IMPROVE- MENTS IN UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND SUN SHADES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Henry Asker, of 20, Gentleman's Walk,
Norwich, in the County of Norfolk, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND SUN SHADES."
Sealed the 15th June 1869, and dated the 19th December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Henry Asker
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 19th December 1868.
I, GEORGE HENRY ASKER, of 20, Gentleman's Walk, Norwich, in
the County of Norfolk, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND SUN SHADES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in umbrellas, parasols,
and sun shades.
In order to confine the outer ends of the ribs to the stick when the
umbrella, parasol, or sunshade is closed I employ a cap of metal or
other material surrounding the stick, and mounted on the runner so as
to be able to move a short distance upon it longitudinally, or the cap

page_text: may form a continuation of the runner. The cap which I call a "tip
'cap" is (by preference) provided with a spring tending constantly to
draw or move it inwards, and when the umbrella, parasol, or sun shade is
closed the ends of the ribs lie within the cap. To free them in opening
and closing the umbrella, parasol, or sun shade the cap is drawn back
against the resistance of the spring until it is beyond the ends of the
ribs. The exterior of the cap may be inclined, so that the pressure of
the ribs against it in closing may cause the cap to recede to allow the
ribs to enter, and I adapt the tips or ends of ribs to my purpose by
bevilling them, or by otherwise forming them to facilitate their action
on the cap. A similar cap may be mounted on the stick in place of
upon the runner, but I prefer to mount it upon the runner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Henry Asker in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HENRY ASKER, of 20, Gentleman's Walk, Norwich, in the County of
Norfolk, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said George Henry Asker, Her
special licence that I, the said George Henry Asker, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Henry
Asker, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
IN UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND SUN SHADES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Henry Asker, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
Lature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be

page_text: cap, and this being inclined the tip cap with the runner yields back to
the pressure, the spring d being overcome, the ends of the ribs thus
enter the tip cap, and the spring immediately brings it forward over them
to prevent their escape.
When it is desired to open the umbrella, parasol, or sun shade it is
readily done by drawing back the tip cap and runner, so as to let the
ribs spring out.
I would remark that in my Provisional Specification I mentioned
other ways of applying a tip cap to an umbrella, parasol, or sun shade
where it was able to move on the runner, or was mounted independently
of it. I have since discovered that such methods of applying a tip cap
are not convenient in practice and have been before proposed; I do not
therefore now describe or make any claim to such methods; but what I
claim is the fixing or forming the tip cap on the runner and arranging
the runner to slide through the notch piece, as above described.
I also claim the forming the tip cap with inclined external sides,
so that the pressure of the ends of the ribs against it may cause it to
recede and allow the ribs to enter it as above described.
In witness whercof, I, the said George Henry Asker, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
GEO. H. ASKER. (L.S.)