IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1839

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ELISHA
HALE, of the United States of America, and now residing at No. 137,
Leadenhall Street, in the City of London, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the second year of Her
reign, did, för Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Elisha Hale, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege, and
authority that I, the said Elisha Hale, my exors, adññors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Elisha Hale, my exors, adññiors, or assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, my Invention "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS;" in
which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said Elisha
Hale, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said Invention;
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be enrolled in Her said
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and;
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and
by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Elisha Hale, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and aseer-

page_text: tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon
(that is to say):
This Invention consists in constructing an umbrella and parasol in a new
way, which when slid together in its contracted form and size, will not occupy
more than about one-half its extended length, making it a convenient portable
article.
To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my Invention, I will
proceed to describe its construction and operation. I construct my umbrella
and parasol by making the staff in two pieces of wood or metal of nearly
equal length, and so formed that one part slides into the other a little distance
to support it when extended (as shewn at 1), and quite into it to pack it up (as
shewn at 2). If the staff is made of metal it is formed of two tubes of suitable
size, and nigh the inner end of that part of the one sliding into the other is
affixed a spring and catch (3), also a small stopper on it (6), matching into
one of the same form in the end of the cavity of the outer part of the staff
(marked 4), both formed with points on them like saw teeth (shown at 6), to
prevent the staff (19) from turning, and the spring (3) will always take its
place when the staff (19) is drawn out, and the stopper (6) matches together.
To take the inner part of the staff out of the main tube (4) (forming the upper
and outer part of the staff); the screw (18) must be taken out and the head
off, and the cap thimble (5) off too, and draw it out at the head of tube (4),
as the spring (3) will not pass through the stopper (6); thimble (15) has a
range through the length of it swedg'd up (as at 20) to let the springs 16 and
17 pass through it as they are pressed down, and the thimble (15) moved up
or down on the tube (4). The upper end of this thimble (15) at 21, is made
a little bell-mouthed, so that it may pass freely up over the lower end of tube
4 when spreading the umbrella, &c. On clasp (8) is formed a small loop (as
at 22), to which the covering of the umbrella, &c. is attached to keep it firmly
to its place. The spreaders forming the frame for the covering of the
umbrella and parasol (as shown at 7), are made in two pieces of metal or
other material of any convenient size or shape, and attached by a clasp or
band on one end of each piece of them (at 8), and stopped in their extended
position by a spring and catch (9). To shorten them for packing the umbrella,
&c., the springs and catches (9) will be pressed down, and the outer end of the
spreaders and part of clasp (8) on each will be slid on the other part of the
spreaders up to the head piece (12). The stretchers used to spread the
umbrella and parasol (shown at (13) are made longer than those used in the
common kind, and both ends will be made flat, and one end pin-jointed to

page_text: clasp (8) on the spreaders (at 10), and the other into the thimble (15) on
the staff (at 11). The head piece 12 for the spreaders to enter on the upper
end of the staff is made larger in diameter than the usual kind, and so formed
that the spreaders are pin-jointed to it (at 14). To shorten the umbrella and
parasol and contract the length for packing them up, the staff will be slid one
part into the other about half its extended length, so that the part on which
the head or handle is formed, is all, except the head, fully enclosed in the
other part (as shewn at 2), and that end of the stretchers attached to the
thimble (15) are with it, slid up quite to the head piece (12), and the spreaders
are also slid one on the other up to the same head piece (12) to shorten them
as aforesaid for packing. To open and extend the umbrella and parasol for
use in accordance with the plan set forth in the Drawing, (first draw out the
staff to full length; next, draw down the thimble to which the stretchers are
attached about halfway on the staff; then pull out the spreaders at full length
and the springs (9) will keep them extended; next, slide up the thimble
(15) against spring 16, and spring 17 will keep it to its place, and the
spreaders extended for use; and while the staff and spreaders are kept at full
length, and the umbrella, &c. in regular use, the stretchers will be moved up to
spread them, and down to close them, as in the old usual way, and the
thimble (15) will only be slid up to the head-piece (12) to pack up.
But by
using a long thimble on the staff in place of No. 15, in length equal to tube 4,
below the head-piece 12, to attach the stretchers to, and omitting springs 16
and 17 and adding one on the long thimble, about one-third the length of it
up from the bottom. A reverse operation from the one above named is
performed by pulling the thimble and stretchers down to spread the umbrella,
&c., and sliding them up to close it, both when in use and to pack. When the
thimble is drawn down to spread the umbrella and parasol, the spring on it
will catch into a hole made in the tube 4, and keep it spread for use. The
strechers, by using either the short or long thimble, will stand at right angles
with the staff when the umbrella is spread, so that the thimble to which they
are attached may be moved either up or down on the staff. The covering of
the umbrella and parasol will be put on the spreaders in the usual way, but
more firmly attached on the centre of the spreaders to loop (22) on the outer
end of the inner pieces; and when the outer pieces of them are slid in, the
covering will be folded over and wrapt closely together to put the article into
a suitable case for conveyance. The Specification so far is designed to be
made in accordance with the Drawings, but the combination of parts requisite
for umbrellas of various sizes, and parasols too, renders it necessary that I add
these variations to suit the different articles to be manufactured in accordanco

page_text: with my Invention, videlicet, for unbrellas of a very large size to be packed
up short, the staff and spreaders too should be made in three pieces, and the
-stretchers in two pieces, and united (like the spreaders) by clasps, having
springs with catches on them, and slide one on the other to shorten them to
pack away. The staff of a parasol being longer in proportion to the spreaders
than that of an umbrella; may be made in three pieces and the lower parts
slide into the upper one, and the spreaders made in two pieces (as. at first
specified) to pack up in the shortest convenient space.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
.constructing and combining the parts, I would remark that I wish it expressly
"understood that I make no claim to any of the parts of umbrellas or parasols
in the same form and manner of application in which they have before been
used; what I claim as my Invention, is the mode of constructing umbrellas and
parasols by the combined using of staff's (or sticks) and spreaders, having
slides and catches, whereby the umbrella or parasol may be greatly reduced in
length; and in combination with the other parts, I claim the making the
stretchers in two pieces, and using clasps and catches on them, as herein-before
described..
In witness whereof, I, the said Elisha Hale, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine