place.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Golding Howard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th December 1883.
JOHN GOLDING HOWARD, of Biddenham, in the County of Bedford,
"AN
IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR NARKING THE GROUND FOR LAWN-TENNIS AND OTHER
GAMES
"
My invention relates to an improved apparatus for marking the ground for
lawn-tennis, cricket and other games by means of whiting and water or other
suitable material held in solution in a tank or receptacle provided with means for
conveniently moving it over the ground and for ejecting or emitting the said
solution.
According to my said invention I dispense with the marking wheels usually
employed and construct the apparatus as hereinafter described, that is to say, I
provide the receptacle for the marking solution with a slide for spreading or
smearing the said material evenly upon the ground. The said receptacle is made
with one or more apertures or perforations, and a valve or other suitable device is
provided for controlling the flow of the marking solution or liquid through the
said perforations. By employing the said slide a more clearly defined line can be
made than is practicable with apparatus for this purpose as heretofore constructed.
In some cases, for example when the apparatus is to be used for marking asphalt
surfaces, I provide a brush or brushes which can be fixed beneath the said slide
and may, if desired, extend from end to end thereof.
My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the improved apparatus.
Figure 3 is a plan of the receptacle for the marking solution.
Figure 4 is a section on the line x, x, Figure 2, drawn to an enlarged scale,
shewing the apparatus without the brush.
Figure 5 is a plan of the brush detached, also drawn to an enlarged scale.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the drawing.
a is the receptacle for the marking material, which receptacle is preferably
V-shaped in transverse section, as shewn. b is the slide for spreading or smearing
the said material evenly on the ground. This slide is of the same width as the
marks or lines to be made, and either forms, or is secured to, the bottom of the
said receptacle. The forward end of the said slide is usually curved upward, as
shewn, to facilitate its movement along the ground. Perforations are made at a¹
in the bottom of the receptacle a to permit the flow of the marking material
therefrom. There may be any desired number of these perforations. The flow of
the said material through these perforations is controlled by a valve c arranged
within the receptacle a over the apertures at a'. This valve is made with a plate
or disc d having a ring of india-rubber tubing or other suitable material
cemented or otherwise secured thereto in such a manner that, when the valve
rests upon the bottom of the receptacle, the said ring will surround the perforations
and prevent the escape of the marking material therefrom. The valve c is carrierl
by a rod or spindle e which passes through a hollow or tubular guide f and is
connected at its upper end to a lever g. This lever is pivotted to a bracket h
fixed to the top or cover a² of the receptacle a, and is acted upon by a spiral
spring i enclosed in a slotted tube j also fixed to the said cover. This spring
tends to raise the long arm of the said lever and to depress the short arm thereof
against the end of the spindle e so as to keep the valve firmly closed.

page_text: kis a handle whereby the apparatus can be pushed along the ground. This
handle is preferably a straight rod bifurcated at one end. The extremities of the
two prongs are fitted upon pivots fixed on the sides of the receptacle a and
preferably so placed that the receptacle will remain upright when lifted by the
handle. When the said handle is in the position shewn in full lines in Figure 1,
the valve c is pressed upon its seat by the spiral spring i. By depressing the said
handle to the position shewn in dotted lines in the same Figure, it acts upon the
lever g and thereby compresses the spring i and raises the said valve.
The brush m is made with plates m¹ projecting upward therefrom so as to fit the
sides of the receptacle a. These plates are secured to the said receptacle by the
hooks n, or they may be secured in any other suitable manner, so that the brush
can be readily attached to the said receptacle and detached therefrom. The back
or top of the brush is made with a series of perforations m² and a slight depression
or channel m³ to permit the marking material to flow freely to the bristles of the
said brush.
It is obvious that the construction of the above described apparatus may be
modified in various ways without departing from the nature of my invention, the
essential feature of which is the employment of the slide for spreading or smearing
the marking material evenly upon the ground. For example, I may, if necessary
or desirable, provide the said slide with thin strips of india rubber or other suitable
inaterial at its edges to prevent the flow of the material beyond the said edges
when the apparatus is used for marking asphalt or similar surfaces. I may,
moreover, arrange a cock within the aforesaid receptacle in place of the valve
above described, and, instead of employing the lever for operating the valve, I may
arrange a spiral spring upon the hollow guide so that it will act directly upon the
valve. In this case I connect the valve with the handle by means of a cord or
chain.
I sometimes provide the apparatus with wheels to steady it when in use and to
facilitate its removal from place to place.
Having thus fully described my said invention and the manner of performing
the same I wish it understood that I claim :-
The improved apparatus wherein I employ a slide for spreading or smearing the
marking material evenly upon the ground and a valve or other suitable device for
controlling the flow of the said material, (with or without the brush or brushes)
substantially as, and for the purpose, set forth.
In witness whereof I the said John Golding Howard have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Seventeenth day of December in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
JOHN GOLDING HOWARD. (1.5.)