IMPROVED CATCH OR RETENTION DEVICE FOR UMBRELLAS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson of the Liverpool and London
Agency for Foreign Patent Solicitors 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the county
of Lancaster, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents for an Invention of
"IMPROVED CATCH OR RETENTION DEVICE FOR UMBRELLAS" a communi-
cation from V. D. Stockbridge of Washington in the district of Columbia in
the United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th October 1883.
William Phillips Thompson of the Liverpool and London Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the County of Lancaster Fellow
of the Institute of Patent Agents "AN IMPROVED CATCH OR RETENTION DEVICE
FOR UMBRELLAS."-A communication from V. D. Stockbridge of Washington in
the District of Columbia in the United States of America
The object of this invention is to provide an improved retention device for
umbrellas, parasols, and the like, which shall be much stronger, and less liable
to get out of order than those now in use, and also ornamental in appearance,
and the invention consists-
First In the combination of a stop or catch with a simple slotted plate; second,
in a slotted plate provided with prongs or tacks for securing the plate, with the
catch and spring, to their place on the umbrella stick; third, in the combination
of a stop or catch, a slotted plate and a spring, and fourth, in the combination of
an umbrella stick provided with a suitable cut or cavity, a slotted plate, a stop or
catch, and a spring.
The plate and its connections may be set in position on the stick by any suitable
device actuated by a hand-lever or otherwise.
The stop or catch is made from sheet metal and is provided with a notch or yoke
at one end and with a lip at the other. The spring is secured to the stop by making
a cut in the edge of the stop, then inserting one end of the spring and afterward
upsetting the metal by a hammer or press to clamp the spring.
D

page_text: The plate is provided with a slot and with prongs or tacks. The prongs may
be made with notches or barbs to hold in the wood better, the plate being the
means of securing the catch and spring to the stick.
The stick is cut with a saw of small diameter, not quite deep enough to permit
the catch to swing down flush with the exterior of the plate. The wood is then
compressed by a tool or by the end of the catch. By this means there is no
possibility of moving the catch end wise to remove it from its position without first
removing the plate from the stick. The stick is also flattened above the saw cut
to make a counter-sink for the plate which is made convex on one side and plane
on the other.
The catch articulates at its notch or yoke, on the metal at the end of the slot
and thus a separate pivot or pin is dispensed with and the parts can be readily
assembled by inserting the catch from the underside of the plate and they can
only be detached from each other by removal from the same side, which obviously
cannot be done after the plate is fastened to the stick.
It is obvious that the stop may be used to some advantage without the slotted
securing plate by having an abutment upon which the notched end of the stop
may articulate, and a stop or ledge at the other end to engage with the lip.
Headed tacks driven into the saw-cut in the stick or staples driven into the
stick across the saw cut would answer a good purpose.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Phillips Thompson in the Patent Office on the 9th April
1884.
"
"
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON of the Liverpool and London Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the county of Lancaster Fellow
of the Institute of Patent Agents 'IMPROVED CATCH OR RETENTION DEVICE FOR
UMBRELLAS & communication from V. D. Stockbridge of Washington in the
district of Columbia in the United States of America
"
The object of this invention is to provide an improved retention device for
Umbrellas, Parasols and the like, which shall be much stronger and less liable to
get out of order than those now in use, and also ornamental in appearance, and the
invention consists-
1st. In the combination of a stop or catch with a simple slotted plate;
2nd. In a slotted plate provided with prongs or tacks for securing the plate,
with the catch and spring, to their place on the umbrella stick;
3rd. In the combination of a stop or catch, a slotted plate and a spring, and
4th. In the combination of an umbrella stick provided with a suitable cut or
cavity, a slotted plate a stop or catch, and a spring all as shown and described and
particularly pointed out in the claims
In the drawings Fig. 1 is a section of a segment of an umbrella stick showing
the saw cut or cavity in the stick, the stop or catch, the slotted plate with its
prongs or tacks and a spring for keeping the catch to its work.
Fig. 2 is a perspective showing the external appearance of the catch and plate as
applied to the stick.
'
Fig. 3 shows in detail the plate, the catch and the spring.
Fig 4 is a perspective of a part of a device for conveniently setting the plate
and its connections in position on the stick.
This device may be operated in any suitable manner, a common hand lever press
being the most obvious a is the stop or catch made from sheet metal and as
shown is provided with a notch or yoke x at one end and with a lip at the other.
The spring c is secured to the stop a, by making a cut in the edge of the stop, then
inserting one end of the spring and afterward upsetting the metal by a hammer or
press to clamp the spring.
b is the plate provided with a slot and with prongs or tacks i, the prongs may
be made with notches or barbs to hold in the wood better, the plate being the
means of securing the catch and spring to the stick.
The stick is cut with a saw of small diameter, not quite deep enough to permit
the catch to swing down flush with the exterior of the plate. The wood is then
compressed by a tool or by the end of the catch. By this means there is no
possibility of moving the catch endwise to remove it from its position without first
removing the plate from the stick. The stick is also flattened above the saw cut
to make a counter sink for the plate which is made convex on one side and plane
on the other.
The catch articulates at its notch or yoke on the metal at the end of the slot
and thus a separate pivot or pin is dispensed with and the parts can be readily
assembled by inserting the catch from the underside of the plate, and they can
only be detached from each other by removal from the same side, which obviously
cannot be done after the plate is fastened to the stick.
It is obvious that the stop a may be used to some advantage without the slotted
securing plate, by having an abutment upon which the notched end of the stop
may articulate, and a stop or ledge at the other end to engage with the lip.

page_text: Headed tacks driven into the saw cut in the stick or staples driven into the
stick across the saw cut would answer a good purpose.
+
Having thus fully described the invention as communicated to me what I claim
as new and desire to secure by letters patent is-
1st. In a retention device for umbrellas, parasols and the like, the combination
of a stop or catch and a slotted plate, the plate at one end of the slot forming the
bearing upon which the stop articulates, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2nd. In a retention device for umbrellas, a slotted plate provided with prongs
or projections whereby said plate, the stop and the spring are secured to the stick
as specified.
3rd. The combination substantially as described of the catch or stop having an
articulating notch a spring and a slotted plate.
4th. The combination of an umbrella stick provided with a cut or cavity, a
slotted plate, the catch or stop having the articulating notch described and a
spring.
5th. The catch or stop described, consisting of plate provided with a notch or
yoke at one end and a lip at the other without perforation for pivot, the notched
end being adapted to articulate on a suitable abutment and the device to be
retained in place by a suitable ledge.
In witness whereof, I the said William Phillips Thompson have hereunto set
my hand and seal this 31st day of March in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and eighty four.
TIM A