US2318916A

US2318916A - Tennis racket

Info

Publication number: US2318916A
Application number: US420113A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alexis D Andreef
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1941-11-22
Filing date: 1941-11-22
Publication date: 1943-05-11
Anticipated expiration: 1960-05-11

Description

A. D. ANDREEF TENNI S RACKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Filed Nov. 22, 1941 INVENTOR AJDJXNDREEF y 1943- A. D. ANDREEF 2,318,916

TENNIS RACKET Filed Nov. 22, 1941 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN\ ENTOR- wm w -ATTUBNE Patented May 11, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TENNIS RACKET Alexis D. Andreef, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Application November 22, 1941, Serial No. 420,113

3 Claims.

This invention relates to tennis and similar rackets and it comprises certain improvements in the construction of both open throat and closed throat rackets; the purpose of such improvements being (1) to increase the resistancev of the racket to the twisting force imposed on the racket by the impacts to which it is subjected when in use; (2) to strengthen the shoulder and handle portions of the racket without impairing the flexibility and other desirable properties; (3) to provide a strong but relatively light hollow handle portion which is comparatively inexpensive and easy to fabricate; and (4) to provide a new type of handle which eliminates the necessity of applying thereto the conventional external grip facings or covering strips.

Proceeding now to a more detailed description of this invention reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Fig. 1 is a front view of a partially completed open throat racket made in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing a modified handle construction.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the form of racket appearing in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of -the handle portion of the racket shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a handle shaping wedge or core piece which is embodied in the handle construction shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the manner in which the handle portion of the racket is finished off without the application of the conventional external grip facings or covering strips.

Fig. 7 is a butt end view of the finished handle appearing in Fig. 6.

. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a modified racket of the closed throat type.

Fig. 9 is a detail view of the handle shaping wedge or core piece embodied in the handle construction shown in Fig. 8.

In forming the open throat racket shown in Fig. 1 a strip 5, preferably composed of a number of wood laminations glued together, is bent to provide the head 6, handle extensions 7 and reversely curved throat forming arms 8. The handle extensions 1 are glued to opposite sides of an interposed core 9 which is preferably made of softer wood than that employed in the fabrication of the strip 5. This produces a racket having an open throat [0 which is bounded at the sides by the arms 8 and at the lower end by the upper extremity of the core 9. At its upper end the throat I0 is closed by a throat-bridging,

crescent shaped insert H which also completes the lower portion of the head 6. The ends of the throat bridging insert I l are tapered so that the upper surface of the insert merges smoothly with the inner surface of a combinedhead and shoulder reinforcing ply l2. This ply I2 extends around the top and downwardly along the sides of the head 6 to points X which lie within what may be termed the shoulder portions of the racket. The construction and relative arrangement of the insert "l I and the reinforcing ply I2 is preferably such that these parts present overlapping portions I la and 12a which extend from the points X to points X which are located a relatively short distance below the transverse centre line of the head 6. The portions I2a of the reinforcing ply I2. are tapered so that they gradually increase in thickness toward the points X where they form square shoulders which constitute the upper corner boundaries of the openthroat l0.

An important advantage of the construction disclosed in Fig. l is that the portions of the reinforcing strip l2 which are interposed between the head 6 and the tapered portions of the throat-bridging insert ll serve to substantially strengthen the shoulder portions of the racket and to provide for a more secure attachment of the throat-bridging insert ll than is obtained when the tapered ends of this insert are glued directly to the head 6.

Another advantage of the construction here referred tois that the shoulder reinforcing portions l2a of strip l2 maybe tapered during the formation of the strip to provide the ideal degree of curvature along the surfaces of the portions 12a to which the tapered extremities of the throat bridging insert II are to be glued. The shoulder strengthening efiect of the strip [2 is also increased by reason of the fact that the shoulder strengthening portions 12a are integral- 1y joined by the head strengthening portion lib. Experience has demonstrated that this arrangement gives a better shoulder strengthening effect than is obtained when separate shoulder strengthening inserts are fitted between the shoulder portions of the head and the tapered portions of the throatbridging insert II.

It will be noted that the terminal points X of the reinforcing ply 12 are located a substantial distance from the vertical centre line Y of the racket. This enables a considerable number of string receiving openings to be provided in the central portion of the insert I I which lies between the points X.

In Figs. 2 to 7 inclusive, I have shown a modi fied form of open throat racket in which the inner sides of the handle forming extensions 1 are directly glued together. In this case each handle extension I is bifurcated by a slot 15 which extends the full length of said extension. The slots l lie between the front and rear faces of the extensions 1 and are at right angles to the inner glued sides of said extensions.

A tapered handle shaping wedge or core piece I6 is forced into the slots [5 as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The branches 1a of each handle forming extension 1 are thus spread apart so that they diverge from each other toward the butt end of the handle as shown more particularly in Fig. 3. The width of the handle shaping wedge or core piece I6 is such that its sides |6a and I612 project outwardly beyond the front and rear sides of the handle extensions 1. It will also be noted that the handle shaping core piece I6 is provided with a longitudinal slot [6d which extends from the butt end of the core piece to a point I50 located a substantial distance from the opposite or upper end of the core piece. Owing to the provision of the slots [6d in the tapered wedge or core piece I6 it will be seen that, when this wedge or core piece is assembled with the slotted handle forming extensions 1, the resulting handle is of hollow construction as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, the hollow interior of the handle being bounded at two opposite sides by the walls of the core slot id and at the remaining opposite sides by the walls of the slots [5 of the handle extensions 1. The handle extensions l and the projecting portions of the handle shaping wedge or core piece l6 are then trimmed down and bevelled to provide a handle having the external shape illustrated in Figs. 6 and '7, it being noted that the finished handle has a slight inward taper from the butt end of the handle to the opposite end where the handle joins the lower end of the throat forming arms 8. The advantage of this type of handle construction is that it eliminates the necessity of employing the usual external grip or facing strips which are usually glued to the handle extensions 1 to give the handle its final external shape. In the case of the present invention, as illustrated in Figs. 2 to 7, inclusive, the internal handle shaping wedge or core It gives substantially the same effect as is obtained when the conventional grip or facing strips'are employed.

The racket shown in Figs. 8 and 9 is substantially the same as the racket shown in Fig. 2, except for the fact that the throat I0 is closed by a heart piece Illa, the lower corner of the heart piece being fitted in a notch 20 provided in the upper end of the handle shaping wedge or core piece IS.

While the component plies of the laminated head, handle and throat portions of the rackets described herein may be made of hard wood, or

any other suitable material, I have found that the strength and resiliency of such rackets is increased in substantial degree when the head and/or handle portions are composed, at least in part, of baleen. For example, a racket of exceptional strength and resiliency is obtained when the component plies of the strip 5 and the reinforcing strip 12 are made of baleen. I have also found that a racket of substantially increased strength and resiliency, as compared with laminated rackets now available, is obtained when only the reinforcing ply I2 is made of baleen. the remaining laminations being com posed of hard wood or other materials ordinarily employed.

The invention also contemplates a racket in which one or more plies of the strip 5 is made of baleen and the remaining plies made of hard wood or other material ordinarily employed. It also contemplates a racket in which the crescentshaped reinforcing strip l 1 consists, either wholly or in part, of baleen. Baleen may also be used in the construction of the handle cores shown at 9 in Fig. 1 and at I6 in Fig. 2 but, as a general rule, these cores will be made of some softer material, such as wood, which is softer than the component plies of the strip 5.

Having thus described what I now consider to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A tennis or similar racket comprising head and handle members. an inner reinforcing ply extending across the top and downwardly along the sides of the head and terminating in end portions which are spaced a substantial distance from the central longitudinal axis of the head and handle and are flared so that they gradually increase in thickness toward the ends of said ply and a throat-bridging insert having its end portions overlying and adhesively secured to the end portions of said reinforcing ply.

2. A tennis or similar racket comprising a laminated strip bent to provide head and handle extensions and throat defining arms integrally connecting said head and handle extensions, said handle extensions being glued together at their inner sides and being provided with full length slits open at the butt ends of said extensions, said slits also extending the full width of the handle formed by said extensions and being disposed between the front and rear faces of said extensions, a tapered handle shaping wedge or core member fitted in said slits whereby the front and rear portions of the handle extensions lying at opposite sides of the slits are spread apart so that they diverge from each other in the direction of the butt end of the handle, said wedge or core member being provided with a longltudinal slot extending from the butt end to a point adjacent the opposite end of said wedge or core member.

3. A racket as set forth in claim 2, including a heart piece fitted in the throat portion of the racket and adhesively secured to the throat defining arms, the lower portion of said heart piece being fitted in a notch provided in the upper end of the handle shaping wedge or core member and a throat-bridging insert having its central portion adhesively secured to the top portion of the heart piece and its end portions adhesively secured to said head.

ALEXIS D. ANDREEF.