US1094705A

US1094705A - Tennis-racket.

Info

Publication number: US1094705A
Application number: US?105?014A
Authority: US
Inventors: Joseph J Curley
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Publication date: 1914-04-28
Anticipated expiration: 1931-04-28

Description

J15. UURLEY.

TENNIS RACKBT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1914.

1,094,705. Patent d 12 1138, 1914;.

IN E IV 70/? A TTOR/VE V Tennis-enema".

Specification of Eetters Eetent.

rates-teas r. as, rare.

Application filed January e; ieiui. star-a no. emcee.

Be it known that LJos'E H J. Gunner, a citizen of the l nited States of America, and a resident of New York, N. Y., have inventcd certain new and useful Improvements in Tennis-Rackets, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

v imilar articles comprising a strip bent to the shape required, a andle by which the device is manipulated, and a. net of woven gut strings.

Rackets as hitherto constructed are liable to become warped in service due to variable weather conditions or other causes, and cumbersome presses have been employed by all users of high grade rackets.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a simple and effective means for preventing the racket from becoming warped. and for strengthening the how without detracting from its resiliency or adding to its weight.

A further object is to provide a suitable means that shall fulfil the above-mentioned conditions, and that shall at the same time he tough and impervious to moisture, and possess many of the characteristics of Wood.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will he set forth hereinafter, and in order that my invention may he thoroughly understood. I will now proceed to describe the same in the following specification and then point out the novel features thereof in' appended claims.

Jllet'erring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a tennis racket embodying my invention. A portion of the racket is shown on a larger scale in Fig. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on the line 3-3 or Fin. 1.

The racket shown comprises a bow 10 of usual shape. a handle 20, and a net 30. The how 10 comprises a strip 11 of Wood Which is bent to the required shape and the ends of which extend into and form a part of the handle. a reinforcing strip 12 of relatively thin bakelite or bakclized material, and an outer strip 13 of wood. The strip of bakelite is equal in width to the thickness of the how and extends from the neck of the rocket at let completely around the bow to the opposite side. This material is not only moisture proof but is very tough and has no gflnc d together so that they have the appear e of a single strip except for the difl'erence in color between the hakelite and the wood. This contrast may be such as to very iu'y invention relates to tennis rackets and of wood' materially improve the appearance of the racket.

A throat piece 15 is set between the shoul ders in the usual way. Its outer surface is conca e shown in Fig. 1 and a strip 16 of bakelite extends completely over its curved surface and onto the bow for a Inatcrial distance on either side. This strip coiiperates with the strip 12 in preventing ner and need not .he described in detail..

The how is provided with holes and is strung in the usual Way. I

I am aware that the use of metal wires or metal pieces has been suggested for the purpose of reinforcing tennis rackets out metal is particularly disadvantageous because it adds materially to the weight of the racket, provided the size of the reinforcement and the metal of which it is formed. are such as to he of any value in respect to preventing war-"ping. Furthermore, the metal cannot be joined to the wood in such away as to render the article serviceable under varying weather conditions. There is still another very important reason why metal cannotbe utilized successfully in a. tennis racket, that resiliency which is found in wood and even a small amount of metal makes a racket absolutely worthless. On the other hand, hakelite possesses many or" the properties of which wood is inherently characteristic. At the same time it possesses unique character istics which render it particularly adapted for the purpose to which it is applied in the carrying out of my invention,for example. it is not only water-proof in the ordinary sense of the Word, but is absolutely impervious to moisture. It will not Warp and has a marked rigidity Which is depended upon for holding the bow of the racket in position.

By hakelite or bakelized material I refer 59s is, the fact that no metal has the life and