AN IMPROVED LOCK FOR RECEIVING AND SECURING UMBRELLAS, CANES, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES." FOR RECEIVING AND SRING UMBRELLAS,, AND SLARLES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Mills Foote, of the City and State of New
York, United States of America, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED LOCK
FOR RECEIVING AND SECURING UMBRELLAS, CANES, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES."
FOR RECEIVING AND SECURING UMBRELLAS, CANES, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES."
Sealed the 12th April 1861, and dated the 11th January 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Mills Foote at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th January 1861.
I, ALFRED MILLS FOOTE, of the City and State of New York, United States
of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED LOCK FOR RECEIVING AND SECURING UMBRELLAS, CANES, AND SIMILAR
ARTICLES," to be as follows-
My said lock is fitted to surround, grasp, or receive the handle of an um-
brella, a cane, parasol, or other article, so as to securely retain and secure the
same until liberated by the application of the key to said lock. The device
I employ consists of two disks or plates formed with notches extending to their
centres of a size sufficient to receive the umbrella handle, cane, or other article ;
one of these disks is permanently attached to an umbrella stand, or other
support and formed with a circular flange surrounding the other disk. The
two disks are so connected that they are held together, but the one disk can
be turned upon the other and within the surrounding flange. Between the

page_text: two disks are one or more latches or catches, taking studs or notches in
such a manner that the one disk cannot be turned upon the other until the
latches or catches are acted on by a suitable key which I prefer to be made
flat and numbered to correspond with the lock to which it is adapted. By
entering the umbrella stick, cane, or other article into the notches aforesaid
when they coincide, and then giving the disk a partial rotation, the said article
is retained within nearly a circular hole, and the catches prevent the disks
being turned until the proper key is applied; rings may be provided above
or below the said lock to receive and guide the article if required.
ce on the
9th July 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
MILLS FOOTE, of the City and State of New York, United States of America,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Alfred Mills Foote, Her special license that I, the said Alfred Mills Foote,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Alfred Mills Foote, 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 LOCK
FOR RECEIVING AND SECURING UMBRELLAS, CANES, AND SIMILAR ARTICLES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Mills Foote, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Mills Foote, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following

page_text: statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
Fig. 1 is a plan of said lock ready to receive an umbrella or parasol.
وو
1
2 is a plan of said lock as closed, and retaining an umbrella or
parasol stick.
3 is an inverted plan of the top plate, and
4 is a vertical section of said lock through the centre of Fig. 2. Simi-
lar marks of reference denote the same parts.
In hotels, picture galleries, boarding houses, steamboats, and other places,
it is often desired to leave an umbrella, parasol or cane, and to take a check
for the same; this involves the necessity of an attendant to take and give checks,
and the risk that even then through design or oversight the wrong umbrella,
parasol, or cane will be taken. The nature of my said Invention consists in
a revolving lock, retaining the umbrella, or cane, or parasol in its place; and
the check taken for the same is the key by which the lock is opened, and the
construction is such that the lock cannot be opened unless the check key be
placed therein.
In the Drawing a is a disk of metal having a. ring around its edge.
this disk is attached by the flange 2, or its equivalent, to any umbrella stand
by screws entering said stand either vertically or horizontally, or my said lock
may be connected to any desired article, or in any convenient situation
for receiving and retaining any umbrella, cane, or similar article.
. In the aforesaid plate (a) a notch 3 extends to the centre, and within the
flange 1, or ring, I introduce the circular lock plate b, that is also formed with
a notch 4 similar to the notch 3. By reference to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be
seen that when the notches 3 and 4 correspond an umbrella or parasol handle
can be entered or removed, but when said notches are at right angles as in
Fig. 2, the article is secured in place; I therefore introduce a locking device
between the plates a and b, so that the parts will be held in the position shown
in Fig 2, until the proper key is applied. The lock plate b is held to the
plate a by a screw or rivet c that moves in a slot in the under side of the
plate a; see dotted lines Fig. 1; and section Fig. 4; and d is a handle by which
a quarter rotation can be given to the lock plate b; e is a latch on a centre
pin 5, and kept in place by a suitable spring 6, and e¹ is an arm extending
from the latch e, and against this the check facts when entered into a slot
provided for it in the side of the lock between the plate b and a plate y that
is attached to said plate 6 by the screw 10; 7 is a block on the plate a,
curved to the arc of the circle, and the same determines the quarter turn given
to the plate 6 by the stops at 8 and 9, taking the ends of said curved block..

page_text: We will suppose the check f in place, and the lock in position, shown in Fig. 1,
then enter the umbrella or parasol handle, give the plate 6 a quarter rotation
by the handle d; this brings the check f opposite the opening 3, and the
spring 6 throws the latch e over the end of the block 7, and the arm of said
latch e forces out the check f, and the owner of the umbrella takes the check,
it being properly numbered or marked to correspond with the given lock.
Now if any person tries to turn the lock plate around, he cannot because of
the latch e and block 7, but if he enter any article and force back the arm e¹,
and latch e about one-eighth of a turn can be given, and said pick or article
entered has to be withdrawn on account of the flange 1. I therefore provide
a notch 11 in the block 7, which taking the latch e at this time prevents the
lock plate being further rotated, and the umbrella is still safe, for the notch 4
has not been turned sufficient for its liberation; when the check keyf however
is applied, the lock plate b, can be turned around and the article liberated.
I provide a slot in the check key f to pass the screw 10, by varying the
position of this screw and slot; one check key cannot be entered in another
Jock, and as additional security wards may be formed in different places on
the sides of the opening into which the check key is placed,-or said check key
may be formed with parallel or tapering sides, or may be entered diagonally to
the edge of the lock plate, or in a curved line upon the arc of a circle, and
the part of the arm el, against which said check key acts may be formed with
a roller to lessen friction if desired. A projecting plate or flange may be
provided at a little distance above the lock to prevent a cane or other article
from being drawn out of said lock, and rings may be fitted below said lock for
receiving and guiding said umbrella or cane.
The Fig. 5 shows an inverted plan of the lock plate, and Fig. 6 a
section of the same, in which Figs. a second latch or tumbler is provided,
whereby the security of the lock is greatly increased, because the key being
made with an off-set as seen in Fig. 7, to act on the second lath h, prevents
the lock being turned by anything but the correct key, and the key may be
formed with notches or wards in the sides thereof adapted to take the end of the.
block 7, for it will be seen by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 that the key f in its
movement passes over this block 7, and that any wards arresting the movement
of the parts, when a false key was introduced, would prevent the plate 6 being
turned sufficiently for the liberation of any article. Three or more latches may
be made use of if desired.
Having thus described my said Invention, what I claim and desire to
secure by Letters Patent, is the combination of a stationary plate with the
revolving lock plate, both of which are provided with notches for entering

page_text: the umbrella, cane, or other article, said plates being fitted with suitable
latches to retain the lock plate when turned so as to enclose the article
as specified.
I claim the check key f in combination with the latch or latches introduced
between the said plates, the parts being fitted and acting in substantially the
manner and for the purposes set forth.
I also claim the notch 11 in the block 7, combined with the latch e, to
afford additional security as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Mills Foote have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eleventh day of February, A.D. One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witnesses,
LEMUEL W. SERRELL,
121, Nassau St.,
CHA. H. SMITH,
New York.
121, Nassau St.,
New York.
ALFRED M. FOOTE. (L.S.)