IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Elijah Atkins at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 11th December 1877.
ELIJAH ATKINS, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS."
My Invention has reference principally to the fastenings of umbrellas and
parasols, by which they are fixed in their closed positions or in their open positions,
and my said Invention consists of the construction and arrangement of the parts of
the said fastenings herein-after described.
My Invention consists further of the arrangement of parts herein-after described
for partly opening the umbrella or parasol after it is unfastened.
I will first describe a fastening constructed according to my Invention for fixing
an umbrella in its closed position. Upon the stick of the umbrella, and immediately
above the handle, I fix a tube provided at opposite sides with a spring catch or
tongue. The spring catches or tongues are made from the said tube, and upon
their free upper ends bevilled heads are made. On the tube from which the
spring catches are made, and just below the bevilled heads of the said catches, a
ring is fixed which acts as a stop to the runner of the umbrella. Opposite those
parts of the stick at which the spring catches are situated recesses are made to
permit the said catches being pressed inwards. To facilitate the pressing inwards
of the spring catches projections are made on the outside of them. To the lower
edge of the runner of the umbrella I fix a hollow collar.
In closing the umbrella this hollow collar passes over the bevilled heads of the
spring catches and depresses the said catches into the recesses in the stick, and
when the umbrella is fully closed and the collar of the runner bears against the stop
on the tube the heads of the spring catches snap into the said collar, and thereby
securely fix the umbrella in its closed position.
To release the runner for opening the umbrella the two spring catches at opposite
sides of the fixed tube are pressed inwards by the thumb and finger. The bevilled
heads of the spring catches are thereby withdrawn from the hollow collar on the
runner, and the latter is released, and the umbrella may be opened.

page_text: In order to partly open the umbrella when the runner is unfastened I adopt the
following arrangement of parts :-In the hollow of the stick above the fixed tube,
from which the spring catches are made, a coiled spring is situated. At the top of
the spring is a cross head which works in longitudinal slots in the stick, the arms
of the said cross head projecting a short distance from the said slots. When the 5
umbrella is closed the hollow collar on the runner engages with and carries with it
the cross bead of the coiled spring, and compresses the said spring. On releasing
the runner by pressure on the spring catches the compressed spring acts upon the
runner, and by its elasticity raises the runner on the stick, and thereby partly opens
the umbrella. Slots in the collar of the runner permit the cross head of the coiled 1
spring to pass into the said collar on the closing of the umbrella.
The arrangement of parts described for fastening the umbrella in its closed
position may be applied with slight modification to the upper end of the stick for
fixing the umbrella in its open position.
My Invention is applicable to the fastening and partial opening of parasols as 1
well as umbrellas.