Oh, patents! Vibration damper for tennis rackets (5)

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Lacoste invented a small spool-looking device to dampen the vibrations produced by the strings of a tennis racket when a ball is hit. Lacoste noted that vibration frequency depends in part on the size and tension of the strings, and in general that tennis players dislike rackets that vibrate too much. Lacoste also noted that vibration frequency could be heard when the ball hits the strings, as sounds could be more or less, sharp or flat. 

The French patent, FR1398833A, titled Amortisseur de vibrations pour raquettes de tennis ou jeux analogues (Vibration damper for tennis rackets or similar games) was awarded to Jean René Lacoste on April 5th 1965. The invention comprises a small spool made of rubber, or similar elastomeric material, known for its vibration dampening properties. The spool is loosely positioned between upright and cross strings, close to the throat of the racket, so as to avoid disrupting the game. 

The scope of the invention extended to variations in the embodiment of the vibration damper. Indeed, to date, numerous ornamental variations of the vibration damper exist (as shown in the image below). Variations also exist in the ways in which the damper is attached to the racket strings. 

The patent Figures 1 and 2 are included below. The patent Figure 1 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the vibration damper, installed between  the cross strings 8 and 9 (also cross-sectioned), and the uprights 6 and 7  as shown in Figure 2. The Figure 2 is a sectional view of the damper according to II-II in Figure 1. Both Figures 1 and 2 show the spool damper 1 with a central opening 2, and flanges 4 and 3, connected to the hub 5.  

Below, the image of an assortment of marketed vibration dampers, displaying some of the ornamental variation, embodying this invention. The dampers are positioned everywhere on the racket for display purposes. Just one damper would be used for a game of tennis.

Reference

Lacoste

www.lacoste.com/us/

Oh, patents! Lacoste ball-throwing device (2)

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

To practice varying tennis strokes, without a professional trainer throwing strategically placed balls, Jean René Lacoste invented a ball-throwing device, which was commercially produced by the British Dunlop company. The device was designed to throw balls at selected intervals, speed, and trajectory. The preferred embodiment of the invention was semi-automatic with someone (even a child) cranking the spring-loaded ejection of tennis balls, previously fed into a tubular shoot. The YouTube video included below shows historical footage of Jean René Lacoste, demonstrating both the operation and use of his patented ball-throwing invention. 

The ball-throwing device was patented in a family of four patents, in France, the United States, Germany and the UK. The patents were all filed in 1927, and granted the following year, except the US patent, which was granted in 1930.

FR648809 - Lance-balles 

US1777976A  - Ball-throwing device 

GB291044A - An improved ball-throwing device

DE484221C - Vorrichtung zum Werfen von Baellen

The British abstract comprising a short description of the Figure 1 drawing is appended below, together with the patent Figure 1, showing a side view of the  Lacoste ball-throwing device. 

Projecting-apparatus.-A device for throwing tennis or like balls comprises a blade spring that is coiled round and projects from a continuously rotating shaft, is stressed by engagement with a stop and, upon release, strikes and projects a ball, that is supported at a distance from the top. A blade spring g is rotated in counterclockwise direction by a crank d, is flexed by contact with a stop h and, on slipping past the stop, strikes and projects the lowermost ball of a series of balls contained in a tubular supply shoot l. The stop h and shoot l are carried by a plate i pivoted to a stand a. The speed of delivery of the ball is varied by adjusting the position of the stop h, and the trajectory is varied by rotating the plate i relatively to the stand. [Abstract GB291044A]

Reference

Lacoste

https://www.lacoste.com/ 

Trademarked - The Lacoste Crocodile (1)

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

The famous French tennis player, Jean-René Lacoste (1904-1996), seven-times Grand Slam winner, first became known as “The Crocodile” in the American Press of the 1920s, due to the combination of tenacity and fierceness of his game. He was the best male tennis player of the late 1920s, on both sides of the Atlantic, once he beat Bill Tilden, the reigning American champion.

What is less known about Jean-René Lacoste is that he was also an inventor, who was granted more than 30 patents for inventions that truly changed the world of tennis and sports fashion. Indeed, before following his passion for playing tennis, and becoming a successful tennis player, Lacoste was a polytechnicien, an engineer with a dynamic drafting board, who got into Polytechnique, France’s most competitive and prestigious engineering school. Thus, all of Lacoste’s inventions were seriously technical.  Whether related to new light metal tennis rackets, ball-throwing practice machines, or the combination of technical comfort and elegance in sports fashionwear (on and off the courts), Lacoste’s inventions were both transformative and enduring.

Even the well-known Lacoste Crocodile logo, now found on all Lacoste fashionwear, was a significant game-changer, as it was one of the first visible logos found on clothing of the 1920s. A humorous appropriation of the nickname the press had given him, stitched directly onto the front left side of his jackets, making Jean-René Lacoste immediately recognizable, while also ushering in a brilliant marketing trend.

The Lacoste crocodile trademark is active as ever, posting 10-figure revenues for the Lacoste company that was originally founded in 1933. The below Lacoste crocodile trademark was registered on Aug. 15th 2006, at the USPTO Trademark Database, with the serial No. 78713877. The trademark is owned by Lacoste Alligator S.A. Corporation Switzerland. The claimed Lacoste crocodile mark is described as follows:

“The color(s) green, white and red is/are claimed as a feature of the mark. The mark consists of a stylized representation of an alligator or crocodile. The mark is green, with a red mouth and white dots and white eyes."

Reference

Lacoste 

https://www.lacoste.com/us/