A NEW OR. IMPROVED MODE AND MEANS OF COVERING THE HEADS OF THE RIVETS IN THE STRETCHER FORKS OF Umbrellas, Sunshades, and Parasols.” FORKS OF UMBREllas, Sunshades, and Parasols
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Baker, of Forest Gate, in the County of
Essex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "A NEW OR. IMPROVED MODE
AND MEANS OF COVERING THE HEADS OF THE RIVETS IN THE STRETCHER
FORKS OF Umbrellas, Sunshades, and Parasols.”
FORKS OF UMBREllas, Sunshades, and Parasols.”
Scaled the 8th December 1871, and dated the 30th June 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Baker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th June 1871.
I, THOMAS BAKER, of Forest Gate, in the County of Essex, Gentle-
5 man, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"A NEW
OR IMPROVED MODE AND MEANS OF COVERING THE HEADS OF THE RIVETS IN
THE STRETCHER FORKS OF UMBRELLAS, SUNSHADES, AND PARASOLS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention relates to a new or improved mode and means or
protecting the silk or other covering material of umbrellas, sunshades,
and parasols from injury at the joints or parts where the stretchers are

page_text: united to the ribs. At these parts the joints are clenched by rivetting,
and the rivets thus employed by their raw ends cut the silk or other
material, or rust, and thus injuriously affect the same.
My Invention consists in a new or improved covering or protection
for the rivet of the stretcher fork by which the rivet head is entirely
enveloped or enclosed, presenting thus an entirely smooth surface.
The covering may be of copper, iron, steel, or other metal, and may, if
necessary, be japanned.
I prefer to effect my Invention by lengthening the forks of the
stretcher by means of an car or flange, which car or flange is turned
back over the head of the rivet, and then compressed. It thus forms a
shield to the rivet, effectually covering the ordinarily exposed head of
the rivet. The ear or flange may be round, square, oval, or of any shape
suitable for the purpose.
In some cases, however, instead of forming the ear or flange as part
of the stretcher fork by lengthening the same, I form the ear or shield
piece of a separate piece of metal of the shape required, but with an
edge slightly turned, so that it may be pressed by any convenient means
over that part of the stretcher fork through which the rivet heads
protrude and completely cover the same, as in the case of the turned
back ear herein-before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Baker in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 29th December 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BAKER, of Forest Gate, in the County of Essex, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of Junc, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fourth 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,

page_text: 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 "A NEW OR IMPROVED MODE AND MEANS
OF COVERING THE HEADS OF THE RIVETS IN THE STRETCHER FORKS OF UMBRELLAS,
SUNSHADES, AND PARASOLS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Thomas Baker, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Scal 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 :-
My Invention relates to a new or improved mode and means of
protecting the silk or other covering material of umbrellas, sunshades,
and parasols from injury at the joints or points when the stretchers are
united to the ribs. At these parts the joints are clenched by rivetting,
and the rivets thus employed by their raw ends cut the silk or other
material, or rust, and thus injuriously affect the same.
My Invention consists in a new or improved covering or protection
for the rivet of the stretcher fork, by which the rivet head is entirely
enveloped or enclosed, presenting thus an entirely smooth surface.
The covering may be of copper, iron, steel, or other metal, and may, if
necessary, be japanned.
I prefer to effect my Invention by lengthening the forks of the
stretcher by means of an ear or flange, which car or flange is turned
back over the head of the rivet and then compressed. It thus forms a
shield to the rivet, effectually covering the ordinarily exposed head of
the rivet. The car or flange may be round, square, oval, or of any shape
suitable for the purpose.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 in the Drawings accompanying this Specification
represent the application of my Invention to the solid stretcher. In
this case the cars or flanges which are marked a are drawn out and

page_text: shaped from the ends of the stretcher forks and returned in the manner
shewn in Figure 3.
In some cases, however, instead of forming the car or flange as part
of the stretcher fork by lengthening the same I form the ear or shield
picce of a separate piece of metal of the shape required, but with an
edge slightly turned, so that it may be pressed by any convenient means
over that part of the stretcher fork through which the rivet heads
protrude and completely cover the same, as in the case of the turned
back car herein-before described. This part of my Invention is repre-
sented in the Drawings by Figures 4 and 5, which shew the separate
piece as used for the solid stretcher, and also by Figures 6, 7, 8, 10, 11,
and 12 which shew the separate piece to be used with the stretcher
commonly known as Fox's paragon stretcher.
As herein-before explained the end of my Invention may be attained
by lengthening the stretcher fork itself and turning the car thus formed
back over the rivet head.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is effected, I wish it
to be clearly understood that what I claim is, the mode and means of
protecting the silk or other covering material of umbrellas, sunshades,
and parasols from injury by means of cars, caps, or shields covering the
heads of the rivets in the stretcher forks, such cars, caps, or shields
being either portions of the stretcher fork turned back over the rivet
head, or separate picces applied cach to a rivet head or to two rivet
heads, all as described in this Specification and in the accompanying
Drawing illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Baker, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Twenty-ninth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.
THOMAS BAKER. (L.S.)