An Improved Flexible Support for Umbrellas and Sunshades, applicable also as a Standard or Support for Desks and other Articles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Aug., 1893-Accepted, 21st Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Flexible Support for Umbrellas and Sunshades,
applicable also as a Standard or Support for Desks and other
Articles.
I WILLIAM JOHNSTON YAPP, of 210 Sloane Street, London S.W. Boot
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a support chiefly designed for holding an umbrella or
sunshade in position as an awning above a garden or other outdoor seat, but
applicable as a standard for a book rest, desk, and such like, and the invention
consists essentially in making the standard of flexible metallic tabing in combination
with a tensional connection passing therethrough and attached to terminal pieces or
plugs, the construction being such that while the standard possesses sufficient rigidity
to fulfil the purpose for which it is designed, and, in the case of an umbrella
support to withstand the pressure of the wind, it is nevertheless sufficiently yielding
to enable its position to be adjusted without difficulty.
The tubing I employ is preferably formed of spirally coiled and interlocked
channelled strips and the terminal plugs are shouldered to fit in and abut against
the end of the tube. The chain or other tensional connection is tightened up by
means of a wing nut screwing on a stem passing through one of the terminal plugs
which are recessed to receive an india-rubber cushion against which the wing nut
bears, to ensure a certain amount of elasticity in the connection. In lieu of, or in
addition to, the plugs, the ends of the flexible tubing may be encased in caps or
ferrules, to give the article a finish.
The plug at the lower end of the standard is provided with a screw clamp
adapted, in the case of an umbrella support, to be affixed to a garden seat or other
support and the upper end of the standard is furnished with spring clips sufficiently
strong to clamp and securely hold the handle of the umbrella.
Dated this 11th
W. J. YAPP,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
W. J. YAPP,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Flexible Support for Umbrellas and Sunshades,
applicable also as a Standard or Support for Desks and other
Articles.
I, WILLIAM JOHNSTON YAPP of 210, Sloane Street, London, S.W., Boot
Manufacturer, 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 :-
My invention relates to a support chiefly designed for holding an umbrella or
sunshade in position as an awning above an outdoor seat but applicable as a
standard for a book rest, desk, and such like, and the invention consists essentially
in making the support or standard of flexible metallic tubing attached to terminal
pieces provided with screw clamps or other means of attachment, the construction
being such that while the standard is sufficiently rigid to support the umbrella
book-rest, desk, or other article in any position to which it may be set, its flexibility
enables the position of the umbrella, etc., to be readily adjusted by bending the
standard in the required direction.

page_text: Iveference is to be nad to the accompanying drawings,, forming part of this
Specification, wherein
Figure 1 illustrates the invention as applied to support an umbrella over a garden
seat.
Figure 2 is a part sectional broken view of the standard and its connections
separately.
The
The standard A is a piece of flexible tubing formed of a spirally-coiled steel
strip a of reversely grooved or channelled section, the coils interlocking, as shewn,
and the terminal plugs B C fit in the ends of the tubular flexible standard and are
secured by cross-pins or otherwise, the plugs being shouldered so as to abut agaiust
the ends of the tube. The plug C is fitted into a socket D and is prevented from
turning by the ends of a cross-pin c entering notches d in the end of the socket.
This socket forms part of a screw-clamp E adapted to be affixed to the back of a
garden seat, as shewn in Figure 1, or to any other fixed support according to
the position or purpose in or for which the standard is to be used.
plug B is provided with an abutment piece b grooved to receive the umbrella
handle and with a hooked clamp F adapted to be tightened up by a wing
nut or other .contrivance, so as to firmly grip the umbrella handle between
the hooked end of the clamp and the grooved abutment piece b. In order to
give the standard A. the necessary stiffness to adapt it to its intended purpose it is
traversed by a steel wire G whose ends are bent at right angles and held in
diametrical slots in the inner ends of the plugs B C and before cross-pinning or
otherwise securing the one plug, after securing the other a certain amount of
twist is given to the wire in the direction of coiling the spiral strip a forming the
tube which puts the tube under an initial strain, preventing the coils from
unwinding and tending to draw them closer together so as to make them work
stiffly on one another, in order to give the tube the necessary rigidity to enable it
to support the umbrella in whatever position it may be placed.
Although I have described my invention as an umbrella support, I would have it
understood that I do not limit myself in this respect, the apparatus, minus the
clamps, being adapted to form a standard or support for desks and other articles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is―
1st. A flexible standard or support for umbrellas, sunshades, reading desks, and
other articles, constructed of spirally-coiled interlocking strips provided with a wire
which traverses the standard or support and imparts the necessary stiffness thereto,
as specified.
2nd. The herein described flexible metallic tubular standard or support for
umbrellas and sunshades, constructed of spirally-coiled interlocking strips provided
with the means for imparting stiffness thereto, as specified, in combination with
clamps or equivalent devices for attaching it to a garden seat or other support and
for holding the umbrella or sunshade, as specified.
Dated this 23rd day of Avanst 1202