Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 25th July, 1887
Complete Left, 14th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 15th Nov., 1887
1 WILLIAM MELLIS of 21 Redcross Street in the City of London Umbrella
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as follows:-
My Invention has for its object to impart to Umbrellas and the like a neat and
elegant finish and appearance both when open and closed and also to preserve the
joints of the ribs with the top ferrule or notch piece from rust.
According to my Invention 1 shape and connect the gores of silk or other material
composing the covering of the umbrella so that when the Umbrella is closed it will
have a neat and elegant tapered form towards the end of the umbrella stick and when
the Umbrella is open the said covering will assume a curved conical form or tent
like shape at the part extending from the plane of the top ferrule or notch piece to
where the covering is connected to the stick thereby imparting a graceful appearance
and at the same time providing means for effectually shedding rain from the apex
of the covering and protecting the joints of the ribs with the notch piece or top ferrule
and consequently preserving those parts from rust.
These objects I effect by connecting the covering where it meets the stick to a
separate ring or open cap fixed to the stick at a distance from the notch piece in
accordance with the amount of curve or height of the tent like form which it is
desired to impart to the cover when the Umbrella is open or the said ring or open
cap may be fitted to slide on the stick in which case a spiral spring or equivalent
device is interposed between the loose ring and the top ferrule or notch piece which
spring or equivalent device when the Umbrella is opened will force the ring along
the stick and cause the cover to assume the curved form hereinbefore described.
Dated this 19th day of September 1887.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London,
Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Umbrellas and the like..
I, WILLIAM MELLIS of 21 Redcross Street in the City of London Umbrella
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 has for its object to impart to Umbrellas and the like a neat and
elegant finish and appearance both when open and closed and also to preserve the
joints of the ribs with the top ferrule or notch piece from rust.
According to my Invention I shape and connect the gores of silk or other material
composing the covering of the umbrella so that when the umbrella is closed it will
have a neat and elegant tapered form towards the end of the umbrella stick and when
the umbrella is open the said covering will assume a curved conical form or tent
like shape at the part extending from the plane of the top ferrule or notch-piece to
where the covering is connected to the stick, thereby imparting a graceful appearance
and at the same time providing means for effectually shedding rain from the apex
of the covering and protecting the joints of the ribs with the notch piece or top
ferrule, and consequently preserving those parts from rust. These objects I effect by
connecting the covering, where it meets the stick, to a separate ring or open cap
fixed to the stick at a distance from the notch-piece in accordance with the amount
of curve or height of the tent like form which it is desired to impart to the cover
when the umbrella is open, or the said ring or open cap may be fitted to slide on
the stick in which case a spiral spring or equivalent device is interposed between
the loose ring and the top ferrule or notch piece which spring, or equivalent device
when the umbrella is opened will force the ring along the stick and cause the cover
to assume the curved form hereinbefore described.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the
several figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 represents in elevation and in the closed position an umbrella constructed
according to my invention. Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the same representing
it in the open position and Figure 3 is an enlarged detail shewing more clearly the
form in the open position and the mode of connecting the silk or other covering
where it meets the stick.
The ribs A are connected to the top ferrule or notch piece B in the usual manner
the said top ferrule or notch piece being fixed to the stick but instead of attaching
the cover Û to the top ferrule or notch piece B or immediately above it as usual I
fit on the stick D at a suitable distance from the notch piece B a ring or open cap E
to which I connect the cover C so that when the umbrella is opened the said cover
is caused to assume an elegant conical concave form or tent like shape as shewn
at C in Figures 2 and 3 which in addition to giving elegance of appearance serves

page_text: also to effectually shed the rain so as to prevent it entering and rusting the joints of
the ribs with the top ferrule or notch-piece B. The ring or open cap E may be fixed
to the stick D or as shewn in the drawing it may be fitted to slide on the said stick
so as to yield with the cover when the umbrella is being closed, a spring G being
interposed between the top ferrule or notch-piece B and the ring or open cap
which spring by its expansion when the umbrella is being opened will force the
ring E along the stick D causing the cover to assume the form shewn at C2. As the
umbrella is being closed the strain on the cover causes the ring E to slide along
the stick so as to compress the spring G and when the umbrella is closed the cover
tapers gradually towards the ring E thereby presenting the neat and elegant
appearance shewn in Figure 1.
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
1st. In umbrellas or the like a ring or open cap piece fitted on the stick and
situated outwards of, or some distance beyond the top ferrule or notch piece to which
the ribs are jointed the cover being attached to the said ring or open cap piece
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.
2nd. In umbrellas or the like a ring or open cap piece fitted on the stick and
situated outwards of, or some distance beyond the top ferrule or notch piece to which
the ribs are jointed the cover being attached to the said ring or open cap piece and
there being a spring or like device arranged in combination therewith substantially
as hereinbefore described.
3rd. In umbrellas or the like the combination of the stick D cover C top ferrule
or notch piece B sliding ring or open cap piece E and intervening spring Gall
arranged substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings.