US2030029A - Inclosure for a number of indoor courts - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 4, 1936. v HADDEN ET AL 2,030,029

INCLOSURE FOR A NUMBER OF INDOOR COURTS Filed July 8, 1935 INVENTDFI 27 gm @MM BY CIAMZM A.

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ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 4, 1936 PATENT, oF icE (INGLOSURE FOR A NUMBER, or

. nmooa ooun'rs Gavin Hadden, New York, and Charles .A..Holden, New Rochelle, N. Y. said Holden ass'ignor to said Hadden Application July 8, 1933, Serial No. 679,524

4 Claims. (Cl. 2.0-1.12)

This invention relates to an linclosing structure providing space for the playing of court gamesindoors.

While the structure comprising our invention is adapted for use in connection with a variety of games such as indoor tennis, badminton, paddle tennis, etc., it will be described tor the purpose of this disclosure, in its application as an inclosure for a number of indoor tennis courts.

This invention is an improvement upon the structure disclosed in United :States Letters Patent No. 1,883,731, granted to Gavin Hadden and Charles A. I-Iolden October 1 8, 193.2,which relates to a new type of inclosure for an indoor tennis court-the so-cal1ed"trajectory typein which the roof is arched over 'the court a direction corresponding with the longer dimension of the court, the roof being opaque and all light being transmitted from the end of the structure which are parallel with the longer dimensions or the court. That structure is very satisfactory as an inclosure for a single court.

When a number of courts are desired, it of course, more economical to provide a single 'inclosing structure than a number of structures inclosing a similar number of courts. In a single inclosure, however, adequate daylight lighting cannot be attained from windows located in the ends of the building, and windows or skylights of the kind heretofore used are undesirable because of the glare caused thereby.

Our present invention aims to overcome this difiiculty-and-contains a number of improvements and advantages which are set forth and fully described in the following specification and the claims appended thereto.

The invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is an end view of our improved structure, the part in cross-section being taken on the line Il of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in cross-section; and

Fig. 3 is a. top plan view, partly in cross-section.

In the drawing, represents the horizontal surface or floor on the interior of the inclosing structure upon which a number of courts are laid out in parallel relation, the boundaries of the courts being indicated by the marking lines II. The usual nets I2 are provided along the transverse middle line of the courts.

The inclosing structure comprises the translucent end walls l3, which are parallel to the longer dimensions of the courts, and the roof I4,

which is curved .or' arched over the courts in a direction corresponding with the longer dimension of said courts and obtains its greatest height over the nets 'IZ whichmark the transverse middle line of the playing surface. 'The upper portions 5 of the end walls [3 are. constructed of glass panes supported in suitable frames 16.

According to our pnesentinvention, the-contour of the roof I4 is broken by a number of raised portions or monitors 11. The raised portions Ill 0 of the roof are more steeply .arched than the lower portions, being highest at the center and approaching the lower portions of the roof .at the sides of the floor, or at the low side walls .X, as shown in the embodiment of our invention 15 illustrated in the drawing. The may be supported by trusses .as illustrated, in the sides 18 of the raised portions, with top and bottom chords 'lBband 1.9a, and web members 20 and '21., which may be comparatively light steel members. 20 The vertical web members 2.0 serve also to supportsuitableirames2-2 for glasspanes .23., through which light .is admitted to the courts "below, the windows so formed being parallel with the side lines of the courts.

The .roof .14 is opaque, except for the (translucent sides 1.8 of the raised portions 11,, and the said raised portions are so spaced in relation. to the courts .below that light will .be transmitted to each court from beyond the side lines of .the court. .The transmission of light to the courts immediately beneath the windows in the .sides 18 is prevented by the overhangs :24. These overhangs permit light to be -.admitted to adjacent courts, but not .to the court directly below.

In order to insure the cutting on of all light which might otherwise be directed upon the court below, opaque screens .25 may be used, extending inwardly .at the bottom of the translucent sides l8, or outwardly at the top .of the translucent sides, either alone, or in conjunction with the overhangs 21..

Because .of the substantially .anched shape of the root, the 'windows'or light-admitting portion of the sides l8 will be nearer the floor at their ends than in the middle. This condition tends to make the ends of the courts lighter than they would if these windows were as far from the floor at their ends as at the middle, and, if these windows were of uniform width this condition would produce greater illumination at the ends of the courts than at the middle. For adequate daylight lighting, suflicient uniformity of illumination is of equal importance with sufiicient intensity of illumination, throughout the space used for play and any variations from uniform illumination must be such that the illumination near the net line shall not be less than the illumination further away from the net line. These conditions of illumination are obtained by properly varying the width of the windows from a maximum width at their center over'the net line, where the windows are farthest from the floor, to a minimum width at their ends, where they are nearest to the fioor.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the area of the light-admitting space in each side wall of the monitor or monitors is a function of its distance from the playing surface or floor. It may be expressed mathematically by the formula where a: is the width of the light-admitting space in the monitor at any given point on its lower edge measured radially thereto; a is the maximum width of the light-admitting space in the monitor, at the point on its lower edge which lies on the center line of the monitor, measured vertically; c is a factor whose value must lie between .19 and .33; and y is the height of the point at which a is measured vertically above the point at which a: is measured.

The limits of the constant e have been de termined by mathematical and graphical research. The results produced by the formula with the value of between the limits given above will produce the desired result, while, if c is given a value outside the limits set forth above, such results will not be obtained.

By applying this formula, the translucent or light-admitting portion of each side wall may be varied in such a way that the solid angle subtended by the translucent portion at any point in any line parallel to the monitor in the plane of play shall be approximately equal to the solid angle at any other point in the same line.

Since the inclosing structure described herein is opaque except for the translucent sides l8 of the raised portions l1, and the end walls l3, it will be seen that light is admitted to the courts from the sides of the courts through windows which are substantially parallel with the longer dimensions of the courts. By means of the construction described herein, adequate daylight lighting is provided for a number of courts without the necesity for windows or skylights admitting light directly in front of or above the players, and the size and expense of the enclosure is reduced to a minimum while providing ample headroom over the middle of each court where greatest height is required.

What we claim is:

1. An inclosure for a number of courts, comprising a roof arched in a direction corresponding with the longer dimension of each of said courts and having, at spaced intervals, raised portions provided with translucent side walls for admitting light to said courts only from the sides,

and means for cutting off light directed to said courts from points directly above said courts, the width of the said light-admitting areas being varied from the highest point to the lowest point in such a manner that in any plane parallel to the surface of said courts the illumination at all points in any line parallel to the said translucent side walls will be substantially uniform.

2. An indoor tennis court structure, comprising an oblong horizontal floor having a shape and dimensions corresponding to the playing surface for a. number of standard tennis courts arranged side by side, an opaque roof arching over said floor from one side of said playing surface to the other, and having its greatest height along the longitudinal middle line of said floor, said roof having at spaced intervals raised portions with translucent sides parallel with the ends of said floor, and translucent end walls connecting the end edges of the floor and roof so as to enclose the space necessary for the flight of the tennis balls with a minimum wall and roof surface, and to provide for lighting of the enclosed tennis courts without glare, the light-admitting areas of the sides of said raised portions being greatest at their greatest height above the said floor and decreasing on either side to the points of least height above the playing surface or floor in such a way that in any plane parallel to the said floor the illumination of all points in any line parallel to said light-admitting areas will be substantially uniform.

3. In a structure for inclosing a number of indoor tennis courts arranged side by side, the combination of a substantially arch-shaped roof having its greatest height over the transverse middle line of said courts and a crescent-shaped monitor having light-admitting side walls the translucent portion of which Varies in area in such a manner that the solid angle subtended by the translucent portion at any point in any line parallel to the monitor in the plane of play shall be approximately equal to the solid angle at any other point in the same line, and so that the solid angle subtended at any point shall not be less than the solid angle subtended at any other point in the same line further away from the net line.

4. In a structure for inclosing a number of indoor tennis courts having an opaque roof arching over the floor in a direction corresponding with the longer dimension of said courts, the method of securing uniformity of illumination along the flight of the ball in any plane of play parallel to the said floor which comprises interposing in said opaque roof a crescent-shaped monitor having light-admitting areas in its side walls and varying the area of said light-admitting areas so that the solid angle subtended by this area at any point in any line parallel to the monitor in the plane of play shall be approximately equal to the solid angle at any other point in the same line.

GAVIN HADDEN. CHARLES A. HOLDEN.

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