Improvements in the Construction of Umbrellas, Parasols, and Sunshades.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 8th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 21st Sept.. 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Umbrellas, Parasols, and
Sunshades.
I, JOHN BUCKLEY SEEL of 66 Basinghall Street in the city of London, Com-
mission Agent do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
The object of my invention is to dispense with the springs on the sticks of
umbrellas, parasols and sunshades usually omployed for the purpose of keeping the
umbrella, parasol or sunshade open or closed, and to produce a more elegant shape.
In order to accomplish this purpose I use ribs and stretchers of any ordinary pattern,
except that the ends of the ribs usually attached to the notch are made of a different
shape and are differently attached, and the stretchers are attached to the ribs much
nearer to the tip end than is generally the case. At the ends of the ribs attached
to the notch I increase the strength for a few inches, gradually diminishing the
strength in the direction of the get, or in place of strengthening the ends of the ribs,
I make the ribs more flexible for a short distance at about three inches from the
notch end, by making them broader and thinner or by other means, the object in all
cases being the same, namely, to cause the ribs to bend at the place required: in place
of the hole usually made at the ends of the ribs for the tying wire, I cut a groove.
Instead of the notch usually employed I use one of a special design. I tako a
piece of thick metal tube about three quarters of an inch long, in this I cut longi-
tudinal grooves just wide and deep enough to contain the ends of the ribs, round this
notch at a short distance from the end I cut a groove to contain the tying wire which
keeps the ribs in place, and at the other end of the notch 1 secure a strong metal
ring encircling the grooves: the ends of the ribs are pushed under the metal
ring along the longitudinal grooves and secured by the tying wire lying in the circular
groove, the ribs will thus be held firmly for a distance of about three quarters of an
inch: the stretchors are secured to the runner in the ordinary way. If now the
runner is pushed upwards the ribs will bend between the get and the notch, and
after the runner has passed the horizontal position, the elasticity of the ribs will
tend to push it still further upwards, thus doing away with the necessity of a top
spring, and when the runner is pulled downwards, the ribs being elastic will straighten
themselves and thus keep the umbrella closed without the need of a bottom or hand
spring.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Umbrellas, Parasols, and
Sunshades.
I JOHN BUCKLEY SEEL of 66 Basinghall Street in the City of London Com-
mission Agent 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 :—
The object of my invention is to dispense with the springs on the sticks of umbrellas
parasols and sunshades usually employed for the purpose of keeping the umbrella
parasol or sunshade open or shut and to produce a more elegant shape.
In order to accomplish this purpose I use ribs and stretchers of any ordinary
pattern, except that the ends of the ribs usually attached to the notch are made of
a different shape and are differently attached and the stretchers are attached to the
ribs nearer to the tip end of the ribs than is generally the case..

page_text: According to one modification of my invention applicable to solid ribs I increase
the strength of the rib for a few inches at the end attached to the notch and
gradually diminish the strength in the direction of the get, according to another
inodification of my invention applicablo not only to solid ribs but also to the paragon
ribs.
I make the ribs more flexible for a short distance commencing at about 3 inches
from the notch end and extending towards the get. In the case of solid ribs I do
this by flattening the ribs at the part described so as to make them broader and
thinner and in the case of the paragon ribs I flatten or open out the rib at the part
described sufficiently to allow of the rib being bent upwards or downwards without
a tendency to twist or kink.
In place of the hole usually made at the ends of the ribs for the tying wire I
cut a nick or groove. Instead of the notch usually employed I use one of a special
design. I take a piece of thick metal tube about of an inch long, in this I cut
longitudinal grooves just wide enough and deep enough to contain the ends of the
ribs round this notch at a short distance from the upper end I cut a transverse
groove to contain the tying wire which keeps the ribs in place and at the other end
of the notch I secure a strong metal ring encircling the grooves. The ends of the
ribs are pushed under the metal ring along the longitudinal grooves and secured by
the tying wire lying in the transverse groove and in the nicks or grooves in the ends
of the ribs.
By a modification of my invention instead of making a notch of the special
design above described I can attain the same result by using 2 ordinary notches
one fixed in the usual manner and the other inverted and fixed below but closely
adjoining to the first. The nicks in the lower notch are made wider than usual so
as to receive the full width of the ribs instead of the flattened ends. With this
modification of my invention I pierce the ends of tho ribs as usual and secure them.
to the upper notch in the usual manner. The ribs are then pressed close to the
stick and enter the nicks of the lower notch, round which and over the ribs a second
tying wire is secured.
In either modification of my notch the ribs are firmly held so as to be motionless
for a distance of about 4 of an inch.
The stretchers are secured to the runner in the ordinary way.
If now the runner is pushed upwards, the ribs being hold motionless at the notch
will bend between the get and the notch and after the runner has passed the
horizontal position, or that in which the stretchers make an angle of 90 degrees
with the stick the elasticity of the ribs will tend to push it still further upwards and
if it be arrested at a suitable point by a pin in the stick the necessity for a top
spring is done away with and when the runner is pulled downwards, the ribs being
elastic will straighten themselves and thus keep the umbrella closed without the need
of a bottom or hand spring.
The drawings accompanying this specification are for the purpose of further
elucidating the above description.
Fig. I is a perspective view of the complete umbrella parasol or sunshade made
according to this invention, with the covering removed from one side to shew the
framework.
Fig. II is a perspective view of the form of notch first above described with one
of the ribs attached thereto. A is one of the longitudinal grooves. B is the metal
ring encircling the grooves. C is the transverse groove for the tying wire.
•
Fig. II is a perspective view of the modification of the notch secondly above
described, consisting of the ordinary notch D fixed in the usual way and the ordinary
notch E inverted and fixed below but closely adjoining the notch D. The nicks in
the notch E are made wide enough and deep enough to receive the ribs and allow
the tying wire F to be secured around them.
Fig. IV shows two perspective views of a solid rib flattened at the part where it
is required to be most flexible.
Fig. V shows the perspective view of a paragon rib opened out at the part where

page_text: it is required to be more flexible is a section of the paragon rib where not opened
out J is a section of the same rib where opened out.
In figures IV and V G is the form of the end of the rib which is used with the
notch in Fig. II and H is the form of the end of the rib used with the notch in
Fig. III.
I have not thought it necessary to give any drawing of a rib simply strengthened
where attached to the notch and diminishing in strength towards the get.
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 :-in
an umbrella parasol or sunshade.
1. The notch hereinbefore described and illustrated in Fig. II.
2. The double notch hereinbefore described and illustrated in Fig. III.
3. Ribs attached to the notch so as to be held motionless for a short distance from
their notch ends substantially as heroin before described.
4. Ribs strengthened at the part which is attached to the notch and gradually
diminished in strength towards the get for the purpose and substantially as herein-
before described.
5. Solid ribs flattened for a sbort distance between the notch end and the get for
the purpose and substantially as hercinbefore described.
6. Paragon ribs oponed out for a short distance between the notch end and the get
for the purpose and substantially as herein before described.
7. The combination of a notch of either of the forms described with ribs of either
of the forms described.
Date : 7th
1300
W. H. S. WATTS,
Agent for the Applicant.