Improvements in Tennis and other Rackets.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 27th May, 1890
Complete Specification Left. 27th Feb., 1891-Accepted, 25th Apr., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tennis and other Rackets.
I, THOMAS PITT, of 1734, Lumb Lane, Bradford, in the County of York,
Racket Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows
This invention relates to improvements in tennis and other rackets and its object
is to reduce the liability of the frame to warp or twist and prevent the gut being
cut or chafed where it is passed through the frame and also to allow greater liberty
for the gut to expand or contract from the state of the atmosphere without seriously
effecting the tension.
The said improvements consist in the arrangements hereinafter described in which
the holes for the gut are drilled in the same plane round the centre of the frame
and a bearing piece or bearing pieces is, or are introduced between the loops or
turns of the gut and the outside of the frame or other parts against which the gut
bears and said bearing pieces may have a cushion or seat of india-rubber or other
suitable material to afford a certain amount of elasticity.
To carry out my invention I form a groove round the outside of the frame to
receive a layer of wood with the grain lying at right-angles across the grain of the
frame and I drill the holes for the reception of the gut straight through the frame
and all in the same plane. Certain parts of the inside of the frame may be
similarly protected and thus I provide a smoother and better bearing surface for
the gut and the manner in which the holes are drilled in the frame reduces the
liability to warp or twist.
The cross layer of wood may not be continued all round as discs or buttons of
suitable shape and prepared to receive the gut may be employed instead.
The gut or strands passing through the wedge or centre piece of the racket are
preferably secured round pegs which meet the holes for the reception of the gut at
right angles and as additional security said pegs may be stayed by other pegs
crossing the former at right angles.
India rubber or other suitable cushions may be introduced between the outside
layer of wood and the frame or between said discs or buttons and the frame.
Deted this 24th day of Mar 1890
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tennis and other Rackets.
I, THOMAS PITT, of Westfield, Horbury, near Wakefield, in the County of
York, Racket Maker, 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:
--
This invention relates to improvements in tennis and other rackets and its object
is to reduce the liability of the frame to warp or twist and prevent the gut being
cut or chafed where it is passed through the frame.
The said improvements consist in the arrangements herinafter described in which
the holes for the gut are drilled in the same plane round the centre of the frame
and a bearing piece or bearing pieces is, or are introduced between the loops or
turns of the gut and the outside of the frame or other parts against which the gut
bears.
To carry out my invention I form a groove round the outside of the frame to
TD 077

page_text: receive a layer of any suitable substance such as wood with the grain lying at right-
angles across the grain of the frame and I drill the holes for the reception of the
gut straight through the frame and all in the same plane. Certain parts of the
inside of the frame may be similarly protected and thus I provide a smoother and
better bearing surface for the gut and the manner in which the holes are drilled in
the frame reduces the liability of the frame to warp or twist.
The cross layer of wood may not be continued all round, as discs or buttons of
suitable shape and prepared to receive the gut may be employed instead.
To fully describe my invention reference is to be had to the accompanying sheet
of drawings in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in
each of the figures.
Figure 1, represents a sectional elevation of my improved racket having a
continuous strip of cross-grained wood let into the periphery to take the strain
of the gut.
Figure 2, is an edge view of the same.
Figure 3, is a similar view to Figure 1 but discs or buttons let into the periphery
are employed instead of the continuous strip.
Figure 4, is an edge view of the same.
Figures 5 and 6 are views of detail hereinafter referred to.
In Figures 1 and 2 a groove formed round the outside of the frame A. is filled in
with a thin strip of wood B with the grain lying across the grain of the frame. The
holes for the reception of the gut are all drilled in the same plane through both the
frame and the strip B and the gut is passed through such holes and interwoven in
the usual manner. The central strands of gut passing into the wedge D of the
racket are threaded through holes a drilled a suitable depth into the wedge to meet
comparatively large holes e drilled through the wedge at right angles to a and after
being passed through the holes a in a similar manner to which it is passed through
the frame pegs E are introduced in the holes e through the loops i of the gut. A
wooden pin is put through the wedge for the pegs E to bear against. This
arrangement is clearly shown by Figure 5 representing a sectional view of the
wedge on a larger scale without the gut. Figure 6, is also a section at right
angles to Figure 5 on the broken line 1, 2. A disc h (Figure 6) is employed to
plug up e after the stringing is complete.
In Figures 3 and 4 wooden discs F are let into the periphery of the frame with
the grain across the grain of the frame, instead of the strip B. The strands passing
through the wedge D and the strands adjacent thereto pass into holes approximately
at right angles to the frame A and an inner strip of wood B¹ with the grain lying
across the grain of the frame is let into that portion of the inside of the frame as
well as across the face of the wedge to prevent any liability to split the frame or
wedge. Or discs similar to F let into the inside of the frame may be employed
instead of B¹.
India-rubber or other cushions may be introduced between the layer or strip B
or the buttons F and the frame A so as to afford a certain amount of elasticity but
I make no claim thereto as there is difficulty in the application and I do not find
it necessary.
It is quite obvious that the strips B or discs F may be made of any suitable
material instead of wood.
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 :-
1. A tennis or similar racket having a cross-grained strip of wood or other
suitable material let into its periphery, substantially as herein shown and described
and for the purpose specified.
2. A tennis or similar racket having discs or buttons let into its periphery,
substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose specified.
3. In a tennis or similar racket, the means or method of securing the central

page_text: strands of gut to the wedge, substantially as herein shown and described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
4. In a tennis or similar racket, the use of cross grained strips or discs let into
the internal periphery of the frame, similar to B', substantially as herein shown
5 and described and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 90th 1- af Wah 1001
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.