US2257634A - Tennis net - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 30, 1941 R. S. BUNKER TENNIS NET Filed June 14, 1940 INVENTOR, Wdgflt 8. BMW,

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 30, 1941 -UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TENNIS NET Royce S. Bunker, Baltimore, Md., assignor to The Linen Thread 00., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application June 14, 1940, Serial No. 340,482

Claims. 01. 273-29) In my application Serial No. 338,711 a net of the class of tennis netsis set forth which is so constructed that, as one advantage, stitching of the top-band to the net proper is avoided. Ac-

cording to the example therein set forth a flexible element is threaded through a horizontal row of openings of and adjacent to the upper margin of the net proper and substantiallyfrom end toend of such row and exists in interwoven relation to the upright strands between such openings; it thus supports thenet proper and affords a medium to which the top-band may be Connected by resort-to a suitable intermediary which in the example setforth takes the form 'of a strand having coupling loops penetrating said element and the top-band.

According to this present invention the same advantage is attained without such coupling intermediary. Given the net proper and a strip of flexible material to form the top-band, an elongated coupling element traverses the net in an at least generally horizontal direction and exists threaded through said strip and the upper mar ginal portion of the net proper (as the mesh openings in the latter) in alternately opposite directions, or first from one face and then from the other face of the net, and so on. In the example herein set forth said element is a flat, rather sturdy band and, said strip and the upper marginal portion of the net proper being in lapped relation to each other-the strip actually having the two-ply form and receiving between its plies such marginal portion-said element stands in threaded relation to them without substantial up or down deviation from true horizontal. But, as will appear in the appended claims, I do not wish necessarily to .be limited to any of these details.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a face view of an upper corner portion of the improved net;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2, Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan of the blank for the top-band.

The net proper is here shown of usual form or including upright strands l and horizontal strands 2 arranged to form mesh openings 3 and knotted together at their crossings, 4 being one of the two side bands to which the ends of the horizontal strands are connected, as by stitching. The net proper will, as usual, be tarred.

5 designates a strip of flexible sheet material forming the top-band. It is here shown as twoply, as usual, being formed by folding on its median longitudinal line the elongated blank shown in Fig. 3 whereby in the finished net the top-band will be tubular and so adapted to reproper. These apertures are here transverse slits and may be reinforced, as shown, by buttonhole stitching 8. Since the top-band is in the example two-ply the blankis formed with two longitudinal rows of these apertures, those of one row being arranged to register respectively with those in the other when the blank is folded.

9 is the mentioned elongated coupling element, here a suitably thick and hence sturdy fiat band of white duck. Having, according to the example shown, placed the two-ply strip forming the topband in straddling relation to the upper margin of the net proper with the apertures I therein in registry with the mesh openings in the top row thereof, element 9 is passed back and forth through the succeeding pairs of apertures I (each pair comprising the registering apertures of the two plies), of course in each such pass extending through the corresponding opening 3 in the net proper. intercouple the net proper and top-band (supporting the former and being itself supported by the latter) by being laced through both of them at substantially corresponding intervals, they being in this example in lapping relation to each other.

The element 9 should be secured in some way so as not to sag under the weight of the net proper. Following the customary procedure the side bands 4 will be stitched to the top-band and if they are extended as shown in Fig. 1 so as to intersect element 9 such stitching, indicated at l0, may be made to secure said element. Or the latter may be secured at its ends as shown best in Fig. 2 where apertures H are formed in the plies of the top-band lateral of the side band, the end of said element being laced through these apertures and then formed in a coil l2 around a portion of the top-band which flanks said apertures, as between them and the terminus of the top-band; the extreme end 5a, of said element 1runayd'be tucked in between the plies of the top- In other words, said element serves to Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A net of the class specified including a net proper composed of crossing strands connected together at their points of crossing, an elongated horizontal flexible supporting element for the net proper, and an elongated horizontal flexible supporting strip of sheet material for said element, said element being threaded at intervals through said strip and also a horizontal row of openings adjacent the upper margin of the not proper and existing in interwoven relation to the strands between such openings.

2. A net of the class specified including a net proper composed of crossing strands connected together at their points of crossing, an elongated horizontal flexible supporting element for the net proper, and a pluri-ply elongated horizontal flexible supporting strip of sheet material for said element having the upper marginal portion of the net proper between plies thereof, said element being threaded at intervals through said plies and also a horizontal row of openings of said portion and existing in interwoven relation to the strands between such openings.

3. A net of the class specified including a not proper composed of crossing strands connected together at their points of crossing, an elongated horizontal flexible flat supporting band for the net proper, and an elongated horizontal flexible supporting strip of sheet material for said element, said element being threaded through said strip and also'a horizontal row of openings adjacent the upper margin of the net proper and existing in interwoven relation to the strands,

proper, and an elongated flat horizontal flexible supporting strip of sheet material for said element having the end portions of said element held thereby against displacement toward each other relatively to the strip when the latter is fully extended/and also having its width throughout its entire length extending vertically, said element being threaded at intervals through said strip and also a horizontal row of openings ad- J'acent the upper margin of the net proper and existing in interwoven relation to the strands between such openings.

5. A net of the class specified including a net proper, a horizontal strip of flexible sheet materialadjacent to the upper margin of the net proper and forming the top-band of the net, and means connecting the upper margin of the net proper to said strip at intervals including an elongated flat flexible element threaded through the upper margin of the net proper and having its width throughout its entire length extending vertically, said strip having an aperture and said element being extended through, and coiled around a portion of the strip flanked by; said aperture.

ROYCE s. BUNKER.

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