Improvements in Umbrellas and Sunshades.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 12th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 14th bec., 1889
Improvements in Umbrellas and Sunshades.
I JULES MATHIEU of 71 Boulevard Voltaire, Paris, France, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in umbrellas and sunshades, and it has for
its object to render the umbrella or sunshade more slender and compact when folded
and secondly to render it self closing by means of mechanism contained within the
stick without the use of any additional means for putting it in operation.
The stick has a top notch to which are jointed the ribs having stretchers jointed
thereto and to the runner. In the self closing arrangement, the stick, which may be
made of wood and metal or entirely of metal, is tubular and contains the self closing
mechanism. The latch which engages by its outer end with the runner, for the
purpose of holding the frame closed is a pivoted lever projecting through a slot made
in the stick in the position usually occupied by the ordinary wire retaining spring. Its
lower end is pressed outwards by a spring to engage with the runner, and to serve as
a thumb piece for operating it. This lever acts as a trigger for the self closing
mechanism, as hereafter described.
The upper latch for retaining the runner when the umbrella is opened, is formed
with a rounded nib that projects through a slot in the stick and a spring stem
terminating in a flattened part which is rivetted between two parallel strips or
members which bear at their upper ends against a piston sliding within the tubular
stick and pressed towards the handle by a spring confined between the piston and an
inner tube fixed within the upper end of the stick by the cross pin which fixes the top
notch. These said strips are wholly contained within the tubular stick and are
connected by a wire rod passing through the stick with a head of U section having a
cross piece at its extremity which abuts against the inner end of the trigger latch
above referred to. An abutment piece is pivoted between the upper ends of the
parallel strips, its motion being limited by a cross pin passing through a hole. This
pivoted abutment piece is caused by the pressure of the spring piston against its
obliquely formed end to project normally through a slot in the stick and projects in
the path of the runner, so that when the latter is raised to its highest position, in
opening the umbrella it will strike it and thereby compress the spring, and at same
time slide the upper spring latch upwards until its rounded nib projects through the
slot in the stick in position to engage with the runner whilst the head at the handle
end of this internally sliding mechanism is brought into position to engage with the
trigger lever whereby the spiral spring of the self-closing mechanism is held com-
pressed whilst the umbrella is in the open position. This internal sliding piece works
in a liner tube connected to the stick by a cross-pin. To close the umbrella by hand
the nib of the upper latch is pressed inwards to release the runner in the ordinary
way, but it may be made to close automatically by pressing in the trigger lever by
the hand holding the umbrella handle. By this motion of the trigger lever, its inner
end is disengaged from the head abutting against it, as above described, thus allowing
the internal sliding mechanism to be moved towards the handle by the spiral spring.
By this motion, the nib of the upper retaining latch is withdrawn into the stick
thereby releasing the runner. The tension of the umbrella covering then causes the
rapid collapse of the umbrella and the runner becomes engaged by the nib of the
trigger lever.
The top notch is fitted on the end of the liner tube, and has the opposite ends of its
bore coned or flared so as to fit on the correspondingly coned ends of the parts of the
tubular wooden stick between which it is held. In this manner the two parts of the
stick appear as if in one piece, the stick is also very strong and neat in appearance

page_text: This method of fitting the two parts of the stick in the top notch, enables the latter to
be considerably reduced in size and also allows of making the umbrella frame much
smaller and more compact than hitherto.
The trigger latch and spring may also be used for ordinary umbrellas which are not
self closing, and also as an upper catch for holding the frame in the expanded position,
in which case the pin by which the trigger spring is fixed serves to secure the lining
tube in the stick, as well as form a stop for the runner.
Dated this 12th day of February 1889
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Umbrellas and Sunshades.
I. JULES MATHIEU, of 71, Boulevard Voltaire, Paris, France, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this 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 improvements in umbrellas and sunshades; and it has for
its object to render the umbrella or sunshade more slender and compact when folded
and secondly to render it self-closing by means of mechanism contained within the
stick without the use of any additional means for putting it in operation.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specifi-
cation, wherein Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a self-closing umbrella
frame in the collapsed position. Figure z is a similar section shewing part of the
frame in the expanded position. Figure 3 shews the self-closing mechanism. Figures 4
and 5 shew the upper latch for holding the frame open when the umbrella is not self
closing.
The stick A has a top notch B to which are jointed the ribs C having stretchers D
jointed thereto and to the runner E, all as usual. In the self-closing arrangement,
the stick A (figures 1 and 2) which may be made of wood and metal or entirely of
metal, is tubular and contains the self-closing mechanism. The latch F which engages
by its outer end with the runner, for the purpose of holding the frame.closed, is a
lever pivoted at projecting through a slot made in the stick in the position usually
occupied by the ordinary wire-retaining spring. Its lower end F is pressed outwards
by a spring G to engage with the runner E and to serve as a thumb piece for
operating it. This lever acts as a trigger for the self-closing mechanism, as hereafter
described.
The upper latch H, for retaining the ranner when the umbrella is opened, is formed
with a rounded nib that projects through a slot in the stick and has a spring stem H
terminating in a flattened part 4 which is rivetted between two parallel strips or
members 1 which bear at their upper ends against a piston N sliding within the
tubular stick and pressed towards the handle by a spring O confined between the
piston and an inner tube P fixed within the upper end of the stick by the cross-pin
which fixes the top notch. These said strips II are wholly contained within the
tubular stick and are connected by a wire rod K passing through the stick with a
head L of U-section having a cross-piece at its extremity which abuts against the inner
end of the trigger latch F above referred to. An abutment piece is pivoted at j
between the upper ends of the parallel strips I I, its motion being limited by a cross-
pin passing through a hole in said abutment piece. This pivoted abutment piece is
caused, by the pressure of the spring piston N against its obliquely formed end, to
project normally through a slot in the stick in the path of the ruuner, so that when
the latter is raised to its highest position in opening the umbrella it will strike it and
thereby compress the spring O and at same time slide the upper spring latch H
upwards until its rounded nib projects through the slot in the stick in position to
engage with the runner, the head L at the handle end of this internally sliding
mechanism being at same time brought into position to abut against the end of the

page_text: trigger lever whereby the spiral spring 0 of the self-closing mechanism is held
compressed whilst the umbrella is in the open position. This internal sliding piece
works in a liner tube M connected to the stick by a cross-pin q.
To close the umbrella by hand, the nib H of the upper latch is pressed inwards to
release the runner E, in the ordinary way, but it may be made to close automatically
by pressing in the trigger lever F by the hand holding the umbrella-handle. By
this motion of the trigger lever, its inner end F is disengaged from the head
abutting against it, as above described, thus allowing the internal sliding mechanism
to be moved towards the handle by the spiral spring O. By this motion the nib of
the upper retaining latch H is withdrawn into the stick, thereby releasing the runner.
The tension of the umbrella covering then causes the rapid collapse of the umbrella
and the runner E becomes engaged by the nib F1 of the trigger lever.
The top notch B is fitted on the end of the liner tube M and has the opposite ends
of its bore coned or flared so as to fit on the correspondingly coned ends of the
parts A A¹ of the tubular wooden stick between which it is held. In this manner the
two parts of the stick appear as if in one piece, the stick is also very strong and neat
in appearance. This method of fitting the two parts of the stick in the top notch B
enables the latter to be considerably reduced in size and also allows of making the
umbrella frame much smaller and more compact than hitherto.
The trigger latch F and spring G may also be used for ordinary umbrellas which
are not self closing and also as an upper catch for holding the frame in the expanded
position (see figures 4 and 5) in which case the pin by which the trigger spring G is
fixed serves to secure the lining tube in the stick, as well as to form a stop for the
runner E.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare and what I
claim is.
1. In a self closing umbrella, the double acting trigger lever F serving to engage
the runner by its outer end for the purpose of holding the frame closed, as a stop to
hold the upper spring latch H in operative position when the umbrella is open and as
a push piece or trigger for liberating the same when it is desired to close the umbrella
automatically, as described.
2. In a self closing umbrella, the internal sliding mechanism.comprising the rod K
with head L, strips I, I, spring latch H, and pivoted abutment J all combined to
operate in the manner and for the purpose specified.
3. In a self closing umbrella the spiral spring O and piston N in combination with
the abutment piece J and the latch H for effecting the release of the latter and the
closure of the umbrella in the manner described.
4. In an umbrella, a top notch B having the opposite ends of its bore coned or
flared to fit the correspondingly coned ends of the parts A A' of the stick, as and for
the purpose specified.
5. The application to umbrellas of the spring trigger-latch F at the upper and
lower ends of the stick for retaining the runner in the open and closed positions of the
umbrella, the pin by which the trigger spring G is fixed serving also to limit the
notion of said runner, as described.
Dated this 12th.
Novembor
1000
M CAN
ו מ- thט ממה UNOIOT
J. MATHIEU.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.