When were stringing machines introduced and what important developments took place through the years?
A good way to learn about the history of stringing machines is by looking at US patents. One of the first patents for a complete racquet stringing machine was awarded in 1932 to Jaffe. This tennis stringing machine consisted of a turntable, a crank and, in the lower section of the machine, a weighted scale. Tension in this stringer was applied by turning the crank until balance was reached with the weight. Other designs for tennis stringing machines soon followed. A patent awarded in 1933 (Tauber et al.) shows a large cradle for securing the tennis racquet at the grip, and on the two sides of the head. This stringer had two tensioners operated by levers, one on each side of the racquet, a feature that was necessary because the racquet did not rotate on a turntable. A patent published in 1936 (Rolston et al.) is interesting because it shows an awl inserted in one of the string holes to hold the string under tension. None of the patents of that era show a string clamp. By 1940 a patent a
