Improvements in Umbrellas and Sunshades.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1893.
Complete Specification Left, 28th July, 1894-Accepted, 8th Sept., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Umbrellas and Sunshades.
I, PAUL OPITZ, of No. 8, Maurer Strasse, Berlin, Merchant, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
According to my present invention the stretchers of umbrellas and sunshades
are constructed with their inner ends bent to a rounded form, such bent ends being
made to pass through slots in a tubular stick, on which such rounded bends take a
bearing, so, that by connecting the inner ends by a rod within the tubular stick to
actuating mechanism situated at the handle, the stretchers can be moved so as to
assume either the open or the closed position, even by using only one hand of the
operator.
On the accompanying drawing are shewn two arrangements for carrying this
invention into effect.
The stretchers J are shewn, in the open position at Fig. 1, to extend at right
angles from the stick; they might however be made to form an obtuse angle
therewith. Their inner ends, bent to a rounded form, pass through slots formed
in the tubular stick B and in a surrounding metal sleeve K, into the interior of
the stick, where they are pivotted to a head H on the upper end of the rod F, so
that by moving the latter upwards or downwards either by well known mechanism,
or by an arrangement to he presently described, they can be readily brought
into the open position, shewn in full lines, or into the closed position, shewn in
dotted lines.
In the arrangement shewn at Fig. 2, the mechanism for actuating the rod F
and stretchers J, consists of a lever E pivotted to the interior of the stick at D
and also pivotted at G to the lower end of the rod F, the end of the lever E
being made to project through a slot C in the rod B, which guides and limits
its motion.
On moving the lever E upward on its pivot, the rod F with its head H, screwed
or otherwise fixed thereon, will be raised, causing the bent ends of the stretchers J
to be moved into the raised position shewn in dotted lines, and thereby bringing
the outer ends of the stretchers into the lowered position, also shewn in dotted
When the
lines, in which they lie close against the stick B in the ordinary way.
umbrella or sunshade is to be opened, the lever E is pressed downwards into the
position shewn in full, whereby the rod F will be drawn downwards, causing
the bent inner ends of the stretchers to slide inwards through the slots so that the
outer parts assume the extended positions shewn.
In the second arrangement shewn at Fig. 4 the opening and closing can also be
effected by the one hand, by the movement of the thumb in raising or lowering
the lever E. In this case there are two excentric toothed wheels R and S mounted
within the stick B, upon pins T U fixed thereto, the wheel S being fixed to the lever E,
while the wheel Ŕ has the end of the rod F pivotted to it. Thus on raising the
lever E the wheels are made to assume the dotted position, in which their long
radii are directed upward and consequently the point of connection of the rod F is
also raised, causing the stretchers to be closed down. On moving the lever down-
ward, the wheels are made to assume the position shewn in full, in which the long
radii of the wheels are directed downwards whereby the rod F will be drawn down
and the stretchers raised to the expanded position. By this arrangement it will be
seen that a gradually increased power will be obtained on the depression of the

page_text: lever E, owing to the wheel S being made to operate with a gradually decreasing
radius upon a gradually increasing radius of the wheel R.
In order to secure the lever E in its two end positions in both examples,
suitable catches may be provided at the side of the slot.
On the upper end of the stick B is fixed, as already stated, a sleeve K, on which
may be screwed the socket M to which the upper end L of the stick is fixed.
The connection of the pivotted end of the stretchers to the head H of the rod F
can be effected either as at Fig. 2, by passing a wire loop through the holes of all
the stretchers and securing such loop on the top of the head H by means of
clamps O, or as at Fig. 3, where the head P is formed with a notched flange into
the notches of which the ends of the stretchers fit, a wire loop being passed through
their holes and fitted into a groove in the edge of the flange in the usual manner.
The action of the apparatus will be readily understood from the above
description. In both the arrangements shewn, on the downward motion of the
rod F the inner ends of the stretchers J being drawn downwards, the inner curved
surface of the bend is made to slide inwards over the bottom edge of the slot in
the stick, thereby bringing the stretchers into the extended position, thus effecting
the opening of the umbrella.
On the upward motion of the rod F, on the other hand, the outer curved surface
of the bend is made to slide outwards against the upper edge of the slot, so as to
bring the stretchers into the closed position, thereby closing the umbrella.
Dated this 10th day of November 1893.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Umbrellas and Sunshades.
I, PAUL OPITZ, of No. 8 Maurer Strasse Berlin, Merchant, 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:-
According to my present invention the stretchers of umbrellas and sunshades
are constructed with their inner ends bent to a rounded form, such bent ends being
made to pass through slots in a tubular stick, on which such rounded bends take a
bearing, so that by connecting the inner ends by a rod within the tubular stick to
actuating mechanism situated at the handle, the stretchers can be moved so as to
assume either the open or the closed position, even by using only one hand of
the operator.
On the drawing accompanying my Provisional Specification are shewn two
arrangements for carrying this invention into effect.
The stretchers J are shewn, in the open position at Fig. 1, to extend at right.
angles from the stick; they might however be made to form an obtuse angle
therewith. Their inner ends, bent to a rounded form, pass through slots formed in
the tubular stick B and in a surrounding metal sleeve K, into the interior of the
stick, where they are pivotted to a head H on the upper end of the rod F, so that
by moving the latter upwards or downwards either by well known mechanism, or
by an arrangement to be presently described, they can be readily brought into the
open position, shewn in full lines, or into the closed position, shewn in dotted lines.
In the arrangement shewn at Fig. 2, the mechanism for actuating the rod F and
stretchers J, consists of a lever E pivotted to the interior of the stick at D and
also pivotted at G to the lower end of the rod F, the end of the lever E being
made to project through a slot C in the rod B, which guides and limits its motion.
On moving the lever E upwards on its pivot, the rod F with its head H, screwed

page_text: or otherwise fixed thereon will be raised, causing the bent ends of the stretchers J
to be moved into the raised position shewn in dotted lines, and thereby bringing
the outer ends of the stretchers into the lowered position, also shewn in dotted
lines, in which they lie close against the stick B in the ordinary way. When the
umbrella or sunshade is to be opened, the lever E is pressed downwards into the
position shewn in full, whereby the rod F will be drawn downwards, causing
the bent inner ends of the stretchers to slide inwards through the slots so that the
outer parts assume the extended positions shewn.
In the second arrangement shewn at Fig. 4 the opening and closing can also be
effected by the one hand, by the movement of the thumb in raising or lowering
the lever E. In this case there are two excentric toothed wheels R and S mounted
within the stick B, upon pins T U fixed thereto, the wheel S being fixed to the
lever E, while the wheel R has the end of the rod F pivotted to it. Thus on
raising the lever E the wheels are made to assume the dotted position, in which
their long radii are directed upwards and consequently the point of connection of
the rod F is also raised, causing the stretchers to be closed down.
On moving the lever downwards, the wheels are made to assume the position
shewn in full, in which the long radii of the wheels are directed downwards
whereby the rod F will be drawn down and the stretchers raised to the expanded
position.
By this arrangement it will be seen that a gradually increased power will be
obtained on the depression of the lever E, owing to the wheel S being made to
operate with a gradually decreasing radius upon a gradually increasing radius of
the wheel R.
In order to secure the lever E in its two end positions in both examples,
suitable catches may be provided at the side of the slot. On the upper end of the
stick B is fixed, as already stated, a sleeve K, on which may be screwed the
socket M to which the upper end L of the stick is fixed.
The connection of the pivotted end of the stretchers to the head H of the rod. F
can be effected either as at Fig. 2, by passing a wire loop N through the holes at
the inner ends of all the stretchers and securing such loop N on the top of the head H
by means of clamps O, clamping the loop N and head H between them, or as at
Fig. 3, where the head P is forined with a notched flange into the notches of which
the ends of the stretchers fit, a wire loop N being passed through their holes and
fitted into a groove in the edge of the flange in the usual manner.
The action of the apparatus will be readily understood from the above description.
In both the arrangements shewn, on the downward motion of the rod F the inner
ends of the stretchers J being drawn downwards, the inner curved surface of the
bend is made to slide inwards over the bottom edge of the slot in the stick, thereby
bringing the stretchers into the extended position, thus effecting the opening of
the umbrella.
On the upward motion of the rod F, on the other hand, the outer curved surface
of the bend is made to slide outwards against the upper edge of the slot, so as to
bring the stretchers into the closed position, thereby closing the umbrella.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In umbrellas and sunshades, constructing the stretchers with their inner ends
bent to a rounded form and made to enter the tubular stick through slots, the said
ends being there connected to suitable devices such as a connecting rod and hand
lever, whereby, on moving such bent inner ends downwards, the stretchers are
brought into the expanded position for opening the umbrella, while, on moving the
inner ends upwards, the stretchers are brought into the closed position close against
the stick, substantially as described.
2. In the construction of umbrellas and sunshades referred to in the preceding

page_text: claim, effecting the upward and downward motion of the inner ends of the
stretchers by means of two excentric toothed wheels arranged and operating
substantially as herein described.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.