IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF UMBRELLAS, SUNSHADES, AND PARASOLS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Martin, of Stoke Newington Road, in the
County of Middlesex, Umbrella Maker, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF UMBRELLAS, SUNSHADES, AND
PARASOLS."
Sealed the 31st March 1876, and dated the 18th November 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Martin at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
: 18th November 1875.
I, JOHN MARTIN, of Stoke Newington Road, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, Umbrella Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF UMBRELLAS, SUN-
SHADES, AND PARASOLS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to simplify the construction of
umbrellas and similar articles, and without any addition of parts to the
frame to ensure its being maintained in an open or expanded position
without the use of a stop.spring.

page_text: •
Hitherto it has been common to groove the stick of the umbrella, and
to fit in such grooves spring stops, which by taking into a slot in the
runner will retain the umbrella in an open or a closed position, as
desired. Attempts have also been made to render unnecessary these
stop springs, but the means employed has materially enhanced the cost
of the frame.
I now propose to remove all tendency for the umbrella when open to
the full to close without the addition of any new parts. This I effect by
so proportioning the stretchers with respect to the ribs that they will
permit of their runner joints being pushed by the upward movement of
the runner past the plane of their rib joints, and thereby act as struts,
the elastic pressure upon which will tend to retain them in the position
to which they have been advanced. These stretchers, which may be
used with any construction of frame, will be respectively jointed to the
ribs and runners in the ordinary manner, but their proportionate length
will be reduced so as to allow the runners to carry their fulcrum or
inner joints higher up the stick than heretofore. This simple alteration
in the stretchers will enable them to perform a double duty, viz., that of
expanding the umbrella and locking it in its open position.
11
LI
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Martin in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 17th May 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
MARTIN, of Stoke Newington Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Umbrella Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Martin, Her
special licence, that I, the said John Martin, my executors, admini-

page_text: "'
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Martin, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 THE MANUFACTURE OF UMBRELLAS, SUNSHADES, AND PARASOLS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Martin, 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.
Q
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Martin, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say):
The object of this Invention is to simplify the construction of
umbrellas and similar articles, and to insure the frame being maintained
in an open or expanded position without the use of the ordinary top
spring or of any other spring, and without the addition of parts to the
frame.
Hitherto it has been common to groove the stick of the umbrella, and
to fit into such grooves springs which serve to retain the umbrella in an
open or a closed position as desired. Attempts have also been made to
render unnecessary these springs, but the means employed has materially
enhanced the cost of the frame. In order to remove all tendency for
the umbrella, when fully open, to close (in the absence of the supporting
top spring) I so proportion the stretchers with respect to the ribs that
they will permit of their runner joints being pushed by the upward.
movement of the runner past the plane of their rib joints, and thereby
act as struts, the elastic pressure upon which produced by the strained
covering of the open umbrella or parasol will tend to retain them in the
position. to which they have been advanced. These stretchers, which

page_text: 'may be used with any construction of frame, will be respectively jointed
to the ribs and runners in the ordinary manner, but their proportionate
length will be reduced so as to allow the runner to carry their fulcrum
or runner joints higher up the stick than heretofore. This simple
alteration in the stretchers will enable them to perform a double duty,
viz., that of expanding the umbrella or parasol, and locking it in its
open position.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 shews the Invention applied to
the open frame of an umbrella, four ribs only with their stretchers being
represented for the purpose of simplifying the Figure.
Fig. 2 shews on an enlarged scale a rib and stretcher (arranged after
the manner of this Invention) detached from the frame; and Fig. 3
shews a rib and stretcher constructed after the ordinary pattern.
A, A, Fig. 1, are the ribs of the umbrella connected, as usual, to the.
top notch; B and C are the stretchers jointed at their outer extremities
to their respective ribs, and at their inner ends to the runner D. These
stretchers I prefer to make of somewhat stouter material than usual.
An extended traverse is given to the runner D to allow of its approaching
near enough to the top notch to bring the stretchers into the drawn
position of Fig. 1.
The duty of maintaining the umbrella open is performed by the
stretchers C, assisted by the elastic pressure put by the silk or other
elastic covering E on the ribs A. The limit of expansion of the frame
of the umbrella is, as is well known, in great part determined by the
covering, which however yields to the outward thrust of the stretchers,
but only within due limits.
It is to provide against the undue straining of the silk or other
covering that I reduce the proportionate length of the stretchers of my
improved umbrella, as shewn at Fig. 2, that is, I make them somewhat
shorter than the length between the stretcher joint of the rib and the
top notch joint. This enables me to drive the runner so near to the
top notch that the stretchers, instead of taking the ordinary inclination
indicated by the dotted lines a, a, Fig. 1, will pass beyond the plane
indicated by the red line b, b, and take an inclination downwards from
the runner. The elastic pressure of the covering will thus serve to hold
the runner against the stop pin f of the stick F.

page_text: For closing the umbrella a chain or cord G may be used, connecting
the runner with a collar attached to the stick near the handle, or the
runner may be drawn down by hand, as heretofore, without the aid of
the chain. This chain or cord may be convenient, when applied to
ladies' umbrellas and parasols, for connecting the same to a chatelaine,
or for binding round the ends of the ribs to keep the frame closed, or
for securing the umbrella in its closed position.
The ordinary cap for embracing the tips may be used, or any approved
equivalent contrivance.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention, of " Improvements
in the Manufacture of Umbrellas, Sunshades, and Parasols," and
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be
understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,
the means above described for maintaining umbrellas, sunshades, and
parasols in an open or expanded position.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Martin, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.