US2224567A

US2224567A - Racket or the like

Info

Publication number: US2224567A
Application number: US280159A
Authority: US
Inventors: Milton B Reach
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1939-06-20
Filing date: 1939-06-20
Publication date: 1940-12-10
Anticipated expiration: 1957-12-10

Description

Dec. 10, 1940. REACH 2,224,567

' RACKET OR THE LIKE F iled June 20, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /7//700 5. Reva/7 Dec. 10', 1940. M. B. REACH 2,224,567

RACKET OR THE LIKE FiledvJune 20, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheef 2 um/M411 8 Patented Dec. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RACKET OR THE LIKE Milton B. Reach, Springfield, Mass.

Application June 20, 1939, Serial No. 280,159

13 Claims.

: in operations of manufacture with uniformity of product that does not exist under present orthodox methods of assembly.

The weak part of a racket is that area where the bow merges and joins the handle or throat portion, and one of the principalobjectives of this invention is to give the strength of metal to that area without detracting from the playing qualities of the racket, and to provide a union of metal and wood in this area of a permanent form free from any play or chatter.

Very narrow limitations of weight are imposed in this type of athletic implement, and the combination of metal and wood incorporating requisite strength and lightness is one of the objects accomplished by the applicants type of assembly.

The following is a description of the means by which the desired results are accomplished.

In the drawings Figure 1 shows a bow of a racket made according to and embodying features of my invention.

Figs. 2 and 2c are views of a yoke member forming connecting means between the bow and the handle of the racket. Figs. 2a, 2b, and 2d are sectional views of details of the yoke member of Figs. 2 and 20, on lines AA, B-B, and D-D, respectively, and slightly enlarged.

Fig. 3 shows a ferrule or thimble also preferably forming a part of the connection. Fig. 3c is a section on line CC of Fig. 3, slightly enlarged. Y

Fig. 4 is a view of the handle or grip of the racket. Fig. M is a slightly enlarged section on line D-D of Fig. 4.

Fig. 5 is a view of the assembled racket frame, with stringing partly shown.

Fig. 6 shows an alternative construction employing rivets. Fig. 6a is a detail of the rivet.

Fig. '7 is a view of a unitary bow or head member in the form of a closed curve and made of two pieces or strips of material.

In the ordinary type of racket, the bow of the frame'is manufactured with a stem extension that forms the handle portion, or, in some instances, a part of the handle portion which is supplemented with an additional gripping section of desired size and shape.

I propose to separate this manufacture into two distinct units. A bow section I, which I plan to make preferably of one long strip of thin fibrous material, like wood, wound around upon itself into a desired oval or circular form, the different convolutions being cemented or glued one upon the other to produce a unitary whole, as seen in Figure l, of laminated form.

The method of doing this forms the subject 5 matter of a separate application, but it will be readily understood that these bows fashioned in an endless form permit facility of manufacture in the various shaping, drilling and sanding operations, as multiple units maybe ganged to- 10 gether and worked uponas a group'with perfectly uniform results. Also-in the subsequent varnishing, finishing and stringing operations these stemless bows lend themselves to greatest ease of handling. 1,5-

It is not desired to limit the invention to a bow comprising a single strip of material Wound upon itself in the exact form shown with ends of the strip at the same end of the bow, as it will be apparent that the ends of the strip may be disposed at opposite ends of the .bow, or otherwise about the bow, or may be made of more than one strip of material, the invention concerning a stemless bow in the form of a closed curve which desirably may be made of fibrous material, such as wood, wound upon itself in laminated form, although it may be made of other material. A bow made of two strips of material is shown in Fig. '7, and desirably comprises two pieces of bent wood, one within the 3 other, and tapered down at opposite ends of the bow to preserve uniform width, the outside bow member or piece being of full width at the top and tapering down to nothing where it is to be received within a metal yoke member which will protect the thinned parts.

Following the manufacture of the bow portion, there is assembled thereto a yoke element -2 (Fig. 2) preferably formed from a thin strong metal alloy in a shape to fit the bow portion. Prefer- .4

ably I line the inside channel of this thin pressed metal yoke with a lining member 3 desirably of rubberized fabric which is vulcanized to the metal by established practices, such as by using a material, such as that known as thermoprene.

Thermoprene may be described as a product of the general type of that produced by the reaction of rubber with an agent selected from the group consisting of sulfuric acid, sulfonic acids, and

sulfonyl chlorides. It is not desired, however, to so restrict the invention to the use of this particular bonding material.

. I then roughen the surface'of this lining member or fabric by a sanding operation and coat it with a suitable adhesive to produce a good strong union with the bow portion under pressure, the bow portion desirably being of wood or other nonmetallic material. An alternate method of riveting or bolting, as indicated in Fig. 6, may be assumed, but I prefer the chatter-free solidity and unity of a glued or cemented joint between the rubberized cloth or fabric lining and the bow portion, although there is presented in a bolted or riveted connection an opportunity to repair a racket having broken strings by substituting a complete new bow portion at a relatively slight increase in cost.

The metal yoke 2 preferably has extruded from its bottom surface, a short shoulder-like section 4 of a suitable shape, desirably substantially a flat oval shape, over which may be brazed, or otherwise applied, a formed flanged thimble 5 (Fig. 3), which acts as a support for the hollow metal handle section 6, which may be pushed over the reduced end 5a of the thimble. Desirably I may use thermoprene or the like, and apply rubberized fabric I to the outside of the shoulder 5a of the thimble, and the handle portion 6 may be driven over this and held by friction.

The handle portion 6 I prefer to make from a seamless alloy tubing material with suitably thin walls, drawing the upper end to whatever crosssection shape may prove of current style (at present the taste runs to an extreme streamline appearance) and forming the lower or grip end 6a into the fiat sided forms prevailing in the various types of rackets of this period. I then propose to cover the grip section of the handle with leather having multiple perforations to provide an aerated grip section to insure a comfortable, dry gnp.

It may be noted that in shaping the stem of the handle sections, its cross-section diameters may be designed to move the whip of the racket toward the bow or reverse, and that balance may also be controlled to some extent in this design.

In all types of rackets, the essentials of manufacture, comprising an endless and stemless and unitary bow portion in combination with a handle portion and a metal yoke connecting the two, prevail, and it is in these broad essentials that I claim new improvements in the art of this manufacture.

Where riveting or bolting 9 is used to secure the yoke to the bow or head, as indicated in Fig. 6, a compressible lining member 10 such as of rubber or fabric or the like may preferably be employed between the yoke and the bow to prevent chatter under impact. The rivets 9 may desirably be of a standard light tubular form, such as comprising two telescoping cylinders, with the inner and longer one passing through the other, and with its end upset until both parts are drawn tightly against their respective shoulders.

It is conceivable that by the present invention assembly of the racket can be made so cheaply that the head or how may be readily replaced, as when string breakage occurs, by inserting a new bow or head already strung at the factory, instead of having restringing operations performed at stations all over the country. The invention thus contemplates also a unitary endless stemless bow which may be strung prior to assembly with the yoke and handle of the racket.

Preferably, however, the racket is strung after the bow is assembled with the metal yoke, in which case the yoke is provided with perforations II to receive the string.

It is not desired to restrict the invention to the yoke member 2, thimble 5, and handle 6 being made separate, as it will be apparent that these parts could be made in one piece, or in two pieces, instead of three, if desired, without departing from the invention.

The channel shaped yoke member 2 preferably has a corrugation or reentrant portion in its bottom providing a raised portion or groove 8, which provides a recess for the string to lie in where the stringing is done after assembly of the bow and yoke, and the corrugation 8 also reduces the strain of impact against the side of the yoke, at

' the same time increasing the area of the gluing surface.

The'bow is grooved as indicated at I2 to conform to the raised bead or corrugation.

I claim:

l. A racket or the like comprising a bow or head of wood or the like consisting of a closed curve, a member of metal or the like secured to a circumferential part of the closed curved bow or head at the handle side of said bow or head, and providing the strength of metal at the area of unionwith the closed curved wooden bow with requisite lightness, and handle means connected with said metal member, said metal member being of channel form receiving a portion of said closed curved bow or head, said metal channel member being secured to said closed curved wood bow portion by a lining member interposed between them and secured to both.

2. A racket or the like comprising a bow or head of wood or the like consisting of a closed curve, a member of metal or the like secured to a circumferential part of the closed curved bow or head at the handle side of said how or head, and providing the strength of metal at the area of union with the closed curved wooden bow with requisite lightness, and'handle means connected with said metal member, said metal member being of curved channel form receiving a portion of said closed curved bow or head and embracing the same, a lining member in said metal channel member disposed between it and the said wood bow or head portion and secured to both, said connecting lining being adhesively secured to the curved wood bow and vulcanized to the metal channel member. v p

3. A racket or the like comprising a complete unitary bow or head consisting of a closed curve of material in strip form providing laminations and reduced lapped portions, a thin pressed metal member secured to a circumferential part of the laminated closed curved bow or head at the handle side of said bow or head, said metal member providing metallic strength at the area of union with the closed curved laminated bow with requisite lightness, and handle means connected with said member, said metal member having a stem portion, a metal thimble secured to said stem portion as by brazing or the like, and a tubular metal handle secured tosaid thimble, said thimble having rubberized fabric vulcanized thereto, and said tubular metal handle being driven thereover in a friction connection.

4. A racket or the like comprising a'bow or head in the form of a closed curve, a thin pressed metal member secured to a circumferential part of the closed curved bow or head at the handle side of said bow or head, said metal member having a curved portion of channel shape conforming to and receiving said closed curved bow or head, and providing the strength of metal at the area of union with the closed curved bow with requisite lightness, and handle means connected with said member, said metal channel member having a corrugation or raised bead formed in its bottom said bow being grooved to correspond.

5. A racket or the like, according to claim 1 in which said metal channel member is additionally secured to said wood bow by rivets or the like, extending through the side walls of the channel and bow, said lining member being of rubberized fabric and preventing chatter.

6. As an article of manufacture, a complete bow or head for a racket or the like consisting of a closed hoop composed of a plurality of laminations of material in strip form wound one upon another, said laminations being continuously curved in the same direction, said complete laminated closed bow or hoop including reduced strip ends, said reduced strip ends being lapped upon an adjacent portion of said strip material and providing a lapped reduced strip end constituting a part of the inner peripheral surface of said complete laminated closed bow hoop and another lapped reduced strip end portion constituting a part of the outer peripheral surface of said complete bow.

7. An article of manufacture according to claim 6 in which said complete closed curved bow or head for a racket or the like, comprises inner and outer strips of material, the widest central portion of the length of the outer strip being disposed adjacent the top side of the bow and having tapered reduced end portions disposed adjacent the handle side of the bow, the inner strip being in a reverse relation with the widest central portion of its length adjacent the handle side of the bow and its tapered reduced ends adjacent the top portion of the bow, and disposed within the outer strip.

8. An article of manufacture according to claim 6 in which said complete bow hoop comprises laminations of wood or like fibrous material in strip form.

9. A racket or the like comprising a complete unitary bow or head consisting of a closed hoop composed of a plurality of laminations of wood or like non-metallic fibrous material in strip form wound one upon another, said laminations being continuously curved in the same direction, said complete laminated closed bow or hoop including reduced strip ends, said reduced strip ends being lapped upon an adjacent portion of said strip: material and providing a lapped reduced strip end constituting a part of the inner peripheral surface of said-complete laminated closed bow hoop and another lapped reduced end portion constituting a part of the outer peripheral surface of said complete bow, a thin metal member secured to a circumferential part of the complete laminated closed hoop or bow at the handle side of said bow and providing metallic strength and requisite lightness at the area of union with the laminated closed hoop, and handle means connected with said thin metal member.

10. A racket according to claim 9 in which a reduced lapped strip end portion of said unitary laminated closed hoop or bow is disposed on the outside of the bow'at the handle side of said how and is engaged and protected by. the thin metal member.

' 11. A racketor the like according to claim 9 in which said thin metal member comprises a yoke having a channel shaped portion curved to receive and conform to a peripheral portion of said unitary laminated non-metallic closed hoop or bow and a stem portion extending substantially centrally from said channel shaped portion, and handle means connected with the stem portion of said yoke.

12. A racket or the like according to claim 9 in which said thin metal member comprises a yoke having a channel shaped portion curved to receive and conform to a peripheral portion of said unitary laminated non-metallic closed hoop or bow and a stem portion extending substantially centrally from said channel shaped portion, a tubular metal handle, and a metal thimble or ferrule secured to and connecting said stem portion and said tubular metal handle.

13. A racket or the like according to claim 9 in which said complete bow hoop comprises laminations of wood or like fibrous material in strip form.

MILTON B. REACH.