Year: 1886

page_text: 1 JOHN BUCKLEY SEEL of 24 Westbourne Park Terrace Paddington, London W.
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object
of my invention is to dispense with the springs on the sticks of
umbrellas parasols & sunshades usually employed for the purpose of keeping the
umbrella parasol or sunshade open or shut and to make the tips lie closely around the
stick without the aid of a tip cup or elastic band.
In order to accomplish this purpose I use ribs and stretchers of any ordinary
pattern except that the ends of the stretchers usually attached to the runner are made
of a somewhat different shape and are differently pierced. The ends of the stretchers
usually attached to the runners are made to terminate in a fork somewhat similar to
that which in some forms of umbrella frames is used to attach the other end of the
stretcher to the rib. Between the prongs of this fork one end of a flat metal spring
shaped somewhat like a knife spring is jointed by means of a rivet the holes for which
are pierced in the prongs of the fork as near to the upper surface, that is to say the
surface nearest to the ribs, as is consistent with strength and at such a distance from
the end as to leave a heel or projecting piece of the fork of about an eighth of an inch
in length for a full sized umbrella. The heel will not be so long in smaller umbrellas,
parasols and sunshades, nor do I confine myself to any exact length that which Í
describe being the length which I have found most advantageous. The other end of
the flat spring is attached to the runner and when the umbrella parasol or sunshade
is closed the springs lie quite flat in longitudinal grooves in the runner just deep
enough & wide enough to contain them and a metal ring forming part of the runner
surrounds and holds them down at about one third of their length from the point of
their attachment to the runner. The remaining two thirds of their length remains
free to be bent and raised out of their grooves by any force tending to thrust away
from the runner the ends of the springs attached to the stretchers but the elasticity
of the springs constantly tends to oppose such force. As long as the stretchers lie
along the stick in the position which they occupy when the umbrella parasol or sun-
shade is closed the springs are in a condition of rest or if as I find preferable the heel

page_text: of the stretcher fork has a slight nose or projection towards the runner the stretchers
and with them the ribs will be pressed against the stick. If now the runner be pressed
upwards along the stick the stretchers at once begin to act as levers of which the
heels are the shorter arms and raise the springs thus bringing their elasticity into
play and that elasticity opposes the opening of the umbrella parasol or sunshade up to
the point, at which a line joining the point of the heels of each stretcher to its spring
makes an angle of 90 degrees with the longitudinal axis of the runner
This point
may be called the dead point As the runner is pushed beyond that point the
elasticity of the spring operates in favour of the opening I can increase the action of
the springs at the most desirable points by giving a special form to the heels of the
stretchers so that a comparatively small point bears upon the runner at the dead point
and rounding off the lower edges which come to bear on the runner when that point
is passed so that the action of the springs is almost continuous either in the one
direction or the other. Instead of the ends of the stretchers being forked & the ends
of the springs inserted in the forks the ends of the stretchers may be single and the
ends of the springs may be forked and instead of the springs being quite flat they
may have a longitudinal curvature with its concavity towards the runner which will
cause them to exert a pressure upon the stretcher ends pressing them towards the
runner even in the position in which I have before described them as being in a con-
dition of rest. The amount of this curvature may vary with the length & stoutness
of the spring the shorter & stouter the spring the less the curvature that will be
required to produce a similar effect.

page_text: Improvements in Umbrellas, Parasols, and Sunshades.
I JOHN BUCKLEY SEEL late of 24 Westbourne Park Terrace London, Gentleman,
but now of 66 Basinghall Street, London, Commission Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to dispense with the springs on the sticks of
umbrellas parasols and sunshades usually employed for the purpose of keeping the
umbrella parasol or sunshade open or shut, and to make the tips lie closely around
the stick without the aid of a tip cup or elastic band.
In order to accomplish this purpose I use ribs and stretchers of any ordinary
pattern, except that the ends of the stretchers usually attached to the runner are
made of a somewhat different shape, and are differently pierced. The ends of the
stretchers usually attached to the runner are made to terminate in a fork. Between
the prongs of this fork one end of a flat metal spring shaped somewhat like a knife
spring is jointed by means of a rivet, the holes for which are pierced in the prongs of
the fork as near to the upper suface, that is to say, the surface nearest to the ribs, as
is consistent with strength and at such a distance from the end as to leave a heel or
projecting piece of the fork of about an eighth of an inch in length for a full-sized
umbrella The heel will not need to be so long in smaller umbrellas parasols and
sunshades, nor do I confine myself to any exact length, that which I describe being
the length which I have found most advantageous. The other end of the flat spring
is attached to the runner, and when the umbrella parasol or sunshade is closed the
springs lie nearly flat in longitudinal grooves in the runner just deep enough and
wide enough to contain thein, and a metal ring forming part of the runner surrounds
and holds them down at about one third, or as I find it better, nearly one-half of
their length from the point of their attachment to the runner-The remaining portion
of their length remains free to be bent, and raised away from the runner by any
force tending to thrust away from the runner the ends of the springs jointed to the
stretchers; but the elasticity of the springs constantly tends to oppose such force-I
find it better that the ring surrounding the springs should be slotted to receive the
springs and hold them in their places-A plain ring has I am aware been previously
used for a somewhat similar purpose and I do not claim as my invention a plain ring

page_text: so used As long as the stretchers lie along the stick, in the position, which they
occupy when the umbrella parasol or sunshade is closed, the springs are in a condition
of rest; or if, as I find preferable, the heel of the stretcher fork has a slight nose or
projection towards the runner the stretchers and with them the ribs will be pressed
against the stick-If now the runner be pressed upwards the stretchers at once begin
to act as levers, of which the heels pressing against the runner are the shorter arms,
and raise the springs; thus. bringing their elasticity into play, and that elasticity
opposes the opening of the umbrella parasol or sunshade, up to the point, at which a
line joining the point of the heels of each stretcher with the rivet attaching such
stretcher to its spring makes an angle of nearly 90 degrees with the longitudinal axis
of the runner-This point may be called the dead point-As the runner is pushed
beyond that point the elasticity of the spring operates in favor of the opening-I can
increase the action of the springs at the most desirable points by giving a special form
to the heels of the stretchers, so that a comparatively small point bears upon the
runner at the dead point, and rounding off the lower edges, which come to bear on
the runner when that point is passed; so that the action of the springs is almost con-
tinuous, either in the one direction or the other-Instead of the ends of the stretchers
being forked, and the ends of the springs inserted in the forks, the ends of the
stretchers may be single and the ends of the springs may be forked; and instead of
the springs being quite flat they may have a longitudinal curvature, with its con-
cavity towards the runner, which will cause them to exert a pressure upon the
stretcher ends, pressing them towards the runner, even without the nose upon the
heel of the stretcher, to which I have previously referred, and in the position in which
I have before described [them as being in a condition of rest-The amount of this
curvature may vary with the length and stoutness of the spring-The shorter and
stouter the spring the less the curvature that will be required to produce a similar
effect-The ends of the stretchers, instead of operating directly against the runner,
may operate against a groove or channel in a metal collar, preferably of hardened
steel, which slides freely upon the runner; thus obviating the wearing of the runner
by the friction of the ends of the stretchers and greatly facilitating the action-The
lower ends of the springs may be covered by a thin metal sleeve, which may either
be in one piece with, or separate from a boss or flange which is screwed upon the
handle end of the runner for the fingers to press against-But I do not claim the
sleeve or the boss or flange in itself as my invention, each of such contrivances
having been as I am aware previously used-The action is as follows:-The umbrella
being closed, the pressure of the springs on the stretchers causes the ribs to lie close
to the stick; upon the runner being pushed upwards from the handle of the umbrella,
the stretchers at their junction with the ribs rise up from the stick, and raise the
springs, which tend to press them against the stick-When the umbrella is about
half-open the peculiar shape of the heels of the stretchers causes the springs to act in
the reverse way, the effect now being to assist the opening of the umbrella.
The stretchers I prefer to make a little longer than usual so that when the umbrella
is open they will pass the horizontal position upwards towards the notch, and when
the umbrella is closed they will allow the end of the runner to project beyond the tips
The runner may be stopped from rising beyond the proper position, when the
umbrella is fully open by a pin in the stick-In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1
is an elevation of the runner which I use, A. A. A. are the grooves in which the
springs rest, these grooves may either be continued up to the ring B, under which the
springs slide as shown in Fig. 1 or they may extend for only a short length say about
the third of an inch along the runner so as to make a sort of notch for attaching the
springs as shown in Fig. 2 the springs being partly held in their places by passing
through slots in the ring B which are shown in Fig. 9 or by the ring itself when the
ring is made without slots-At the lower end of the lugs or projections which lie
between the grooves small notches R. R. are cut equi-distant from the lower end of
the runner for the purpose of securing the wire which fastens the springs into their
places Figs. 3 and 4 show the steel--collar which slides freely on the runner with a

page_text: groove or channel D. for the stretcher ends to bear against-Figs. 5 and 6 show a
stretcher having a forked end with the steel spring Q. attached to it by a rivet at E-
Figs. 7 and 8 show a stretcher with a single end, the spring having a forked end and
being attached to it by a rivet at E.
Fig. 9 shows the ring B. with slots for keeping the springs in their places-I prefer
to make this ring in one piece with the runner.
Figs. 10 and 11 show a knob or push piece to be screwed on to the end of the
runner nearest the handle of the umbrella and carrying a sleeve which will cover the
greater part of the springs.
Figs. 12 and 13 show the springs as attached to a forked stretcher and with the
groove F. for the purpose of receiving a wire to fasten it in its place.
Figs. 14 and 15 show the spring when fastened to a stretcher with a single end.
Fig. 16 is an elevation of the runner with the springs fixed in their places-This is
done by passing the spring under the ring B. and sliding it into the groove A. and
then twisting a wire round the notches R. R. in the springs and runner--There is a
great advantage in the simplicity of this operation. :
Fig. 17 shows a section on the line L. M. in Fig. 17.
Fig. 18 shows a section through the runner with the stretcher P. and spring Q. in
position when the umbrella is open-The collar C. the ring B. and the push piece T
with the sleeve S are also shown.
Fig. 19 shows an elevation of the runner complete with the stretcher in the position
when the umbrella is closed.
Fig. 20 shows the complete umbrella frame open.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A runner with longitudinal grooves as described and for the purpose
mentioned.
2. A ring with slots as shown and described and for the purpose mentioned.
3. A sliding collar made by preference of steel with a slight groove running round
its outer surface as shown and described and for the purpose mentioned.
4. Stretchers having projections or heels beyond the rivets at the ends of the
stretchers adjoining the runner such projections or heels being of the form and for
the purpose above described.
5. A spring of the form and for the purpose above described.
6. The stretcher and spring jointed by a rivet as described and for the purpose
mentioned.
7. A stretcher working on a collar as above described and for the purpose
mentioned.
8. A stretcher attached by a rivet to springs of the form mentioned and working
on a collar as mentioned and for the purpose described.
9. A runner fitted with a collar of the form and for the purpose described.
10. A runner fitted a ring of the form described in Fig. 9 and for the purpose
mentioned.
11. A runner fitted with a ring of either the form described and also with a collar
of the form described and for the purpose mentioned.
12. A runner fitted with a collar of the form and for the purpose described and
with a stretcher working against such collar as described.
13. A runner fitted with a collar as described against which a stretcher works,
such stretcher being attached to springs as described and for the purpose mentioned.
14. A runner fitted fitted with a collar as described and ring B. of either of the
forms described with stretchers working against the collar and spring attached to
the stretcher as described and for the purpose mentioned.
15. A runner fitted with a collar as described, a ring of either of the forms
described and a pushing piece with sleeve as described and for the purposes
mentioned.

page_text: 16. A runner having springs attached thereto by being passed under the ring B.
of either of the forms above described and held in the grooves at the lower end of
the runner by a wire passed round and resting in the notches in the grooves and
springs as described and for the purpose above mentioned.
17. A runner with longitudinal grooves and sliding collar and ring of one of the
forms described and knob or push piece with protecting sleeve as described and
springs of the form described attached to the runner as described and to stretchers
of the form described in the manner described such stretchers bearing either upon
the collar as described or upon the runner.