IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Albert Davis, of Plimsoll Road, Finsbury Park,
in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
UMBRELLAS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Albert Davis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th May 1881.
HENRY ALBERT DAVIS, of Plimsoll Road, Finsbury Park, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS."
My Invention relates to improvements in umbrellas and is applicable to all classes
of these articles including not only those commonly so called but also those termed
sunshades and parasols.
The said Invention is chiefly designed to provide more effectual means than those
heretofore used, for securing the ribs to the stick, and to improve the appearance of
the umbrella at the part where the ordinary notch has heretofore been used.
The usual method of securing the ribs to the notch with fine wire has been
found in practice very unsatisfactory. The wire quickly rusts and being thereby
weakened and unable to bear the strain caused by the opening and closing of the
umbrella, frequently breaks thus releasing the ribs and rendering the umbrella
temporarily useless.
But my Invention provides for attaching the ribs in a very secure and simple
manner which avoids all of these difficulties and affords great strength and durability
and gives a very neat appearance to the umbrella.
In carrying my Invention into practice I construct a rib-holder of brass or other
suitable metal of a tubular form and not larger in diameter than the umbrella stick
to which it is to be united. This rib-holder has in it a series of recesses or slots to
receive the ends of the ribs which are formed with knobs or heads to fit and work
within the said slots as in the case of ball and socket joints. Or I may make the
ends of the ribs of such a size as to permit a hole to be formed therein sufficiently
large to admit a piece of strong brass or other wire which I pass through the said
ends in the form of a ring.
The part of the rib-holder immediately below the recesses wherein the heads or
ends of the ribs are inserted, is made taper or sloping to permit the ribs, when

page_text: closed, to fit and lie within the circumference of the stick for a few inches of their
length, thus further ensuring a neat appearance at this part of the umbrella.
Upon the said rib-holder I fit a brass or other metal tube to retain the ends of
the ribs in place in the holder and to strengthen the umbrella at this part; the said
tube is slotted to permit the ribs to work through the same in the opening and
closing of the umbrella.
For the connection of the umbrella-stick with the said rib-holder I provide each
end of the latter wth a hole or socket and I divide the stick into two parts each
of which is fitted and securely fastened in one of the said sockets.
I sometimes modify my Invention by dispensing with the said rib-holder and
cutting the recesses for the rib ends in the stick and placing the aforesaid exterior
slotted metal tube over these recesses. In this case the additional strength of the
metal tube will more than compensate for the weakening of the stick by the said
recesses and the umbrella will have more than the ordinary strength at this part.
"
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Henry Albert Davis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th November 1881.
HENRY ALBERT DAVIS, of Plimsoll Road, Finsbury Park, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS."
My Invention relates to improvements in umbrellas, and is applicable to all classes
of these articles, including not only those commonly so called, but also those termed
sunshades and parasols.
The said Invention is chiefly designed to provide more efficient means than those
heretofore employed, for securing the ends of the ribs to the stick, but it is also
designed to improve the appearance of the umbrella by reducing its bulk at the part
where the ordinary notch has heretofore been used.
The usual method of securing the ribs to the notch with wire has been found in
practice to be very unsatisfactory, for the reason that upon the wire breaking,
the ribs are released, the cover is damaged, and the umbrella is rendered
temporarily useless. Moreover, when the ordinary top-notch is used, the bulk
of the umbrella is greatly increased, thus giving an unsightly appearance to
the same, and, in order to permit a notch of small size to be used, it has heretofore
been found necessary to employ a very weak or thin stick or a metal tube. My
Invention, however, permits a stick of any size or strength to be used, there being
no necessity to reduce or weaken it, or to employ a very thin stick for such purpose.
The said Invention also provides means for attaching the ribs in a more secure
manner than heretofore, and affords great strength and durability, and at the same
time gives a very neat appearance to the unbrella.

page_text: In the accompanying Drawing
Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved rib-holder applied to the stick of an
umbrella, and represents a portion of two of the ribs, and the cover attached
thereto.
Figure 2 is a vertical central section of the said rib-holder, with the two parts of
the stick and a portion of one of the ribs therein.
Figure 3 is an elevation of a modified form of the said rib-holder hereinafter
described, and
Figure 4 is a transverse section of the same on the line e, Figure 3.
Figures 5 and 6 represent the end portions of ribs adapted to be secured to my
improved rib-holder.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
a is the stick of the umbrella and the rib-holder; c, are the ribs, and d is the
silk or other covering material. The remaining parts are hereinafter described.
In carrying my Invention into practice I employ, instead of the ordinary notch,
the rib-holder which is constructed of brass or other suitable metal of tubular
form, and which can be made smaller than, but should be as large in diameter as,
the body of the umbrella-stick to which it is to be united. This rib-holder iś
provided at its ends with holes or sockets 1, 2 to permit the connection of the
same with the umbrella stick which is divided into two parts a¹, a² as shewn, each
of which parts is securely fastened in one of the said sockets. The said rib-holder
has in its solid portion between the said parts a, a² of the stick, a series of
recesses or grooves e to receive the ends or end portions of the ribs e, which may.
be formed with knobs or cross-heads to fit and work separately within the said
slots as in ordinary ball and socket joints. I prefer however, to connect the said
ribs with the rib-holder by means of a strong wire in the ordinary manner.
The part of the rib-holder immediately below the recesses e, in which the portions
of the ribs e forming their heads or ends are inserted, is made taper or sloping to
permit the said ribs, when closed, to lie within a space not greater in circumference
than the body of the stick for a portion of their length, as shewn in Figure 2. A
neat appearance of the umbrella is thus ensured.
When I employ ribs that are secured independently of one another, I fit a short
brass or other metal tube or ring, y upon the aforesaid rib-holder to retain the
ends of the ribs c in place in the said holder; this tube or ring is provided with
slots ginto which the rib ends project, and through which the same work in the
opening and closing of the umbrella; the said tube or ring is held upon the rib
holder in its proper position, partly by the portions of the rib-end projecting
through the slots, and partly by a screw, or by a wire ring ; this ring is partly
sunk in a groove formed in the rib-holder close to the upper end or edge of the
said tube g; this ring will permit the said tube to be easily and quickly shifted
or slid upon the said holder should it become necessary, in case of accident, or
otherwise, to remove or replace one or more of the said ribs.
When the ribs are connected to the rib-holder in the ordinary manner by wire,
in the event of the said wire breaking, the aforesaid tube will prevent the
ribs escaping and damaging the cover. Each of the two parts a', a² of the
stick is secured in the sockets 1, 2 of the rib-holder by rivets, screws, or other-
wise, the said rib-holder serving as a union or connecting piece for the said parts.
Either or both of these parts or portions a¹, a² of the stick, when secured to the
rib-holder by screws, can be readily detached to reduce the length of the umbrella,
to facilitate the packing of the same in a portmanteau, or for other purposes.
To permit the silk or other covering material to be readily tied or fastened to
the ri-holder, I provide the latter with an annular groove a short distance
above the recesses e, in which the ends of the ribs work as shown. The said rib-
holder, with the exception of the part, is thus concealed by the silk or other
material, and this part greatly improves the appearance and finish of the
umbrella, and takes the place of, and therefore obviates the necessity for employing
an open capas ordinarily used.

page_text: .
In some cases, instead of so forming the partitions 3 between the recesses e that
the heads or ends only of the ribs will be enclosed by the same when secured to
the rib-holder, as in Figures 1 and 2, I extend the said partitions in the direction
of the length of the, said rib-holder as shown in Figure 3 to further increase the
strength of the latter.
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I prefer to employ, in connection with my improved rib-holder, ribs of the well
known
:: paragon construction, and for this purpose form the grooves or
recesses e of the same shape as the ends of the ribs, as shewn in the Drawing.
When the projections 63 are extended as shewn in Figure 3, they may be reduced
in width below the ring as shewn, so that the grooves or recesses between the
projections will correspond in form with the end or upper portion of the ordinary
paragon rib shown in Figure 5, or the projections may be made of one width
throughout so that the said grooves or recesses between the same will be com-
paratively narrow, the end portion of such ribs being flattened or closed as shewn
at e in Figure 6, so as to fit within the said grooves or recesses.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim am aware that before the date of my patent it was
proposed to construct an umbrella which should have a ribholder or notch of relatively
small size. For instance, in the provisional specificon of John Weeks, No. 1777 of the
year 1864, there is described a method of construction according to which the wood stick is
continued with an iron tube or rod of smaller diameter, a small notch being in the ordinary
manner slipped over such tube of secured thereon. Moreover in some cases the woodstick
has been tapered down to a smaller diameter, f so continued to the end, the small notch.
being slipped on f secured as before. I make no claim to such methods of construction,
nor to anything described in the said provisional specificon, nor to any method of construc-
tion in which the ribholder or notch is slipped over the end of the umbrella stick in the
ordinary manner or which does not permit of the end of the stick being of the same.
diameter as the ribholder of the body of the stick. And I declare that no umbrella stick
is within the scope of the second claiming clause hereof which is not divided into two
portions both of wood such portions being united with a ribholder between them. But I
claim―
First. The improved rib-holder (with or without, the slotted tube), constructed
substantially as above set forth and shewn in the Drawings, for the purpose
specified.
Second. An umbrella-stick formed in two parts both of wood united by a metal rib-
holder which has a solid portion containing recesses for the reception of the rib-ends
between the two parts of the stick, as above set forth, and subject to the disclaiming notes
hereinbefore contained.
Third. The combination of my improved rib-holder with the other parts of an
umbrella, substantially as shewn and described.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Albert Davis have hereunto set my
hand and seal this First day of November in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.