US1510244A - Lawn-tennis-instruction device - Google Patents

Description

Sept, 30. 1924. r 1,510,244

- 1 I. PLOMER-WALKER LAWN TENNIS INSTRUCTION DEVICE Filed Jan. 11, 1924 Patented fiep t. 30, 19x24.

an states whit arner IDA PLOfMER-NALKEB, OF SOUTHSEA, ENGLAND.

LAW'N-TENNIe-INSTRUCTIQN DEVICE.

Application filed January 11, 19%.

This invention refers to a lawn tennis instruction device in the form of a miniature .lawn tennis court or model, comprising a representation of the court and the net and posts all arranged in a convenient foldable and portable form.

The device according to this invention broadly comprises a pair of substantially flat surfaces hinged together and marked to depictwhen opened out fiata miniature lawn tennis court, a transverse member to represent the net located at the hinged junction of the Hat surfaces and flexibly secured to the latter in such a manner that said transverse member lies flat between said surfaces when folded, and automatically erects itself perpendicular to said surfaces when the latter are opened out into substantially the same plane.

One embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device opened out for use.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the device folded.

Fig. 3 is a local side view, on an enlarged scale, of the device in the opened position for use, showing the transverse member or net erected along the hinged iunction of the two flat surfaces.

Fig. 4 is a local or fragmentary view, on said enlarged scale of one end of the net.

In these drawings A and B designate respectively two flat surfaces which may be made of any suitable stifl material, for example, thin sheet metal, or single-ply or multi-ply wood, or cardboard, mill-board, papier mach or the like. Each of these flat surfaces is marked to represent one half of a lawn tennis court and they are hinged or flexibly joined at C so that they can be folded flatwise together as shown in Fig. 2 or laid out flat in the same plane, as shown in Fig. 1.

The member D which represents the net may be formed, as illustrated, of suitable netting or textile material stiifened at each Serial No. 685,496.

end by pegs or posts or strips, or the whole member D may be of stiif material such as cardboard or the like, suitably coloured or marked to represent the net. This not or member D is connected at each end thereof to the flat surfaces A and B by means of stays E and F which may be flexible or elastic or may be rigid rods flexibly secured to the top corners of the net D, the lower edge of the latter being free i. e. unattached to any part of the surfaces A and Alternatively, if desired, the foot or bot tom edge of the net 1) may be attached to the hinged junction G in which case the stays E and F must be flexible.

Thus when the device is folded the stays E and F permit the net D to move away from the hinged junction C and to lie flat between the surfaces A and B as shown in Fig. 2; and when the said surfaces are opened out into the same plane the lower edge of the net 1) is brought into contact with the hinged junction C and the net is thus automatically erected in correct position.

The surfaces A and B may be prepared in any suitable manner or be formed of any suitable material to receive chalk or the like erasable marks in addition to the permanent markings representing the tennis court, so that the device may be used as an instructional game by marking on the surfaces A and B points or places to which the tennis ball would be played in the actual game.

The parts of the surfaces A and B surrounding the outer lines of the tennis court may bear any suitable letter press or dimension markings or other matter of an instructional or advertising nature and the back of the said surfaces may also be used for directions or instructions for playing lawn tennis or other games or other matter, for example the back may be used for directions or instructions for playing the game of badminton in which case the foldable model or device may be marked out on its inner surfaces to representacourt or ground for playing the game of badminton and also provided with a miniature net for badmintoninstead of lawn tennis as aforesaid.

VVhat I claim is 1. A device or model for the instruction of lawn tennis or the like games comprising a pair of flat surfaces hinged together and marked to depict in miniature a lawn tennis court or other similar game, a transverse member to represent the net located at the hinged junction of the flat surfaces and flexibly secured to the latter in such a manner that said transverse member automatically sets itself perpendicular to the said surfaces when the latter are opened out into substantially the same plane.

2. A lawn tennis instruction device comprising a pair of flat surfaces hinged together and marked to depict. when opened out flat, a miniature lawn tennis court, a net provided with stiffening means at each end and arranged along the hinged unction of the flat surfaces, and stays flexibly attached to the upper edge of the net at both ends thereof and to each of the flat surfaces at points somewhat distant from the hinged junction of the flat surfaces.

3. A lawn tennis instruction device comprising a pair of fiat surfaces marked to represent whenopened out flat a miniature lawn tennis court and of a suitable finish to receive erasable chalk or the like marks said surfaces being hinged to fold'flatwise together, a transverse member arranged along; the hinged junction to represent a lawn tennis net and flexible means connecting said member to each of said flatsurfaces to allow the'mernb erto lie fiat between said surfaces when folded, and to automatically erect itself perpendicular to said surfaces when the latter are opened out into the same plane.

IDA monies-WALKER.

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