Improvements connected with Umbrellas, Parasols, Sunshades, and like Coverings.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 24th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 27th Oct., 189
PROVISIONAL
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Umbrellas, Parasols, Sunshades, and
like Coverings.
I, GEORGE FENNELL, of Sylvanhae, Chislehurst, Kent, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates ;-
1. To certain improvements in the construction of parts.
2. To novel arrangements, or adaptation of known parts to constitute new
configurations, or shapes, from or by which, additional advantages can be obtained,
and in certain cases, new uses not hitherto possible particularly with umbrellas of
the present shape and form.
Hitherto, umbrellas have chiefly been made of from seven to ten ribs, aud from
seven to ten stretchers connected to a fixed top notch, and to a combined runner
and notch respectively, all the ribs being of equal length, and all the stretchers of
equal length, and with all the gores of the cover cut to the same shape. The
stretcher joints of all the ribs also correspond as to their distance from the tips for
making a circular line; whereby each rib became similarly acted upon for uniform
curvature when opened, said curvature being controlled by the tightness or strain
put upon the cover in the act of being opened.
It has been found in use that such an umbrella is only available for covering the
head and shoulders of one person, and if used for two persons, one shoulder and the
head of each are alone protected from rain, the outside shoulders of both persons
being left exposed to the wet.
Now the object of my invention is to employ existing ribs and stretchers in
sets of different lengths, and to make the cover gores of such shapes as will
conform to the ribs, also to use more than one runner, or more than one runner
notch, so that the extra runner or runners, or runner notch, or runner notches shall
have a travel independently of yet partly in conjunction with the main runner,
which may be of greater length for the additional runner notch, or runner notches
to travel on to enable one snap catch to fix the several movable pieces at the
required position, and where the additional runner, or notch, or runners, or notches
are not, from their restricted lengths of stretchers, capable of moving fully home
by an action on the main runner only, appliances affixed thereto, and hereafter
called triggers can be automatically brought into play to exert a pull upon it, or
them to ensure a perfect closing of all the stretchers and ribs to the stick or
handle.
The triggers are principally crook'd wires standing from the fixed notch of
the runner, or of the runner itself, and passing through one of the other
movable notches as a guide.
I have referred to the additional notches as being movable but they can be fixed
to, or form a portion of the runner but at a distance apart to correspond with the
differences in the lengths of stretchers, so that the sets of stretchers occupy
positions or lie at different angles from the stick to the ribs which give
additional strength to the article, and from their attachment to the ribs at
different distances from the top notch, the wind would have no chance to turn it
inside out when caught at an angle.

page_text: The articles so made may be shaped as oblong with square, or with rounded ends,
or they may be centrally pointed at the ends, or of oval form, (more or less flat),
and of such dimensions as to cover a number of persons.
I purpose calling the article, the Sociable, because it can be manufactured to
shelter one or two persons from snow or rain, and from the heat and glare of the
sun, and in larger sizes to protect three, four, or more people, standing, walking,
riding, or travelling in a coach, dog cart, waggonette, or other carriage, or on a
steamship, boat or ship, or sitting in garden, or pleasure grounds, and in any place
and position.
It is made in au oval and in any regular or irregular shape. Its principles are
universal in application. It is useful for every conveyance, from a baby
perambulator to an ocean liner. It is serviceable for ladies sitting in a carriage
or young people going out in pairs for a boarding school walk.
It is of much more general utility than an ordinary umbrella, or parasol. It
folds up into about the usual space, and can be produced in great variety of form,
elegance of design, and perfection of finish. Its coverings are varied and very
beautiful; also, it is not likely to get out of order. It is invaluable when used
as an umbrella by two people;-ou a narrow pavement they can walk together
in great comfort, as it takes up but a few inches inore than half the space occupied
by two ordinary umbrellas.
The "
Sociable" used for one individual, by being turned half way round,
forms a splendid protection for the lower part of the person when the rain
drives in front, or at the back, besides taking up less than the ordinary space in
width; it is therefore more convenient for passing other passengers.
Dated this 23rd day of December 1893
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said George Fennell.
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
Improvements connected with Umbrellas, Parasols, Sunshades, and
like Coverings.
I, GEORGE FENNELL, of Sylvanhae, Chislehurst, Kent, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manuer the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention relates
1. To certain improvements in the construction of parts.
2. To novel arrangements or adaptation of known parts to constitute new con-
figurations or shapes from or by which additional advantages can be obtained, and
in certain cases new uses not hitherto possible particularly with umbrellas of the
present shape and form.
Hitherto umbrellas have been made of from seven to ten ribs and from seven to
ten stretchers connected to a fixed top notch and to a combined runner and notch
respectively, all the ribs being of equal length and all the stretchers of equal
length, and with all the gores of the cover cut to the same shape, the stretcher.
joints of all the ribs also correspond as to their distance from the tips for making a
circular line whereby each rib became similarly acted upon for uniform curvature
when opened, said curvature being controlled by the tightness or strain put upon
the cover in the act of being opened.
It has been found in use that such an umbrella is only available for covering the
head and shoulders of one person, and if used for two persons one shoulder and the
head of each are alone protected from rain, the outside shoulders of both persons,
being left exposed to the wet.

page_text: Now the object of my invention is to employ existing ribs and stretchers in sets
of different lengths, and to make the cover gores of such shapes as will conform to
the ribs, also to use more than one runner or more than one runner notch, so that
the extra runner or runners, or runner notch or runner notches shall have a travel
independently of yet partly in conjunction with the main runner which may be of
greater length for the additional runner notch or runner notches to travel on to
enable one snap catch to fix the several movable pieces at the required position, and
where the additional runner or notch, or runners or notches are not, from their
restricted lengths of stretchers, capable of moving fully home by an action on the
main runner only, appliances affixed thereto and hereafter called triggers can be
automatically brought into play to exert a pull upon it or them to ensure a perfect
closing of all the stretchers and ribs to the stick or handle. The triggers are
principally crook'd wires standing from the fixed notch of the runner or of the
runner itself and passing through one of the other movable notches as a guide.
I have referred to the additional notches as being movable but they can be fixed
to or form a portion of the runner but at a distance apart to correspond with the
differences in the lengths of the stretchers, so that the sets of stretchers occupy
positions or lie at different angles from the stick to the ribs which gives additional
strength to the article, and from their attachment to the ribs at different distances
from the top notch the wind would have no chance to turn it inside out when caught
at an angle.
The articles so made may be shaped as oblong with square, or with rounded ends,
or they may be centrally pointed at the ends, or of oval form more or less flat, and
of such dimensions as to cover a number of persons.
My invention will be clearly understood by reference to the annexed drawings
on Sheets 1, 2, and 3.
Sheet 1 represents umbrella shaped articles of oblong formation adapted for being
carried.
Sheet 2 an umbrella shaped article adapted for fixture in a garden, or on a boat,
steam launch, or be otherwise used.
Sheet 3 shows the details or combination of runners, notches, ribs, and stretchers
constituting my invention for adaptation to different lengths of ribs and stretchers.
Referring to Sheet 1, Figure 1 is a plan of what I term a gentleman's umbrella
in which ten ribs and ten stretchers are employed, the ribs and stretchers being in
pairs of different lengths from either side of the central ribs and stretchers, these
being the shortest of the lot.
Figure 2 is another top view of a gentleman's umbrella with ten ribs and ten
stretchers differently arranged to those indicated at Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a plan of a lady's parasol with eight ribs and eight stretchers, said
parasol when closed having the appearance to that shown at Figure 4.
Figure 5 indicates a plan elevation of a twelve ribbed and twelve stretcher
umbrella, and Figure 6 a side elevation of same.
Figures 7 and 8 corresponding views of a sunshade with six ribs and six
stretchers.
It will be observed in the several figures that the arrangement of the ribs and
stretchers vary i.e. the longer ribs may be set for square like ends as at Figures 1,
3, and 5, or as pointed ends as at Figures 2 and 7 and this is available without
regard to the number of ribs and stretchers.
Figure 9 is a side elevation of an umbrella of large dimensions to cover a number
of persons such as may be found at a garden party, open air demonstrations,
meetings, or by the arrangement of the handle it can be used on steam launches as
a cover to the occupants of a boat, or a road vehicle, the oblong form as with those
previously described being specially valuable to cover more than one person. The
large umbrella shown at Figure 9 may be plain as indicated, or by affixing metal
eyes to the ribs near the tips, curtains could be suspended, and the article be
thereby used as a tent, the top patch being available for ventilating purposes.
All the foregoing constructions of umbrellas, parasols, or sunshades are governed

page_text: by the arrangements of the runners and notches and by trigger guides represented
on Sheet 3 of the drawings where Figure 10 shows a runner A with two notches
or slots a, a, in the projecting lips b. b, at the upper end. Figure 11 a ring B
with four slots a, a, a, a, in the lips b,, two of said lips having holes for the
passage of the trigger wires c, c, which project from the lips of a ferrule runner C
shown at Figure 12, said ferrule having six lips b, b, b, b, b, b, with notches or
slots a, a, a, a, for the reception of stretcher ends which are capable of motion
along with the ferrule C and also with the ring runner B (Figure 11) or the tubular
runner A (Figure 10) when moved along the stick for opening or for closing the
article.
The inner portion of the upper end of the ferrule C (Figures 12 and 14) is of
greater diameter than the lower part so that the lower part of the ring B (Figure 11)
can go into it and find an abutment when in the position shown by Figure 13, the
ferrule C being slotted as shown in Figure 12 for the catches to act to hold the
runners at the respective positions.
Figure 13 indicates the positions of the runner A, ferrule C, and ring B when
the ribs and stretchers are in an expanded or open condition.
Figure 14 is a plan of Figure 14 showing the lips of different sizes, the largest
holding the triggers e but the lips may be of equal size if so desired.
Figure 15 represents the positions of the runner A, ferrule C, and ring B when
the ribs and stretchers are in a closed up condition.
Figure 16 elevation of runner A' with extra notches D, E, fixen, the slots in the
respective notches being as indicated at Figures 17, 18, and 19.
Figure 20 shows a runner A with a movable ferrule C only. The bottom end
of the runner has an open ended catch slot d and the ferrule with a closed catch
slot e similar to the slots in the runners and ferrules seen at Figures 10, 12, 13
and 15.
Figures 21 and 22 are diagrams of the arrangement of ribs G, stretchers H, and
fixed notches b, D, E, of the runner shown at Figure 16, the points of support being
so fixed that a perfect closing and opening of the article is ensured.
The triggers, Figures 12, 13, 14 and 15 can be secured to their respective
notches by brazing or by screwing them in, the upper ends being bent at right
angles or formed with heads as shown.
The number of slots in the notches vary with the desired arrangement of the
ribs and stretchers.
In practice I do not find that the ring B has a movement at the commencement
of the article being closed and the duty of the triggers is to pull the ring down.
The present invention is for detail improvements upon a previous Patent granted
to me on the 2nd November 1893, numbered 20813 in which were described similar
arrangement of runners, and movable ferrules and rings having notches for long
and short ribs and stretchers for making umbrellas, parasols, and sunshades of
oval form to enable more than one person to be protected as explained in the
Specification of the said Letters Patent.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tiou and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improvements hereinbefore described and consisting of open slotted
runners A, close slotted ferrules C provided with triggers e, e, for the rings B to
slide upon
and be guided, all as and for the purposes set forth.
2. Providing runners of umbrellas with two, three, or more sectional notches
fixed thereto at a distance apart as shown at Figure 16 of the annexed drawings
for enabling ribs and stretchers of different lengths to be employed to produce an
umbrella of oval, square, or other non-round formation, as described and illustrated
at Figures 21 and 22.
3. Providing opened slotted notched runners, as at d Figure 20, of unbrellas
with an additional slotted notched runner arranged thereon to enable ribs and

page_text: stretchers of different lengths to be used to produce an umbrella of oval, square, or
other non-round formation, as described.
The 2nd day of Sentember 1891
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said George Fennell.