The invention concerns a spirally wound band covering for the handles of sports equipment especially tennis racquets. The custom of covering the handles of sports equipment suc as tennis racquets, golf clubs, baseball bats and others i well known.

The general purpose of these coverings is to protect the handles from dirt and wear but, in particular, it enables the hand to maintain a better grip by absorbing perspira¬ tion; such coverings must also be easily renewable. To ensure the necessary adherance to the handle and easy r placement, said covering is composed of a spirally wound band. Said wound bands however lead to a number of drawbacks. If the turns of the winding do not overlap there will be spaces between them that interfere with the grip and make the whole appearance of the handle unsatisfactory. If the edges overlap, the added thickness at the point of overlapping creates surface irregularities that interfere with a proper hand grip.

The above invention avoids these drawbacks as will be explain According to the invention the thickness of the band at it longitudinal edges is less than that of the rest of the band, said reduced thickness continuing for the whole widt used for overlapping.

The purpose of this is to reduce appreciably, or eliminate the difference between thickness of the band itself and th where band edges overlap. Band thickness is less either at one edge or at both edges The band is made of plastic material, especially coagulate polyurethane, and is reinforced across its entire width by

cloth embedded in the band material during the manufactur¬ ing process .

The cloth is made of synthetic fabric.

The plastic material used is absorbent, permits transpi- ration and is sufficiently rough to allow the hand to ob¬ tain a firm grip.

The starting end of the band is made triangular by means of an oblique cut to allow for the initial space on the handle, when winding is begun, since said winding is done spirally.

When winding on the handle is completed the band is severed by a straight cut made perpendicular to the axis of the handle, and the end is fixed by adhesive tape over it. The uniform thickness of covering obtained by the present invention ensures optimum protection of the handle and max imum surface continuity without uneveness to irritate the hands, at the same time offering the best possible appear¬ ance, always an important feature in sports equipment. A good grip is likewise ensured by the moderate roughness of the material which also permits satisfactory transpira¬ tion.

Characteristics and purposes of the invention will become even clearer by a description of the following example of its execution illustrated by diagrammatic drawings. Fig.1: Plan view of the band subject of the invention.

Fig.2: Transversal section of the band subject of the inventio Fig.3: Enlarged view of the section in Figure 2. Fig. : Tennis racquet handle protected by the covering subject of the invention, plan view, with some parts graphically- enlarged .

Fig.5: The racquet in Fig.4 with covering completed.

The band 10 comprises the cloth I I inside the plastic ma¬ terial inserted practically halfway in relation to the thickness A of said band. At the edges 14 and 15, thickness Al is practically half the thickness A of the band.

Thickness of said edges is reduced by hot pressing. The width B of said thinner edges is not less than width of the overlapping section between said two edges when the band is applied, as ^ill be explained below. At the starting end of the band 10, Fig. 1 shows a trian¬ gular extremity 16 made by an oblique cut 17 to allow for the initial space since said band is wound spirally as see in Fig. 4 showing the handle 21 of a tennis racquet 20. As appears in Fig. 4, the band 10 is wound on the handle 2 of the racquet 20 starting from the bottom end 22 of the handle applying there the initial triangular end 16 and then winding the band on up the handle, in the direction shown by the arrow, so that the lower edge 14 of one turn overlaps the upper edge 15 of the preceding turn. At the final wind the turn 18 is severed by the oblique turn 19, in relation to the band, so that said cut lies perpendicular to the axis of the handle 21.

Having done this the band 10 is fixed on the handle 21 by the adhesive strip 22 with superimposition of the initial end 23 (Fig. 5).

As shown in Fig. 4, the thickness A2 ,corresponding to su¬ perimposition of the lower edge 14 of one turn onto the upper edge 14 of the previous turn, is substantially equa to thickness A of the central part of the band since thic ness AI of each of the two edges is practically half thic ness A of the central part of the band.