U.S. patent number 3,834,699 [Application Number 05/155,830] was granted by the patent office on 1974-09-10 for method of stringing a game racket.
Invention is credited to Roger D. Pass.
United States Patent |
3,834,699 |
Pass |
September 10, 1974 |
METHOD OF STRINGING A GAME RACKET
Abstract
In tennis rackets and the like a faster and more efficient
method of stringing racket frames wherein the strings are inserted
and tensioned within the frame without interweaving the
longitudinal and latitudinal strings. The net thus formed is than
consolidated into a unified structure by bonding the longitudinal
strings to the latitudinal strings at each point that the
longitudinal strings cross the latitudinal strings.
Inventors: |
Pass; Roger D. (St. Paul,
MN) |
Family
ID: |
22556966 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/155,830 |
Filed: |
June 23, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
473/543 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B
51/00 (20130101); A63B 51/08 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63B
51/00 (20060101); A63B 51/08 (20060101); A63b
051/02 (); A63b 051/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;273/73A-73J,73R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
715,356 |
|
Sep 1931 |
|
FR |
|
901,279 |
|
Oct 1944 |
|
FR |
|
1,043,897 |
|
Nov 1958 |
|
DT |
|
331,925 |
|
Jul 1930 |
|
GB |
|
409,924 |
|
May 1934 |
|
GB |
|
887,526 |
|
Jan 1962 |
|
GB |
|
855,902 |
|
Feb 1940 |
|
FR |
|
188,260 |
|
Nov 1922 |
|
GB |
|
Primary Examiner: Pinkham; Richard C.
Assistant Examiner: Apley; Richard J.
Claims
I claim:
1. A method of stringing a game racket, having at least a frame,
shaft, handle and strings, which method includes the steps of:
inserting and tensioning the longitudinal strings, consisting of a
plurality of spaced apart parallel runs of said longitudinal
strings, within the frame, so that the longitudinal strings lie in
the same plane;
inserting and tensioning the latitudinal strings, including a
plurality of spaced apart parallel runs of said latitudinal
strings, within the frame on only one side of the plane formed by
the longitudinal strings, without interweaving the longitudinal and
latitudinal strings; and
bonding the longitudinal and the latitudinal strings together at
their cross over points, thereby consolidating the longitudinal and
latitudinal strings into a coacting net of strings.
2. In the method of claim 1 including, inserting and tensioning
additional latitudinal strings, including a plurality of spaced
apart parallel runs of said additional latitudinal strings, within
the frame on the side opposite said one side of the plane formed by
the longitudinal strings, without interweaving the longitudinal and
said additional latitudinal strings; and bonding the longitudinal
and said additional latitudinal strings together at their cross
over points, thereby consolidating the longitudinal and said
additional latitudinal strings into a coacting net of strings.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
Class 273, Amusement Devices, Games; Subclass 73, Tennis.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Rackets, such as tennis rackets, because of their oval, bow or
round shaped frame, have been strung in such a fashion that the
strings on the sides are considerably shorter (an average of 3 to 5
inches shorter) than those parallel strings strung through the
center of the frame. This aggravates the "dead" area around the
perimeter of the racket frame so that only when consistently
hitting the ball in the very center of the racket frame can a
lively uniform reactance to the ball be achieved. Balls struck off
center where the strings become shorter and shorter do not receive
the same reactance as the balls do struck in the center and an
erratic performance is obtained. This becomes more pronounced as
the distance from the center increases. That variation in
reactance, which is due to the differences in the length of the
strings, has now been resolved by the applicant's invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A racket, such as a tennis racket etc., is provided whose frame is
of such a configuration (preferably convexed square or convexed
rectangular) that the variation in length of the longitudinal
strings and the variation in length of the latitudinal strings is
minimized.
A serrated annular member mounted on the frame of a racket, such as
a tennis racket etc., the serrations of such a length that they
compensate for the configuration of the racket frame so that the
variation in length of the longitudinal strings and the variation
in length of the latitudinal strings is minimized.
A method of stringing a racket, such as a tennis racket etc.,
without interweaving the strings; a method of fastening the strings
together at their crossover points by welding or bonding by
adhesive. Thus, this invention provides a faster and more efficient
method of stringing rackets than the currently time-consuming
method of interweaving the strings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a front view of a convexed rectangular racket frame.
FIG. 2 is a front view of a convexed square racket frame.
FIG. 3 is a front view of a convexed square racket frame provided
with an annular member having differential serrations.
FIG. 4 is a front view of an oval or bow shaped racket frame
provided with an annular member having differential serrations.
FIG. 5 is a top view of a "1 on 0" stringing pattern.
FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of a "1 on 1" stringing
pattern.
FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of a "2 on 1" stringing
pattern.
FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of a "2 on 2" stringing
pattern.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The sides 1, 1', 2, 2' of the convexed rectangular racket frame
shown in FIG. 1 are curved outwardly in the form of an arch. Said
sides could also be linear, however, convexed sides are more
structurally stable, esthetically pleasing and the variation in
length of the longitudinal strings and the variation in length of
the latitudinal strings is so minimized as to be negligible. As the
ratio of the sides 1, 1' to sides 2, 2' approach equality the
longitudinal and latitudinal strings also approach equality until
equality is achieved with a convexed square frame as shown in FIG.
2. The sides 3, 3', 4, 4' of FIG. 2 are curved outwardly in the
form of an arch but could also be linear. Both the convexed square
and the convexed rectangular racket frame shapes achieve a much
larger area in the center of the racket where a uniform reactance
by the strings is imparted to the ball than is found in
conventional oval, bow or round frame shaped rackets. However,
oval, bow, round or any other frame shaped rackets can be modified
so as to be strung with all the strings of an equal or nearly equal
length. FIG. 4 shows such a design. A series of projections
consisting of a serrated annular member (these projections could
take other forms such as hooks or springs) are mounted generally
parallel to the inner periphery of the racket frame 6 as described
in U.S. Pat. No. 3,078,098. The improvement, however, lies in the
fact that the serrations 7 are of different length (not just
spacing) so as to permit all the longitudinal strings to be equal
or nearly equal in length and all the latitudinal strings to be
equal or nearly equal in length. If desired, the serrations can be
lengthened and/or shortened so that the rectangular string pattern
approaches or equals a square pattern as shown in FIG. 3.
Serrations of different length so that all longitudinal and/or
latitudinal strings are of an equal or nearly equal length can be
applied equally as well to a racket frame of any cross sectional
configuration whether it be oval, round, bow, rectangular, convexed
square, convexed rectangular or some other shape.
An additional improvement inherent in the designs shown in FIGS. 1,
2, 3, and 4 is that there are no areas in the frame in which both
longitudinal and latitudinal strings must enter the same stringing
hole or serration as is now the case in conventional rackets. The
racket is now easier to string and the stresses exerted by the
strings on the racket frame are more evenly distributed.
FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate an improved method of stringing a racket
frame that does not require interweaving of the strings. The
longitudinal strings 8 are inserted in the frame and the
latitudinal strings 9 are inserted in the frame without
interweaving them. This particular stringing pattern will be
referred to as a "1 on 0" stringing pattern where all the
longitudinal strings 8 lie in one plane and all the latitudinal
strings 9 lie in another plane.
FIG. 7 illustrates an alternate "1 on 1" stringing pattern. The
longitudinal strings 10 lie in one plane and the runs of the
latitudinal strings 11 traverse alternately the top and bottom
sides of the plane of the longitudinal strings. This produces, in
practice, a more stable stringing pattern than the "1 on 0"
stringing pattern shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.
FIG. 8 shows an alternate "2 on 1" stringing pattern which provides
a different purchase on the ball than the "1 on 1" or "1 on 0"
stringing pattern. This purchase can also be varied depending which
side of the racket is used to strike the ball. The longitudinal
strings 12 lie in one plane and the latitudinal strings 13 in runs
of two and in runs of one traverse alternately the top and bottom
sides of the plane of the longitudinal strings.
FIG. 9 illustrates a "2 on 2" stringing pattern also providing a
slightly different purchase on the ball. The longitudinal strings
14 lie in one plane and the latitudinal strings 15 traverse
alternately in runs of two the top and bottom sides of the plane of
the longitudinal strings.
Tennis players especially may find the different purchases on the
ball provided by the alternate stringing patterns mentioned above
very advantageous in ball control and exerting spin on the ball.
Other stringing patterns that do not require interweaving of the
strings could also be used, such as, a "3 on 1," " 3 on 2," " 3 on
3" or some other combination.
These improved methods of stringing would be just as effective
using any number of strings, from a plurality of longitudinal
strings and a plurality of latitudinal strings to one longitudinal
and one latitudinal string of sufficient length to provide a
plurality of runs within the racket frame.
The strings in any one of the stringing patterns mentioned above
can be tensioned in the conventional manner by hand or by stringing
machines or a quick and simple method of tensioning the strings can
now be used. Both the longitudinal strings and the latitudinal
strings are tensioned by working the slack to the outside sides of
the frame. In order to get the proper tension it is necessary to do
this in several steps, each time getting the strings progressively
tighter. By working alternately in tightening the longitudinal and
latitudinal strings the tension is applied to the frame in all
directions at the same time and the frame is not pulled out of
shape as so often happens when the longitudinal strings are put in
and fully tensioned and then the latitudinal strings are put in and
fully tensioned.
The net thus formed in any one of the stringing patterns mentioned
above are than consolidated into a unified structure by fastening,
welding or bonding the longitudinal strings to the latitudinal
strings at each point that the longitudinal strings cross the
latitudinal strings.
* * * * *