Improvements in Felt Handles for Velocipedes; Golf Sticks, and for other Articles, and in the Manufacture of the said Handles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Sept., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 8th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 11th May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Felt Handles for Velocipedes; Golf Sticks, and for
other Articles, and in the Manufacture of the said Handles.
1, FRANCIS GEORGE BENSLY; of Felt Works, Little King Street, Birmingham,
Warwickshire, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to felt handles for velocipedes, golf sticks, tennis,
rackets and other articles where a firm grip is desired. :
By my invention I am enabled to make the said felt handles from sheet felt instead
of turning them out of solid blocks of felt as heretofore.
1 will describe my invention as applied to a velocipede handle. In carrying out
my invention I take a piece of sheet felt of suitable: thickness and of a size for
making say one of the handles (although the piece of felt which I operate upon.
may if desired be large enough to make.two.or more of the said handles) and I
groove this piece of felt longitudinally from end to end these grooves being deep
enough and near enough together to allow of the felt being readily bent into a
cylindrical shape of about the size of the required handle. The piece of felt is
then bent into the cylindrical shape as aforesaid the grooves being on the outside
of the same and the felt is secured in this form, by the meeting edges being glued
cemented or otherwise fixed together.. By grooving the piece of sheet felt as afore
said it can readily be bent into the required cylindrical form, which would otherwise
be impossible. The felt cylinder formed as above described is then turned in a
lathe on the outside if desired so as to reduce the same towards the ends which are
finished by metal mounts of the usual kind if desired.
The said felt handle made as above described may, if desired be further
strengthened by a cylindrical lining of cardboard millboard thin metal or other
suitable stiff substance, fixed in place by cement or by other means.. The sheet felt
grooved as above described is by preference coiled round and secured to the lining
(when the lining is used) at the same time that the meeting ends of the felt are
fixed together.
Dated this 27th day of Sentember 1804
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Felt Handles for Veloolpedes, Golf Stioks, and for
other Articles, and in the Manufacture of the said Handles.
I, FRANCIS GEORGE BENSLY, of Felt Works, Little King Street, Birmingham,
Warwickshire, Manager, 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 has reference to felt handles for velocipedes, golf sticks, tennis
rackets and for other articles where a firm grip.is desired.

page_text: By my invention I am enabled to make the said felt handles from sheet felt instead
of turning them out of solid blocks of felt as heretofore.
I will describe my invention as applied to a velocipede handle aud in so doing
I will refer to the accompanying drawing on which Fig. 1 is a side view of a
velocipede felt handle constructed according to this invention; Fig. 2 is an
end view of the same; Fig. 3 is a cross section of the same on line X X of
Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 5 is a side elevation and
Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the partly formed handle; and Fig. 7 shews the strip
of felt partly operated upon in accordance with this invention to form three of the
said handles.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures of the
drawing.
In carrying out my invention I take a piece of sheet felt A of suitable thickness,
say about three-eighths of an inch more or less, but I do not confine myself to any
particular thickness and of sufficient size for making say three handles see Fig. 7,
although the piece of felt which I operate upon may if desired be large enough to
make only one or two of the said handles or it may be large enough to make more
than three of the same. I groove this piece of felt longitudinally from end to end
these grooves a being sufficiently deep and near enough together to allow of the
felt being readily bent into the cylindrical shape of about the size of the required.
handle shewn in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of which the felt portion is marked B. The piece
of felt Fig. 7 is now (or after being formed into a cylinder as stated above)
cross-cut at a into short pieces each long enough to make one of the required
handles which are then bent into the cylindrical shape as aforesaid the grooves a
being on the outside of the same (see Figs. 5 and 6) and allowing of the bending of
ibe felt into this form which would be difficult or impossible unless the felt were
grooved as aforesaid. The meeting edges of the piece of felt are now secured
together at a by being glued or otherwise firmly fixed together. The felt cylinder
thus formed (see Figs. 5 and 6) is now turned in a lathe or otherwise machined
on the outside if desired so as to reduce the same towards the ends which-are-finished
by metal mounts C', C, fixed thereto which may be of the usual kind, or these
mounts may be dispensed with. The edges a³ at the terminations of the grooves a¹
are by preference rounded off as shewn in Figs. 2 and 3 so as to afford a more
comfortable grip to the hand.
The said felt handle B made as above described, may if desired be further
strengthened by a cylindrical lining D as shewn in Figs. 3, 4, and 6 made of card-
board, millboard, thin metal or other suitable stiff substance fixed to the felt part B
by cement or by other ineans. When the said lining D is used the grooved piece of
felt A is by preference coiled around and secured to it at the same time that the
meeting edges a' of the felt are fixed together. The joint a' may either be made at
one of the thicker parts of the handle as shewn in Figs. 2 and 3 or at the bottom of
one of the grooves a' as shewn in Fig. 6.
It will be seen that by making the felt handles from sheet felt in the manner
above described I am enabled to make the. handles as strong and lasting as
if they were turned and bored from blocks of felt in the manner employed prior
to my invention, and at the same time I considerably reduce the cost of manu-
facture over the old method as I effect.a very considerable saving in the felt which
was previously wasted in turning and boring the felt handles from blocks of felt.as
stated above.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
1 claim is
1. Making felt handles for velocipedes, golf sticks, tennis rackets and for other
articles by first grooving a piece of sheet felt longitudinally at intervals then
bending the same and securing the meeting edges together so as to form a felt

page_text: cylinder grooved from end to end on the outside which is or is not afterwards
reduced towards the ends, all substantially as set forth.
2. The improved felt handles for velocipedes, golf sticks, tennis rackets and for
other articles made from sheet felt grooved longitudinally at intervals and bent into
cylinder with the grooves outside and the meeting edges secured together, the
said handles being either strengthened by an internal lining or not so strengthened,
all substantially as set forth.
3. The improved felt handles for velocipedes, golf sticks, tennis rackets and for
other articles made from sheet felt grooved longitudinally at intervals and bent into
a cylinder with the grooves outside and the meeting edges secured together, the said
handles being reduced towards their ends and provided with sheet metal mounts such
as C, C and either strengthened by an internal lining or not so strengthened, all
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 5th day of April 1895.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY;
Agent for the Applicant.