Improvements in Canopy Tops for Children's Carriages.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date claimed for Patent under Sect. 103 of Act,
heing date of first Foreign Application (in (14th May, 1896
United States of America),
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 7th Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 7th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 10th Apr., 1897.
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 7th Dec., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 7th Dec., 1896-Accepted, 10th Apr., 1897.
Improvements in Canopy Tops for Children's Carriages.
I, WILLIAM HENRY HAYNES, of 711 Jackson Street, in the City and County
of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Umbrella
Maker, do bereby 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:-
My invention relates to canopy tops made in the form of umbrellas.
In the accompanying drawings I illustrate and herein I describe preferred forms of
convenient embodiments of my invention, the particular subject-matter claimed as
novel being hereinafter definitely specified.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of my improved canopy top shown as in
place upon the canopy arm, and as distended in the position it occupies when in
use, the textile web or cover which is in practice mounted upon the ribs being,
merely indicated.
Figure 2 is an under plan view of the runner.
Figure 3 is a view in perspective of the runuer, shown as in inverted position.
Figure 4 is a view in perspective of a portion of the canopy arm, the carrier, the
notch, the runner, and the shaft, the parts being shown in the positions they occupy
in the opening and closing of the top.
Figure 5 is a view in side elevation and section of the parts illustrated in
Figure 4, shown, however, in the position they occupy when the top is closed.
Figure 6 is a view in side elevation showing a modified form of my improve-
ments.
Figure 7 is a view in perspective of a portion of the carrier shown in
Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a view in perspective of a portion of the canopy arm shown in
Figure 6.
Figure 9 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Figure 6.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
Referring to the construction shown in the first five figures of the drawings, A is
the canopy arm; B is the canopy carrier mounted upon said arm, said carrier being
shown as provided as to its upper end with devices of a usual character, well known
in the art, by which it is adjustably secured to the canopy arm, with the result that
the canopy may be arranged in any desired position of adjustment.
Any preferred mechanism connective of the carrier and the rod may be
employed.
The lower portion of the carrier is bifurcated to form the two depending
lugs b¹ 6, between which is pivotally supported the notch C of the canopy, said

page_text: notch being provided with an upwardly-extending tubular head C, the arrange-
ment being such that said notch is adapted to swing laterally on its pivot in a plane
parallel with the planes of said lugs.
63 is a ring mounted upon the exterior of the lower portion of the carrier, and
adapted to be moved longitudinally thereof, its effect being, when moved to its
lowest position, to inclose the head Cx of the notch and confine it between the
lugs 6 62, with the result that swinging movement of the notch and connected parts
will be prevented.
D is the canopy handle, mounted in the bore of, and free for longitudinal
reciprocation with respect to, the notch, said handle being provided as to its upper
extremity with a knob or enlargement d which, by contact with the upper end of
the head of the notch, prevents said handle from falling out of the notch, and
provided as to its lower extrémity with a runner engaging device d*, shown as
consisting of a pair of studs outwardly projecting on opposite sides of said
handle.
E is a runner, lcosely mounted upon said handle, and provided with a tubular
extension e, the inner face of which is formed with a pair of oppositely disposed
circumferential slots or grooves e¹ each of length slightly less than half of the
circumference of the core of the extension, both conveniently in a plane transverse
with respect to the axis of the bore, and each terminating in a vertical groove or
slot which opens through the bottom of the extension e.
The runner engaging device d* and the grooves or slots el e² form in effect a
bayonet joint.
F are the main ribs of the umbrella, attached in the usual manner to the notch,
and are the short or supporting ribs, attached as to their inner ends to the
runner, and as to their outer ends attached to the main ribs intermediate of the
length of the latter the arrangement of the short ribs or braces f with respect to the
main ribs F being such that runner is free to approach the notch in the closing of
the umbrella, instead of moving away from it as in the closing of an ordinary
umbrella.
The operation of my apparatus will be readily understood.
The parts being in their normal or closed position, illustrated in Figure 5, and
it being desired to open the canopy top, the thumb-screw *, which controls the
clasp of the carrier upon the canopy rod, is rotated to loosen the carrier, and the
ring 3 elevated to clear the notch, said carrier is then swung laterally upon
said rod until it assumes the position shown in Fig. 4, the canopy handle D
remaining vertical.
The top not being open, the runner is of course up in close proximity to the
notch as shown in Figure 5.
Thereupon the enlargement d at the top of the canopy handle is grasped and
drawn upward until the studs d* make contact with the bottom of the runner
extension, and, in the slight rotation of the handle come beneath and enter and
reach the top of the vertical slots e, and, thereupon, said canopy handle is further
rotated to carry said studs within the circumferential slots e of the runner
extension.
The canopy handle is then forced downward, carrying, of course, the runner
with it, until the runner occupies the position shown in Figure 1, and the
, enlargement d of the canopy handle is in proximity to the upper end of the head
of the notch.
The canopy being now open or spread, the carrier is restored to its original
position shown in Figure 1, and the ring 3 brought down to the position
shown in Figures 1 and 5, so that it incloses and confines against movement
the head of the notch, and makes rigid the joint between the canopy top and the
carrier.
As will be understood, when it is desired to close the canopy, the carrier is
swung to the position shown in Figure 4, the canopy handle, which is still engaged
with the runner, is drawn upward until said runner occupies the position shown in

page_text: Figure 5, and said handle is then rotated until its runner engaging projections
come within and descend through the vertical slots e in the runner, and thereupon
the canopy handle drops back to its original position shown in Figure 5, leaving
the runner in its elevated position.
As will be understood, my device is simple, compact, and capable of easy and
expeditious operation.
Umbrella canopy tops when used in connection with children's carriages, depend
over the carriages in such position that it is difficult to get access to their
interior, as it has heretofore been necessary to do, in order to open and close
them.
When constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention, however, they
may be operated from above and without the necessity of reaching beneath the
canopy which greatly enhances their convenience and desirability.
At the same time, the canopy handle is, both in the open and in the closed positions,
of the canopy, maintained in position within the canopy, and does not protrude or
present a cumbersome or unsightly appearance.
In Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9, I illustrate a modified form of my invention in which
a somewhat different arrangement of carrier and connection between the carrier and
the notch are employed.
In said last mentioned figures I show the extremity of the canopy rod as equipped
with a thimble G secured by a set screw g, the outer extremity of which thimble
is provided with a flat plate which I term a locking plate g', embodying a central
transverse aperture, and a series of grooves, four in number, formed in each side
face of said plate, said grooves being radial with respect to the central aperture.
A locking frame consisting of two substantial counterpart bow-arms jj pivotally
connected together at their outer extremities and each provided at its inner end
with an apertured clamp plate jx which plates are adapted to embrace between
them the locking plate referred to, said plates being provided as to their inner
faces with beads which take into the corresponding grooves of the locking plate,
the particular grooves entered being determined by the set of the parts.
jo is a screw which passes through the aperture of the locking and clamp plates
to secure the locking frame rigidly in position.
The curved inner faces of the bow-arms jj are, when said frame J is mounted
upon the locking plate, concentric with respect to each other, and form a true circle
which is complete except for the small open space occurring opposite the locking
plate.
The inner faces of said members are concaved or dished, so to speak, from their
upper to their lower edges, as shown in Figure 7, and in the dotted lines in Figures 6
and 9, with the result that said locking frame is adapted to be seated snugly and
retain a firm hold upon a spherical top K, which, in the modified form of my
invention shown in figures under consideration, is shown as mounted upon or formed
as a part of the notch C.
As a result of this arrangement, said sphere K, and the locking frame J referred
to, form in effect a ball and socket joint, by virtue of which a very complete
adjustment of the angle of inclination of the notch and canopy handle and
consequently of the canopy as a whole, with respect to the canopy rod, may be
secured, the adjustment being effected by loosening the thumb or binding screw
which passes through the locking plate, setting the sphere at such position within
the locking frame J as will secure the desired inclination for the handle, and then
tightening said screw.
The notch and the runner of Figure 6 are connected with the ribs of an umbrella
canopy in the manner set forth in connection with the description of the first five
figures of the drawings; and the canopy handle in the construction last under
consideration, being provided with the runner retainer projections and the runner
being provided with slots and grooves,-operates in precisely the manner first
detailed.
In the employment of the devices of the construction and arrangement shown in

page_text: Figures 6, 7, 8, and 9, I prefer to provide the inner faces of the locking frame with
a washer or washers of leather or other yielding material, to prevent injury to the
sphere, which latter presents a very ornamental appearance and adds to the
attractiveness of the canopy.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. In an umbrella canopy, in combination, the notch, the runner, a canopy handle
passing through and free for longitudinal movement with respect to the notch, and
through and below the runner, and normally free for longitudinal movement with
respect to the same, a knob or enlargement at the upper end of the handle to
prevent its withdrawal from the notch, and means for temporarily positively engaging
the handle with the runner, substantially as set forth.
2. In an umbrella canopy, in combination, the notch, the runner, a canopy handle
extending above the canopy and passing through, free for longitudinal movement
with respect to, the notch, the runner mounted on said handle, and normally free
for longitudinal movement upon said handle, and adapted to be connected by a
bayonet joint with said handle, and a knob or enlargement at the upper end of the
handle to prevent its withdrawal from the notch, substantially as set forth.
3. In an umbrella canopy, in combination, the notch, the runner, a canopy handle
extending above the canopy and passing through, free for longitudinal movement
with respect to, the notch, the runner mounted on said handle and normally free
for longitudinal movement with respect to said handle, a projecting stud mounted
on said handle, and a corresponding slot formed in said runner, substantially as
set forth.
4. In an umbrella canopy, in combination, the notch, the runner, the canopy
bandle passing through and tree for longitudinal movement with respect to the
notch, and through and normally free for longitudinal movement with respect to
the runner, means for temporarily engaging said handle with the runner, a carrier
to which said notch is pivotally connected, and a binding ring mounted upon and
free for longitudinal movement with respect to said carrier,-substantially as
set forth.
5. An umbrella canopy embodying a notch, a runner, a handle passing through
and free for longitudinal movement with respect to the notch and through and
normally free for longitudinal movement with respect to the runner, a knob or
enlargement at the upper end of the handle to prevent its withdrawal from the notch,
means for temporarily positively engaging the handle with the runner, canopy ribs
connected to the notch, and braces connected to the runner and to the ribs at points
intermediate of the length of the latter, the arrangement being such that in the
closing of the canopy the runner is carried into close proximity to the notch,
substantially as set forth.
6. In an umbrella canopy, in combination, the notch, having a head, the runner, a
canopy handle passing through and free for longitudinal movement with respect to the
notch and also through the runner, means for temporarily engaging said handle with
the runner, and a canopy carrier the lower portion of which is provided with a pair of
lugs, between which the head of the notch is pivotally supported, and a ring mounted
and free for movement longitudinally of said carrier, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 25th day of November AD 1896
Witnesses-
FREDERIC NORMAN DIXON.
THOMAS KEYS LANCASTER.
WILLIAM HENRY HAYNES.