Improvements in or connected with Umbrellas and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 25th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 30th Jan., 1897
Improvements in or connected with Umbrellas and the like.
I, EMILE CHARAGEAT of 16 Rue Drouot, Paris in the Republic of France,
Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Hitherto in order to afford a commodious and practicable opening of self-closing
umbrellas, it has been necessary to place the slide (having a shoulder which is of
a special form), which serves to open or close the umbrella, outside the ends of the
ribs towards the handle of the umbrella. As the ribs press against the slide in
their closed position, it is necessary in order to open a self closing umbrella to push
the shoulder of the slide with one hand, whilst pulling the knob or handle of the
stick with the other.
This effort of pushing being too great with straight ribs (the primitive form) it
is necessary in order to reduce this effort to give them a bend or curvature which
forms a drawback, slight at the time, but very great nowadays, by reason of the
lightness or thinness of the umbrellas required by the purchasers. In fact this
bend or curvature, by largely increasing the size of the umbrella, causes it to be
regarded with great disfavour in spite of the advantages of the self closing
arrangement.
The visible slide placed outside the frame is also objected to as against the
present fashion and therefore several self closing frames have been made with the
ribs and stretchers of the same proportions as in an ordinary frame without a self
closing arrangement; the slide being placed in the interior of the frame some
centimeters away from the balls at the ends of the ribs.
These self closing frames which have the ends of their ribs pressed against the
stick towards the handle render it very difficult for anyone when opening an
umbrella to take hold of the slide which is placed inside the umbrella. This
difficulty has even forced manufacturers to dispense with a perfect fitting of the
ribs against the stick and to make them sufficiently wide apart to allow of the
passage of the hand in order to take hold of the slide."
This arrangement has a result completely opposed to the principles of a self-
closing frame, which should be designed to replace the cup, and to prevent the ribs
froin separating from the stick.
In order to remove all these drawbacks, I have designed the following arrange-
ment, enabling any frame, but more particularly self closing frames, to be opened
with one hand at the start, and with a very slight effort, and in which the curvature
of the ribs is almost entirely dispensed with, and the slide is placed either in the
interior or exterior of the umbrella, as desired.
In order to obtain the above results, I use a stick of wood or metal formed
together with the handle of two parts, movable one against the other or telescopic
so as to produce at will a reduction of its length.
The sliding of these two parts, one in another, and consequently the reduction of
the length resulting therefrom, may be effected immaterially at any point of the
length of the stick. Take as an example a self closing metallic frame in which the
stretchers are shorter than the parts of the ribs comprised between the gits and
the ball extremities. The slide is thus completely concealed in the interior of the
imbrella.

page_text: The stick is composed of two tubes and a handle or grip.
The umbrella tube proper has two longitudinal slots diametrically opposite one
another, and a third slot also longitudinal. The use of these slots will be described
later on.
The said tube is partly covered by the second tube which carries the
handle and is free to slide on the umbrella tube with a slight friction. These two
tubes are connected and rendered inseparable by a piu passed through the two
longitudinal slots aforesaid and then rivetted on the external tube which must.
project beyond the inner tube into the handle. The handle is fixed on the tube
and completes the stick. By the arrangement of these three connected parts, it is
easy to understand that the length of the handle varies according to the length of
the longitudinal slots. In fact in moving, either towards or from the ferrule end of
the umbrella, the handle fixed to the outer tube, its course is limited by the
extremities of the two slots in which engages the pin.
In order to maintain the complete extension of the stick, I place a spiral spring
in the inner tube to bear against a plug fixed in the inner tube, and a plug fixed in
the outer tube towards the end of the handle; this latter plug is of sufficiently
small diameter to readily enter the inner tube.
It is obvious that this spring tends by its expansion to press the two plugs and
thereby the respective tubes end wise apart, the effect being greater when efforts
are made to press the handle nearer the ferrule of the umbrella.
Assuming the frame when shut up to be fixed to the top notch on the stick which
is extended to its maximum length and the slide or runner to be pressing against
the end of the outer tube and the ferrule end of the stick to be resting against the
ground or any suitable resistant body, if pressure be applied to the handle, the
outer tube will slide and push the runner and thus effect the opening of the frame
to a short extent. At this moment the spring which is always compressed tends to
return the stick to its maximum extension or length and thus to return the frame to
its completely closed position.
In order to prevent retrograde movement, I place in the inner tube a spring
firmly attached to the outer tube by the pin which passes through the slots
aforesaid, and carries it with it in its movement to and fro.
This spring, which is of a special form, has at one end a square hook with a
bevelled off surface near the top which, in encountering the third slot formed in
the inner tube, engages therein by reason of its elasticity, and thus by maintaining
the stick at its maximum length forces the runner to keep the frame partly
open.
The frame being partly open, that is to say offering an easy passage to the hand
for taking hold of the runner, the complete opening of the umbrella may be effected
without any effort. The slide or runner under the pressure of the hand in
continuing its course encounters the bevelled part of the book of the spring, and
forces the latter to disengage. The outer tube thus released resumes its former
position by the expansion of the spring in the handle and the stick thus returns to
its initial position, and its maximum length, so that when closing the umbrella, the
runner no longer encountering any stop, the ribs will arrange themselves closely
against the stick in a perfect self closing position.
It will be understood that the arrangement above described may be modified
without departing from the spirit of the invention, for instance, the mechanical
arrangement for effecting the shortening or lengthening of the umbrella stick may
be placed at the other end of the stick.
In this modification, the outer tube, instead of being placed on the outside of the
umbrella stick or stick-tube, may be placed inside such stick, which is divided into
two parts, and be attached to one of said parts by means of a pin which serves at
the same time, as in the previous case, to limit the ascending course of the runner.
The spring hook instead of being in this case fixed to the handle tube may here be
fixed to the stick tube which has a slot corresponding to the same slot of the stick
tube in the previous example. A pin rivetted to the outer tube in this case fulfils
one of the functions of the pin in the previous example for guiding the movement

page_text: of the one tube as regards the other. The spring hook is formed us before, in
order to penetrate into the slot formed in the outer tube, the inner tube having of
course a slot corresponding to the said slot in order to give passage to this hook.
The other parts are arrauged as before. The working is as follows: The umbrella
being pressed on the ground, or any other suitable resistant point, the handle of the
umbrella forces the outer tube to slide over the inner tube and in this movement
the former tube carries with it the pin, which can be displaced to an extent equal
to the length of the slot in which it slides up to the moment when the spring hook
encountering the slot in the outer tube penetrates therein. There results from
this movement a shortening of the umbrella stick, which produces the same effect as
hereinbefore mentioned, there being arranged a pin to act as a stop for the runner,
and to force the latter to follow the displacement of the stick in order to obtain the
first effect of opening the frame. The runner in rising encounters as before the
spring catch, and returns the whole to the initial position.
In a similar arrangement with a wooden umbrella stick, the wooden stick has
naturally an appreciable thickness, it is therefore well to conceal the gap which
results at the point of insertion of the inner tube by means of a ring or sleeve
forming a casing and a guide at the same time. The spring catch also must have
a second projection or stepped edge, which must be of equal thickness to the
internal metallic tube, which it is well to employ in order to protect the internal
surface of the wooden stick, the catch itself only serving to allow the disengage-
ment by the action of the slide. The other parts remain the same as hereinbefore
described.
Dated this 3rd day of March 1896.
Of 6,
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
I, EMILE CHARAGEAT, of 77 Boulevard Voltaire, Paris, late 16 Rue Drouot,
Inventor, 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:-
Hitherto in order to attain with umbrella mountings which close automatically
an easy and practicable opening movement, it has been necessary to provide a
lower collar of special shape which serves to open or close them beyond the end of
the ribs towards the handle of the umbrella.
Since the ribs are closely pressed. against the collar in the position of the
automatic closing, it is necessary to operate by pushing against the lower part of
the collar with one hand while at the same time holding the handle in the other
hand in order to open the frame. The effort required being too considerable with
straight ribs (the original form) it is desirable in order to lessen the force required
to give them a curvature which presents an inconvenience trifling formerly but
very serious to-day because of the extreme slenderness now required in umbrellas
by the purchasers. In fact this curvature increasing considerably the bulk of the
umbrella causes great objection to it in spite of the advantages of the automatic
closing.
The visible collar placed outside the frame, being also contrary to the present
fashion, several automatic closing frames have been constructed giving to the ribs
and stays the proportions which they have in ordinary mountings; the collar,
therefore, being placed within the frame some inches away from the handle.
These automatically closing frames having the ends of their ribs pressed close against

page_text: .the stick near the handle have the disadvantage that it is difficult to grasp the
collar placed within the frame, in order to open the umbrella. This difficulty has
even caused manufacturers to dispense with the perfect application of the ribs
against the stick, and to spread them sufficiently to permit of the passage of the
hand for the purpose of grasping the collar; from this there results an effect
completely opposed to the principle of the automatic closing frame which has for
its object to replace the spring catch and prevent the ribs from standing out from
the stick.
In order to obviate these disadvantages I have devised the following arrange-
ment which allows of the opening of all frames and particularly of automatically
closing frames: (1) with one hand, (2) with a trifling effort, (3) with almost
complete suppression of the curvature of the ribs, (4) making use of a collar
situated either inside or outside the frame as desired.
To attain these results I employ a stick made in wood or in metal and formed,
handle included, of two parts movable relatively one to the other in such a manner
that it may be shortened when desirable. The sliding of the two parts, one on
the other and consequently the reduction in length which results from this can be
effected at any part of the length of the stick as shewn by way of example in the
accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 illustrates a metallic automatically closing frame in the closed position
with stays which are shorter than that part of the ribs comprised between their
articulation D and their end S which terminates in a knob. The collar C will
therefore be completely hidden within the frame.
The stick shewn in the figure is composed of two tubes T and J and the
handle P.
The tube T is provided with two longitudinal openings H opposite to each
other and a third longitudinal slot O. The function of these openings will be
hereafter indicated.
The first tube T is covered by a tube J which can slide thereon with little
friction. These two tubes T and J are united and rendered inseparable by a pin
passing through the two longitudinal openings H and riveted on the outer tube J
which extends beyond the tube T. In the handle upon the tube J is secured the
handle P which completes the stick.
By the arrangement of these three joined pieces it will be easily understood that
the length of the stick varies according to the length of the longitudinal
opening H, in fact the travel of the handle P fixed to the tube J towards and
away from the point A is limited by the extremities of the double opening H
through which the pin G passes.
To ensure the full extension of the stick I provide a spiral spring I which
presses against the stop L secured in the tube T, and the stop K secured in the
tube J towards the end of the handle, this last support being small enough to enter
the tube T. It will be readily seen that in consequence of its compression, this
spring tends to push apart the two stops secured on their respective tubes, and
this will be still more marked when the handle P is caused to move nearer the
point A.
The frame in this closed position being fixed at the point N on the stick which
is caused to assume its maximum length, the collar C abutting at the projection U
against the tube J, and the point A of the stick being on the ground or pressed
against a resistant body, if the handle P is pressed, the tube J is caused to slide
which presses on the collar and thereby causes the opening of the frame to the
extent shewn in Figure 2.
At this time the spring I still compressed tends to extend the stick to its
maximum length and thus strives to return the frame to its completely closed
position.
For the purpose of preventing this retrograde movement I place in the tube T
a spring R secured to the tube J by the pin G which passes through it and
carries it with it in its up and down movement. This spring of special form is

page_text: provided at E with a book of the form shewn with a slope towards the upper
part which in the position shewn in Figure 2 meeting the opening O formed in the
tube T engages in it, and in consequence of its tension grips this tube, and
maintaining thereby the stick at its minimum length forces the collar C to keep
the frame half open. When the umbrella is fully extended the collar C abuts.
against the stop M.
The frame being in the position shewn in Figure 2 that is to say, offering to-
the hand an easy passage to grasp the collar, the opening of the umbrella can be
continued without any effort. The collar impelled by the hand continues its
movement, meets the slope of the hook of the spring and forces that to retire.
The tube J, set free by this, resumes its original position through the extension.
of the spring I and the stick then returns to its original position and its maximum
length; so that at the moment of the closing of the umbrella the collar no longer
meeting any opposition the ribs come against the stick and arrange themselves in.
a position of perfect automatic closing.
Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, represent respectively views corresponding to Figures 1
and 2 of a modification of the frame in which the mechanical arrangement which
serves to produce the shortening or lengthening of the stick of the umbrella is
placed at the lower end of the stick, Figures 3 and 4 illustrate an umbrella stick
made of a metallic tube, and Figures 5 and 6 a wooden stick. The same letters of
reference represent similar parts in these figures and similar parts of those of
Figures 1 and 2.
In this modification the tube J instead of being placed outside the umbrella
stick is placed inside the same, said stick being made in two parts T and T¹ to one.
of which, T', it is secured by means of the pin M which serves at the same time to
limit the upward movement of the collar C. The spring R instead of being fixed
to the tube T is secured to the tube J which carries a slot H corresponding to a
similar opening H in the tube T Figures 1 and 2. The pin G' riveted on the
tube T fulfils one of the fuuctions of the pin G which consists in guiding the
movement of the tube J relatively to the tube T. The book E of the spring R is
formed as before to penetrate the opening O in the tube T, the tube J having an
opening O¹ corresponding to the opening to permit the passage of the hook E..
The other elements are arranged as hereinabove described. The operation takes.
place as follows:-The umbrella being in the position shewn in Figure 3 the stick
of the umbrella is placed so as to bear on the ground or on a resisting poiut, and
then the tube T is caused to slide on the tube J fixed by the pin M on the part T',.
in this movement the tube T moves with it the pin G₁ which can be displaced in
position by an amount equal to the length of the slot H up to the time when the
hook E penetrates the opening O in the tube T. There results from this move-
ment a shortening of said tube T which produces the same effect as that
herein before described on the condition that there is placed at M' a pin, which
engages with the end of the collar and causes the latter to follow the displace-
ment of the stick in order to obtain the first opening movenient of the frame. The
collar C moving upwards mounts as before the hook E and causes it to assume its.
original position.
The construction shewn in Figures 5 and 6 is the same with the difference that
the stick being made of wood naturally has a considerable thickness, it is preferable,.
however, to cover up the resulting gap by means of a sleeve or ring V forming au
envelope and guide as shewn in the drawing. On the other hand the hook E.
should be provided with a shoulder e the depth of which is equal to the thickness of
the interior of the metal which it is desirable to use in order to protect the interior
surface of the wooden stick, the hook E properly speaking serving only to permit
the lengthening by the action of the collar, the other elements remain the same as
before.
I reserve myself the right of varying the form, dimensions, proportions, and
accessory parts, and of employing in their construction such materials as I think
suitable

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The improvements applicable to umbrella frames of all kinds but more
particularly to automatically closing frames consisting in the combination of means
permitting of the production of a partial opening of the ribs this result being
obtained by momentarily diminishing the length of the umbrella stick between the
handle properly speaking and the part N where is secured the extremity of the
frame, from which it results that the collar following the movement of the stick
pushes and separates from it the forks carrying the ribs at the joints D and
partially opens the umbrella substantially as herein described and shewn by way of
example in the accompanying drawing.
2. For the purpose of accomplishing the improvements forming the object of
Claim 1 the application of an arrangement of a double stick one part of which can
slide upon the other and is capable of returning to its initial position under the
action of an opposing spring the interior stick being combined to draw with it a
spring provided with a hook H penetrating in an opening for the purpose serves to
hold the device in position, and is then returned to its initial position by the
movement of the collar on the stick of the umbrella; the whole substantially as
herein described and shewn by way of example in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 25th day of November 1896.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
322, High Holborn, London, W.C., Patent Agents for the Applicant.