Patent GB-608843-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to umbrellas and sunshades
IPC: A45B25/18
Filed: 1945-10-06
Abstract: 608,843. Umbrellas; eyelets. CATHCART, S. D., and KENDALL & SONS. Ltd. Oct. 6, 1945, Nos. 29819/46, (divided out of 608,764) and 29203/46. [Classes 43 and 134] The central aperture in an umbrella cover for receiving the stick is formed by an eyelet in two parts gripping the cover between them. As shown in Figs. 1, 2. and 4 the eyelet comprises one part 7 having a conical tubular projection 6, a rim 8 and a rolled or beaded flange 10 and another part 11 having a central aperture 9 and a rolled or beaded flange 12 formed with teeth 13. In a modification the teeth 13 project from the part 7. The umbrella cover 1, Fig. 3, is made of triangular gores 2 seamed together at 3 to a position 4 short of the apex ends of the gores leaving portions 5 which may be cut off but are preferably turned back. The two parts of the eyelet are forced together with the cover between them by the clenching tools 14 and 15, the tool 14 having an annular groove 16 to receive the part 7 and the tool 15 having grooves 18 for beading outwards the top of the tubular projection 6. Apparatus for performing this operation is shown in Fig. 7 wherein the cover 1 is stretched over a former 40, being held at its periphery by bushed eyelets 41 engaging pins 42, the tool 14 is housed in the former 40 and the tool 15 is located by tool guides 43 in a frame carrying the former. The eyelet parts are made of metal of sufficient ductility and lack of springiness such as aluminium or aluminium alloy which may be anodised with a wide variation of colours. Alternatively the eyelet parts may be made of or covered or coated with suitably coloured plastic materials. The eyelets 41 may subsequently serve to connect the cover to the ends of the ribs as set out in Specification 608,764. The umbrella stick 20, Fig. 5, has a reduced shank 21 over which is passed and pinned at 22 a notch 23 to which the ribs 24 of the frame are held by a wire 25 threaded through holes 26 in the in the ribs and twisted at the ends. A flexible cap 26a, e.g. of fabric, is arranged between the inside of the cover and the corresponding part of the eyelet and a cap may be arranged between the eyelet and the flange 50 of the notch. The cover may be protected from the eyelets by reinforcing patches of fabric which may have a plastic coating, e.g. of latex or material known under the Registered Trade Mark " Bostick." A peg-end or open cap 27 of wood or a plastic may be screw-threaded to engage with the shank 21 or as shown in Fig. 5 may be a friction fit over the shank and secured to the eyelet at 28 by an adhesive. The inner wall of the peg-end may be left or made rough or may be grooved annularly or otherwise formed to provide adhesive retaining cavities and/or the projecting end of the shank may be similarly formed or provided with saw-cuts 37. In the construction shown in Fig. 6 a peg-end 30 comprises a tapering wooden shank 31 with a metal ferrule 32 at one end and a thin flared open cap 33 at the other end, the open cap 33 being threaded down over the thin end of the shank and made a friction fit with the thick end of the shank which is socketed at 35 to receive the end of the umbrella stick to bring the end of the cap 33 on to the surface of the eyelet. The peg-end may be radially flanged screw clamp over an externally screw-threaded tubular extension of the notch forming a radial flange of such extension in order to grip the eyelet between the notch and the flanged screw. Materials such as plastics may have the screw thread formed therein but materials such as woods may need a liner. The eyelet may be clamped by an intermediate screwthreaded open-end sleeve surmounted by an open finishing-off cap or the finishing- off cap may serve both purposes.