IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND SUNSHADES
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Melville Clark at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd March 1880. A communication
from abroad by Alexander Hemphill Ege, of Mechanicsburg, in the County of
Cumberland, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND SUNSHADES."
[A communication from abroad by Alexander Hemphill Ege, of Mechanicsburg,
in the County of Cumberland, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America.]
This Invention relates to certain improvements in umbrellas whereby to secure
a better protection against rain or the sun's rays. It consists in making the ribs of
the umbrella towards one side of the stick longer than those at the opposite side,
so that the centre of shelter may be occupied by the person instead of the handle.
To secure a better bracing effect from the stretchers, those stretchers which distend
the long ribs are also made longer than the other stretchers, which necessitates a
different set of runners on the stick, and this Invention therefore also consists in
constructing the runners in the form of a series of concentric telescopic tubes, and
also in combining these several tubes with a single stop device or catch for holding
the umbrella distended or furled.
The cover of the umbrella is elliptical in general form, and the stick passes
through it at a point on the major axis about one third (more or less) of the length
thereof from its end. The ribs are jointed to the top notch and radiate therefrom,
and they are in symmetrical pairs of equal length on opposite sides of the major
axis. The angles included between the radiating ribs are diminished as the ribs
increase in length in an equal or corresponding ratio. The stretchers are also
increased correspondingly to afford sufficient leverage when extended to preserve
the symmetry of the ellipticity. As however, where both the lengths of the ribs
and stretchers vary by corresponding series, they only radiate from a common-point-
when the umbrella is expanded, it follows that to be able to furl or close the
umbrella a corresponding series of runners must be used, which adapt themselves to
the constantly changing centre of radiation necessitated by the different lengths of
the ribs and stretchers, as above described, when said ribs and stretchers are drawn
down from their expanded condition to one practically parallel to the stick. To
this end I prefer to use three or more hollow telescopic runners, varying in internal
diameter and length sufficiently to allow, first, the inner or smaller one to slide
freely upon the stick; the second or next larger one to slide freely upon the

page_text: former;
the third to slide freely upon the second, and so on, in the order of the
varying diameters of the number of runners used. To the smallest or internal
runner are jointed the shortest stretchers which are connected to the shortest ribs.
To the second runner are jointed the second series of two or more longer stretchers,
which are connected with a corresponding series of two or more longer ribs ; to the
third runner are jointed the third series of stretchers, which latter with their
corresponding ribs are the longest. Each of these runners has only a segmental
"notch" for the stretcher joints, and when the umbrella is opened these segments
coincide to complete the circle, and bring the inner ends of the stretchers to the
same centre.
A single catch spring at the upper part of the stick is made to pass
through coinciding slots in the several runners, and a second catch spring is used
near the handle to hold them down. This catch may also be on the runners and
protrude through to engage with the stick.
It is preferred that the ribs and stretchers should be of different symmetrical
lengths respectively, as above described, but the desired elliptical form and
maximum of shelter may still be obtained by varying the length of the ribs but not
of the stretchers, so that existing frames may be utilised by simply replacing two
or more of the ribs of the old circular frames by longer ones, and using the same
stretchers; or two or more of said ribs may be spliced to the length desired, and
the cover correspondingly enlarged even though the altered form may not be quite
symmetrical.
In folding this umbrella it will be seen that as the ribs are shorter on one side
than the other, an unsightly place is left on one side which destroys the symmetry
of its shape. To obviate this objection I attach to the short side of the umbrella
an apron which is stitched to the cover and is free at its inner edge. This apron is
made preferably of the same material as the cover, and its inner and free edge is
drawn by an elastic cord or other device, so that when the umbrella is opened the
apron is drawn up in the hollow of its cover and out of the way. This apron is
made of a depth equal to the difference in the ribs upon opposite sides of the major
axis; when the umbrella is folded it folds down and thus fills in the space which
would otherwise be left open. To this apron are preferably attached tying tapes
which are passed around the longer ribs. To hold the ribs of the umbrella into the
stick also, either in conjunction with the foregoing feature or independently of the
same, I form the ferrule with a groove or recess in which I place a solid rubber
ring. When the umbrella is opened the ring rests in the groove, but when
the umbrella is folded the ring is rolled or pulled up about mid-length of the
umbrella.
Another part of the Invention consists in means for securing the extremities of
the ribs to the cover in a more expeditious way than sewing through a hole in the
ribs as now practised. One means consists of a hollow cap formed with a holding
bulb, and the corner of the cover is drawn down, the bulb slipped on the rib and
made to cover or enclose the hem or end of the cover, and the bulb then pinched or
swaged to tightly hold the same.
According to another means the end of the rib is cut and the slice raised, the
cover is drawn down and inserted in the cut, and the slice of metal then pressed
down again to hold the same. Another means consists of an elongated hole formed
through the rib, the cover being drawn down around the rib, and a key placed
through both the cover and the slot in the rib.