IMPROVEMENTS IN PARASOLS AND UMBRELLAS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis Sangster, of Dacre Park, Lee, in the
County of Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN PARASOLS
AND UMBRELLAS,”
Sealed the 7th June 1870, and dated the 5th February 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Sangster at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th February 1870.
I, FRANCIS SANGSTER, of Dacre Park, Lee, in the County of Kent,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN PARASOLS AND UMBRELLAS," to be as follows :—
In carrying out my Invention I make the ribs of a parasol straight,
and projecting at right angles or nearly so with the stick, as in the
ordinary flat disc shaped parasols. The outer ends of the ribs I connect
together by means of a tape or cord to maintain them at equal distances
apart, or if the parasol is provided with a lining the tape or cord may

page_text: be dispensed with, the lining being attached to the under side of the
ribs and stretchers as usual. The ends of the ribs are further connected
by slips of whalebone or other suitable material arched upwards and
forming a series of semicircular curves around the parasol. The parasol
cover is then placed on the framework above described, the contour
being determined by the curves of the whalebone edging.
In order to prevent the surface of the silk cover creasing in folds I
lino it with " crinoline "
or other suitably stiffened material forming a
foundation for the cover. The silk may be extended so as to cover the
arched whalebone and tape edging, or a separate pieco may be applied 1
for the purpose, and suitably trimmed in both cases. Parasol covers so
formed present a fluted or corrugated appearance of greatly improved.
aspect while the cover is rendered moro impenetrable to the rays of
the sun.
The improved form of framework above described may also be applied 1
with advantage to carriage or tent umbrellas, the furrows in the fluted
:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Francis Sangster in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 5th August 1870.
•
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
SANGSTER, of Dacre Park, Lee, in the County of Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of February, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Francis Sangster, Her special licence, that
I, the said Francis Sangster, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, tho said Francis Sangster, my executors, admini-
strators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, a
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel

page_text: Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN PARASOLS
AND UMBRELLAS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Francis Sangster, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis Sangster, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings
hercunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say) :-
In carrying out my Invention I make the ribs of a parasol straight,
and projecting at right angles or nearly so with the stick as in the
ordinary flat disc shaped parasols. The outer ends of the ribs I connect
together by means of a tape or cord to maintain them at equal distances.
apart,. or if the parasol is provided with a lining the tape or cord may
be dispensed with, the lining being attached to the under side of the
ribs and stretchers as usual. The parasol cover is then placed on tho
framework above described, tho contour being, determined by an edging
formed either of whalebone, crinoline, or other suitable elastic material,.
with a lining of crinoline forming a foundation for the cover.. The silk.
may be extended so as to conceal the framework and. tapes or cords, or
a separato piece may be applied for the purpose and suitably trimmed.
in both cases.. Parasol covers so formed present a fluted or corrugated.
appearance of greatly improved aspect, while the cover is rendered more
impenetrable to the rays of the sun.
The improved form of framework and cover with or without a lining
of crinoline above described may also be applied with advantage to
carriage or tent umbrellas, the furrows in the fluted surface serving.
to collect and carry off the rain.

page_text: half of the parasol in cach view to show the arrangement of the curved
edging of whalebone and of the tape or cord. The improved form and
aspect imparted to the parasol is shown in the covered half.
A is an ordinary parasol framework or skeleton with straight ribs
which project at right angles or nearly so from the stick when the
parasol is opened. In order to adapt the skeleton for carrying the
improved form of covering I connect the outer extremities of the ribs A
together by means of a tape or cord a to maintain the ribs at equal
distances apart, and so facilitate the application of the ornamental
covering and prevent its subsequent displacement. If the parasol is
provided with a lining the tape or cord may be removed when the lining
is applied, the latter being attached to the under side of the ribs and
stretchers as usual, and serving the purpose of the tape or cord. 6, aro
slips of very thin steel, whalebone, crinoline, or other suitable flexible
material, the ends of which are secured by sewing to the extremities of
the contiguous ribs A, the strips being bent or arched, as seen in
Figure 1 to form the curves which determine the contour of the parasol
covering B. The latter I line with a stiff material, such as crinoline, to
support the silk, the two materials being cut into gores of the required
dimensions and sewed together. The double material is then applied
to the framework above described and sccured by sewing as usual.
Instead of using strips of whalebone or other material to form the
curved edging, as shown, I may simply doublo or fold over the edge
or circumference of the crinoline or other flexible lining in order to give
the necessary support for the silk covering. The flexible lining and
edging employed impart the radial fluted surface shown in Figure 2,
the framework itself being concealed by extending the silk, as shown
at c, or separate pieces may be applied for the purpose and suitably
trimmed.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of 3
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to
be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
application of retaining tapes or cords or their equivalents to the ribs of
a parasol or umbrella before applying the cover and providing the latter
with a lining of elastic or flexible fabric, such as crinoline either alone 3
or in combination with an edging of whalebone or other material, all as

page_text: herein-before described for imparting the fluted form to the cover
illustrated in the Drawing annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Sangster, have hercunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth-day of August, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy.