US1279719A - Tennis-racket and the like. - Google Patents

Description

S. G. LEWSA TENNIS BASKET AND THE LIKE. APPLxcATloH man Homzo, me.

3. .27 9 l 9 g Yutented Sept. 24, MS.

WITNESSES UNITED s'ra'r TENNIS-Backer AND @En LIKE.

specification of Letters Patent. rammed Sept, 24, 1918 Application led November 20, 1916. Serial No. 132,270..

To all 'whom it may concern: ff l Be it known that I, Sarmoatiq, Lewis, residing at Greensburg, inthe county' lofjVJ/'estmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the United States, Vhave invented or discovered certain new and useful Improve' mentsgin Tennis-Rackets and the like, of which improvementsthe followingis a'sp'eciication. My invention consists in a new articlepf manufacture: Stringing for rackets' andlile articles, made essentially of wire and coated with rubber. ,f "l, Piano wire consists of a strand of wirel gut, or iber- (ordinarily silk) forming a core or heart, surrounded and incased in a helical wrapping of {ine wire (ordinarily steel wire). This article is used not only, as its name im orts, in the stringing ofpianos'; it is use instringing variouspvmusical in-A struments: violins, for examplefanfd guitars.

The addition to such a wire of arubber coating must-have the effect, sofQfar/as concerns use in musical,instrunientsyfof modifying the tone anddamp'ening vibration; but it is with new uses of the article, modified in structure in the manner indicated, that I am chiefly concerned. I have found that piano wire coated with rubber is useful as material for Stringing tennis racket-s, la* crosse sticks, snow shoes, and such like articles; and manifestly being useful in such applications, it has the advantage of greater durability over the catgut commonly used for this purpose.

I prefer to employ piano wire, that is to say wire built up of a central body of wire or 'of fibrous material and a closely wrapped helix of Ene wire, but, manifestly, plain wire or a compound braided or stranded wire may be coated with rubber, and when coated may be rendered serviceable (as bare wire is not) for uses such as those indicated.

The rubber coating 'which characterizes my invention may be applied to the wire in the form of thin sheets or strips wrapped either upon the component strands individu-- ally before braiding twisting or wrapping or upon the assembled andV otherwise completed article; or it may, and preferably wil, be applied by causing the wire (either the strand or the otherwise completed article) to pass through a liquid solution of rubber. The solvent for the rubber in such case will be such as desired bisuliite of carbon, chloroform, ether, naphtha, or another solvent. The strength of the solution and its fluidity or viscosity will be. adapted to afford a coating of desired thickness upon the wire advancing through it. As the coated wire passes from the bath, it may pass between wiping and spreading instrulnentalities such as desired-between rolls, for example, or through a die-block.' The article will, after being coated prefer:v bly be supported and disposed in such position and arrangement and subjected to such conditions as to allow the rubber of the coating to become aircured. Anch it will be understood that, aircuring being in contemplation, the initial rubber preparation in solution (or in sheet form) will be compounded with that end in view. If it be a single strand that has been coated, the coated strand may be used as it erations familiar in the making of composite wire.

My invention is illustrated in -the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 show two forms of coatedV wire and Fig. 3 shows a face view of a tennis racket equipped with `my improved Stringing.

In Fig. l, there is shown a piano wire, comprising as explained above, a core l and a wrapped-on helix of flexible wire 2. In this instance the rubber-coating is in the form of thin sheets vor strips 3, wrapped upon the wire helix 2;

In. Fig, 2, there is also shown a piano wire, comprising a core l and a wrapped-on helix of wire 2. In this form of Stringing the rubber 4coating Il illustrates such coating as results from passing the piano wire through av a frame strung with an interwoven Stringing 1n testimony Vwhereof I have heronnto 'set l gnsisting'of a fiexible wire coated with rubmy hand.

2. A' tennis racket or the like comprising 5 a frame strung withv an interwoven Stringing i'tnessres:v

' consisting of a o're, a Wrapped-on helix of MAILER B. Toom, wire and 'a coating of rubber. Gr. W. DUNN.

SEN'EQA G.LEW1S.

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