EFFECTING IMPROVEMENTS IN PARASOLS AND UMBRELLAS
Year: 1857

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Field at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 5th August
1857.
I, THOMAS FIELD, Stay Cleaner, of Spring Place, Kentish Town, London,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "EFFECTING IMPROVEMENTS IN PARASOLS AND UMBRELLAS," to be as
follows (that is to say):
With regard to parasols it consists, firstly, in making the upper half of the
parasol stick (that is, the half to which the top notches are attatched) of light
suitable tube, the core thereof being sufficiently large to admit of the other
(or lower) half of the parasol stick being pushed into it, in precisely the same
manner as that in which the small barrel of a two-barrel teliscope is pushed
into the large one. A light suitable cap is screwed (or otherwise fixed) on
the lower end of the upper half of the parasol stick, and about one inch and
a half distant from the uper end of the lower half of the parasol stick a small
shoulder is formed. The object of the aforesaid cap and shoulder is to prevent
the lower half of the parasol stick from being drawn entirely out of the uper
half of the parasol stick. A spiral or helical spring is coiled round the out-
side of the uper half of the parasol stick (between the top notches and the
runner notches). One end of the aforesaid spiral spring is suitably attached
to the top notches, the other end thereof is suitably attatched to the runner

page_text: notches. The tendancy and action of the aforesaid spring is to drive the
runner notches towards the handle of the lower half of the parasol stick,
thereby closing the parasol and holding it in a closed condition, by which
arrangement the outside fastening cord or fastening band and fastener can
be dispensed with. The ordinary spring catch or locking spring is removed,
in order that the aforesaid spiral spring may slide freely up and down the uper
half of the parasol stick. A small hole is formed in the uper half of the
parasol stick, or in the part where the uper end of the locking spring ought (in
an ordinary parasol) to be, and a corresponding hole is formed in a corre-
sponding part of the tube to which the runner notches are attatched. The
aforesaid tube to which the runner notches are attatched is made a little
longer then in ordnary parasols, and on the outer serfice thereof is afixed a
small spring and light suitable locker. The locker has an arm on the under-
neath serfice of one end thereof, and when the runner is pushed up for the
perpose of spreading the parasol, the aforesaid arm of th aforesaid locker is
forced by the action of the aforesaid small spring through the hole in the' tube
to which the runner notches are attatched, and onward into the hole formed for
its reception as aforesaid in the uper half of the parasol stick, thereby holding
the parasol in an extended condition around the outside of the uper end of the
lower half of the parasol stick. A sunken bed or chanel is formed, in which
is imbeded a flat band of caoutchouc or india rubber, for the purpose of
making the lower half of the parasol stick work firmly in the uper half of the
parasol stick.
In constructing gig umbrellas on the above principle, an extra locker and
small spring is placed near the lower end of the uper half of the umbrella stick,
for the purpose of holding the uper and louer halves of the umbrella stick in
an entended condition, a screw thread being formed on the lower end of the
lower half of the umbrella stick for the purpose of screwing it into the floor of
the gig.
In order that this Invention may be more fully and clearly understood,
a Drawing thereof is hereunto annexed.
EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWING.
A, A, A, A, shews part of the uper half of the parasol stick; B, B, B, is
the spiral or helical spring; C, C, C, C, C, C, are the runner notches;
D, D, D, D, is the tube to which the runner notches are attatched; E, E, E, is
the locker placed on the outer serfice of the tube to which the runner notches
are attatched; J is the small spring which operates the aforesaid locker; i is
the arm of the aforesaid locker; m, m, m, is a section of the lower half of the

page_text: parasol stick cut in the direction of its length; L, L,-L, L, is the small shoulder
formed near the uper end of the lower half of the parasol stick; 0, 0, 0, 0, is
the sunken bed in which the flat band of caoutchouc or india rubber is imbeded;
K, K, K, K, is a section of the cap (cut in the direction of its length) screwed
on the lower end of the uper half of the parasol stick; g is the hole in the
tube to which the runner notches are attatched. A more perfect Drawing or
Drawings of this Invention shall be filed with the Complete Specification.
The advantages and utility of this Invention are as follows:-Firstly, the
spiral spring keeps the parasol in a closed condition, by which arrangement
the outside fastener can be dispenced with.
Secondly, the lower half of the parasol stick can be pushed into the uper
half of the parasol stick, which is much more comfortabl, pleasing, and agree-
able then to have it attatched in the ordnary manner to the uper half of the
parasol stick, and dangling about in all directions.
Thirdly, a gig umbrella made on the principle of this Envention can be
easely erected in a gig, and will remain erect without requiring to be personally
held in a state of erection.