An Improvement in the Manufacture of Cricket Bats, Hockey Sticks, and Tennis Rackets.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement in the Manufacture of Cricket Bats, Hockey Sticks,
and Tennis Rackets.
WALTER QUAIFE and WILLIAM QUAIFE, Professional Cricketers and Athletic
Outfitters and Manufacturers, Curzon Hall, Birmingham, Warwickshire, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
―
That the use of "xylonite in the handles of cricket hats, hockey sticks and
tennis rackets adds great strength, pliability; destroys all unpleasant vibration
after striking the ball, and recoils rapidly and easily.
That xylonite" when used in or on the blades of cricket bats, hockey sticks
or the frames of tennis rackets adds great driving power, wears better & will not
split like other substances previously used.
Being practical exponents of cricket, hockey and tennis we claim to be able to
11se xylonite in the aforesaid articles in such forms as will greatly assist the
development of these games.
In applying our invention to the handles of cricket bats, hockey sticks and tennis
rackets we insert strips of "xylonite" between cork extending either the whole or
part length of handle, lengthways or crossways.
In applying our invention to the blades of cricket bats, hockey sticks, or the
frames of tennis rackets we face such a bat, stick, or racket with "xylonite" let
into recesses flush with the wood, or covering the whole surface as may he desired.
Dated this 10th day of December 1897.
WALTER QUAIFE.
WILLIAM QUAIFE.
An Improvement in the Manufacture of Cricket Bats, Hockey Sticks,
and Tennis Rackets.
We, WALTER QUAIFE and WILLIAM QUAIFE, both of Curzon Hall, Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, Athletic Outfitters, 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 cricket bats, hockey sticks, tennis rackets, and such

page_text: like, and has particular reference to the handle parts thereof. It consists in build-
ing up the said handle parts, and in some cases the blades or frames, (such as in
the case of a tennis racket) of zylonite in combination with cork, cane or similar
substances; the object of the said invention being to so construct and fit these parts
that the vibration due to hitting a ball or such like is reduced to a minimum.
In applying the invention to the handles of cricket bats, hockey sticks, and
tennis rackets, the said handle is built up of a number of strips or layers of
zylonite, cork and cane, (in any form) so arranged that the strips of zylonite shall
come intermediate to the cork or cane, and so that the cheeks or outer portions are
encased with zylonite previous, in the case of a cricket bat, to the handle being
wrapped. The layers or strips preferably run longitudinally in the said handle,
and extend to the tip of the tongue of the splice.
In order to illustrate the practicability of the invention and to enable the same
to be better understood, the invention is shown applied to a cricket hat and a tennis
racket handle in the accompanying sheet of drawings. In the said sheet a full
length view of a cricket bat with the invention applied to its handle is shown in
Fig. 1 an elevation of the unwrapped handle part only in Fig. 2: a longitudinal
section of the handle part only in Fig. 3; and a transverse or horizontal section
in Fig. 4; whilst in Fig. 5 the assembled parts of the handle, as shown in Fig. 3.
are separated in order to show clearly a practical way of building the handle up.
In these figs. the cricket bat handle a. as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5, is com-
posed of a number, of zylonite layers and zylonite sheaths 2, which are spaced or
separated by a number of cork strips and cane cheeks 2, the same being adapted
to run the full length of the handle and to extend into the tip of the tongue e
of the splice. The said layers, sheaths, strips and cheeks are connected face to face
as shown in Fig. 4 by glueing them together, after which the exterior sheaths are
wrapped in the ordinary manner as shown in the handle e Fig. 1. The handle is
connected to the blade 7 of the cricket hat in the ordinary way.
"
The invention is shown applied to a tennis rack handle in Figs. 67 and 8. In
these views the strips and layers are shown arranged in much the same way as in
the cricket bat handle.
It is to be understood that in the adaptation of this invention to the articles
described, the arrangement of the layers and strips and the sheaths and cheeks may be
considerably modified in order to meet the necessary requirements as to weight and
spring, the first named (weight) being a very important element for consideration
when constructing any of the articles set forth for instance the layers or strips
of zylonite may be arranged crosswise to the handle, or to form a core, or may
take the form of a number of longitudinal rods with a similar result, the important
part being the use of the zylonite with the interposed cork. cane or similar sub-
stance.
In some instances the zylonite strips or layers can be applied to the blades or
frame as well as the bandles. For example, the zylonite strips or layers could be
interposed between the hard wood portions of the blade of a cricket bat in the same
way as the handle or cores of zylonite could be laid in the said blade so as to form
part of it, but yet not so as to be seen from the outer surface.
:
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
First. In cricket bats, hockey sticks, tennis rackets and such like, the use of
zylonite in combination with cork, cane, or other substances having similar pro-
perties and characteristics for the purpose of reducing vibration in the handle
parts.
Second. In cricket bats, hockey sticks, tennis rackets, and such like, building
up the handles of layers or insertions of zylonite, and strips or parts of cork, cane,
and such like, so that the zylonite comes between and forms facings to the cork
or cane, substantially as described and set forth.

page_text: Third. In cricket bat handles, building up the same of sheaths or layers of
zylonite and strips and sheaths of cork, cane, or other substances having similar
properties, and arranging them so that the cork or cane intervenes between the
zylonite in the manner substantially as set forth in Figs. 1 to 5.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
11, Burlington Chambers, New Street, Birmingham,
Also of Liverpool, London, and Manchester
Patent Agents for the Applicants.