IMPROVE- MENTS IN UMBRELLAS, SUNSHADES, AND PARASOLS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Baker, of No. 17, Buckingham Villas,
Stratford, in the County of Essex, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN UMBRELLAS, SUNSHADES, AND PARASOLS."
Sealed the 5th September 1868, and dated the 2nd April 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Baker at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 2nd April 1868.
I, THOMAS BAKER, of No. 17, Buckingham Villas, Stratford, in the
County of Essex, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS, SUNSHADES, AND PARASOLS," to be as
follows:-
My improvements consist in the use of an additional stretcher to
each rib of the umbrella, sunshade, or parasol. This stretcher is of
a shorter length than the stretcher. now used. It is attached to the
rib at a point below the point of attachment of the ordinary stretcher
and in a similar manner, whilst the other end of my additional stretcher

page_text: is provided with or formed as a sliding piece working or sliding upon
the ordinary stretcher, so that the umbrella, sunshade, or parasol is
thereby prevented from turning inside out, and the strength of its
frame is more than doubled, whilst the weight is not materially
increased.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Baker in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th September 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BAKER, of No. 17, Buckingham Villas, Stratford, in the County of Essex, 1
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirtieth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Baker, Her special licence
that I, the said Thomas Baker, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Baker, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thercafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN UMBRELLAS, SUNSHADES, AND PARASOLS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Baker, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Baker, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-

page_text: My improvements consist in the application and use of an additional
stretcher to and with each rib of the umbrella, sunshade, or parasol.
This stretcher is of a shorter length than the original stretcher here-
tofore and also now with my Invention used. I attach or secure one
end of my additional to the rib in a similar manner to that
by which the original stretcher is secured, and by preference I so
secure my additional stretcher at a point below that to which the
original stretcher is secured. The other end of my additional stretcher
is so formed as to embrace and slide upon or is provided with a sliding
piece which embraces and slides upon the original stretcher.
In order that the said Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, may be distinctly described and
ascertained, I to this Specification append a Sheet of Drawings having
figures and letters of reference marked thereupon, the like letter being
used to denote a similar or corresponding part in each Figure. In
these Drawings Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an umbrella open;
Figure 2, a sectional clevation of an umbrella nearly closed, both views
showing my additional stretcher a with its point of attachment 6 to
the rib c, and its sliding part or piece d upon the original stretcher e. f
is the point of attachment of the ordinary stretcher e to the ribs c.
It will be obvious, that as the umbrella opens my additional stretcher
will leave the position as shown in Figure 2, and when fully opened
will assume the position as in Figure 1. In so doing the ribs will
be prevented from getting across each other, and thus prevent the
tearing of the material with which the frame is covered, and when
open will so strengthen the frame as to prevent the umbrella, sunshade,
or parasol from being turned inside out by the force of the wind.
If necessary I propose to provide stops (as shown at g).
The use of my Invention will more than double the strength of the
frames, whilst their weight and their cost will not be materially
increased.
Figures 3 and 4 show the sliding piece d. Figure 5 is a plan view
of my additional stretcher a. Figures 6 and 7 show a modification
of the sliding piece d.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is performed, I wish
it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the exact shape
of the sliding piece, neither do I confine myself to the exact shape

page_text: or section of my additional stretcher; but what I claim as of my Invention
is, the additional stretcher used in the manner shown or described, or
in any similar manner, for the purpose herein-before alluded to.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Baker, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
THOMAS BAKER. (L.S.)