Year: 1886

page_text: I, JOHN PENKETH, of Central Wire Works, 22 Market Place, Manchester in the
County of Lancaster, Wire Worker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in lawn tennis apparatus & has for its
object, firstly to provide means by which the poles of the lawn tennis apparatus
can be more easily, quickly, & firmly fixed onto a lawn tennis or dry, court, &
removed therefrom, and which are not damaging to the lawn tennis ground;
secondly to provide simpler and better means for tightening the lawn tennis net to
the required extent, than heretofore has been the case.
The invention consists in the first place in the employment of a base plate, to
which the lawn tennis pole is connected by means of a locking or coupling device.
This base plate I make of suitable shape and provide the same with a spike
preferably T shaped in section.
The upper end of this spike forms the spigot part of the lock or coupling, & is
furnished with a flange, recess or projection.
The faucet part of the lock or coupling is employed on the lower end of the lawn
tennis pole and has two levers attached thereto.
The lower ends of these levers are so formed as to grip spring bolts, which slide
in the faucet part of the lock or coupling and which bolts, on the faucet part being
placed onto the spigot part will self-actingly engage the flange, recess or projection
of the spigot part of the coupling thus forming a firm & quick connection between
the base plate and the lawn tennis pole.
On depressing these levers with one hand, the faucet part of the lock or coupling
is freed from the spigot part and the pole can readily be removed.
In order to facilitate the driving of the spike of the bed plate into the ground
I form the spigot part of the lock or coupling with a nail head, by means of which
and by the use of a mallet or hammer the bed plate may be fixed with ease at any
desired place.
The second part of my invention consists in the employment of a single threaded
stationary screw in combination with a sliding nut, to which latter is suitably

page_text: fastened the cord or wire rope which suspends the lawn tennis net between the
two poles for the purpose of giving the lawn tennis net the required tension.
This screw I mount on the side of one pole in suitable brackets, the nut being
formed with a fork which latter grips and slides on the pole, and is thereby
prevented from rotating..
.
The said sorew at its lower end is provided with a hand wheel and when rotated
causes the nut to slide up or down, thus either tightening or slackening the wire
rope & net respectively.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Supporting Lawn Tennis Nets.
I, JOHN PENKETH, of Central Wire Works, 22 Market Place, Manchester in the
County of Lancaster, Wire Worker, 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 relates to improvements in lawn tennis apparatus, and has for its
object, firstly to provide means by which the poles of the lawn tennis apparatus
can be more easily, quickly, and firmly fixed onto a lawn tennis or dry, court, and
removed therefrom, & which are not damaging to the lawn tennis ground,
Becondly to provide simpler and better means for tightening the lawn tennis
net to the required extent, than heretofore has been the case.
And in order that my invention may be better understood I have caused to
be appended hereunto one sheet of drawings marked with letters of reference
indicating like parts in the various figures.
Fig. 1 is a front view and Fig. 2 a plan of a lawn tennis net supported and fixed
according to my invention.
Figs. 3 and 4 are side elevations, Fig. 5 a plan, Figs.
& 7 cross sections, of
the means for fixing the poles, & Fig. 8. a modification thereof.
In carrying out my invention I employ in the first place, a base plate a, to.
which the lawn tennis pole b, is connected by means of a locking or coupling
device.
This base plate a I make of suitable shape preferably with an arm & nail
hole a¹, & provide the same with a spike c. preferably T shaped in section,
see Fig. 7.
The upper end of the spike o forms or has attached the spigot part d of the lock
or coupling & is furnished with a flange d², and projections or recesses d see
Figs. 4. 5. 6 & 7.
The spigot part d is suitably fastened to the base plate a or may be formed
thereon.
The faucet part e of the lock or coupling is employed on the lower end of the
lawn tennis pole b and has two levers fattached thereto at g.
The lower end of these levers f are so formed as to grip spring bolts e¹, which
slide in the faucet parte of the lock or coupling & which bolts e, on the faucet
part e being placed onto the spigot part d, will self-actingly, by means of the
spring e, engage the flange d, & enter projection or the recess d² of the spigot part
of the coupling, thus locking the two parts e and d together, and forming a firm
and quick connection between the base plate a and the lawn tennis pole b.
On depressing the levers f with one band, the faucet part e of the lock or
coupling is freed from the spigot part d and the pole 6 can readily be removed.
Instead of operating the spring bolts 6 by means of the levers f, the latter may
be dispensed with, and the bolts e¹ drawn out of the spigot part & simultaneously
by the use of both hands.
In order to facilitate the driving of the spike o of the bed plate a into the
ground I form the spigot part d of the lock or coupling with a nail head o¹,

page_text: by means of which and by the use of a mallet or hammer, the bed plate a may be
fixed with ease at any desired place.
The base plate a is made to swivel around the spike c to facilitate the mowing
of the grass around the latter, the nail head e¹ being formed on the latter by fitting
and rivetting the same loosely to the spigot part d
Instead of forming the nail head on the spike c, as described, the upper portion
of the same may be formed with a thread, to receive a nut g', which serves also as
a nail head.
In carrying out the second part of my invention I employ a single threaded
screw h, in combination with a sliding nut i, to which latter is suitably fastened
the cord or wire rope k, which runs over a pulley and suspenda the lawn tennis
net, between the two poles b, for the purpose of giving the lawn tennis net the
required tension.
This screw h I mount on the side of one pole b, in suitable brackets 61, the nut i
being formed with a fork h¹, which latter grips and slides on the pole b, and is
thereby prevented from rotating.
."
The said screw h at its lower end; is provided with a hand wheel m and when
rotated causes the nut i to slide up or down, thus either tightening or slackening
the wire rope k and net 1. respectively.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
In apparatus for supporting lawn tennis nets :-
I
1st. The use and employment of a spring bolt or coupling device & & & by
means of which the poles b, can be easily and quickly connected to and disconnected
from, the base plate a, which latter is provided with a spike c, substantially as set
forth and for the purpose specified.
2nd. The method of and means for tightening and slackening the lawn tennis
net, between the poles b, by means of a stationary rotating screw h, & sliding
nut i, to which latter is connected the cord or wire rope k, of the net l, substantially
as Bet forth.