IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Buckley Seel of Clinton Villas Church Road
Urmston in the County of Lancaster Manager to Umbrella Manufacturers
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. John Buckley Seel at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th October 1882.
«
JOHN BUCKLEY SEEL of Clinton Villas Church Road, Urmston in the County of
Lancaster Manager to Umbrella Manufacturers. IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS
AND PARASOLS
"
The said Invention consists in attaching the covering of umbrellas or parasols to
the ribs by inserting the seams of the gores, or cords, or wires sewn to such seams
into tubular cavaties in the ribs themselves
I use ribs of a tubular form with a longitudinal slit along the outer edge of each
rib Tubular ribs of this character are usually made of steel properly tempered
and are not new, except so far as the position and use of the longitudinal slit is
concerned, that slit having usually been placed either on the inner or one of the
side edges and not being of any use-The form of rib however I do not claim as
part of my invention. I either roll over the edges of the gores and stitch them
together so as to make a cord or ridge on the inside of the seams or I stitch a cord
or wire into the edges of each seam I then insert that cord ridge or wire into one
end of the tubular ribs preferably that nearest to the notch and draw it through
the whole length of such rib (except such part of such rib as may be convenient at
each end of the rib for the formation of the tip and for attaching to the notch at
the apex of the umbrella or parasol) or, instead of inserting the cord ridge or wire
into the rib at one end and drawing it through, the rib may be sprung open so as
to allow the cord ridge or wire to be inserted through the slit in the rib which will
then by its own elasticity close up again-I make the cord ridge or wire so thick
as not to pass through the slit in the upper side of the rib (unless sprung open for
the purpose) and to fit tightly inside the tube. The seam between the gores is
thus securely held in the rib itself, not by any pressure on the material of the

page_text: covering but simply by the fact of the cord ridge or wire being of greater diameter
than the slit in the rib, and the covering is attached to the rib throughout its
whole length. I stitchi or fasten the ends of the seams to the tips of the ribs in
the usual way; but, owing to the distribution of the strain in opening the
umbrella or parasol along the whole of the rib, there is very little strain on the
stitches; and even if those stitches break the gores cannot ruck up more than
very slightly, because there is no room for the cord to slide up the tubular rib, and
thus one of the most common and disagreeable accidents to an umbrella or parasol
is virtually prevented. The cord may be still further secured within the rib by
cementing it with a cement which I prefer should be impervious to water

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letter's Patent filed by
the said John Buckley Seel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th April
1883.
JOHN BUCKLEY SEEL of Clinton Villas Church Road Urmston in the County of
Lancaster Manager to Umbrella Manufacturers IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS
AND PARASOLS
•
My Invention consists in attaching the covering of umbrellas or parasols to the
ribs by inserting the seams of the gores, or cords or wires sewn, or otherwise
attached to such seams into tubular cavities in the ribs themselves.
I use metal ribs of a tubular form with a longitudinal slit along the outer edge
of each rib Tubular ribs of this character are usually and best made of steel,
properly tempered, and are not new, except so far as the position and use of the
longitudinal slit is concerned, that slit having usually been placed either on the
inner or one of the side edges and not being made use of-The form and material
of the rib and position of the slit however I do not claim as part of my invention-
In the drawings accompanying this Specification A is the tubular rib having a
longitudinal slit B on its outer side. At the end of the rib which is attached to
the stick of the umbrella or parasol I widen out the slit into a boat shaped cavity C
shown in fig: 1 and partly in Fig: 2-This boat shaped cavity may be formed
at either end of the rib but I prefer to have it at the end which is to be attached
to the stick Figure 3 shows the mode in which the tip is formed the part D
being flattened and perforated to receive the stitches which fasten the ends of the
gores of the covering. As I require the longitudinal slit to be open the whole
length of the rib (except where the rib is flattened for attaching to the notch and
at the tip) I use a new form of "get" or middle bit E which is shewn in Figs: 4
and 5. I prefer to make it of brass and to tip the stretcher also with brass so as
to avoid as much as possible any rusting at this point. This get or middle bit is
formed with a groove in its upper edge as shewn in transverse section in Fig 6.
for the reception of the rib upon which it is pressed together so as to hold the rib
and yet not close the slit in the rib. I do not however claim the form of the get
or middle bit or its mode of attachment as part of my invention-I either roll
over the edges of the gores of the covering and stitch or otherwise attach them
together so as to make a cord or ridge on the inner side the seams or I stitch a
cord or wire into or otherwise attach it to the edges of each seam. I then insert
that cord ridge or wire into the boat shaped cavity C in the end of the tubular rib
and draw it through the whole length of such rib (except such part of such rib at
each end of the rib as is required for the formation of the tip and of the attach-
ment to the notch at the apex of the umbrella or parasol) or instead of inserting
the cord ridge or wire into the rib at one end and drawing it through the rib may
be sprung open so as to allow the cord, ridge or wire to be inserted through the
slit in the rib which will then by its own elasticity close up again but the rib can
be made of stouter material when the cord ridge or wire is to be drawn through
than if it is to be sprung in and for that and other reasons the mode of drawing it
through the rib is the best-I make the cord ridge or wire so thick as not to pass
through the slit in the upper side of the rib (unless sprung open for the purpose)
and to fit tightly inside the tube. The seam between the gores is thus securely
held in the rib. Fig 7 shows a transverse section of the rib in which F is a cord
or wire sewn into the seam and G. G. the umbrella covering. The ridge formed by
rolling over the edges of the gores and stitching them together is not shewn in
this figure but would occupy the same space as the cord or wire. I do not claim

page_text: as part of my invention the mode of forming or attaching to the seams of the gores
the said ridge cord or wire.
What I claim as my invention is attaching the covering of umbrellas and
parasols to the ribs by inserting a ridge cord or wire formed of or sewn into or
otherwise attached to the edges of the seams of the gores into tubular cavities in
the ribs themselves substantially as described; but I do not confine mysolf to
inserting the ridge cord or wire at either end of the rib exclusively of the other
though I prefer to insert it at the end which is to be attached to the stick In
witness whereof I the said John Buckley Seel have hereunto set my hand and
seal this seventh day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.
JOHN BUCKLEY SEEL (L.S.)