IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS PARASOLS AND SUNSHADES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills of the firm of Harris
and Mills of 23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex Patent
Agent for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS PARASOLS AND
SUNSHADES Communicated to him from abroad by Jules Auguste Dupuy of
S Rue Ste Marie des Terreaux, Lyons in the Republic of France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th June 1882.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of the firm of Harris and Mills of
23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent
"IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS AND SUNSHADES A communication
to me from abroad by Jules Auguste Dupuy of 8 Rue Ste Marie des Terreaux,
Lyons in the Republic of France
The object of the present invention is to enable the length of the umbrella to be
reduced when desired to the length only of the frame by causing the point and
the visible part of the stick to disappear, which permits of placing the unbrella in
a valise or other place in which an ordinary umbrella cannot be placed.
The stick is formed of two metallic tubes sliding one upon the other with slight
friction, the one (say the interior) tube carrying the point which is formed with a
hollow stopper or ferrule screwed to the end of the tube; the other (say the
exterior) tube carries the handle which may be of horn, ivory, wood or other
material.
A third and shorter tube capable of sliding upon the first named tube carries
the top notch to which are jointed the stretchers of the umbrella and to which is
attached the open cap which covers the head.
This tube draws with it a central steel rod to which it is connected by a
transverse screw or pin traversing two longitudinal slots formed in the first nained
tube which permits of the point of the stick being covered by the tube which
carries the frame.
The second or exterior tube is closed at its end by a collar serving as a nut for

page_text: the handle and traversed at its centre by the central rod which carries at its end
a nut.
The other end of the exterior tube carries a screw which connects it to a small
interior tube and also serves as a stop, this screw stop traverses a longitudinal slot
terminated at its ends by two stop notches in which it is placed by a slight rotary
motion of the handle.
These stop notches correspond to the two positions of the handle; that is, open
and closed.
Finally the arrangement is completed by a spring compressed between the head
of the central rod and a ring fixed at a certain height in the interior tube.
The stick being in the open position, the stop placed in the stop notch, holds the
handle tube, the frame tube is held at the bottom of the longitudinal slot in the
interior tube by the central rod the length of which is adjusted for this purpose.
The spring is in its most compressed condition and by its traction upon the
central rod secures the position of the stop at the bottom of the stop notch so as
to prevent all motion.
To shorten the stick it is sufficient to disengage the stop from the stop notch by
a slight motion of the handle, the action of the spring then pushes back the frame
tube to the end of the longitudinal slot in the interior tube, drawing with it the
central rod and the handle tube which then covers the interior tube to the same
extent, at this moment the spring having no further action, the shortening is
completed by pushing back by the hand the handle tube which then slides upon
the central rod the movement of which is suspended and which is now lodged in
the handle.
The dimensions, arrangements and materials employed for the sticks above
described may be varied, the present improvements are applicable to all kinds of
frame and the tube carrying the handle can at will be exterior or interior of the
tube carrying the point and either, being metallic, can be covered with wood or
other material.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 20th December 1882.
"
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of the Firm of Harris and Mills of
23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent
"IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS AND SUNSHADES (A communication
to me from abroad by Jules Auguste Dupuy of 8 Rue St Marie des Terreaux,
Lyons in the Republic of France)
The object of the present invention is to enable the length of tho umbrella to
be reduced when desired to the length only of the frame by causing the point and
the visible or exterior part of the stick to disappear which permits of placing the
umbrella in a valise or other place in which an ordinary umbrella cannot bo
placed.
For this purpose the stick is divided into three tubular parts, one of which
carries the handle, another the point and the third the notch to which are jointed
the ribs.
The reduction in length is obtained by causing to enter one into the other the
two tubes which carry the point and the handle, at the same time that the tube
carrying the notch is caused to rise so as to receive the point.
The stick can be fixed at one or the other of its positions by different means,
some examples of which are shown in the accompanying Drawings.
In order to enable the drawings to be readily understood the dimensions have
been reduced to half in length only the diameters being of the actual size.
In the accompanying Drawings three different means are shown for fixing the
parts of the stick in their opened or closed positions.
First. Bayonet Fastening represented at Figures 1. 2 and 3. The point tube A
carrying the point C is capable of entering into the interior of the handle tube B
carrying the handle D.
A coiled
The notch tube E carrying the notch F, to which are jointed the ribs G of the
umbrella, slides upon the tube A, it is rigidly fixed to the head of a central steel
rod I by a pin J traversing the tube A in slots K which limit its motion.
spring P taking its thrust against a ring S fixed to the tube A pushes the notch
tube towards the point C into the position shown at Figure 2.
The central rod extends into the interior of tho handle tube D where it is
terminated by a nut M, forming a stop against a ring T which terminates the
handle, it traverses also a small sleeve L rigidly fixed to the end of the handle
tube B by a stud or pin N which traverses the tube A in a slot terminated at its
two ends by two stop notches O, O¹, as shown at Figure 3.
When the stick is extended as shown at Figure 1 the central rod I abutting
against the ring T holds the notch in its position, compressing the spring P the
tension of which secures the position of the stud or pin N, engaged in the stop
notch O.
If this stud or pin is disengaged by slightly turning the handle, the spring P
having become free first pushes the notch upon the point the entire length of the
slots K carrying with it the handle tube B which covers to a like extent the
tube A the action can then be finished by forcing by hand the handle tube B until
the stud or pin N engages in the stop notch O¹and secures the stick in its contracted
position as shown at Figure 2
Second. Screw fastening, represented at Figures 4 and 5.
The point tube A and the notch tube E are mounted as in the preceding arrange-
ment the handle tube B contains in its interior, a second tube T terminated by a
screw L which is capable of screwing into a nut N at the end of the point tube A,
the central rod I enters into the tube T and its nut M abuts against the head R
belonging to this tube.

page_text: The small tube T being screwed into the point tube A the stick is held firmly
open or extended as shown at Figure 4, the central rod I holds the notch tube E
compressing the spring.
The closing is effected by turning the handle to screw tho tubo T until its thread
shall have traversed completely the nut, the spring P becoming free then pushes
the notch upon the point and the contraction of the stick to the length shown
at Figure 5 is completed by pushing the handle tube by hand.
Third. Spring fastening represented at Figures 6 and 7.
In this arrangement the small tube T belonging to the handle carries in lieu of
n screw, two spring plates L. L. which lock either below the ring O to hold the
stick in its open or extended form as shown at Figure 6 or above the ring N to
hold the stick in its contracted or closed form as shown at Figure 7; the rings 0
and N belonging to the point tube A.
The notch tube E is fixed to a pin J traversing at the same time the larger
part M of the handle tube B and the point tube A in the slots Hand K which
limit the respective motion of these two parts.
A coiled spring P taking its thrust against a disc S tends to push the point
tube A to the open position as shown at Figure 6 the pin J taken between
the opposite ends of the slots H and K insures the position of the notch,
the springs L L locked under the ring O prevent the stick from closing or
contracting.
These springs are passed into a bridle R with two holes as shown at Figure 8
carried by the rod I, which is fixed, by the pin U, to a moveable part V of the
handle.
By pushing this part V the bridle R is caused to rise which brings nearer
together the two plato springs to disengage them from their stop, a spring X
taking its thrust against the disc S, brings the bridle R to its place, when the
springs L L are disengaged.
To contract the length of the stick the spring stops are disengaged by pushing
the part V of the handle and by pressing at the same time the point C upon the
ground or upon a fixed point.
This point C will enter the enlarged part M of the tube B first compressing the
spring P the length of the slot K it will then continue to enter drawing the notch
the length of the slot H at this moment the plate springs L L will hook on to
the ring N and the stick will be closed or contracted as shown at Figure 7.
To extend or open it, it is only necessary to disengage the springs L by pushing
the part of the handle, the spring P by extending will effect the complete
opening or extension.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and modes in which the
same is carried into effect I would have it understood that what I claim is
constructing the sticks of umbrellas, parasols and sunshades with capability of being
shortened or contracted when required to the length of the covering by causing the
two parts of the stick to enter one into the other and by the sliding of the top
notch towards the point, with various methods of fastening the same in position
substantially as bercin shown and described.
In witness whereof I the said Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills have hereunto
set my hand and seal this Twentieth day of December in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
4
B. J. B. MILLS (L.S.)