IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Samuel Mignot, of 38, Squirries Street, Bethnal
Green Road, London, Silk Manufacturer, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS
IN UMBRELLAS."
Sealed the 11th June 1878, and dated the 13th December 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Samuel Mignot
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th December 1877.
JOHN SAMUEL MIGNOT, of 38, Squirries Street, Bethnal Green Road, London,
Silk Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS.”
Whereas the stretchers have generally been made to spring from a point when
the umbrella is open about four to six inches froin that at which the ribs are
attached to the stick, and by getting in the way of the user's hat oblige him to hold
the umbrella at a considerable distance above his head; and whereas sundry
improvements have recently been made by which among other things the stretchers
have been caused to spring from a point nearer the top of the umbrella, but
umbrellas constructed according to such improved methods have been expensive
and open to objections, such as (amongst others) that they are easily turned inside
out by a very slight gust of wind, or in the same manner caused to close on the
user's head; and also that in case of such an umbrella being broken it is difficult
on account of the peculiar construction of its parts to get it repaired without sending
it to the maker.
Now this Invention provides a means by which the stretchers are made to radiate
from a point nearer to the top, so as to admit of its being held low down over the
user's head, so as to afford the maximum shelter, without departing from the usual
construction of the various parts, so that should any part be broken it can be
replaced by any umbrella mender; and, further, umbrellas constructed according
to my Invention are not liable to collapse, or be closed by a gust of wind, and
are not more liable to be turned than those of ordinary construction.
My Invention consists,―
Firstly. In the use of certain proportions in the length of the stretchers and ribs,

page_text: its junction with the stretcher being longer in proportion to the length of the
stretcher than is usual The proportions I find most advantageous for a medium-
sized gentleman's umbrella are, from the top of the rib to the joint 10³/ in., from
the joint to the tip 144 in., length of stretcher 10'/, in.
Secondly. In the peculiar shape of the pieces of silk with which the umbrella is
covered (partly dependent on the before-nained peculiar proportions of the frame)
by which an improved contour is obtained, and a saving in the quantity of silk used
is effected, for with a silk of a given width I am able to produce an umbrella of
from two to three inches greater width from tip to tip, when open, than is usual,
whereby a material saving of cost is effected.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Samuel Mignot in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th June 1878.
JOHN SAMUEL MIGNOT, of 38, Squirries Street, Bethnal Green Road, Silk
Manufacturer "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS."
Whereas the stretchers have generally been made to spring from a point when
the umbrella is open about 4 to 6 inches from that at which the ribs are attached
to the stick, and by getting in the way of the user's hat oblige him to hold the
umbrella at a considerable distance above his head; and whereas sundry improve-
ments have recently been made by which among other things the stretchers have
been caused to spring from a point nearer the top of the umbrella, but umbrellas
constructed according to such improved methods have been expensive and open to
objections, such as (amongst others) that they are easily turned inside out by
a very slight gust of wind, or in the same manner caused to close on the user's
head; and also that in case of such an umbrella being broken it is difficult on
account of the peculiar construction of its parts to get it repaired without sending
it to the maker.
Now this Invention provides a means by which the stretchers are made to radiato
from a point nearer to the top than in ordinary umbrellas, so as to admit of the
umbrella being held low down over the user's head, so as to afford the maximum
shelter without departing from the usual construction of the various parts, so that
should any part be broken it can be replaced by any umbrella mender; and, further,
umbrellas constructed according to my Invention are not liable to collapse or
be closed by a gust of wind, and are not more liable to be turned than those of
ordinary construction.
My Invention consists,―
Firstly. In the use of certain proportions in the length of the stretchers and ribs,
that part of the rib between its point of attachment to the stick and the point of
its junction with the stretcher being longer in proportion to the length of the
stretcher than is usual.
Secondly. In the peculiar shape of the pieces of silk with which the umbrella is
covered (partly dependant on the before-named peculiar proportions of the frame)

page_text: by which an improved contour is obtained, and a saving in the quantity of silk
used is effected, for, with a silk of a given width, I am able to produce an umbrella
of from 2 to 3 inches greater width from tip to tip, when open, than is usual,
whereby a material saving of cost is effected.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,--
Figure 1 represents by the continuous lines part of a 4 feet 3 inch umbrella,
constructed according to my improvements, when open, and shows the position of a
stretcher and the curve of the rib. The dotted lines show the position of these
parts in an umbrella of the ordinary construction and same length of rib.
Figure 2 represents one of the pieces of silk I use for covering, according to my
Invention.
In constructing frames in accordance with my Invention, I make all the parts of
the usual dimensions and construction, except, firstly, as regards the position of the
joint by which the stretcher is attached to the rib; and, secondly, the position of
the top spring and stop, by which the umbrella is held open. As regards the first
it is usual to make the distance between the joint A at the top of the rib, by which
it is attached to the stick and the joint B, by which the stretcher is attached to the
rib, equal to the length of the stretcher; but according to my Invention I place the
joint B nearer the free end of the rib than it would be in an umbrella of the
ordinary construction, viz., where the distance from the joint A to the joint B is
equal to the length of the stretcher B, D, by a quarter of an inch for an umbrella
of from 3 feet 9 inches to 4 feet 3 inches, increasing or lessening that distance one
fiftieth of an inch for every 3 inches that the umbrella is larger than 4 ft. 3 inches
or less than 3 feet 9 inches, whereby the distance from A to B becomes increased in
proportion to the length of the stretcher.
The dimensions thus obtained are as follows, that is to say, in a 4 feet 3 inch
umbrella, the ribs of which will measure 25 inches each :-From A to B, 10% inches;
from B to C, 14/4; length of stretcher, B to D, 10¹
The top spring E should be placed at a point a little below that at which it
would support the stretchers in a horizontal position, which in such an umbrella as
that I am now describing would be 2 to 21%, inches plus the length of the runner
below the point A.
The frames may either be made specially, as above described, or the ordinary frames
may be altered to produce the same result. To accomplish the latter, I take a set of
the ordinary ribs, I prefer to use Fox's, as very slight ones do not answer well, and
taking each rib separately I grasp it in a vice about an inch from the joint B, and
with a few dexterous taps with a light hammer on the clip or saddle piece by which
the stretcher is attached to the rib, I drive the clip along the rib the distance
required, and then proceed with the next rib in the same manner. As the distanco
which the clips are to be shifted along the ribs requires to be tolerably uniform and
exact, the workman requires considerable practice to acquire the necessary dexterity
to enable him to do his work quickly and well; the mark left by the clip of its
original position on the rib serves as a guide to assist him in this respect.
Figure 2 represents a piece of silk of the shape I use for covering such frames, the
sides of it F, G, H, G, from the base to the apex are less curved than those generally
used, so that in cutting these pieces there is less waste between them, and, conse-
quently, I am able to get the eight pieces out of a shorter length of silk than those
for an ordinary umbrella.
The umbrella, part of which is shewn in Fig. 1, and for which the covering shown
in Fig 2 is intended, has a span of 43 inches (or one inch more than usual); by
using covering pieces slightly broader from F to H one or even two inches greater
apan may be obtained.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be carried into effect, I wish it to be
understood that what I claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, constructing umbrellas substantially as

page_text: herein described and set forth, with frames of in other respects the ordinary
construction.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Samuel Mignot, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight,
Signed and scaled by the above
named John Samuel Mignot,
this Twelfth day of June, 1878,
in the presence of
NEWNHAM BROWNE,
Patent Agent,
91, Queen Street,
Cheapside,
in the City of London.
JOHN SAMUEL MIGNOT. (L.S.)