IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN TENNIS WELLS AND BALL CARRIERS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Harry Warren Scott, of Forbes House, Ham,
in the County of Surrey, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LAWN TENNIS WELLS AND BALL CARRIERS."
Sealed the 26th April 1876, and dated the 30th October 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Harry Warren Scott
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 30th October 1875.
I, HARRY WARREN SCOTT, of Forbes House, Ham, in the County
of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN TENNIS WELLS AND BALL CARRIEBS," to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is to render lawn tennis wells and ball
carriers lighter, more elegant in appearance, portable, collapsible, and
otherwise more generally convenient and commodious than hitherto.
To effect this I proceed as follows:-I make a bag or sac somewhat
in the shape of a water trough ; but I do not confine myself particularly
to this or to any shape as it may if desired be made either oval, circular,

page_text: triangular, or otherwise, but whatever form be adopted care must be
taken that its dimensions are of sufficient length and breadth to con-
veniently hold the tennis bats and balls, and other necessary appliances
of the game. Such sac I make either of canvas, wire, or cotton network,
leather, sheet metal, or of any other suitable material. From its com-
bined lightness, strength, and elasticity a network of india-rubber
webbing is very suitable for the purpose.
Around the top or mouth of such sac I fit a metal framework made on
a somewhat similar principle to those in use for leather bags, being
capable of opening and closing; and at each end of such framework, if
longitudinal, or in any other position most convenient and suitable
according to the shape of the sac, I place two metal standards or sup-
ports, such standards or supports when open being in the form of an X
somewhat like the legs of a camp stool. I form such standards or
supports towards their top with a suitable hinge, so as to allow of their
being folded beneath the bottom of the sac and secured there by means
of a leathern strap or otherwise when it is desired to fold up the sac.
But should such standards or supports be longer than the bottom of the
bag or sac itself, as when made in a circular or oval form, I provide
them with a suitable number of hinges to allow of their being folded
conveniently boneath it. Such metal standards may be either flat or
round, and are bent out at the bottom so as to form a foot, and through
such feet a hole is either drilled or cast of a suitable size to admit of
a metal or wooden peg being driven through each into the ground, in
order to keep the tennis well securely fixed in the desired position, and
free from all risk of being overturned by the players.
When not in use the various implements of the game are collected
and placed in the sac, the pegs removed from the feet, the mouth of
the sac closed, and the standards or supports folded underneath, and
there secured by a strap or otherwise.
The top of the sac or bag is provided with a suitable handle or
handles to allow of its being easily lifted and carried from place to
place.
By my Invention the great advantage of being able to readily
transport the appliances of the game from place to place is obtained,
combined with those of lightness, convenience, and elegance.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patont,
filed by the said Harry Warren Scott in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th April 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HARRY
WARREN SCOTT, of Forbes House, Ham, in the County of Surrey,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her.
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Harry Warren Scott,
Her special license that I, the said Harry Warren Scott, my exe-
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Harry Warren Scott, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time, and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LAWN TENNIS WELLS AND
BALL CARRIERS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Harry Warren Scott, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE that I, the said Harry Warren Scott, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The object of this Invention is to render lawn tennis wells and ball
carriers lighter. more elegant in appearance, portable, collapsible, and

page_text: To effect this I proceed as follows:-I make a bag or sac somewhat in
the shape of a water trough, shewn at a, Figure 1, of the accom-
panying Drawings; but I do not confine myself particularly to this or
to any shape, as it may, if desired, be made either oval, circular,
triangular, or otherwise, but whatever form be adopted care must be
taken that its dimensions are of sufficient length and breadth to con-
veniently hold the tennis bats and balls, and other necessary appliances
of the game. Such sac I make either of canvas, wire, or cotton, or
string, network, leather, sheet metal, or of any other suitable material.
From its combined lightness, strength, and elasticity, a network of india-
rubber webbing is very suitable for the purpose.
Around the top or mouth of such sac I fit a metal framework shewn
at c, c, Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings, made on a somewhat
similar principle to those in use for leather bags, such metal framework
being capable of opening and closing and at each end of such framework,
if longitudinal, or in any other position most convenient and suitable,
according to the shape of the sac, I place a pair of metal standards or
supports, each pair of such standards or supports, when open, being in
the form of a X, as shewn at b, b, Figure 1 of the accompanying
Drawings, somewhat like the legs of a camp stool. I form such standards
or supports towards their centre or otherwise with a suitable hinge, so
as to allow of their being folded up and secured by means of a bolt, hook
and eye, or leather strap, or otherwise, when it is desired to fold up the
sac; but should such standards or supports be longer than the bottom
of the bag or sac itself, as when made in a circular or oval form, I pro-
vide them with a suitable number of hinges to allow of their being
folded conveniently beneath it. Such metal standards may be cither
flat or round, and are bent out at the bottom so as to form a foot, and
through such feet a hole is either drilled or cast of a suitable size to
admit of a metal or wooden peg being driven through each into the
ground in order to keep the tennis well securely fixed in the desired
position, and free from all risk of being overturned by the players, or by
windy weather, or any other cause.
When not in use the various implements of the game may be col-
lected and placed in the sac, the pegs removed from the feet, the bolt
pushed back, the mouth of the sac closed, and the standards or supports
folded up and secured by a strap or othewise, as shewn at Figure 2
of the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: The top of the sac or bag may be provided with a suitable handle
or handles to allow of its being easily lifted and carried from place to
place.
By my Invention the great advantage is secured of having a well or
holder of the balls at each end of the court, and of thus enabling
players with a certain quantity of balls in each well to avoid stooping to
pick up and running after the balls until the game is finished, when as
in real tennis the wells can be refilled.
My improved tennis wells will also on account of their graceful lines,
and the materials of which they are formed, add greatly to the pic-
turesque aspect of lawn tennis courts. They can also be transported from
place to place with the greatest case, at the same time that they form a
receptacle in which to carry the balls and rackets of the game, in short
these wells may be said to be quite necessary to make lawn tennis
courts, and the game of lawn tennis complete, and to bring it nearer to
the perfection of a real tennis court and the royal game of tennis.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would
have it understood that what I claim and desire to secure by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent are, the improvements in lawn
tennis wells and ball carriers, substantially in the manner and for the
purposes herein-before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Harry Warren Scott, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this 26th day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.