CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lacey Davies, junior, of the City of Man-
chester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, and John Broadbent,
of the same Place, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lacey Davies and
John Broadbent at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 1st July 1856.
We, JOHN LACEY DAVIES, junior, of the City of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, and JOHN BROADBENT, of the same Place, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention for "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS," to be as follows:-
Our improvements relate principally to those umbrellas or parasols in which
paragon" or other metallic frames are used, but are also applicable to those
wherein whalebone, cane, &c. is employed for the frames, and consist in
rendering the umbrella or parasol lighter, less in diameter and bulk, and of a
more uniform appearance than at present. This is accomplished by recessing
the upright "stick" or "tube" of the umbrella or parasol (whether made of
wood, metal, ivory, hardened india-rubber, or any other suitable material) with
a number of grooves, flutes, or channels corresponding with the numbers of
"ribs" or "rods," and in a direction from end to end of the stick. These

page_text: grooves, flutes or channels are thus formed for the reception of the "stretchers"
or "distending arms," and "ribs or rods" of the umbrella or parasol when
closed; and in order that they may fall correctly into their respective grooves,
they are secured at the "top notch" near the top of the "stick" at the
ordinary place with wire passing through them, and round a "wheel top," the
collars or flanges of which project inwards in lieu of outwards, so that by this
means the end of the "rib or rod" will always be retained at the bottom of
the groove. The "slide" or "runner," which is used to elevate the "stretchers
and open the umbrella, is also similarly formed to the "wheel top," so that the
end of the "rib" or "rod," and that end of the "stretcher" which is attached to.
the "runner" being both held down to the bottom of the groove the "ribs" and
"stretchers" will be kept in their respective grooves or channels, and it will
be evident that by this arrangement umbrellas and parasols may be manu-
factured of a much lighter and more elegant form than heretofore.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Lacey Davies and John Broadbent, in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 17th December 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
LACEY DAVIES, junior, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, and JOHN BROADBENT, of the same Place, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
John Lacey Davies, junior, and John Broadbent, Her especial license that we,
the said John Lacey Davies, junior, and John Broadbent, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Lacey Davies,
junior, and John Broadbent, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereaiter 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 "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS," upon the condition, amongst
others, that we, the said John Lacey Davies, junior, and John Broad-

page_text: bent, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 im-
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Lacey Davies, junior, and
John Broadbent, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, and accompanying Drawings
(that is to say):-
Our improvements relate to those umbrellas or parasols in which "paragon,"
or other metallic frames are used, but are also applicable to others wherein
whalebone, cane, &c. is employed for the frames, and consists in rendering the
umbrella or parasol lighter, less in diameter and bulk, and of a more uniform
appearance than at present. This is accomplished by recessing the main
upright stick or tube of the umbrella or parasol (whether made of wood, metal,
ivory, or whalebone, gutta percha "vulcanite," or other suitable material, with
a number of grooves, flutes, or channels corresponding with the number of ribs
or rods used, and in a direction from end to end of the said stick or tube.
These grooves, flutes, or channels are thus formed for the reception of the
"stretchers" or "distending arms," and "ribs" or "rods" of the umbrella or
parasol when closed; and in order that they may fall into their respective
grooves, they are secured at the "top notch" near the top of the "stick" at the
ordinary place with wire passing through them and round a "wheel top
"top notch," the collars or flanges of which may project inwards or outwards,
so that the ends of the ribs be retained in their proper position, cach at the
bottom of its groove. The "slide" or "runner" which is used to elevate the
"stretchers" and open the umbrella is also so formed, having a joint in each
groove, that the end of each of the ribs and rods, and their stretchers, being
attached to the "runner" will be held down to the bottom of their respective
grooves or channels; and it will be evident that by this arrangement umbrellas
and parasols may be manufactured of a much lighter and more elegant form
than heretofore.
כי
or
In order that our Invention may be more fully explained, we have attached
hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative of the several parts, having similar
letters of reference marked upon corresponding parts of the Drawing in all the
figures shewn.
.
Fig. 1 is an elevational view of an umbrella shewn about half the real size,
exhibiting the grooved stick as an example, also the corresponding grooved and

page_text: jointed "runner," and also the joint between the "rib" and "stretcher;"
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the "runner" shewn about full size, with the grooved
stick in section; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the said "runner," also about full
size, shewing the grooves therein, and the "cheeks" or small side plates thereon
to form a joint with the "stretchers"; Fig. 4 is a sectional view (also about full
size) shewing the position of the "ribs" in the grooved stick when the umbrella
is closed, and also that of the stretchers in the ribs, in such cases where
the "paragon" ribs and solid stretchers are employed; Fig. 5 shews tho
formation of the joint known as the "get," between the ribs and stretchers,
which is principally applicable to "paragon," frames being situated between
the sides, so as to allow a slightly smaller stretcher to fall into the recess in
the "ribs" used in such frames; Fig. 6 is a view of the back part of the rib,
shewing the appearance of the joint outside the said rib; and Fig 7 is a
sectional view taken through the joint at the place where the rivet passes
through the said joint shewn about twice the full size,) and exhibiting more
clearly the actual method of forming the joint.
In Fig. 1, a, a, is the stick, tube, &c., of the umbrella, having grooves
formed in the direction of its length upon its outer surface, corresponding in
number to that of the "ribs" used; 6 is the runner, (shewn more clearly in
Fig. 3), also grooved in correspondence to fit the stick, and having at its upper
end the "cheeks" or side plates, which also fit in the grooved stick, and
between which the lower end of each "stretcher" c is rivited or jointed; d, d,
are the "ribs," in which are situated the "gets" or joints for the upper end
of the stretcher, so formed as to cause the stretchers to fall into the ribs, or
the ribs into the stretchers, as preferred. Fig. 6 shews more distinctly the
construction of this joint, being the section of the "rib," shewn in blue; and
e a piece of copper or other suitable soft metal, the ends of which are passed
through two slots in the "rib," and brought between the sides d, d, of the
"rib;" the flattened end of the stretcher c is then placed between these ends,
and a rivet passed through the whole and rivited outside the sides of the rib,
by which means a firm and compact joint is effected, which may be used in
every class of umbrella, &c., having recessed or hollow ribs, whether used in
conjunction with the grooved stick or otherwise.
Having now described the nature and object of our said Invention, together
with a method of carrying the same into practical effect, we wish it to be
distinctly understood that we claim,―
First, the novel employment and use of a "stick" or standard having
grooves, channels, or recesses formed in or upon its exterior surface in the
direction of its length of the purpose of receiving the ribs and stretchers of the

page_text: umbrella when closed, whether such "stick" be formed of metals, wood, ivory,
"vulcanite," &c., or any other material or combination thereof which shall form
a suitable substitute.
"
Secondly, the novel form and construction of the runner b employed herein,
having the riveted joint for each stretcher, thereby dispensing with the bulk of
the joint at present in use, whether used in conjunction with the grooved
"stick," or made cylindrical for the ordinary class of umbrellas, parasols, &c.
And, lastly, we claim the novel construction and form of the joint or "get"
(shewn in Fig. 6) used at the point of juncture between the "ribs" and
"stretchers," which will be applicable to all hollow or recessed "ribs," but
more particularly to that known as the "paragon," and especially adapted to
the grooved "stick" by reason of its comparative strength and less bulk,
and occupying much less space in the grooves than the joints at present
employed.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Lacey Davies, and John Broad-
bent, have hereunto set our hands and seals this Eleventh day of
December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
JNO. L. DAVIES, JN. (L.S.)
JOHN BROADBENT.
(L.S.)