AN IMPROVED REVERSIBLE PARASOL
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED REVERSIBLE
PARASOL." A communication from abroad by Joseph Edmund
Banks, of the City and State of New York, United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 26th April 1869.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
REVERSIBLE PARASOL," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in so arranging the ribs, the stretchers, and
the cover of parasols that when in the spread condition the ribs will

page_text: project at right angles to the stalk, forming for the most part a flat top
with a central conical extension on one side of the top to be capable of
adjustment on the stalk, so that the said conical extension may project
above or below the flat part of the top or parachute formed by the
projecting ribs.
It also consists in connecting with the stretchers and ribs two runners,
whereby the frame may be spread by the movement of either runner,
one being connected to the stalk near the top and the latter below, but
it is proposed to employ the lower runner for this purpose, as most
convenient, the upper one being held in a fixed position by a spring or
otherwise if desired.
The Invention also consists in so arranging the frame or parachute
that it may be closed by moving the runners in either direction on the
stalk.
And it also consists in an arrangement of the spring catches to
facilitate the movement of the runners over them in either direction.
The frame with its runners admits of being removed from the stalk
and replaced in a reversed position, so that the central conical projection
of the cover which was upwards will now be downwards when the
parasol is opened. The stalk is made of a metal tube fitted into a stick,
and this stalk is provided with three spring catches, the notches of which
are led up to by inclines on both sides of the notches. In one position
of the parts the top runner which is connected to the stretchers is held
by the top spring catch, and the lower runner which is connected to the
ribs is held by the middle or second spring catch. The third spring
catch is used to hold the frame in the closed position. The top of the
stalk is fitted with a removable cover (fixed in place by a screw), which
cover encloses within it the top runner and its spring catch..
SPECIF
Stance
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent 30
Office on the 26th October 1869..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in.
the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special
Licence that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, 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 Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "AN IMPROVED REVERSIBLE PARASOL," being a communication to me
from abroad by Joseph Edmund Banks, of the City and State of New
York, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, 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 Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is
to say):
:-
This Invention consists in so arranging the ribs, the stretchers, and
the cover of parasols that when in the spread or expanded condition
the ribs will project at right angles to the stalk, forming for the most
part a flat top with a central conical extension on one side of the top
to be capable of adjustment on the stalk, so that the said conical
extension may project above or below the flat part of the top or
parachute formed by the projecting ribs.
It also consists in connecting with the stretchers and ribs two runners,
whereby the frame may be spread by the movement of either runner,
one being connected to the stalk near the top and the latter below,

page_text: but it is proposed to employ the lower runner for this purpose, as most
convenient, the upper one being held in a fixed position by a spring or
otherwise if desired.
The Invention also consists in so arranging the frame or parachute
that it may be closed by moving the runners in either direction on the
stalk.
And it also consists in an arrangement of the spring catches to
facilitate the movement of the runners over them in either direction.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents a sectional elevation of
a parasol constructed according to the Invention, and in the spread con-
dition, with the stretchers forming the conical extension above the flat
or horizontal part of the cover; Fig. 2 represents a view of the same
when closed by sliding the runner down; and Fig. 3 represents a view
of the parasol when closed by moving the runner upward on the stalk.
The ribs a are hinged to a runner 6 capable of sliding above or below
the catch spring c, which holds it in the position for maintaining the
rib in the spread condition. These ribs are made strong and straight,
and intended when in the spread condition for extending the cover e
to maintain the same beyond the stretchers in a flat shape perpendicular
to the stalk and the lining e¹ wholly flat. The stretchers d are connected
to another runner f, which it is preferred to place upon the top of the
stalk, where it may be held by a catch spring g, and for the purpose of
adding a finished appearance thereto a tubular cap h is slipped over the
top of the stalk catch, spring, and runner, and secured by a screw i
tapped into the end of the stalk. The adjustment of these stretchers
above the ribs produces the conical extension % of the cover, giving
thereto an agreeable appearance; but if preferred the frame may be
reversed on the stalk by the removal of the tube h, slipping the runners
off the stalk, and placing them on again with the runner b at the top
and the other below. By this change the top is made wholly flat with
the conical extension projecting below, producing thereby an agreeable
variation of style, the part e¹ becoming the top or exterior of the parasol.
To permit the folding of the top snugly when the runner b is moved
upward, as shewn in Fig. 3, the part of the runner f to which the
stretchers are connected may be made larger than the similar part of
the runner 6 to provide room under the stretchers for the arms when
folded. For folding in the opposite direction, as in Fig. 2, the runner
is brought down and engaged with the spring 1. When folded in this

page_text: condition the parasol is much more convenient to carry by reason of
the heavy and loose part of the cover being in the lowest position when
the parasol is held in the hand, whereby the tops of the ribs are less
liable to catch in the folds of the dress of the person carrying it. The
improvement in the catch springs consists in adding the projecting
ends m, so as to form notches m¹ beyond the ledges m² as commonly
made, whereby the parts of the runners to be caught by the springs
may be readily moved into the said notches from either direction.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "An Improved
Reversible Parasol," as communicated to me from abroad, and explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be under-
stood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,-
First. Arranging the ribs and stretchers upon runners substan-
tially as specified, whereby their position on the stalk admits of being
reversed, and the spreading or closing of the parasol may be effected by
a movement of the runner of either the ribs or stretchers.
Secondly. The means above described whereby the parasol may be
closed by moving the runner either above or below the position for
maintaining the ribs and stretchers in the spread condition and spread
by the opposite movements.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Twenty-sixth day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine.