IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COVERS OF UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Clark, of Cheapside, in the City of
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COVERS OF
UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS."
Sealed the 3rd June 1870, and dated the 4th December 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th December 1869.
I, THOMAS CLARK, of Cheapside, in the City of London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
COVERS OF UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS," to be as follows:-
This Invention is designed to lessen the wear and tear of the covers
of umbrellas and parasols, and more particularly umbrellas, the principal
wear of the covers of which is occasioned by the frequent rolling up of
them when closed.
The method at present employed to protect the cover of an umbrella
when closed is to roll the cover up by hand and then insert it in a
separate case of silk or other material.

page_text: Now the object and intention of this Invention is to dispense with
the necessity for using a separate loose case, which I propose to effect
by adapting to the cover of the umbrella and affixing thereto another
piece of the same material as the cover is made of. For example, to one
or other of the quarters or gores of the ordinary cover of an umbrella
or parasol I sew by one edge about midway of the gore of the cover and
the entire length thereof at such part another separate gore of the same
material as the cover, somewhat narrower than half the width of the
gore of the said cover, and to the outermost edge of the widest part of
the said gore, which is loose at one edge, I affix a button and piece of
elastic with a ring affixed thereto for embracing and holding together
the cover of the umbrella when rolled up as is now practised with
umbrellas and parasols covered according to the old well-known method.
To roll up an umbrella or parasol manufactured with the above
improvements it is simply necessary to hold the stick by one hand and
with the other hand take hold of the loose gore by the ring of the elastic
and pass it around the folds of the cover, the effect of which will be to
roll up the cover without twisting it through the hand as at present
practised, and by doing which the cover becomes worn and discolored
at the folds thereof; moreover when the aforesaid loose or additional
gore is coiled around the cover it presents the same appearence as the
cover would when rolled up, and at the same time serves as a protector
to the cover, and by being affixed thereto cannot be lost and can be
easily replaced when worn out or shabby.
I do not however intend to limit or confine myself to the use of a
separate gore as above described as the same result could be obtained
by so making one of the gores of the cover as to answer the same
purpose, namely to make a part of one gore encircle the whole of the
other gores as above stated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, 30
filed by the said Thomas Clark in the Great Seal Patent on the
4th June 1870.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-.
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Clark, Her special licence-
that I, the said Thomas Clark, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Clark, 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 ex-
pressed, 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 THE COVERS OF
UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Thomas Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Thomas Clark, 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, that is to say :-
This Invention is designed to lessen the wear and tear of the covers
of umbrellas and parasols, and more particularly umbrellas, the principal
wear of the covers of which is occasioned by the frequent rolling up of
them when closed.
The method at present employed to protect the cover of an umbrella.
when closed is to roll the cover up by hand and then insert it in. a.
separate case of silk or other material.
Now the object and intention of this Invention is to dispense with
the necessity for using a separate loose case, which I propose to effect
by adapting to the cover of the umbrella and affixing thereto another
piece of the same material as the cover is made of. For example, to
one or other of the quarters or gores of the ordinary cover of an
umbrella or parasol I sew by one edge about midway of the gore of the
cover and the entire length thereof at such part another separate gore
of the same material as the cover, somewhat narrower than half the

page_text: width of the gore of the said cover, and to the outermost edge of the
widest part of the said gore which is loose at one edge I affix a button
and piece of elastic with a ring affixed thereto for embracing and holding
together the cover of the umbrella when rolled up as is now practised'
with umbrellas and parasols covered according to the old well-known
method.
To roll up an umbrella or parasol manufactured with the above im-
provements it is simply necessary to hold the stick by one hand and
with the other hand take hold of the loose gore by the ring of the
elastic and pass it around the folds of the cover, the effect of which
will be to roll up the cover without twisting it through the hand as at
present practised, and by doing which the cover becomes worn and dis-
colored at the folds thereof; moreover, when the aforesaid loose or
additional gore is coiled around the cover it presents the same appear-
ance as the cover would when rolled up, and at the same time serves as
a protector to the cover, and by being affixed thereto cannot be lost and
can be easily replaced when worn out or shabby.
I do not, however, intend to limit or confine myself to the use of a
separate gore, as above described, as the same result could be obtained
by so making one of the gores of the cover as to answer the same
purpose, namely, to make a part of one gore encircle the whole of the
other gores, as above stated.
And in order to explain this Invention more fully, I now proceed
to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same
into practical effect, reference being had to the accompanying illustrative
Drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents an outside elevation of an umbrella shewing the
improved method of protecting the cover thereof; Figure 2, the separate
piece, hereafter described, to be sewn to the cover, to serve as a case to
protect the cover of the umbrella when rolled up; Figure 3, the umbrella
when rolled up; Figure 4 shews another mode of connecting another
shaped separate piece, above referred to, to the cover of the umbrella,
the said piece being represented spread out flat; Figure 5 represents
the aforesaid piece drawn up full at top. At each of the above Figures
similar letters of reference are placed upon corresponding parts.

page_text: A marks the cover of the umbrella; B, a piece of the same material
as the cover sewn thereto at X, X; C, a piece of elastic with ring at a
for taking over a button at 6 for keeping the cover closed when rolled
up as at Figure 3.
I would here remark that if desirable the part c of the piece B shewn
at Figures 4 and 5 may be sewn to a ring d passing loosely around the
tip of the umbrella; in this case the part c is not sewn to the cover of
the umbrella but loose at such part, so that in the act of rolling up the
cover and giving the ring d a slight turn the silk of the cover near the
tip may be more completely covered by the piece B than when sewn, as
before described. Before opening the umbrella the silk on the ring d
should be drawn together, as represented at Figure 5, and undrawn
before rolling up the cover.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of
my said Invention for "Improvements in the Covers of Umbrellas and
Parasols," together with the best means I am acquainted with for
carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that
what I claim as my Invention intended to be secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, adapting a piece of material B
to the cover of an umbrella or parasol (as a substitute for the separate
loose case now used with umbrellas) to protect the cover from wear by
the rolling up of the cover and carrying of it by the cover when rolled
up, as above described and represented.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Second day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.