IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JAMES WILLIS of Rosendale Bournemouth in the County of Hants Umbrella
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of umbrellas
and parasols.
In order to produce the tip for the attachment of the silk or covering at the end
of the rib I employ a pin or wire having a solid head. The stem of this pin is
introduced into the hollow of the trough like rib with the head projecting from the
end. Then by means of suitable tools both parts are flattened and indented at one
operation, that is to say, the two sides of the trough like rib and the pin which is
between them. Thereby I effectually secure the pin in its place with the head in
position to form the end of the rib.
In the flattening operation I employ tools which leave two corresponding
concavities or hollows one on either side of the rib; the eye is afterwards punched
or drilled at the centre of these concavities.
The eye is formed through the flattened sides of the trough rib and through the
flattened stem of the pin which is between them.
In the construction known as lock rib where the rib and the stretcher are both
of a trough like form and the rib is received into the hollow of the stretcher
I provide within the stretcher at the point near where it is jointed to the runner a
projection rising up from the bottom of the trough and adapted to enter into the
hollow of the rib.
The object of this addition is to prevent the rib after it has lodged within the
stretcher from being drawn out of place as it is otherwise apt to be in the operation
of rolling up the silk around the stick.
Also with the same object I make the stretcher at this part, that is to say near
the joint connecting it with the runner, narrower than elsewhere so that the rib
entering within it fits it closely but elsewhere the trough of the stretcher is made
wide as is the practice at present in order to provide room for the sewing by which
the cover is held to the ribs

page_text: I, JAMES WILLIS of Rosendale Bournemouth, in the County of Hants, Umbrella
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS," and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of umbrellas
and parasols.
In order to produce the tip for the attachment of the silk or covering at the end
of the rib I employ a pin or wire having a solid head. The stem of this pin is
introduced into the hollow of the trough like rib with the head projecting from the
end. Then by means of suitable tools both parts are flattened and indented at one
operation that is to say the two sides of the trough like rib and the pin which is
between them. Thereby I effectually secure the pin in its place with the head in
position to form the end of the rib.
In the flattening operation I employ tools which leave two corresponding
concavities or hollows one on either side of the rib; the eye is afterwards punched
or drilled at the centre of these concavities.
The eye is formed through the flattened sides of the trough rib and through the
flattened stem of the pin which is between them.
In the construction known as lock rib where the rib and the stretcher are
both of a trough like form and the rib is received into the hollow of the stretcher,
I provide within the stretcher at the point near where it is jointed to the runner a
projection rising up from the bottom of the trough and adapted to enter into the
hollow of the rib.
The object of this addition is to prevent the rib after it has lodged within the
stretcher from being drawn out of place as it is otherwise apt to be in the operation
of rolling up the silk around the stick.
Also with the same object I make the stretcher at this part, that is to say near
the joint connecting it with the runner narrower than elsewhere so that the rib
entering within it fits it closely but elsewhere the trough of the stretcher is made
wide as is the practice at present in order to provide room for the sewing by which
the cover is held to the ribs.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1 shew (in various stages of manufacture) the tip which according to
this Invention I produce at the extremity of a trough or paragon rib; these and
the other Figures of the Drawings are drawn to twice the actual size. Figure 2
shews the iron pin which is employed in producing this tip. The stem of the pin
is inserted into the hollow of the trough like rib and this is slightly closed around
the stem to keep the pin in place. Then the end of the rib with the pin in it
is struck between tools such as are used in forming the tip upon a solid rib. By
this means both the rib and the stem of the pin are flattened simultaneously and

page_text: together and the concavities on either side of the rib one of which is marked a
are produced. The eye is pierced through the two sides of the rib and the stem
of the pin in the centre of those concavities. The usual piercing tools are'
employed to make the perforation which forms the eye.
The head of the pin Figure 2 cannot conveniently be made as large as it is
desirable that the tip end should'be; if desired the size of this globular end may be
increased by capping it in the usual way.
Figure 3 shews parts of a lock rib frame such as is described in the Specification
of a former Patent granted to me N° 2202 in the year 1883 in which the ends of
the ribs are flattened and the parts so arranged that the flattened part of the rib
comes into contact with the notched flange of the runner. b in Figure 3 is the
lower part of one of the ribs, c the lower part of one of the stretchers and d is the
runner, e is the projecting piece which according to my present Invention I fix
within the stretcher to enter within the hollow of the rib.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of these parts and
Figures 5 are other views of the piece e and of part of the stretcher.
A similar arrangement is applicable to ordinary lock rib frames where the rib is
not flattened and cannot close in so nearly to the flange of the runner. Figures 6, 7
and 8 shew the application to the ordinary lock rib frame. The projection e is
made somewhat higher than in Figures 3, 4 and 5 in order that it may enter nearly
to the bottom of the hollow in the trough rib.
Figures 9 and 10 are sections taken on the lines 1, 1, and 2, 2, in Figure 3; they
illustrate another part of my Invention. In lock rib frames it is necessary that
trough like stretchers should receive within them not only the ribs but also the
sewing or "bracings" by which the covering of the umbrella is connected with the
ribs. Heretofore the trough like stretcher has always been made of uniform width
from end to end and this width such as to admit the bracing as well as the rib
within the stretcher.
Now there are no bracings within a distance of some inches from the runner and
consequently at this part the rib is very free within the stretcher and consequently
is liable to escape from it in rolling up the umbrella as already explained.
According to my Invention I close in the sides of the trough stretcher nearly as
far as the first bracing so as to allow no more room between its sides than is
necessary to admit the rib freely. Figure 9 shews the section taken at the lowest
bracing and this is the usual section of the rib and stretcher of a lock rib frame.
Figure 10 shews the section at a lower point between the lowest bracing and the
joint connecting the stretcher with the runner and here it will be seen that the
sides of the stretcher embrace the rib so closely that there will be little risk of
displacing it in rolling up the umbrella, even if the projection e be not provided.
By thus effectually confining the ribs within the stretchers the unsightly
appearance which results from the tips of the ribs being unequally spaced around
the stick is avoided.
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 :-
First Forming the tip to a trough rib by inserting a headed pin into the
hollow of the rib, flattening both the sides of the rib and the stem of the pin and
perforating these flattened parts to form an eye substantially as described.
Second. Combining with the stretcher of a luck rib frame a projection e near
the joint connecting the stretcher with the runner, the said projection when the
umbrella or parasol is closed entering within the hollow of the trough rib
substantially as described.
Third. Making the trough like stretcher of a lock rib frame at the part between
the runner and the first bracing narrower or with its sides nearer together than

page_text: where the stretcher is required to receive the bracings within it so that near the
runner the stretcher may fit closely to the sides of the rib substantially as
described.