US3079156A

US3079156A - Tennis racket press cover

Info

Publication number: US3079156A
Application number: US170928A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lucille F Baukney
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-02-05
Filing date: 1962-02-05
Publication date: 1963-02-26
Anticipated expiration: 1980-02-26

Description

Feb. 26, 1963 L. F. BAUKNEY TENNIS RACKET PRESS COVER Filed Feb. 5, 1962 FIG.1

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TENNIS RACKET PRESS COVER Filed Feb. 5, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR I UCILLE F BAUKNEY BY MI@- 17 y ATTORNEY 3,079,156 TENNES RACKET PRESS COVER Lucille F. Baukney, 1524i NE. 40th Court,

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Filed Feb. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 170,928 Claims. (Cl. 273-74) This invention relates to a combined cover and press for tennis rackets or similar articles of such nature as will protect the head of a tennis racket against the elements and to also maintain the frame of the tennis racket against warping.

The invention contemplates a molded plastic cover that is shaped in top plan to conform to the general oval shape of the head of a tennis racket and with the cover being formed of relatively still plastic that will avoid ilexing and that will maintain the head of the tennis racket in a normal flat condition. The cover embodies upper and lower fiat Walls that are partially connected by a connecting vertical wall and with a part of the vertical wall being omitted to form an opening for the insertion of the head of the racket and with a slide device that is adapted to close the opening after the racket has been inserted.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device will be more clearly apparent during the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein has been illustrated a preferred form ofthe invention and wherein like characters of ref-l erence are employed to denote like parts throughout the several iigures.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top pian view of the cover and associated parts illustrating the manner of inserting the head of the tennis racket therein,

FIGURE 2 is an edge view of the cover with a closure slide in the open position,

FIGURE 3 is an end View of the covertaken from the left end of the illustration in FIGURE l,

FIGURE 4 is a transverse section taken substantially on line 4 4. of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal section on line 5-5 of FIGURE l,

FlGURE 6 is a horizontal section taken substantially on line 6 6 of FIGURE 2 with the tennis racket being shown in dotted lines,

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary section through one edge of the cover with a closure slide omitted, and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of a slide evice adapted to cover and uncover the opening of the device.

Referring specifically to the drawings, there has been illustrated a tennis racket cover and press of generally oval shape in top plan, shown as a whole by the numeral 5. The cover 5 embodies ilat parallel upper and lower plates 6, that are connected for the major circumference of the device by a wall'7. The cover terminates at one end in a reduced throat extension The wall 7 extends from one side of the throat 8 around the circumference of the cover and terminates at a point 9, providing a relatively large opening 10 for the insertion of the head portion 1l of a tennis racket of conventional construction, having the usual handle 12. The plates 6 and the walls 7 are integrally molded to form a relatively still cover for the tennis racket head ll and with the handle 12 being disposed within the throat 8 after the racket has been fully inserted into the cover. The major portion of the device, conforming to the curvature of the cover and the opening l0 is provided with upper and lower integral flanges 13, that project above the outer surfaces of the cover 6 a predetermined distance and with the ilanges upon the inner side having diagonal grooves 14. The anges 13 may be partial, as indicated in FIGURE 1 or,

taken substantially 3,79,l55 Patented Feb. 26, 1963 the flanges may be co-extensive with the cover to terminate'at-the end'sioffthe throat 8. However, the flanges have been illustrated as being of such length as toprovide aguide for a cover device, to be described.

Adapted to cover and uncover the opening 1t), is a' relatively ilexible cover device, illustrated as a whole by the numeral 15. The cover device 15 may be formed of any desirable material and of course may be molded of plastic orpossibly metal.- The cover device l5 as more clearly illustrated in FIGURE 8 embodies a generally U-shaped member having a closure wall 16 and with the wall 16 at'its upper and lower edges being ilanged at 17. The flanges 17 terminatein inwardly directed walls 18, that have their terminal edges-angled inwardly to form guide tongues 19. Theangularity of the guide tongues 19- are identical with the angularity of the grooves 14 of the flanges 13 and the spacing of the flanges i7 is such as to have a frictional guiding engagement upon the marginal portions of the ilauges i3. The cover 15 at one or both ends is provided with an actuating lip Ztl' whereby the cover may be manually shifted to and from a covering relation with resp-ect to the opening lil. The cover'15, when formed of plastic Iwill obviously be flexible to such an extentthat the cover may be caused to traverse anges 13 to a position Where the opening l@ is fully exposed for either the insertion or removal of the tennis racket. Where the ilangesl are co-extensive with the plates 6, the additional extension'will obviously constitute more of an ornamental appearance. The neck portion 8 may be provided adjacent its open end with a band or U-shape and preferably soft rubber seal, indicated at 21.

In the use of the device, when a tennis racket is adapted to be covered, the slide 15 is shiftable along the llanges l5 by the lip 2d, to the point closely adjacent to the end portion 9 of the wall 7. The tennis racket is then inserted at an angle through an opening lll to its full depth into the cover or, where the head of the tennis racket has abutting engagement with the inner side of the wall 7, at which time the handle 12 of the tennis racket is swung laterally to cause the neck portion between the handle 12 and the head ll to be fully engaged into the throat 8. The cover l5 is then shifted along the flanges 13 to fully cover the opening l@ an-d to terminate at the end portion of the throat 8. The engagement of the tongues 19 into the grooves 14, form a very definite tie between the upper and lower walls 6 that will prevent any tendency for the walls 6 in the area of the opening 10 to tlex away from the racket head 11. The inner dimensions of the cover are adapted to conform closely to the head 11 of the racket so that the plates 6 will have a relatively snug engagernent with the upper and lower sides of the frame constituting the head l1 and, since the cov-er is formed of relatively still plastic material, the racket will be securely maintained against any tendency to twist during storage or due to weather conditions and the use of the seal 21 avoids the possible entry of moisture into the cover that possibly might affect the cords of the racket head 11. The cover 15 has a relatively snug engagement with the flanges 13 and such also will eEectively seal the opening lll.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a very novel type of molded plastic and relatively rigid cover has been provided for tennis rackets, the device may be molded `from any suitable reinforced plastic such as the well 'known standard epoxy-glass laminate and while the device has been indicated as being formed of such plastic, the device could obviously be formed of light weight metal, such as aluminum. The device is cheap to manufacture, is strong, durable and forms a most desirable combined cover and press for the head portion of conventional tennis rackets.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited -the one side and the side opening of 'side of the flanges and inwardly and into the flanges, the flanges sliding engagement in the rilanges, the slide at one end being provided with a right to the precise construction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily all within the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and *desirev to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A combined tennis racket cover and frame press that comprises a molded plastic housing of generally oval shape in top plan and that consists of a pair of dat plate Isections that are parallel and spaced apart in accordance with the thickness of the tennis racket head, the plates around their maior circumference being rigidly connected 'together by an integral marginal wall, the housingk at one end being provided with a reduced throat extension that receives an adjacent portion of a handle for the racket head, the throat being open at its end and one side, the

marginal wall at one side of the housing being omitted to -form an access opening whereby the head of the racket may be inserted into a chamber that is formed by the plates andv the marginal wa11,a flexible slide that is slidably connected to the plates whereby to cover and edges having anges that traverse the grooves, lthe flanges of the slide providing an interlocking engagement withgthe grooves of the first named llanges whereby to hold the plates against separation in the Aarea ofthe access opening.

3. The structure according to claim 2, wherein the -flanges of the plates are outwardly extending and with formed upon the inner downwardly inclined of the slide having a snug grooves of the first named the grooves of the anges being angle lip whereby to manually actuate the slide.

4. The structure according to claim 1 wherein the throat extension is provided with a compressible seal ring for engagement with the handle of the racket whereby to effectively seal the chamber when the racket head is housed therein.

5. A molded plastic combined cover and press for tennis rackets that comprises a cover that is shaped to conform to the curvature of the head portion of a tennis racket, the cover embodying a pair of spaced apart flat parallel walls of substantially oval shape that are connect` ed together by an integral marginal wall, the spacing of the l'lat parallel walls defining a chamber for the reception of the head of the racket whereby the several walls will snugly engage the opposite faces of the racket and the Vmarginal edges of the racket head, the cover terminating at one end in a reduced throat extension adapted to embrace a portion of a tennis racket handle, the marginal wall upon one side of the cover being omitted to form an laccess opening whereby the head of the racket may be inserted into the cover, the access opening also extending through the throat extension and a slidable cover device for closing the access opening, the said cover being formed of relatively hard and non-ilexible plastic calculated to prevent warping of the tennis racket, the slidable cover being formed of a relatively pliable plastic whereby to permit the cover to slide and conform to the marginal Vedges of the cover.

i References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Y 112,620,072 chase Mar. 8,1927 1,989,577 Watkins Ian. 29, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS 579,197 Germany June 23, 1933 15,429 Australia Oct. '17, 1934

Claims

1. A COMBINED TENNIS RACKET COVER AND FRAME PRESS THAT COMPRISES A MOLDED PLASTIC HOUSING OF GENERALLY OVAL SHAPE IN TOP PLAN AND THAT CONSISTS OF A PAIR OF FLAT PLATE SECTIONS THAT ARE PARALLEL AND SPACED APART IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE THICKNESS OF THE TENNIS RACKET HEAD, THE PLATES AROUND THEIR MAJOR CIRCUMFERENCE BEING RIGIDLY CONNECTED TOGETHER BY AN INTEGRAL MARGINAL WALL, THE HOUSING AT ONE END BEING PROVIDED WITH A REDUCED THROAT EXTENSION THAT RECEIVES AN ADJACENT PORTION OF A HANDLE FOR THE RACKET HEAD, THE THROAT BEING OPEN AT ITS END AND ONE SIDE, THE MARGINAL WALL AT ONE SIDE OF THE HOUSING BEING OMITTED TO FORM AN ACCESS OPENING WHEREBY THE HEAD OF THE RACKET MAY BE INSERTED INTO A CHAMBER THAT IS FORMED BY THE PLATES AND THE MARGINAL WALL, A FLEXIBLE SLIDE THAT IS SLIDABLY CONNECTED TO THE PLATES WHEREBY TO COVER AND UNCOVER THE ACCESS OPENING, THE SLIDE WHEN IN A COVERING POSITION BEING CO-EXTENSIVE WITH THE ACCESS OPENING OF THE ONE SIDE AND THE SIDE OPENING OF THE THROAT.