Apparatus Used therefor.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1887
Complete Left, 26th Mar., 1888
Complete Accepted, 25th May, 1888
Apparatus Used therefor.
1, FREDERICK ARTHUR ELLIS, of 77 Glengarry Road, East Dulwich, in the County
of Surrey, Umbrella manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to the manufacture of umbrella furniture, namely to the
runner and top-notch, and is designed to effect the manufacture of such articles in a
more substantial and cheaper method than at present known.
To carry my manufacturing process into effect, I take open tubing such as solid
drawn tube, which may be of brass, zinc or any other suitable metal, of suitable
diameter internally to correspond with the notches or runners that I wish to manu-
facture from the said tube, and of external diameter such as to be rather stouter than
the outside diameter of the barrels of the finished runner and notch.
I first proceed by my process to reduce the outside diameter of the said tubing for
either the top notch or the runner, by turning off that portion corresponding to the
barrel of the said runner or top-notch.
I effect this conveniently by a self-act tool, which is very simple in the case of the
top notch, being only an ordinary slide rest lathe in which the tool is caused to slide
to the work by any convenient mechanical movement or by hand feed, so as to reduce
the external barrel of the top notch, leaving a small collar where the upper notch or
flange is to be formed as hereinafter more fully described.
The preliminary turning of the runner requires a somewhat more elaborate self-act
machine. A finished runner requires to have a bead at its lower edge, and I produce
the said bead upon the runner by applying a turning tool of special form to turn the
lower end of the said runner so as to form the bead thereon out of the solid metal.
The barrel of the runner is more conveniently turned down to the required diameter
by another tool, which must be given a travel parallel to the axis of the runner, so as
turn the runner up to the shoulder of the preliminary notch or flange which is allowed
to remain at the upper end of the runner after this first process.
To effect these turning operations automatically, I employ a specially constructed
lathe. The runner is applied to a revolving mandrel, rotated by the head stock, and

page_text: is pressed home thereon by the poppet head mandrel which is made to slide longitudi-
nally in the axis of the lathe, by a lever movement worked either by hand or by a
suitable cam from the under driving shaft of the lathe.
on a
The two aforesaid turning tools are mounted on slide rests, one of which
is capable of movement only to or from the axis of the work, this movement
being produced automatically by a self-acting lever worked from a cam
suitable rotating shaft under the bed of the lathe. The other slide rest tool which
turns the barrel of the runner, has also a movement longitudinally with the bed of
the lathe, which, together with the to and fro motion towards the axis of the lathe
is produced by a suitable lever worked from a serpentine cam on a convenient
rotating shaft under the bed of the lathe. The said lever is provided with a swivel
or cup and ball joint, so as to permit of its movement in two planes at right angles
to one another to effect the necessary travel of the said tool.
The runner by this self-act tool is thus completed as far as regards its barrel and
bottom bead.
a
To complete the top flange or notch in the runner, and top notch, I employ
power press which consists essentially of a punch and die, fed with top notches or
runners, as the case may be, from a revolving plate, the said articles being placed by
the operator upon the said revolving plate from which they are fed by a finger
automatically into the die, as the machine works. In the case of the top notch,
the die and punch are of an ordinary description, a recess for the top flange to be
formed on the top notch being provided either in the die, or in the punch, or partly
in both.
In the case of the runner, owing to the presence of a bead upon its lower end,
it is necessary for the die to be split, so that it will open for the reception of the
and will close again upon the said runner, to hold it firmly, whilst the
pressure of the punch or plunger forms the flange on the top of the said runner.
runner,
The opening and closing of the said split die may be effected in several equivalent
ways. Wedge faces may be provided upon the descending plunger or bolster,
which may force the dies together against the reaction of springs during the
upsetting of the runner. The said springs cause the split die to automatically open,
and release the runner after the operation has been completed. Or, the same effect
may be produced by cam movements from the rotary shaft of the press communi-
cated through suitable levers to the sliding face of the die, against the reaction of
springs or otherwise.
In such a press, the top flanges of the runner and top notch are upset or pressed
out, so as to become of considerably greater diameter than that of the original
tube, from which the runner and notch is formed, so as to save waste of metal.
To finish the hand-spring aperture in the runner I force up the edges outwards
of the said aperture by a press, tool or tools suitable for the purpose. I then form a
piece of hard sheet metal, with a central aperture surrounded by projecting edges,
which I insert through the hand spring aperture of the runner from within, and
finally press the edges of the said facing strip of hard metal over the edges of the
aperture in the runner, so as to form a bead around the hand-spring aperture of
hard metal and of great strength.
It is obvious that many equivalent tools may be devised to effect the necessary
operations for the manufacture of the runner and top-notch as above described,
without departing from the essence of my invention, which essentially consists in
manufacturing such a runner and top notch from portions of open tubes by a com-
bined turning and pressing process, which provides a top notch and runner, in both
of which the flange is homogeneous and solid with the barrel, and in the latter case
the bottom bead also.
Dal 1: OKL
1007
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.(.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Umbrella Furniture and in
Apparatus Used therefor.
I FREDERICK ARTHUR ELLIS, of 77 Glengarry Road, East Dulwich, Umbrella
furniture manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to bo performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :—
My Invention relates first to the manufacture of those parts of the furniture of an
umbrella which are technically known as the " runner "and the "top notch," and
secondly to the machinery or apparatus employed therein.
My Invention has for its object to greatly reduce the cost of manufacture and
increase the strength and durability of the runner and top notch as compared with
the ordinary mode of manufacture, and as applied to the runner it consists in making
the runner barrel, the runner notch, and the bead at the lower end of the runner
barrel, all in one piece (or as applied to the top notch, in making the barrel and notch
in one piece) by partially turning down and partially upsetting a piece of metal tube
as hereafter described, whereby the operations of, and incidental to, joining the said
parts together as usually practised heretofore are avoided, and consequently the labor
and cost of manufacture are greatly reduced, at the same time that the strength of
the article is much increased and other incidental advantages are obtained.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification, which represent first in figures 1 to 4 the runner of my invention in the
various stages of manufacture and in figure 5 a top notch made in a similar manner
and secondly in figures to 16 the machinery whereby the operations of turning and
upsetting are performed.
Referring to figures 1 to 4 which illustrate full size, in end and side views, the
mode of manufacturing, I cut off from what is known as solid drawn or mandrel
drawn brass or other metal tubing of the intended internal diameter of the runner and
about one sixteenth of an inch thick (more or less) a length, shewn in figure 1, rather
greater than the intended length of the runner so that when partially "upset" to
form the "notch" as hereafter described, it will form a runner of the desired
dimensions. I then turn in a suitable lathe the parallel or barrel portion a of the runner,
as shewn in figure 2 so as to reduce this portion to the desired thickness and external
diameter and likewise the rounded bead 6 at the end of the barrel portion which is left
of rather greater diameter than the said barrel portion. A portion cat the opposite
end of the tube, about three-eighths of an inch in length, is left of the original diameter
and the partially formed runner is then placed on a mandrel and brought between the
two halves of a split-die (corresponding internally to the form of runner shewn in
figure 3) and the die being closed upon it a punch is brought down upon the end of
the portion c with sufficient force to "upset" the metal and force it outwards into the
cavity of the die, thus reducing the length of the portion and increasing its external
diameter and so throwing out a flange, represented at c¹ in figure 3, as near as possible

page_text: of the intended form of the "notch." The notch is then completed by turning
the flange c¹ to its final form and by turning a circumferential groovo d to receive the
binding wire of the stretchers and by cutting radial slots e to receive the ends of the
stretchers, these last mentioned operations being performed in the usual way of making
such notches.
The foregoing description applies also mutatis mutandis to the manufacture of the
top notch (which is represented in figure 5) except that the tool for turning the barrel
portion of the top notch would not require to have a traversing motion but would be
brought up to the work by any convenient mechanical movement or by hand so as to
reduce the barrel part externally and leave a portion unturned to form the notch
proper by upsetting the metal as described in respect of the runner notch. Further
as the top notch is not required to have any bead, the tool for that purpose would not
be required.
The bead 6 of the runner is then turned internally by means of any suitable tool so
as to hollow it slightly, as shewn in figure 4; The usual slot f for the spring catch is
then punched out care being taken that its lower end partly intersects the hollow
bead 6 so that any burr or roughness at that point will be distant from and therefore
not liable to scratch the stick.
To finish the hand spring slot of a runner made as above described or in the ordinary
way, the metal around the slot is bulged slightly outwards, as shewn in cross-section
in figure 6, by a suitable press tool to receive the inner flange of an eyelet (figure 7)
corresponding in form to the slot f which is then inserted in said slot from within
and clenched on the outside, as shewn in elevation and section in figure 8, so as to
form a bead around the slot and give it a better finish and greater strength.
Referring now to the machinery which I prefer to employ for manufacturing the
runner, figure 9 is a side elevation of the lathe and a part plan shewing the tools for
turning the barrel and bottom bead externally. The blank length of tube, figure 1 is
placed on a slightly conical revolving mandrel f upon which it is driven tightly by a
plunger g sliding in the poppet head and which may be worked by a hand lever and
screw of rapid pitch in line with and connected to the plunger, or automatically as
hereafter described. The plunger g also carries a forked claw which embraces the
mandrel in rear of the piece of tube for the purpose of removing the latter from the
mandrel by the retraction of the plunger when the turning operation is completed.
The plunger g has a cavity in the end in which is received the end of the mandrel f
thereby steadying that end during the operation of turning. k is a compound slide
rest carrying on one side a tool of a form corresponding to the intended form of the
bead b and on the opposite side a tool m for turning the barrel portion a, so that when
the one tool is brought into work the other is thrown out. When the last mentioned
tool is in work, the slide rest receives a traversing motion, in a direction parallel to
the axis of the work as the turning of the barrel proceeds, the transverse and
longitudinal motions being imparted to the slide rest in the ordinary way. Or, the
slide rest may be moved automatically by cams n o, acting on the two parts of the
slide rest through levers n¹ o¹, and suitably formed so as to give them the desired
motions at proper intervals of time. The plunger g would in this case, slide in the
poppet head and be worked by a third cam p, the duty of the attendant being limited
to putting on, and removing, the length of tube.
Referring to figures 10 to 16 which illustrate the machinery for upsetting the end
of the partially turned tube, figure 10 is a front, and figure 11 a side, elevation of the
press. Figure 12 is a horizontal section of same on line 1-1 figure 10. Figures 13
and 14 are respectively cross-sections on lines 2-2 and 3-3 figure 12. Figure 15,
is an enlarged detail view of a part of figure 14. Figure 16 is a detail of the punch
and die.
This press comprises a punch A split die B B, revolving table C, and their adjuncts
as hereafter described. The punch A is carried by a slide block D working up and
down in guides in the frame and is actuated through a connecting rod D₁ from a
crank on the main shaft E. The split die is carried by a holder consisting of of a pair
of jaws B pivoted upon a common centre B₁ and closed together by a fork F abutting

page_text: against ears 6 projecting from the backs of the two members, this fork being fitted to
slide in guides in rear of the die holder, as shewn in figures 11 and 12. The die
holder is opened by springs 61 attached to the ears 6 and to a cross head carried by
the part F. The part F is worked from a pair of cams H on the main shaft through
a lever G pivoted at y to the frame connected by a link g¹ with the part F, and by a
spring g with a fixed point whereby the die is opened and closed at the proper times.
The die is held firmly closed against the internal pressure by a pair of cheek plates a a
carried by the punch slide and braced together by a tie bolt which, when the punch
comes down, tightly embrace the halves of the die holder B, a tight grip being ensured
either by making adjacent faces of the parts B and a slightly inclined so as to produce
a wedge-like action or by merely rounding the meeting corners of the said faces.
The revolving table C turns upon a vertical pivot and, is rotated intermittently by a
pawl I pivoted at i, said pivot being carried by a horizontal slide J working in guides
on the side of the main frame, a spring acting on the tail end of the said pawl,
tending to engage the latter in the notches c in the periphery of the table. The table
is locked whilst the punch is in action, by another pawl K which is also made to
engage with notches c by spring k. It is disengaged from the table by an abutment j
on the slide J striking the tail end of the pawl K preparatory to the pawl I again
moving the table. The slide J is worked by an oscillating lever L pivoted to the
framework at and oscillated by a crank pin and die on the main shaft.
The table is provided with a circle of studs or mandrels M corresponding in
diameter to the bore of the runners to be operated on. They stand up from the face
of the table and at each stroke of pawl I are brought in succession axially in line
beneath the punch A. Each mandrel is a stud fixed in the table and surrounded by a
collar m upon which the runner blank rests, this collar being supported by a spring m¹
which will permit it to yield when the upsetting operation takes place. This yielding
support is necessary, to prevent end wise pressure coming on the barrel portion of the
runner which is forced slightly downwards on the mandrel when the upsetting action
takes place. The parts are so timed that the opening and closing of the die will take
place concurrently with the motion of the table necessary to carry one mandrel from
under the punch and bring the next succeeding one to that position, the descent of the
punch taking place immediately after the closing of the die, thus effecting the upsetting
of the portion c, figure 2, of the runner and pressing it into the cavity of the die
which corresponds in form to the flange required to form the notch, as in figures 3
and 16. The blanks are placed on the mandrels by hand and are removed automatically
by a discharging device consisting of a vertically reciprocating tube N moving in a
guide and terminating at the lower end in a pair of spring claws n and carrying at
the upper end a shoot n¹. This tube is worked up and down by a forked lever O
embracing the tube N and engaging with gudgeons thereon, the said lever taking its
motion from an eccentric P on the main shaft through lever p and connecting rod p¹.
This device is so situated with regard to the table and its locking mechanism, that at
each descent of the tube the claws n will pass over a mandrel M and embrace the
upset flange of the runner thereon, thereby in its ascent lifting it off the mandrel, the
runner so lifted off being discharged at the shoot n¹ by being forced up through
the tube by the succeeding runners.
It will be obvious that the operations of turning and upsetting, above described,
may be performed by other tools than those described, and that my invention, so far
as it relates to the mode of manufacturing the runner and top notch, is not limited
to the use of any particular apparatus, but consists essentially in manufacturing such
runners and top notches from lengths of open tubing by a combined turning and
upsetting process whereby the flange to form the notch proper is in one with the
barrel, as is in the case of the runner, the bottom bead also.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would observe that I am aware
that it has heretofore been attempted to make a runner solid with its notch by
cupping a flat disc of metal and drawing the cupped portion in dies to cylindrical

page_text: form leaving the top edge of the cup or cylinder of its original thickness to form the
"notch," the closed lower end of the cylinder being then cut off and a bead formed
by spinning over the lower end of the barrel thus formed; and I do not therefore
claim all ways of making a solid runner or top notch, but I declare that what I
do claim is ;-
1. The herein described mode of manufacturing umbrella runners and top notches,
each in a single piece of metal, by partly turning down a length of metal tubing and
partly upsetting the same in dies, as and for the purpose specified.
2. The apparatus for use in turning down a length of metal tubing for the purpose
specified, consisting in the combination with the taper mandrel and slide rest of the
device for fixing the tube on, and removing it from, the mandrel and of the cams and
levers for operating the same as described.
3. The herein described upsetting press, consisting essentially in the combination
with the plunger punch, of a rotating table provided with mandrels and of a split die
adapted to open and close and to embrace the mandrels in succession and be held
firmly closed when the punch comes down to upset the tubes placed upon the mandrels,
substantially as described and shewn in the drawings.
4. The combination with a runner of an oblong metallic eyelet corresponding to
the hand spring slot and forming a beaded finish therefor, substantially as specified.
Dated this 26th day of March 188e
F. A. ELLIS.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.