IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLA FRAMES, AND IN THE PROCESS OF And Ma- CHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLA FRAMES, AND IN THE PROCESS OF And Ma-
CHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME." - A communication from
abroad by Abram Herzberg and Isaac Herzberg, both of the City
and County of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States
of 'America.
Sealed the 29th July 1873, and dated the 10th June 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 10th June 1873.
"
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLA FRAMES, AND IN THE PROCESS OF
AND MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME,' a communication to me
from abroad by Abram Herzberg and Isaac Herzberg, both of the City
and County of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of
America, to be as follows:-
The object of the first part of the Invention is the economical and
rapid manufacture of umbrella "notches" by punching certain peculiar

page_text: star-shaped blanks from sheet metal, and reducing the said blanks to
finished "notches" by a peculiar system of plungers, punches, and
dies.
The improved "notch" consists of a short tube or ferrule adapted to
the stick of an umbrella, and having projections bent to such a shape as
to retain the spherical or other shaped heads of the ribs, the stems of
which fit and move freely in the slots left between the said projections.
The process of manufacturing these notches is as follows :-In the first
place flat star-shaped blanks having the desired projections are punched
from a plate of sheet iron or other ductile metal, and this is accomplished
by a steel punch of the precise shape of the blank, and adapted to a
stationary die on which the metal is placed, so that when the punch
descends a blank is cut from the sheet and falls into an annular recess
in another die below. A plunger, which is reduced in diameter at its
lower end so as to form a projection, now descends through the said
punch and bends the blank and forces it into an opening in the second
die until it is arrested by a shoulder in the said opening, but as the
downward movement of the plunger is continued, the projection at its
lower end forces a central portion of the blank into a reduced portion of
the opening in the die, while the body of the blank is retained by the
shoulder.
It is preferred to make the second die double, that is, with two
openings of precisely similar character, the die being so constructed that
it can be moved to and fro on a suitable bed, and either of its openings
brought to a position beneath the plunger. By this arrangement ample
time will be afforded for the extraction of a partly formed notch from
one opening of the die, while another blank is receiving its preliminary
shape in the other opening.
It is also preferred to use the compound punch before described, but
a separate punch and plunger may if desired be employed.
The partly formed notch is completed by the combined action of a
distinct compound plunger and corresponding die, the die having an
opening adapted to an extended and contracted portion of the plunger,
and this opening terminating at the top of the die in an annular recess
in which the partly formed notch is placed.
As the plunger descends the extended portion of the same punches a
disc from the centre of the notch, and continuing its descent forms the

page_text: desired ferrule or tube on the notch, and the descent of the plunger is
continued until the recessed portion of a movable collar on the said
plunger strikes the projections of the notch, and bends them to a curved
shape, when the notch is complete. On the upward movement of the
plunger its movable collar is held down upon the notch in order to
facilitate the withdrawal of the extended portion of the said plunger
from the ferrule.
"
The object of the second part of the Invention is to enable umbrella
"runners
"
and "notches to be held steadily, and in proper position to
be operated upon by the saw or other instrument by which the grooves
or slots for the reception of the ribs and stretchers are squared up
smoothed at the edges. This object is attained by the combination of a
recessed or tubular post or holder with a forked gripping lever.
and
The slots in the "notches" and "runners" when the latter are formed
by the process described in the first part of the Invention are apt to be
somewhat irregular in width, and rough at the edges, so that in order to
obtain uniformity it is necessary to dress them out, a circular saw having
fine teeth being the best instrument for this purpose.
The difficulty heretofore in the dressing out operation has been to
properly hold and adjust the "notches" to the saw, but this has been
overcome by the combination of holder and gripping lever above
referred to as forming the subject of the second part of the Invention.
The post or holder is situated directly beneath, or slightly to one side
of the saw, and is recessed at the top for the reception of the "notch "
to be operated on, the latter snugly fitting within the said recess.
The gripping lever has its fulcrum on a separate post or support, and
has a forked arm which overhangs the holder of the "notch," the
extremity of this forked arm being bent downwards and sharpened so as
to form knife edges which when depressed enter two of the slots in the
"notch" at right angles to those which are to be operated on by the
saw, thus steadily holding the said "notch," and determining the
proper position of its slots in respect to the saw as they are successively
presented to the same.
The operation is precisely the same in operating upon a "runner," the
only difference being that the latter has a longer ferrule, and therefore
extends further down into the tubular holder.

page_text: If desired there may be several holders combined with a single forked
lever, so constructed as to simultaneously retain in position as many
" notches " as there are holders.
The object of the third part of the Invention is to impart increased
rigidity to the frame of an umbrella or parasol having "notches" and
" runners "of the character described in the first and second parts of
the Invention, and this object is attained by combining a 'rib or stretcher
having a flattened neck with a "notch' "
*
or runner," having narrow
radial slots within which the said flattened necks are fitted snugly, but
so as to move freely.
"
"
The ribs and stretchers of steel framed umbrellas and parasols are
commonly made of a circular or nearly circular cross section, so that
when formed with enlargements or heads at their inner ends, and
adapted to slotted and socketed "notches" or
"
runners of the
character herein described, the bearing afforded the said ribs or stretchers 1
within the slots of the "notches "
or 'runners is so slight that they
must soon become worn, and consequently have considerable lateral
play, thus detracting from the rigidity of the frame, a serious objection
which is overcome by simply flattening the necks of the said ribs or
stretchers so as to afford an extended bearing for the same within the 2
slots of the "notches or runners sufficient to effectually prevent all
lateral or twisting movement of the ribs and stretchers, without inter-
fering in the slightest degree with their movement towards and from the
stick or handle in closing and opening the umbrella.
"
66
"
"
"
Another advantage arising from the use of the flattened necks is that 2
the radial slots in the "notches
and " runners can be narrower, and
the metal between the same therefore wider and stronger than with the
ordinary arrangement.
It should be understood that the heads and flattened necks are not
formed upon tips secured to the inner ends of the ribs and stretchers, 3
but are made in one piece with and of the same metal as the latter.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 8th December 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license
that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors, administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
UMBRELLA FRAMES, AND IN THE PROCESS OF AND MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING
THE SAME, a communication to me from abroad by Abram Herzberg
and Isaac Herzberg, both of the City and County of Philadelphia, State
of Pennsylvania, United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 John Henry Johnson, 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 accompanying
Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The object of the first part of this Invention is the economical and
rapid manufacture of umbrella "notches" by punching certain peculiar
star-shaped blanks from sheet metal, and reducing the said blanks to

page_text: finished "notches" by a peculiar system and combination of plungers,
punches, and dies.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts
in all the Figures.
Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings represent a vertical
section and plan view of the umbrella notch produced by the process
and apparatus described hereafter, the said notch consisting of a short
tube or ferrule a adapted to the stick 6 of an umbrella, and having
projections a¹ bent to the shape shown in Figure 1, so as to retain the
spherical or other shaped heads of the ribs d, the stems of which fit and
move freely in the slots between the said projections.
The process of manufacturing these notches is as follows:-In the
first place flat star-shaped blanks, Figure 3, having the desired pro-
jections a¹, are punched from a plate of sheet iron or other ductile metal,
and this is accomplished by a steel punch A (Figure 4) of the precise
shape of the blank, and adapted to a stationery die B on which the metal
is placed, so that when the punch descends a blank is cut from the
sheet and falls into an annular recess e in another die D below. A.
plunger E, which is reduced in diameter at its lower end so as to form a
projection f, now descends through the said punch and bends the blank,
and forces it into the opening in the second die D, until it is arrested
by the shoulder i in the said opening, but as the downward movement
of the plunger is continued, the projection fat its lower end forces a
central portion of the blank into the reduced portion m of the opening
in the die, while the body of the blank is retained by the shoulder i. The
result of these operations is the reduction of the blank, Figure 3, to the
condition shown in Figure 5.
It is preferred to make the second die D double, as shown in the
Drawing, that is with two openings of precisely similar character, the
die being so constructed that it can be moved to and fro on a suitable
bed, and either of its openings brought to a position beneath the plunger.
By this arrangement ample time will be afforded for the extraction of a
partly formed notch from one opening of the die, while another blank is
receiving its preliminary shape in the other opening.

page_text: It is also preferred to use the compound punch illustrated in Figure 4,
but separate punches A and E may if desired be employed.
The partly formed notch, Figure 5, is completed by the combined
action of the compound plunger G and corresponding die H, shown in
section in Figure 6, the die having an opening n adapted to the portion
p of the plunger, and this opening terminating at the top of the die in
an annular recess 9, in which the partly formed notch is placed as
shown.
As the plunger descends the extended portion p of the same punches
a disc from the centre of the notch, and continuing its descent forms
the desired ferrule or tube a, Figure 1, on the notch, and the descent
of the plunger is continued until the recessed portions of the moveable
collar t on the said plunger strikes the projections a¹ of the notch, and
bends them to the curved shape, shown in Figure 1, when the notch is
complete. On the upward movement of the plunger its movable collar t
is held down upon the notch in order to facilitate the withdrawal of the
extended portion p of the said plunger from the ferrule a.
The object of the second part of the Invention is to enable umbrella
"runners" and "notches" to be held steadily and in proper position to be
operated upon by the saw or other instrument, by which the grooves or
slots for the reception of the ribs and stretches are squared up and
smoothed at the edges. This object is attached by the combination of a
recessed or tubular post or holder A with a forked gripping lever B,
shown in the elevation, Figure 7, and plan view, Figure 8, of the accom-
panying Drawing.
The slots in the "notches" and "runners" when the latter are formed
by the process described in the first part of the Invention are apt to be
somewhat irregular in width and rough at the edges, so that in order to
obtain uniformity it is necessary to dress them out, a circular saw having
fine teeth being the best instrument for this purpose.
The difficulty heretofore in the dressing out operation has been to
properly hold and adjust the "notches" to the saw, but this has been
overcome by the combination of holder and gripping lever, above referred
to, as forming the subject of the second part of the Invention.
The post or holder A is situated directly beneath, or slightly to one
side of the saw X (shown by dotted lines), and is recessed at the top for
the reception of the "notch" D to be operated on, the latter snugly
fitting within the said recess as shown.

page_text: The gripping lever B has its fulcrum at a on a post or support 6, and
has a forked arm c which overhangs the holder A, as shown, the
extremity of this forked arm being bent downwards and sharpened so as
to form knife edges d, which, when depressed, enter two of the slots in
the "notch" at right angles to these which are to be operated on by the
saw, thus steadily holding the said "notch," and determining the proper
position of its slots in respect to the saw as they are successively pre-
sented to the same.
The operation is precisely the same in operating upon a "runner," the
only difference being that the latter has a longer ferrule and therefore
extends further down into the tubular holder A.
If desired there may be several holders A combined with a single
forked lever B, so constructed as to simultaneously retain in position as
" notches as there are holders.
many
"
The object of the third part of the Invention is to impart increased
rigidity to the frame of an umbrella or parasol having "notches" and
"runners" of the character described in the first and second parts of the
Invention, and this object is attained by combining a rib or stretcher A
having a flattened neck a, as shewn in the enlarged views Figures 9
" notch or "runner
and 10 of the accompanying Drawing, with a
B having narrow radial slots 6 within which the said flattened necks
are fitted snugly, but so as to move freely (see enlarged sectional views,
Figures 11 and 12).
"
"
"
"
The ribs and stretchers of steel framed umbrellas and parasols are
commonly made of a circular or nearly circular cross section, so that when
formed with enlargements or heads d at their inner ends, and adapted
to slotted and socketted "notches " or runners "of the character shown
in the Drawing, the bearing afforded to the said ribs or stretchers within
the slots of the "notches or runners" is so slight that they must soon
become worn, and consequently have considerable lateral play, thus de-
tracting from the rigidity of the frame, a serious objection, which is
overcome by simply flattening the necks a of the said ribs or stretchers,
as before described, so as to afford an extended bearing for the same
within the slots of the "notches ог "runners" sufficient to effectually
prevent all lateral or twisting movement of the ribs and stretches
without interfering in the slighest degree with their movement towards
and from the stick or handle E in closing and opening the umbrella.
"

page_text: Another advantage arising from the use of the flattened necks is that
the radial slots in the "notches" and "runners" can be narrower, and
the metal between the same therefore wider and stronger than with the
ordinary arrangement.
It should be understood that the heads d and flattened necks a are
not formed upon tips secured to the inner ends of the ribs and stretchers
but are made in one piece with and of the same metal as the latter.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The punch A and its plunger E having a projection fin com-
bination with a die D having the recess e, opening h, m, and shoulder i,
substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described and illus-
trated by the Drawings annexed.
Second. The combination of the die H, its opening #, and recess q
with the plunger G and its movable collar t, as and for the purpose
herein-before described and illustrated by the Drawing annexed.
Third. The mode or process described of manufacturing umbrella
notches, that is to say, punching from a sheet of metal, blanks (as shown
in Figure 3), and forming these blanks into notches by bending and
punching in the manner described.
Fourth. The combination of one or more tubular or recessed holders A
with a forked gripping lever B, substantially as and for the purpose
described and as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8 of the Drawings.
Fifth. The combination, substantially as specified, of a rib or stretcher
having a flattened neck a with a notch or runner of the character
described and shown in Figures 11 and 12 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, the Eighth day of
December One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.