Improvements in Umbrellas and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 5th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 5th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 5th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Umbrellas and the like.
We JOHN THOMAS LILEY and FREDRICK SAMUEL LILEY both of 38 Noble
Street London E.C. Elastic Hook Manufacturers, and JAMES MAC ILERAINE ROSs
57 Bread Street London E.C. Merchant and Commission Agent do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:
:
:-
This invention for improvements in umbrellas and the like has for its object to
provide an automatic self-opening umbrella, or the like which shall not be more
bulky or heavier than those constructed in the usual manner, and which can readily
be opened by the same hand that holds it and consists essentially in arranging a
spring with its ends bearing against or secured to the runner and a sleeve sliding
on the runner and connected to the stretcher by short wires; the spring is com-
pressed or extended on closing the umbrella or the like and opens it as soon as it is
released from the catch holding it in its closed position.
In one arrangement of umbrellas constructed according to this invention a short
spiral spring surrounds the runner and its upper end is secured to the top of the
runner and its lower end bears against the bottom of a sleeve sliding on the runner
and surrounding the spring. The sleeve is connected by short wires to the stretchers.
When the umbrella is lowered, by pulling the runner down the stick in the ordinary
manner, the short wires cause the sleeve to slide up the runner, as it is drawn down
the stick and compress the spiral spring and on releasing the runner the spring
expands and causes the runner to run up the stick and open the umbrella.
The umbrella is retained in its closed position by the usual spring catch and by a
spring tip-cap.
The spring catch is arranged to be withdrawn by depressing a small button,
on the stick below the cap, connected to it in any convenient manner: and the
button is also arranged to withdraw when depressed a catch holding the tip-cap
whose spring then forces it off the tips of the ribs. Or the tip-cap may be
arranged to withdraw the usual catch as it is withdrawn to release the tips of
the ribs.
Doted this 5th day of Mon 1001
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Umbrellas and the like.
We JOHN THOMAS LILEY and FREDERICK SAMUEL LILEY, both of 38 Noble
Street London E.C. Elastic Hook Manufacturers, and JAMES MAC ILERAINE ROSs
37 Bread Street London E.C. Merchant and Commission Agent, 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 :-
This invention for improvements in umbrellas and the like has for its object to
provide an automatic, self opening umbrella, or the like, which shall not be more
bulky, or heavier than those constructed in the usual manner, and which can readily
be opened by the same hand that holds it and consists essentially in arranging a
spring with its ends bearing against or secured to the runner and a sleeve sliding
on the runner and connected to the stretchers by short wires; the spring is com-
pressed or extended on closing the umbrella or the like, and opens it as soon as it
is released from the catch holding it in its closed position.

page_text: In one arrangement of umbrella constructed according to this invention a short
spiral spring surrounds the runner, and its upper end is secured to the top of the
runner and its lower end bears against the bottom of a sleeve sliding on the runner
and surrounding the spring. The sleeve is connected by short wires to the stretchers.
When the umbrella is lowered by pulling the runner down the stick in the ordinary
manner, the short wires cause the sleeve to slide up the runner as it is drawn down
the stick and compresses the spiral spring and on releasing the runner the spring
expands and causes the runner to run up the stick and open the umbrella.
The umbrella is retained in its closed position by the usual spring catch and by a
spring tip-cap. The spring catch is arranged to be withdrawn by depressing a small
button on the stick below the cap connected to it in any convenient manner: and the
button is also arranged to withdraw when depressed a catch holding the tip-cap,
whose spring then forces it off the tips of the ribs. Or the tip-cap may be
arranged to withdraw the usual catch as it is withdrawn to release the tips of
the ribs.
In the accompanying sheets of illustrative drawings, Figs. 1 & 2 are vertical
sections of a part of a self opening umbrella showing the parts in the open and
closed positions, respectively, Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the same to a
reduced scale.
A sleeve a. surrounding the stick b. and mounted on the runner c. is connected by
short wires d. to the stretchers e. at a short distance from the runner c. One end
of a short spiral spring f. bears against the upper end of the runner c. and its other
end bears against the bottom of the sleeve a. The spring may be inserted under
any desired degree of compression. When the runner c. is pulled down the stick b.
the sleeve a. as it passes down the stick slides up the runner c, to a slight extent,
and further compresses the spring f. The pressure of the spiral spring f. tends to
force the sleeve a. down the runner c. and thus to cause them both to run up the
stick and the umbrella to open.
The umbrella is retained in its closed position, by means of the spring catch h.
taking into a notch in the runner c. in the usual manner. The catch h. can be
withdrawn by depressing the button i. which rotates the catch about the pivot l.
The spring m. causes it to resume its normal position when the button is released.
The tips of the ribs n. may also be arranged to be retained when the umbrella is
closed by a tip cap o. against which bears one end of a spiral spring p. tending to
force the cap off the ribs. The cap is retained on the ribs by the catch r. which is
also arranged to be withdrawn on depressing the button i. If desired in this case
the catch . may be dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. Self opening mechanism for an umbrella or the like consisting of a sleeve
surrounding the stick and connected to the ordinary stretchers by jointed con-
nections, and of a spring surrounding the stick and acting on the runner and sleeve
so that the said spring is compressed or extended when closing the umbrella or the
like and tends to open it when closed substantially as described.
2. Self opening mechanism for an umbrella or the like consisting of a sleeve
sliding on the runner and connected to the ordinary stretchers by wires and of a
spiral spring surrounding the stick within the sleeve and bearing against a flange
on the runner and the bottom of the sleeve so that on closing the umbrella or the
like, the wires draw the sleeve up the runner and compress the spring which thus
tends to open the umbrella or the like when it is released substantially as described.
3. In a self opening umbrella or the like retained in its closed position by the
usual spring catch, a button situated on the stick beyond the tips of the ribs when
the umbrella is closed and connected to the spring catch so that on depressing the
button the catch is withdrawn and the umbrella opens the whole substantially as
described.

page_text: 4. In a self opening umbrella or the like a spring tip cap which can be forced
over the tips of the ribs to keep the umbrella closed, a catch for retaining the tip
cap over the said tips against the resistance of its spring and an external button
connected to the catch so that by depressing the button the catch is withdrawn, the
tip cap forced off the tips of the ribs, and the umbrella opened, the whole substan-
tially as described.
5. A self opening umbrella constructed substantially as described with reference
to the drawings.
Dated this 5th day of February 1892.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, Agents.