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Simple Machines - Racket Stringer

This document discusses the tennis racquet stringer machine. It describes how tennis racquet strings break from excessive force and need to be replaced. Originally, racquets were strung using a simple lever to apply tension. However, a more accurate method is a drop-weight stringing machine. The machine works by mounting the racquet, looping the string through holes, attaching it to a drop-weight, and pivoting the weight to greatly increase string tension using mechanical advantage. The document explains how increasing the distance of the input force on the drop-weight results in a higher output tension force on the strings.

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681 views

Simple Machines - Racket Stringer

This document discusses the tennis racquet stringer machine. It describes how tennis racquet strings break from excessive force and need to be replaced. Originally, racquets were strung using a simple lever to apply tension. However, a more accurate method is a drop-weight stringing machine. The machine works by mounting the racquet, looping the string through holes, attaching it to a drop-weight, and pivoting the weight to greatly increase string tension using mechanical advantage. The document explains how increasing the distance of the input force on the drop-weight results in a higher output tension force on the strings.

Uploaded by

soadquake981
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Rishi Garg
Physics, 6th Period
Mr. McQueen
28 February 2008

Simple Machine & Energy Project

The machine that I have chosen to study is the tennis racquet stringer. This

machine is necessary because when a tennis player uses excessive force and spin on the

ball, the strings on the racquet eventually snap. The following picture shows a racquet

with a broken set of strings:

Clearly, this presents a problem for the player. He or she needs to replace the broken

strings with a new set in order to continue playing. This is when the tennis racquet

stringer becomes useful.

When the game of tennis was invented in the late 19th century, the first racquet
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stringers was simply a lever that was used to create tension in the strings. The following

image shows how this lever was used:

The lever is a very useful machine in its own right. The direction of the force that is

applied by the person at the handle of the lever is changed so that it pulls the string away

from the racquet. The concentration of the force is also increased so that there is a large

amount of force at the small area where the string is pulled. Although the lever method is

a very cost-effective way of stringing a tennis racquet, it is not very accurate or

consistent.

A much better way to string a racquet is to use a drop-weight stringing machine.

This type of stringing machine utilizes a system that is similar to a seesaw to pull the

tension tight on the strings. The following picture shows a drop-weight stringing

machine:
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There are three main parts in this machine. The first, denoted in the diagram by the

number “1”, is the component that holds the racquet in place. The second component,

denoted by the number “2”, is the drop-weight. More information about it will be given

in the next paragraph. The third component, denoted by the number “3”, is the set of

clamps that are used to hold the strings so that the tension is not lost during the stringing

process.

The drop-weight is the most essential part of the stringing machine. After the

racquet is mounted onto the machine, the string is looped through the first holes on the

racquet. The tension is then set on the drop-weight, and the string is attached to the end of

the weight. Finally, the weight is pivoted down so that it is almost parallel to the ground.

This motion greatly increases the tension in the string.

The formula for the input and output work of a machine is Frdr = Fede. According

to this formula, when the distance of the input force is increased, and the distance of the

output force is kept constant, the output force will increase. This applies to the drop-
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weight stringing machine because when adjusting the desired tension on the weight, one

must move the weight further out on the rod to increase the tension, and closer in to

reduce the tension. The following is a picture of the drop-weight stringing machine at

work:

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