US2818257A

US2818257A - Racquet press

Info

Publication number: US2818257A
Application number: US300428A
Authority: US
Inventors: Allen Alexander Alfred
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1952-07-23
Filing date: 1952-07-23
Publication date: 1957-12-31
Anticipated expiration: 1974-12-31

Description

A. A. ALl -EN 2,818,257

RACQUET PRESS Filed July 23, 1952 Dec. 31, 1957 United States Patent@ RACQUET PRESS Alexander Alfred Allen, Burton-on-Trent, England Appliean'on July 23, 1952, Serial No. 300,428

4 Claims. (Cl. 273-74) This invention relates to racquet presses having two frames between which the racquet is intended to be held, the frames being connected together by studs or the like.

It is usual for these frames to be urged apart by spring means, and an operating device or devices is or are provided for compressing the frames together, against the spring action, to grip the racquet tightly.

The object of this invention is to provide a press which will be simple and inexpensive to manufacture and quick and easy to operate.

According to the present invention one end of each of the studs extends above the frame and is bent round to form a closed loop which is higher at one end nearer the centre of the press than at the other end nearer the outer edge of the press, the outer ends of operating levers being bent at right angles and located in these loops, so that when the press is opened by raising the levers their ends are in the higher ends of the loops, while when the levers are pressed down to close up the press, the ends of the levers move into the lower ends of the loops, where there is insufficient clearance to receive them, except by compressing the frames together against the spring action.

The parts are so proportioned that in the tightening movement the levers can move slightly beyond the dead centre position, so that their inner ends are in actual contact with the face of the press frame, and thus there is no tendency for them to open out again unless definitely operated.

The inner ends of the levers may be connected together by extending them parallel with each other across the press and enclosing them in a sheath to hold them together, so that the levers can be operated simultaneously by one movement.

The studs with their looped extensions and also the operating levers can all be formed out of stout wire or thin rod material, which is inexpensive and provides a simple manner of construction, since the same material can be used for both studs and levers.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a plan of the press.

Figure 2 is a side elevation.

Figure 3 is a section on the line IIIIII of Figure 1.

The press consists of two frames each of the same four-cornered shape as seen in Figure 1, and the frames are secured together by a stud 11 at each corner. Each stud has a spring 12 fitted round it tending to urge the frames 10 apart. The upper ends of the studs (as viewed in the drawings) extend above the surface of the upper frame 10 and are bent round at 11 so that each part 11 forms a closed loop which is higher at the inner end than at the outer end, as can be clearly seen in Figure 3. Four

operating levers

13, 14, 15, 16 are provided and their outer ends are bent at right angles as shown at 13 14 15 and 16 and are located within the looped parts 11*. When the press is open to allow a racquet to be inserted or withdrawn, that is to say when the

levers

13, 14, 15, 16 are raised, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, the lever ice ends 13 14, 15 16 lie in the higher parts of the loops. When the levers are pressed down flat, and slightly beyond the dead centre or horizontal position, so that their inner ends are in actual contact with the face of the press frame, as shown in Figure l and in firm lines in Figure 2, the lever ends 13 14 15 16 move down the looped parts 11 into the outer ends of the loops, and in this movement they exert a leverage against the narrowing loop and force the press frames together, thus tightening up the frames to grip a racquet. A small plate 17 is fastened to the top face of the upper press frame at each corner and the studs 11 pass through the plates and are bent round and have their ends attached to or passed through the plates to close the loops 11 The inner ends of each pair of levers are extended across the press parallel with each other and close together, as shown at 18, so that each pair of

levers

13, 16 and 14, 15 consists of one length of stout wire or thin rod bent to the desired shape. The parallel parts 18 are enclosed within a sheath 19 to hold them together and serve as a handle; the sheath 19 is welded or otherwise fixed to one of the parts 18 and the other part 18 is free to rotate slightly in the sheath as the levers are operated. The studs have the usual adjusting nuts 20 on their opposite ends and the bottom frame 10 (as viewed in the drawings) is countersunk to allow these adjusting nuts to be flush. Obviously instead of the sheath 19 any suitable handle member could be attached to the levers.

I claim:

1. A racquet press comprising a pair of frames, said frames each being of quadrilateral four-cornered shape four studs connecting the frames together in spaced parallel relation said studs being located one near each of the four corners of the frames, a coil spring fitted round each stud, said springs bearing against said frames and tending to urge the frames apart, an end region on each stud said end region extending above the frame and being bent round to form a closed loop which is higher at the part of it which is nearer the centre of the press and tapers towards the part of it which is further away from the centre of the press, the loops on one side being oriented along a common line extending through the center of the studs on such side, and the loops on the other side being oriented along a common line extending through the center of the studs on said last named side, operating levers operatively connected with the press, such operative connection including bent end regions on said operating levers, said bent end regions being located one in each of said closed loops, said operating levers and said studs together with their end regions all being made of thin rod-like material, said levers being pivotally raisable from the press, in which position their bent ends are in the higher parts of the loops, said levers being also capable of being pressed down on to the press whereupon their bent ends move into the tapered parts of the loops, where there is insufiicient clearance to receive them except by compressing the frames together against the spring action.

2. A racquet press as claimed in claim 1 in which the length of the levers is slightly greater than the distance between the studs spacers on the frame through each of which a stud passes so that when levers are pressed down on to the press they can move slightly beyond the dead center position so that they are in contact with one of the press frames and there is no tendency for them to open out again until definitely operated.

3. A racquet press as claimed in claim 1 having the levers formed in two pairs each pair consisting of a single length of material bent to shape so as to provide the two levers with their bent end regions and a straight connecting portion.

4. A racquet press as claimed in claim 1 having the levers formed in two pairs each pair consisting of a single length of material bent to shape so as to provide the two 0 a 4 levers with their bent-endregions and a straight connect- 1,796,596 Flower Mar. 17, 1931 .ingtportion,v thetwo -connecting"portions .beingrsituated 1,914,086 Gates June 13,1933 close alongside each other-land being operable together FOREIGN PATENTS so that all four levers are operated simultaneously by .meansof these connecting portions. 5 201804 Great i 1909 464,014 Great Br1ta1n Apr. 9, 1937 Referenees Citedtin the filesof thispatent 642,059 Great Britain Aug. 23, 1950 UNITED STATES-PATENTS 1,786,577 Purcell Dec. 30,1930 10