Handle For A Racket

Abstract

A racket having a frame with a handle extension and a shank secured on the handle extension. A one-piece handle fits on the shank, and the handle forms a tube open at both ends and provided on its inner side with ribs extending the longitudinal length of the handle. The handle is provided at its end nearest the frame with two lugs engaging the shank on opposite sides. The shank is provided between the lugs with an opening which runs transverse to the shank, and a plug extends through this opening. A screw is threadedly engaged in each lug at each end of the plug. The screws secure the handle to the shank. The end of the handle farthest from the frame projects inwardly and a bottom plate closes the handle at this farthest end and helps this end to hold its form.

Description

The invention relates to a racket which comprises a frame and a shank which connects to the frame and which is provided with a handle or grip.

By the known rackets of this kind, which are used for playing various games and sports, among others tennis and badminton, the grip is formed by a thickening of the shank itself which is nearly always made of wood. This thickening is then also provided with a hand gripping covering such as leather. The grip is thus integral with the remainder of the racket. The construction of such known rackets is thereby relatively complicated and consequently such rackets are relatively expensive. Moreover, the grip of each racket has specific dimensions and a specific weight, with the result that the racket salesman has to have many rackets in stock which differ only by the size and/or the weight of the grip thereof. Moreover, the grips, even if they belong to rackets of one and the same size, are not always identical. Should a player who already owns a racket wish to have a racket with a grip having another size or another weight, or if his racket grip has been damaged, he will have either to buy another racket or to have his racket grip altered by a complex and costly operation. Should the hand gripping covering only be damaged, said handgripping covering may be replaced which, however, requires much work.

The invention has for its object to obviate said drawbacks and to provide a racket the construction of which is simple and inexpensive and which allows simply and rapidly to obtain a new size or another weight for the racket grip or to provide said racket with a new grip handgripping covering.

For this purpose the grip is removably attached to the shank.

In a particular embodiment, the grip is comprised of a sheath or tube which is slipped over the shank and which is removably attached to said shank.

Said tube is preferably provided on the inner side of the sidewalls thereof with ribs.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the grip is removably attached to the shank by means of at least one screw.

The shank is preferably provided with an opening in which a plug of a material which is at least somewhat resilient, is wedged, whereby the screw is screwed into said plug.

With said latter embodiment, it is possible to screw in and out repeatedly the screws to remove the grip without any danger of said screws becoming loose in the shank. Indeed, should the screw become impossible to tighten in the plug, it is only necessary to replace said plug.

Other details and features of the invention will stand out from the description given below by way of nonlimitative example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a racket according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a section along line II--II of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a section along line III--III of FIG. 1.

In the various figures, the same reference numerals pertain to similar elements.

The racket according to the invention comprises a frame 1 in which the strings 2 are stretched. The frame 1 connects to a shank 3 with a rectangular cross section. The frame 1 and the shank 3 are made of laminated wood. To the end of the shank 3 is removably attached a grip or handle 4, 5.

Said grip is a tube or sheath which forms an eight-sided prism with sidewalls 4 and a bottom 5. On the inner side of those sidewalls of the tube which lie opposite the larger sides of the shank 3, that is, on the inner side of those sidewalls 4 which are in parallel relationship with the plane in which the frame 1 extends, are provided two ribs 6 which run over nearly the whole length of the tube and which come with the lower end thereof substantially against the above-mentioned side of the shank 3. The width of said ribs 6 is about 5 mm. On the inner side of those sidewalls 4 of the tube which face the smaller side of the shank 3 is also provided a rib 7. The ribs 7 also run over substantially the whole length of the tube and they nearly lie against the shank 3. The width of said ribs 7 is about 1 mm. At the one end of the tube the sidewalls 4 spread out somewhat from one another. By this end the bottom 5 is wedged between the ends of the ribs 6 and 7 on the one hand and the slightly inwardly projecting outer edges of the sidewalls 4, on the other end. The sidewalls 4 comprise a plastic unit. The bottom 5 is also made of plastic. At the other end of the tube, to each one of those two sidewalls 4 which face the larger sides of the shank 3 connects a lug 8 in which both ribs 6 on said sidewalls 4 end.

The handle or grip 4, 5 is attached to the shank 3 with two screws 9 which go through each one of the opposite lugs 8 and which are screwed in the shank 3. Said shank 3 is provided for this purpose with an opening which opens in the larger sides thereof, opposite the openings in lugs 8 when the grip is completely slipped over the shank 3. Inside the shank opening is wedged a plastic plug 10. The screws 9 are then screwed in said plug 10. In this way, there is no danger of the screws 9 becoming loose in the shank 3 after repeatedly screwing and unscrewing said screws 9. Should the screws 9 no longer find a hold in the plug 10, it is only necessary to replace said plug 10.

The sidewalls 4 of the grip are further lined over the whole length thereof with an helically wound strip of leather 11, the ends of which are attached to said sidewalls 4.

In the above-described racket, it is thus possible in a simple and fast way to separate the grip 4, 5 from the shank 3 by unscrewing the screws 9. The assembly of the racket is thus also much easier and less costly. As the grips may be manufactured separately, one may obtain for some particular racket size, a grip which has always the same size and the same weight. The dealer instead of having to stock a series of rackets with the same size but with different grips, may now simply have one racket of said size and various grips therefor. When the handgripping covering strip 11 is damaged or broken, it is also possible to replace the complete grip instead of fitting another strip 11. Should someone want a grip with another weight or another size, the racket grip may very rapidly be replaced by another one. Inside the grip there may of course also be arranged small weights to influence the balance and the weight of the racket.

It must be understood that the invention is in no way limited to the above embodiments and that many changes may be brought therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

For instance the grip does not necessarily have to be made of plastic. The grip need not necessarily have a handgripping covering. The tube surface could be so manufactured that it appears and feels like a leather handgripping covering.

The grip does not necessarily have to be attached to the racket grip as described above. Said grip may also, for instance, be attached with a screw that goes through the tube bottom.

Claims

I claim:

1. A racket comprising:

a frame with a handle extension;

a shank secured to said handle extension;

an elongated one-piece handle member fitted on said shank;

said handle member forming a tube open at both ends and being provided on its inner side with a plurality of ribs continuously extending along the longitudinal length of said handle member, touching the sides of the shank, and thus spacing the inner side of said handle from said shank;

said handle member being also provided at its end nearest to said frame with two lugs engaging at opposite sides said shank;

said shank being provided between said lugs with an opening which runs crosswise through said shank;

a plug extending through said opening;

a screw being screwed through each lug in each end of said plug;

said screw securing said handle member to said shank; and the end of said handle member farthest from the frame having an outwardly flared opening and inwardly projecting portions at its extreme outer end, a bottom plate closing said handle member at said end and helping this end to hold its form, being wedged between said inwardly projecting portions and the end of said ribs.

2. A racket characterized in accordance with claim 1, wherein said one-piece handle member comprises a sheath which is slipped over said shank and which is removably attached to said shank.

3. A racket characterized in accordance with claim 1, wherein the sidewalls of said tube comprise an integral unit; and said tube has an eight-sided cross section at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said tube.