IMPROVEMENT IN UMBRELLA FRAMES
Year: 1885

page_text: THOMAS WIDDOWSON Umbrella Furniture Manufacturer 126 Barker Pool Sheffield
I do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENT IN UMBRELLA
FRAMES to be as follows:-
I take the hollow wire cut into lengths, I open one end quite flat in long,
I shape the end with a pair of tools in fly press so that after a certain distance the
end rapidly narrows & tapers to a point I turn the end over into the hollow rib
it forms the eye in hing shape to take any size wire, place a bit of wire about
in long on the top of tongue or point I close the sides of the rib over the bit of
wire with a pair of hollow tools in the press, eyes made on the above princapal can
be gaurenteed to last for ten twenty or even thirty years, according to strength of
wire put in.

page_text: I THOMAS WIDDOWSON of 126 Barker Pool Sheffield, 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:-
In the manufacture of eyes for umbrella ribs it is desirable that they should be
attained as relatively large eyes compared to the quantity of metal employed or
distributed around them and that should be strong and uniform.
In order to attain these advantages in my improved umbrella eyes I take wire
hollow or channelled or trough shaped in cross section and having cut up the same
into lengths of wire suitable to form the umbrella ribs and the eyes thereto
I proceed either to open out the end portion into flat form, or partly opened form
or I dispense with such opening out and this end portion, say, the extreme to
half of an inch will form the turned in end whilst the adjoining (say) g to half of
an inch of channelled wire will when shaped form the eye I then shape this outer
to half of an inch of the channelled wire by means of a pair of dies or tools in a
fly press, by any of the well understood devices in use for such purposes, into a
somewhat obliquely pointed trough and the eye portion of the wire has its walls
pressed in towards the centre curving the eye part, then the turn-in part is pressed
into a pointed tubular form or tag, then the eye is further developed by bending
the turn-in towards the open channel and when the turn in has been truly pressed
into the channel part the sides of the recipient channelled portion are pressed onto
or turned over so as to securely tuck in the tail or turn-in completing a strong
light and durable eye to the umbrella end capable of enduring great wear and tear
whilst being producible with economy and rapidity.
To facilitate comprehension of the improved method of forming eyes to umbrella
rib ends as already described I accompany the description by a diagram showing
an umbrella rib in seven stages commencing with Fig. 1, a piece of channelled
wire a. Fig. 2, the eye forming portion (1) crushed in sidewise bringing the walls
together and bending the rib. Fig. 3 shews this part (1) developed by further
pressure and the part (2) shaped off inclining towards a point.
Fig. 4 shews the point developed by closing in the sides of part (2).
Fig. 5 shews the pointed turn-in end (2) pressed towards the channel part (3).
Fig. 6 shews the part (2) pressed into the part (3) and
Fig. 7 shews the completed end by the part (1) forming the eye the part (2)
lying within the part (3) and the whole secured by the walls or sides of (3) being
pressed around and embracing the tucked-in end (2).
Fig. 8 shews by a side view a pair of tools A B adapted to cooperate together to
form from a piece of channelled iron as Fig. 1 the parts indicated by Fig. 2 Fig. 9
by an edge view of the same and Fig. 10 by an underside and plan view respectively
the meeting surfaces of the tools A B and Figures 11, 12 and 13 shew by similar
views to the preceding another tool C and the tool adapted by cooperating
together to further develop the form to the parts to be formed into an eye shewn
by Fig. 3.

page_text: In operation the piece of channelled rib Fig. 1 is brought under the tool A
whilst in the groove b of the anvil B and then under the tool C whilst supported
by B until the form shewn by Fig. 2 is attained then the rib end is made or cut
slightly taper then the end is closed by a pair of pliers or other suitable means and
then turned over by like means and rounded in a press such as is used for like
purpose in the trade and the various figures 1 to 7 indicate stages in the
development of the eye.
Umbrella ribs with eyes thus made are strong just where strength is most
required these eyes are not liable to break or the wires to give way, thus
liberating the ribs to endanger their piercing the cover-and the strong eyes
obtained by thus turning the ends of the ribs over as described similarly to a leaf
of a hinge enables a strong copper wire to be employed to hold the ribs to the
runners by threading it through these eyes forming strong and lasting hinges for
the ribs.
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
The method of forming large and strong eyes for umbrella ribs herein described