IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Jarman and John Sambrook, both of Birmingham,
in the County of Warwick, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Jarman and John
Sambrook at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th February
1881.
JOHN JARMAN and JOHN SAMBROOK, both of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick. 'IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS."
"
Our Invention relates to improvements in the construction of fastening umbrellas
and parasols, whereby they are rendered more durable and less liable to be
retained when lost.
According to the present system of making umbrellas and parasols each rib is
formed at the end with a hole, and works on a wire which passes through this
hole and round a groove in the top plate or joint, to which it is fastened by
twisting its ends together, thus being always liable to corrode or break, and in
either case tearing the covering or otherwise damaging the umbrella.
Now our Invention consists in forming the upper end of each rib of an umbrella
or parasol with a solid or hollow spherical or other shaped substance of suitable
material, immediately below which the rib is flattened on each side for a short
distance. This ball or other shaped substance works in a correspondingly shaped
hole or cavity in the plate or ring of top joint, and the several ball or other shaped
bends are confined to the said holes or cavities by a channelled covering plate or
ring, the flattened portions of the ribs working through radial notches or slots in
the plate or ring of top joint, and the whole acting in unison in such a manner that
the ends of the ribs work as universal joints to the extent of opening and closing
the umbrella.
The lower ends of the stretchers where they are jointed to the runner joint are
constructed in a similar manner to that above described for the ribs.
The upper ends of the stretchers are made with similar ball or other shaped
substances, which work in corresponding holes or cavities formed in slotted boxes

page_text: or pieces screwed or otherwise secured to the ribs in such a manner that while
working as universal joints to the extent of opening and closing the umbrella they
are effectually confined by the slotted boxes or pieces and act in unison with the
top and runner joints respectively.
By this method of construction the weakening of the ribs by the ordinary
holes is prevented and their durability consequently increased; also owing to the
combined action of the balls or other shaped substances with the flat portion of
the ribs in their notches. the umbrella cannot be turned inside out as at
present.
If desired, in lieu of separate holes or cavities for the ball or other shaped ends
of the ribs and stretchers, a continuous half groove slot or other shaped depression
may be formed round the top and runner joints respectively, the said ends working
in these grooves or depressions and covered by or confined thereto by corre-
spondingly shaped rings or plates screwed or otherwise fixed on the top and runner
joints round the stick of the umbrella. Or the grooves, slots, or depressions may
be wholly sunk or formed in the top or runner joints and flush therewith, in which
case the covering ring or plate will be plain, its edge projecting if desired slightly
downwards over the radial notches through which the flattened parts of the ribs
work, so that the motion of the latter is limited and renders it difficult for the
umbrella to be turned inside out.
"
If desirable I may use with this Invention a "letter lock "or "bayonet joint
as a fastening or catch, in lieu of the ordinary fastening to hold the umbrella
closed.
If a letter lock is used composed of a series of rings it opens in the middle, the
rings on one side being fixed to the sliding end of runner and the other rings
carried on the stick of the umbrella near the handle, so that when the umbrella is
closed the two portions meet or close together flush at the centre. The catch or
fastening of this lock works up and down the stick with the sliding runner and fits
into slots or openings in the rings which are fixed vertically (but capable of turning)
near the handle, and when turned move the slots or openings away from each other
so that the catch or fastening cannot come out until the rings are turned back and
so reopen the slots or openings in line with each other. The umbrella is thus
secured in its closed condition by any desired combination of the letters of the lock,
thereby preventing its use by any other person in case of its being lost,.
surreptitiously borrowed, or stolen.
When the so called "bayonet-joint" is used to fasten the umbrella, one portion
thereof carrying the stud or catch is fixed to the sliding runner, whilst the ring or
collar forming its other portion is fixed on the stick near the handle is such a
manner that upon closing the umbrella the stud or catch falls into its opening in
the ring or collar, and over the joint fits a sliding collar which hides the stud or
catch and forms a plain uniform surface. This arrangement is much simpler and
stronger and less liable to get out of order than the letter lock.
It also saves time in opening and shutting the umbrella.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Jarman and John Sambrook in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 15th August 1881.
JOHN JARMAN and JOHN SAMBROOK, both of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick. "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS."
We will premise the description of our Invention by remarking that since the
filing of our Provisional Specification we have discovered that the description
therein contained is too comprehensive, and embraces various features to which we
do not desire to lay any claim under our present Letters Patent. We have there-
fore restricted the following description of our Invention to those features which we
believe to be novel and original, and which we claim as constituting our present
improvements, and have eliminated those parts of our Provisional Specification
which are descriptive of various features therein described as improvements, but
which we have since found are not so new or of such utility as we then thought,
and in respect of which we desire it should be understood that we lay no
claim.
Our present Invention has reference to an improved construction of the top joint
and runner joint described in the Provisional Specification lodged by the above
named John Jarman in respect of an application for Letters Patent, No. 41637,
with the especial object of so uniting the parts of which the said joints are made
as that they can be made more cheaply than hitherto, and can be put together and
separated with greater facility and in one half the time required according to the
way in which they have hitherto been constructed, and so as to permit of broken
ribs or stretchers being more easily replaced than hitherto.
As hitherto made the parts of these joints have each had notches for the ribs or
stretchers made in them, and they have been united by separate screws, and the
construction and method of fitting the parts together has thus been expensive and
too troublesome to allow of the device coming into extensive use.
But as made according to our present Invention the notches for the ribs or
stretchers are made only in one of the parts, as shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying
Drawings, and the other part is made plain and without notches, as shown in
Fig. 2, and each of the parts is screw-threaded, as shewn in these Figs., so that they
can be readily and safely united, as shewn in Fig. 3, and according to this
improved method the advantages attendant upon these improved joints are greatly
increased.
Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention, together
with the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, we would remark in conclusion that what we consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein before
in part recited Letters Patent is, -
The improved method of constructing and uniting the parts of the top joint and
the runner joint of the frames of umbrellas and parasols, substantially as herein-
before described and as illustrated on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Sambrook, on behalf of the said John
Jarman and myself, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth
day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and