IMPROVE- MENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Harrington, of Witham, in the
County of Essex, Watch Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS."
Sealed the 9th January 1854, and dated the 8th September 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Harrington
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 8th September 1853.
I, ROBERT HARRINGTON, of Witham, in the County of Essex, Watch
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for " IM-
PROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS" to be as follows:-
I purpose by my Invention to remove the stick, stock, tube, cane,
or handle several inches from the centre of umbrellas and parasols,
thereby allowing the umbrella or parasol to be over the centre of the
person useing it by any or all the following plans.
First, by the entire stick, stock, tube, cane, or handle, either solid
or hollow, either of metal or any other material that can or may be
used for the same purpose, having one or more bends produceing an
elbow.
Seccondly, by an arm or elbow of metal, wood, bone, ivory, or any other

page_text: other substance that can or may be used for the said purpose, either in one
or more parts, having a socket at each end, one up and one down, into
which sockets the upper and lower parts of the divided stick, stock,
tube, cane, or handle is fixed; the arm or elbow to be fixed to the
said sockets by rivet, screw, or socket joints; which said arın or elbow
projects from the centre directly under the stretchers when the umbrella
is open, and may be disconnected from its upper and lower sockets,
and the lower socket fixed to the upper, thereby forming the usual
straight stick in the centre; or having rivet or other joints at each end
of the arm or elbow, which may be used and fixed firm by screw, nut,
or other methods, when as elbows produceing the eccentric stick, and
may be also let down and fixed for close folding the umbrella without
takeing out the arm or elbow.
I also claim as part of my Invention the dispensing with the usual
long socket connected with the ring or slide to which the stretchers
are fixed, which will allow the arm or elbow to project directly under
the stretchers, giving height for the hat or bonnet, and also allowing
the umbrella or parasol to be opened and shut without takeing out or
letting down the arm or elbow; also a new fastening for the same
when open or shut, consisting of two small tongues or levers which
fold up when the slide or ring passes over them, and fall out when
passed, forming a very secure catch.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Harrington in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 7th March 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
ROBERT HARRINGTON, of Witham, in the County of Essex, Watch
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of September, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give

page_text: and grant unto me, the said Robert Harrington, Her special licence
that I, the said Robert Harrington, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Harrington, 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 UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Robert Harrington, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Harrington, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof (that is to say):
This Invention has for its object means of constructing an umbrella
or a parasol in such manner that the sticks or handle may not be in
the centre when the umbrella or parasol is open. For this purpose the
stick or handle is either made with a crank or bend near its upper
end, or it is made capable of being formed into a crank or bend, or
remain as a straight stick or handle. The benefit or advantage to be
derived from such an arrangement or construction of the frame of an
umbrella or parasol is, that the middle part of the same may be brought
and held more conveniently over the head of the person using it.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, is a part of the frame of an umbrella or parasol having a
stick or handle with a crank or bend at a; and the runner b, being
short will pass down the cranked part of the stick or handle as well as
down the straight part thereof; c, is the stop or catch which I prefer
to use; it moves on an axis d, in a recess cut in the stick or handle,

page_text: and has a tendency to fall outwards, and to form a stop or step to
support the runner b. When it is desired to put down the umbrella
or parasol the runner is to be somewhat raised to allow of the outer
end of the stop being pushed up into the recess, when the runner will
pass over it and over the cranked or bent part a, of the stick or handle,
and so the umbrella or parasol may be closed. Figure 2, shews the
section of another arrangement or construction of the frame and stick
of an umbrella or parasol, in which the stick or handle is capable of
assuming a straight or a cranked form. d, is part of the stick or
handle below the bending or cranking part; e, and f, is the upper part
of the stick or handle; g, is the runner to which the stretchers h, are
fastened; and i, is the catch or stop similar to the one before described
for upholding the runner when the umbrella or parasol is open.
Figure 3, shows parts of the stick or handle when in the straight con-
lition, and it may be stated that the joint is so constructed that,
whether the stick or handle be used in the straight condition or the
bent or cranked state, it will have sufficient stability for the purpose of
upholding the umbrella or parasol. The part e, of the stick or handle
is connected to the parts d, and f, by pin joints e', and e", as shown, on
which joints there are projections e², and there are stops e, which move
on axes, such stops being constantly acted on by springs e³, which are
carried by the block e, which is capable of moving on a fixed axis;
e, is another spring which rests against the stud or pin e³. The
block e, is acted on by the arm e", and the spring e", and when the
outer end of such arm is allowed to protrude through a slit in the
tube e, the parts will assume and be held in the form shewn at
Figure 2; but when the stick or handle is made straight, and the
slide ev, is slid over the slit or opening through which the arm at other
times is allowed to protrude, such slide e, will retain the arm e,
within it, and the stick or handle will be retained straight.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I would remark
that I do not confine myself to the details shown and described; but
what I claim is, the manufacture of umbrellas and parasols with
cranked or bent handles, as described in respect to Figure 1; and I
also claim the manufacture of unbrellas and parasols with handles

page_text: arranged to assume and retain either straight or cranked forms. as
described in respect to Figures 2, and 3.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Harrington, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
ROBERT HARRINGTON. (L.S.)