MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR HOLDING THE FRAMES OF UMBRELLAS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES OPEN OR CLOSED
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM LLOYD WISE, of N° 46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of said invention for "MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR HOLDING THE FRAMES OF
UMBRELLAS AND SIMILAR ARTICLES OPEN OR CLOSED" (a communication to me from
abroad by Florentin Auguste Boin, fils, (Mécanicien) of 16 Rue Damnesnil,
Vincennes, near Paris, France,) and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to means for closing and keeping closed the frames of
umbrellas, sun shades, and the like, without the aid of rings, sliding fasteners
(arranged to surround the free ends of the ribs) or other external devices such as
heretofore usually employed for this purpose.-And in order that this invention
may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the
annexed sheet of drawings wherein I have by way of example illustrated in several
views an arrangement of closing device according to this invention.
Fig 1 shews in elevation in the closed attitude, parts of the framing of an
umbrella having this invention applied thereto, the umbrella being closed.
Fig 2 is a view of the same at right angles to Fig 1.
Fig 3 is a section, the parts being in the attitudes that obtain when the umbrella
is closed.
Fig 4 is a corresponding section shewing the parts in the attitudes that obtain
when the umbrella is nearly open, and the spring connexion has lost its tension.
Fig 5 shews in two views the spring which is the operating part of the device.
The same letters of reference are used to indicate like parts in all the figures
wherein they occur.
Upon each rib a of the frame (whether it be of an umbrella or sun-shade) is
articulated a stretcher b; this articulation is effected by means of a pin or pivot p
passing through two lugs o. o which embrace two checks jj forming part of a
clip c that surrounds the exterior of the rib a. The lugs o. o are moreover traversed

page_text: by a ping upon which is secured one extremity of a spring r whose other extremity,
bent to a right angle, rests in a slot m formed in the stretcher b as shewn. As the
umbrella (as I will assume it to be) is opened the spring extends its expansion
reaching the maximum when the stretchers or arms b and the ribs a of the umbrella
occupy relatively to one another such attitudes that the return of the umbrella to
its closed condition becomes impossible. At this moment the tension of the spring
decreases and is just lost when the ribs a and stretchers b occupy the attitudes
represented in Fig 4. On the other hand, when the umbrella is to be closed and
when the stretcher bis brought below the attitude there shewn the spring acts to
bring b and a into and retain them in juxtaposition as represented in Fig 3 thus
keeping the umbrella closed with the ribs close to the stick.
The above described device is reliable in operation and occupies very little space.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
For holding an umbrella or similar article open without the aid of springs or
equivalent devices forming part of the stick or of the slider or sleeve, and for
keeping it closed without the aid of devices such as external rings, bands, sliding
fasteners or the like as heretofore usually employed for this purpose.
The apring joint connecting the ribs a and the stretchers b formed by the use in
combination of the pin or pivot p, lugs o. o, clip c with cheeks j. j, pin g and
spring the said pin g traversing the lugs o and serving as an attachment for the
spring whose free extremity is bent to a right angle and rests in a slot or
opening m formed in the stretcher b substantially as described and illustrated and
for the purpose set forth.
1001