Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-07-08
UluDrCi n,

very loIg kaaH4c. They were not
ust,! fer ~alkin gnd consequently,
lEsteG.. uf t..r icrrulo, had Il ring ut the
top Iy Uisict t:.,y NcGa LurG Up. The
sttctchcTs were 81 canG. and the ribs CT
cane or WidlcboUc, Instead Of the
present top notch and runner, both ribs
aD;! stretciols were simply gtrung on a
ring II wire. and the inequality of the
friction, and the weakness of such an
arrangement caused the umbrella to be
always getting out Of order. The ribs
and stretchcrs were jointed together
very roughly. by Il pin passing through
the rib, on which tho forkcd end OF the
streicner hinged.
The first improYemeE. in this respect
was by CAney. an Englishmau, in 1929,
who invented top-notch and runner
in which each rib or stretcher has :
separate hinge. The top-notch WAS
made OF a nOtchei wheel or disc, into
each Slot OF which an axia fixed On the
top Of the stretchers worked. The
runner WAS made on similar principle.
AZ tie iUnt OF tic rib where the
stlotcher joined it, CArey fixed a middle
bit, consisting Of small fork, IN which
the END Of tao strctcher was hinged.
This construction waa much stronger,
aud tie foEked end CT tho stretcheys
We're taus prevented from wearing out
the cover, is before. With moditica-
tions, more or less Important, this con
struction Is the same as that nOW in
general uso.
Tie oiled silk of the first umbrella
soon gave way TO ging first Of vari-
Gus coiols. then generally brown. The
expense Oh lute-strinS and silk prevent
cd their being generally used.
In 1871. Messgs. Sangstcr introduced
i,'to the English market n now fabric
,a!lod alpaca, made from the wool of
the Peruvian and ChiIian sheep. This
woro better than silk, being OF coarsor
thread, and looked better than old cot
ton or gingham. which ii almost entire
superseded. The cheapness of silk
somewhat iessenod the demand for
alpaca.
In 1892, Fox's paragon frames
were introduced. The great weight Of
the umbrella furniture had long been n
stumbling block to manufacturers. i
Swiss watch-spring maker. Lamed
SaDguinedo had discovered Il secret of
tcmpering steel, which gave 1t great
strength, and he had made some very
light umbrellas. but they were immense-
~ dear. On his death the secret died
with him, and Fox went to work to find
q method which should combine
strength and lightness. After many
trials, il which he made his ribs and
stretehers T-shapcd, tubular, and other
forms, he WAS led by'th construction
OF Menai Bridge, to adopt tho trough
like shape in which tho paragon ribs
are made. THIS WAS decidedly the most
important Improvement that had been
made in umbrella furniture since tho
employment of metal for ribs had been
introduced by Holland IN 1910, to
supersede tho whalebope or cane of the
older umbrellas. Inc iightnoss OF the
frame naturally permitted lighter ma
terial to be used for the cover.
AS far AS regards tho improvements
in other parts of the umbrella they
consist merely in simplifying either
their shape, or the manner Of their coa-
struction. The tips are low made i'll one
piece with the nib, instead OF being
made OF bone, llpanned metal, or other
material, and then fastened ol. The
long runners have given way to short
ones, and the ferruies are also much
shorter than formerly. The older
sticks were like those used now for wag-
on umbrellas. straight, with knob ut
the end. Brass Tubes were once used,
and little later on, tubes Of japanned
iron. TO keep the. umbrella closed, the
old-fashioncd way was IL ring fastened
to string. y tapo and button super
seded this, and in its turn gave way to
elastic.