IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1858

page_text: En the Matter of a Patent granted to FRANCIS FOWкE, of Park House,
South Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, a Captain in the
Royal Engineers, for his Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS
AND PARASOLS," bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of October, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, to which a Specification was
duly filed.
DISCLAIMER proposed to be entered by the said Francis Fowke pursuant
to the Statutes in that case made and provided.
WHEREAS in the said Specification I, the said Francis Fowke, stated,
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that what
"I claim is." And after in part particularizing what I claimed under the
heads or divisions, "First," "Second," "Third," I proceeded to the fourth
head or division of such particulars, and stated,
particulars, and stated, "Fourth, constructing
"umbrellas and parasols with triangular stretchers lying in grooves or
"recesses in the stick when the umbrella or parasol is closed, as herein-before
"described," which said last statement or fourth claim was made inadver-
tently and by mistake, inasmuch as I never really deemed triangular stretchers
as part of my said Invention, but only viewed stretchers of such a shape or
form, by whomsoever made, as being from the stick and other portions of my
said Invention requisite and necessary for completing and fully carrying out
the same; therefore under the circumstances and for the reasons aforesaid, I,
the said Francis Fowke, am desirous of disclaiming, and I do hereby disclaim

page_text: the part of the said Specification which consists of the following words,
Fourth, constructing umbrellas and parasols with triangular stretchers
lying in grooves or recesses in the stick, when the umbrella or parasol is
"closed, as herein-before described."
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth
day of September, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness to the signature of the above-
named Francis Fowke,
AMOS ENGLISH, Gardener,
Heathlands, Sandown,
Isle of Wight.
FRANCIS FOWKE,
(L.S.)
Cap'. R¹. Engs.
I hereby grant my fiat giving leave to the above-named Francis Fowke to 1
file in the Great Seal Patent Office with the Specification to which the same
relates the above-written Disclaimer.
Lincoln's Inn,
RICHARD BETHELL, A.G.
September 30th, 1859.

page_text: En the Matter of a Patent granted to FRANCIS FOWKE, of Park House,
South Kensington, in the County of Middlesex, a Captain in the
Royal Engineers, for his Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS
AND PARASOLS," bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of October, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, to which a Specification was
duly filed.
DISCLAIMER proposed to be entered by the said Francis Fowke pursuant
to the Statutes in that case made and provided.
WHEREAS in the said Specification I, the said Francis Fowke, stated,
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that what
"I claim is." And after in part particularizing what I claimed under the
heads or divisions, "First," Second," "Third," I proceeded to the fourth
head or division of such particulars, and stated, "Fourth, constructing
"umbrellas and parasols with triangular stretchers lying in grooves or
"recesses in the stick when the umbrella or parasol is closed, as herein-before
"described," which said last statement or fourth claim was made inadver-
tently and by mistake, inasmuch as I never really deemed triangular stretchers
as part of my said Invention, but only viewed stretchers of such a shape or
form, by whomsoever made, as being from the stick and other portions of my
said Invention requisite and necessary for completing and fully carrying out
the same; therefore under the circumstances and for the reasons aforesaid, I,
the said Francis Fowke, am desirous of disclaiming, and I do hereby disclaim

page_text: the part of the said Specification which consists of the following words,
Fourth, constructing umbrellas and parasols with triangular stretchers
lying in grooves or recesses in the stick, when the umbrella or parasol is
closed, as herein-before described."
"
"
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth
day of September, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Lincoln's Inn,
RICHARD BETHELL, A.G.
September 30th, 1859.

page_text: CEEDS DATENT to Francis Fowke, of Park House, South Kensington,
in the County of Middlesex, Captain in the Royal Engineers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN UNBRELLAS AND PARASOLS."
in the County of Middlesex, Captain in the Royal Engineers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN UNBRELLAS AND PARASOLS."
ealed the 8th April 1859, and dated the 25th October 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis Fowke at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th
October 1858.
I, FRANCIS FOWKE, of Park House, South Kensington, in the County of
Middlesex, Captain in the Royal Enginoora do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS," to be
as follows:-
In umbrellas and parasols as usually constructed the stick is either a solid
rod or a metallic tube, around which the stretchers and ribs lie when the
umbrella or parasol is closed. I construct the stick of metal or other suitable
material, and with recesses, which receive the stretchers and ribs. Thus, I
make the stick of a cross form in section, producing four recesses, each of
which may receive two ribs and stretchers. These numbers may be varied,
and the stick may have a greater or less number of recesses, or the stick may
consist of a small tube with leaves or ribs projecting from it. In this manner
Price 8d
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS," to be
as follows:-
In umbrellas and parasols as usually constructed the stick is either a solid
rod or a metallic tube, around which the stretchers and ribs lie when the
umbrella or parasol is closed. I construct the stick of metal or other suitable
material, and with recesses, which receive the stretchers and ribs. Thus, I
make the stick of a cross form in section, producing four recesses, each of
which may receive two ribs and stretchers. These numbers may be varied,
and the stick may have a greater or less number of recesses, or the stick may
consist of a small tube with leaves or ribs projecting from it. In this manner
Price 8d]

page_text: I obtain a strong and light stick, and the umbrella or parasol when closed
occupies very little space, from the stretchers and ribs lying in the recesses of
the stick. In order to make the stretchers lie as close as possible to the
stick, I make them to project a little beyond the ends of the ribs when the
umbrella or parasol is closed, and I bend their ends a little and attach them
to the runner, which is also beyond or above the ends of the ribs. A sliding
tube or case may be employed to cover the runner and the ends of the ribs.
I construct a case or sheath of a tube of caoutchouc somewhat shorter than the
umbrella or parasol, and provided with a ferule at one end and a catch or
bayonet joint at the other end. The tube is stretched or extended in length
in putting it on, and it thereby becomes contracted in diameter so as to fit
closely to the article.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Francis Fowke in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st April 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
FowкE, of Park House, South Kensington, in the County of Middlesex,
Captain in the Royal Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Francis Fowke, Her special licence that I, the said Francis Fowke,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Francis Fowke, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS
UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLE," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Francis Fowke, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing, under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Francis Eowke, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
In umbrellas and parasols as usually constructed the stick is either a solid
rod or a metallic tube, around which the stretchers and ribs lie when the
umbrella or parasol is closed. I construct the stick of metal or other suitable
material, and with recesses which receive the stretchers and ribs. Thus I make
the stick of a cross form in section, producing four recesses, each of which
may receive two ribs and stretchers. These numbers may be varied, and the
stick may have a greater or less number of recesses, or the stick may consist
of a small tube with leaves or ribs projecting from it. In this manner I obtain
a strong and light stick, and the umbrella or parasol when closed occupies
very little space, from the stretchers and ribs lying in the recesses of the stick.
In order to make the stretchers lie as close as possible to the stick I make
them to project a little beyond the ends of the ribs when the umbrella or
parasol is closed, and I bend their ends a little and attach them to the runner,
which is also beyond or above the ends of the ribs.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing is an elevation of an umbrella con-
structed according to my Invention, and closed; Figure 2 is a longitudinal
section of the same, without the silk covering; Figure 3 is a section of the
umbrella when open; Figure is a side view, and Figure 5 is an edge view
of one of the stretchers; Figure 6 is a full-size transverse section of the stick
with the stretchers and ribs; Figure 7 is a full-sized longitudinal section of a
portion of the stick and the runner. The same letters refer to similar parts in
each Figure. a is the stick which is of a cross form in section as shewn in
Figure 6. It is fixed in a handle b at top, and in a piece of wood c at bottom, or
the lower end may be exposed, or fixed in a tube or ferule if preferred. d, d, are
the ribs, and e, e, are the stretchers, which are forked and bent at their lower
ends, and jointed to the ribs in the usual manner. The ribs are flattened at
the joint and the forks of the stretchers are very small, so that the joints may
be able to lie in the recesses of the stick. The ribs d, d, are bent outwards a
little at their lower ends, and are secured by a ring of wire lying in a groove
in the block f in the usual manner. The four leaves of the stick are partially
cut away or removed at the lower part so as to enable it to pass through the
block into the piece of wood c, and so as to form a shoulder, which secures
the block in its place. In lieu of the block f a notch may be filed in each
of the leaves of the stick, and the wire which passes through the ends of the
ribs may lie in these notches.
!
_ i

page_text: When
The upper ends of the stretchers are bent outwards over the tops of the ribs,
as shewn in Figure 2, and secured by a ring of wire lying in a groove in the
runner h. This runner is made to fit the cruciform stick on which it slides.
i, in Figure 7, is a wire spring or catch, which is rivetted in one of the
recesses of the stick, and serves to keep the umbrella open by catching against
a shoulder in the runner; k is another spring attached to the runner.
the runner has caught on the spring i it can be released by pressing in the
spring k, which pushes in the spring catch i. The runner is made to enter a
cavity in the handle b, so that when the umbrella is closed only the circular
block at the end of the runner is visible, as shewn in Figure 1; or the runner
may consist of this circular block only, in which case the spring catch i may
be released when required by pressing it with the finger or thumb.
The stretchers e, e, are made of triangular form in section, to enable them to
pack close together, as shewn in Figure 6. Figure 8 is a transverse section
of a stick with eight leaves forming eight recesses, and with a stretcher and
rib lying in each recess; Figure 9 is a transverse section of a tubular stick with
eight leaves forming eight recesses, in each of which is a stretcher and a rib.
The number of leaves or recesses in the stick may be varied, and the number
of ribs and stretchers may also be varied. Ribs of a trough form in section
may be used instead of ordinary solid or tubular ribs, and the lower ends of
the stretchers may be made without forks, and introduced into the trough or
groove of the rib and secured by the joint pins or rivets. In many cases the
stick may be made considerably smaller than is shewn in Figure 6. Thus the
leaves a, a, may merely extend to the outside of the stretchers instead of
reaching to the outside of the ribs, as shewn in Figure 6.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that what I
claim is,-
First, constructing umbrellas and parasols with stretchers bent at the ends,
and so arranged that the joints by which they are united to the runner lie
beyond the ends of the ribs when the umbrella or parasol is closed, as herein-
before described.
Second, constructing umbrellas and parasols with a cruciform stick, or a
stick with recesses or grooves, and with stretchers bent at the ends, and so
arranged that the joints by which they are united to the runner lie beyond the
ends of the ribs when the umbrella or parasol is closed, while the greater part
of each stretcher lies in a recess in the stick, as herein-before described.
Third, constructing umbrellas and parasols with a runner, which enters a
cavity in the handle when the umbrella or parasol is closed, and to which

page_text: the stretchers are jointed beyond the ends of the ribs, as herein-before
described.
Fourth, constructing umbrellas and parasols with triangular stretchers
lying in grooves or recesses in the stick when the umbrella or parasol is closed,
as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Fowke, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
FRANCIS FOWKE. (L.S.)
Capt., R. Engs.