IMPROVEMENT IN UMBRELLAS AND, PARASOLS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for IMPROVEMENT IN
UMBRELLAS AND, PARASOLS, a communication to me from abroad by Edmund
August Robert Geisler and the firm of Voeckler and Roh, of Leipzig, in the
kingdom of Saxony, to be as follows:-
.
.
This improvement relates to automatically opening and closing umbrellas and
bas for its object to remove the drawbacks, contained in the hitherto known
constructions, viz, the bulky form caused by the complicated contrivances, which
require the application of strong springs and stretchers.
The following is the construction of the improved umbrella:
Under the stationary top-notch is situated an auxiliary ring, from which proceed
strings jointed to the stretchers near their outer ends. The strings may be replaced
by thin rods or wires.
By moving the runner down, the auxiliary ring is likewise pulled down, as in
this case the strings or rods produce a uniform strain upon the ring, and, by pulling
down the said ring a helical spring supported at its lower end in the hollow stick
is compressed. The runner being in its lowest position an elastic stop rail situated
in the handle and provided with a pair of teeth comes in action by the upper toth
entering a slit of the runner and preventing the latter from sliding upward. The
ends of the ribs are covered and secured by a hollow ring or bell surrounding the
handle.
For opening the umbrella, the bell is pulled back a little so as to press down by
its edge the inclined lower tooth of the rail, whereby also the upper tooth is
brought out of the slit.
In this position the runner is free, the spring acts on the auxiliary ring and the
strings or rods subjected to tensile strains only push the stretchers upward and
cause the spreading of the ribs.
The following contrivance renders the closing of the umbrella automatic.
The spring terminating under the auxiliary ring is connected with a lever
secured to the handle by means of a rod or strings. By turning down the said

page_text: lever the helical spring is pulled down by the central string and strained, whereby
the auxiliary ring is deprived of its support and falls down by its own weight and
the tension of the cloth and ribs. Thereby a free folding of the umbrella takes
place, after which the auxiliary ring is again supported by the end of the spring,
for again effecting an opening the umbrella a spreading of the ribs by means of
the string. The same effect is produced on the central string by the combination
of the locking device described above with a rolling slide attached to the lower end
of the central string.
The upward movement of the auxiliary ring may also be effected by means of
the following mechanism.
Under the auxiliary ring is situated a helical spring pressing with its upper end
against a plate secured to the hollow stick, the lower end being connected with a
central string which leads upward over a roller situated in the hollow cap or top
end of the umbrella stick and is attached to the auxiliary ring, so as to pull it
upward by opening the umbrella.
The opening is effected as follows:
The driving bar or link attached to the handle lever is connected at the top
with a thin rod connected with a movable plate situated inside the hollow stick.
By turning down the handle lever, the spring previously compressed is released; a
part of the cord is moved upward with the pin and auxiliary ring; whereby the
umbrella is opened by the strings or rods situated right and left of the stick. For
closing the umbrella, the handle lever is turned upward and thereby the helical
spring compressed by means of the movable upper plate, so as to cause the two
sides of the string to be released or become slack, and the auxiliary ring to be
freely pressed down by tension of the ribs and cloth.
Dated this 11th day of Tol 100

page_text: I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN of 67 Strand Westminster in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a communication to
me from abroad by Edmund August Robert Geisler and the firm of Voeckler and
Rob, of Leipzig in the kingdom of Saxony, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following.
statement:
This improvement. relates to automatically opening and closing umbrellas and
has for its object to remove the drawbacks, contained in hitherto known con-
structions, namely the bulky form caused by the complicated contrivances, which.
require the application of strong springs and stretchers..
The following is the construction of the improved umbrella, illustrated by the
accompanying drawings;
Under the stationary crown of the umbrella is situated an auxiliary ring. A
joined to the interior rod A by a pin moving in a slot in the tube of the umbrella,
from this ring proceed cords B. joined to the stretchers D. near their outer ends.
These cords may be replaced by thin rods or wires. By moving down the runner E.
to which are pivoted the stretchers, the auxiliary ring A is likewise allowed to
descend as in this case, the cords or rods B exercise a uniform strain upon the
ring A. By pulling down the said ring A. a helical spring F.. supported at its
lower end in the hollow stick, is compressed. The runner E. being in its lowest-
position an elastic stop spring G. situated in the handle, and provided with teeth a
and b, comes, in action by the tooth a entering a slit d in the runner and preventing
the latter from sliding upward. The ends of the ribs are covered and secured by
the hollow ring or bell H. surrounding the handle.
For opening the umbrella, the bell H. is pulled back a little so as to press down
by its edge the inclined tooth b on the spring G whereby also the tooth a is released
from the slot d. In this position the runner E is free, the spring F acts on the .
lifting rod of the auxiliary ring A. and the strings or rods subjected to tencile
strains only, pull the stretcher D upward and cause the 'spreading of the ribs L.
The following contrivance renders the closing of the umbrella automatic:-The
spring F. terminating under the lifting rod A. is connected with a lever K
(Figs. 3-5) secured to the bandle, by means of a rod or string J. By turning
down the lever K the helical spring F is pulled down by the central string J. and
held, whereby the auxiliary ring A is deprived of its support and falls down by its
own weight and the tension of the cloth and ribs L. Thereby an easy folding of
the umbrella takes place after which the auxiliary ring A is again supported by the
end of the spring, for again effecting in opening the umbrella, a spreading of the
ribs by means of the cords B.-As shown by Fig. 6, the same effect is produced on
the central string J, by the combination of the locking device described above, with
a runner M attached to the lower end of the central string. The upward movement
of the auxiliary ring A. may also be effected by means of the mechanism represented
by Figs. 7 and 8.-Under the auxiliary ring A is situated a helical spring F

page_text: pressing with its upper end against a plate S secured to the hollow stick, the lower
end being connected with a central string g. which leads upward over a pulley
situated in the hollow cap or top of the umbrella stick, and is attached to the
auxiliary ring so as to pull it upward by opening the umbrella. The opening is
effected as follows;-the driving bar or link attached to the handle lever K. is
connected at the top with a thin rod R. connected with a movable plate P. situated
inside the hollow stick. By turning down the handle lever K (Fig. 7.) the spring
previously compressed is released, a part h of the cord is moved upward with the
pin and auxiliary ring, whereby the umbrella is opened by the strings or rods B.
For closing the umbrella the handle-lever K. is turned upward and thereby the
helical spring F compressed by means of the movable plate P. so as to cause the
cord g to become slack and the auxiliary ring to be freely pressed down by the
tension of the cloth and ribs.
A further modification of the closing contrivance is shown in Figs. 9 and 10, in
which the bell or enclosing ring H. is provided with a helical spring n adapted to
be continually pressed towards the handle, when the runner E and ribs are closed
the ring H is pressed down by hand over the ends of the ribs, thereby releasing
the projection I and simultaneously the catch i and thus securing the umbrella, the
projection I preventing the spring n from pressing back the ring H, until, when it
is required to open the umbrella, the knob m. is pressed down, thereby depressing I
and i, and releasing the ring H, which latter being pressed down by the spring
allows the ribs to expand.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
=
In umbrellas and parasols
1. An auxiliary ring A actuated by a helical spring F. and provided with the
strings or rods B which cause the stretchers to spread, and thereby open the
umbrella.
2. For the purpose of closing. the umbrella the combination of the helical
spring F. with a lever K, or with a runner M, held in place by spring catch G. for
compressing the spring F. so that the auxiliary ring A is thereby deprived of its
support, whereby the strain of the cloth and ribs L causes the umbrella to collapse.
3. The application of an elastic spring stop G provided with teeth a and b, the
upper tooth a entering a slit d of the runner E and securing the same thereby, for
the purpose of keeping the umbrella closed while the under tooth b serves to
elevate the umbrella by releasing the runner E from the tooth a, it being pressed
down for that purpose by means of the hollow ring H, which latter also serves for
holding the ends of the ribs.
4. For the purpose of moving the auxiliary ring A, the arrangement of a cord g. h
passing over the pulley N. and strained or loosened by the lever K. and spring F.
substantially as described.
5. The application for the purpose described of the spring stop G. provided with
tooth and projection I and knob m (Figs. 9 and 10) the enclosing ring H. being
fitted with a helical spring for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 7th day of April 1886.