IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND SUNSHADES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Pottle, of Gray's Inn Road, in the
County of Middlesex, Fishing Rod Manufacturer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND SUNSHADES."
Sealed the 1st June 1869, and dated the 8th December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Pottle
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 8th December 1868.
I, WILLIAM HENRY POTTLE, of Gray's Inn Road, in the County of
Middlesex, Fishing Rod Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND SUN-
SHADES," to be as follows:-
"to
This Invention relates to the runners of umbrellas, parasols, and
sunshades, and arrangements in connection therewith, and it has for
its object certain improvements whereby the runner is readily held in
place, released, and operated. Another advantage of my Invention is
that the stick or handle is not weakened as in ordinary arrangements.

page_text: My improved runner is formed with a longitudinal slot or opening,
and it is fitted or provided with a ring or collar, which is capable of
being rotated or partially rotated on the runner in both directions.
Suitable stop arrangements are provided to hold the ring in the required
position. A portion of this ring is raised or arched so as to form a sort
of bridge piece. Two pins, studs, or stops are fixed in the stick, one at
the upper and the other at the lower part thereof in convenient positions
for the operation of the runner.
When it is desired to move the runner
in order to open and close the umbrella, parasol, or sunshade the ring
is moved partly round on the runner in such manner as to bring its
raised, arched, or bridge portion in such position that when an effort
is made to push the runner upward such raised, arched, or bridge
portion will pass over the fixed pin, stop, or stud, and clear it, and thus
the runner will be released and free to be slidden along the stick or
handle. But when the runner is to be held in position to keep the
umbrella opened or closed, the ring is moved on the runner into such
position as to bring its arched or bridge portion away from the pin or
stud, and present thereto the edge of the body or main portion of the
ring. If, when in that position, an effort be made to push the runner,
the edge of the ring abutting against the pin or stud will effectually lock
the runner or hold it so as to prevent its movement.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Henry Pottle in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY POTTLE, of Gray's Inn Road, in the County of Middlesex, Fishing
Rod Manufacturer, sond greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Hor
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth 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 successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Henry Pottle, Her special
licence that I, the said William Henry Pottle, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Henry
Pottle, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, should at any

page_text: time agree with, and no others, from time to tune 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND SUNSHADES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Henry Pottle,
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 nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Henry Pottle, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
saune is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon,
that is to say:-
This Invention relates to the runners of umbrellas, parasols, and
sunshades, and arrangements in connection therewith, and it has for
its object certain improvements whereby the runner is readily held
in place, released, and operated. An advantage of my Invention is that
the stick or handle is not weakened as in ordinary arrangements.
My improved runner is formed with a longitudinal slot or opening,
and it is fitted or provided with a ring or collar, which is capable of
being rotated or turned on the runner wholly or partially, that is to
say, to the required extent in both directions. Suitable stop arrange-
ments are provided to hold the ring in the required position. A portion
of this ring is raised or arched so as to form a sort of bridge picce. Two
pins, studs, or stops are fixed in the stick, one at the upper and the
other at the lower part thereof, in convenient positions for the operation
of the runner. When it is desired to move the runner in order to open and
close the umbrella, parasol, or sunshade, the ring is moved partly round
on the runner in such manner as to bring its raised, arched, or bridge
portion in such position that when an effort is made to push the runner
upward such raised, arched, or bridge portion will pass over the fixed
pin, stop, or stud, and clear it, and thus the runner will be released and
free to be slidden along the stick or handle; but when the runner is

page_text: to be held in position in order to keep the umbrella opened or closed,
the ring is moved on the runner into such position as to bring its arched
or bridge portion away from the pin or stud, and present thereto the
edge of the body or main portion of the ring. If when in that position
an effort be made to push the runner upward, the edge of the ring or
collar abutting against the pin or stud will effectually lock the runner
or hold it so as to prevent its movement.
I now proceed inore particularly to describe with reference to the
accompanying Drawings in what manner the Invention may be carried
into effect,
Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of an umbrella to which my
improvements are applied, a sufficient portion of the umbrella being
shewn to exemplify the Invention. In Figure 1 the fastening is
represented in its closed or fastened position; Figure 2 is a side view
of the same, shewing the fastening in its unfastened position ready for
moving the runner to open the umbrella; Figure 3, vertical section
of Figure 1; Figure 4, back view; Figure 5, longitudinal section of
Figure 2; Figure 6, transverse section of Figure 2; Figure 7, transverse
section of Figure 1; Figures 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, details. In these
Figures the runner is shown at the handle end of the umbrella.
Figure 13 is a side view, and Figure 14 a section of a portion of an
umbrella in which the runner is shewn at the other end, and the
umbrella is supposed to be opened.
A is the stick and B are the ribs of the umbrella; a is a stud, stop
pin, or bent wire firmly fixed to the stick A near the handle end, and
b is a similar stud, stop pin, or bent wire fixed to the stick A near the
opposite end thereof; c is the runner, which consists of a flanged ferrule
or tubular or annular picce attached to the ribs at their inner ends,
and formed with a slot c* extending its whole length, and some-
what widened out at the end, as shewn, The runner is capable of
sliding along the stick in both directions, as is usual with runners.
On the runner c is a ring or collar d capable of moving partly
round in both directions on the runner, which is grooved or recessed
at the part c³, so as to form a seat for the ring to work upon.
Figure 8 is a horizontal section of the ring d, and Figure 12 a back
view thereof. Figures 9 and 10 shew the stop arrangement at e;
Figure 11 is a plan of c. The ring d is raised or arched at one part
of its circumference d*, so that this part forms a sort of bridge piece.

page_text: The ring has a notch or part de cut away at the side opposite the arched
part d*, and a stop e formed by a projection on the runner projects
over the recess or seat c², and in the recess or notch &, so that when the
ring is turned the edge of this recess or notch d² abuts against the
projection e; this constitutes a stop arrangement for the ring at the
end of its travel. When the ring is turned into such position that the
arched part d is directly over the studs a or b, as the case may bc,
the ring, and therefore the runner, will work freely over the stud, and
the runner is free to travel along the stick in order to open or close
the umbrella; but on the other hand, when the ring is turned into such
position that its arch or bridge is not directly over the pin or stud a or b,
but turned away from it, the edge of the body of the ring is presented
to the stud a or b, as shown in Figures 1, 3, 4, 13, 14, and if an effort
be then made to push the runner up or down it would not be possible
to do so, as the stud a or b would stop it and resist or prevent its motion.
The slot c* is at the side of the periphery of the runner nearest the
stud a or b, so that when the runner is pushed up or down it may travel
freely, the slot allowing it to clear the stud. When the ring is in its
fastening position, (Figures 1, 3, 4, 13, 14,) the edge of the recess or
notch d abuts against the projection e, whereby the ring is held firmly
in position. When the ring is in its unfastening position the projection e
is at the other end of the recess or notch d².
Figure 15 is a front view, and Figures 16 and 17 horizontal sections
of a modification of the arrangement, only differing from that above
described in the addition of a spring, which is attached to the runner,
and passes under the part d* of the ring d, so as to press against one of
the inner sides of the arch d*, and tend to keep the ring d in its closed
position. The ring is worked as before by the pressure of the finger
against the inside of the arch when the ring is to be moved, thus
overcoming the resistance of the spring. In Figure 15 the arch d* is
not shewn, being removed for the sake of clearness. The runner is
applied to parasols and sunshades in the same manner as above
described for umbrellas.
In the modification shewn in Figures 15, 16, 17, a forked tongue h
may be attached to or formed on the inside of the ring or collar to clip
the pin a when the runner is in its retaining or fastening position. The
pin a is disengaged from this clip when the ring d is moved to release
the runner.

page_text: Having now described the nature of the Invention and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim, the
employment of a runner with a ring or collar, arranged and operated
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Pottle, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Third day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
WILLIAM HENRY POTTLE. (L.S.)
Witness,
JOSEPH FITCH,
188, Gray's Inn Road.