IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS."-A communication
from abroad by Uriah Gross Steinmetz, of Philadelphia, Penn-
sylvania, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 16th March 1875.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS," a
communication, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an umbrella which when in service may be
carried as ordinarily, and is adapted to be folded in compact form so as
to be placed in a travelling satchel, coat pocket, or otherwise,

page_text: The said Invention consists in sectional ribs, the end of one section
overlapping the end of the other section, and a slide or arm overlapping
the first-named section, whereby the firmest connection between the two
sections is ensured.
It also consists in an auxiliary runner, to which are connected the
locking slides or arms, and by which the operations of locking and un-
locking the sectional ribs are most readily and quickly performed.
It also consists in a fastening for the runner to prevent accidental
locking or unlocking of the sectional ribs.
The stick or staff of the umbrella is formed in sections, and provided
with upper and lower catches for holding the frame of the umbrella
opened and closed as usually. The ribs are formed in sections, which
are connected to each other through the medium of stocks, consisting
of a body in part or entirely of tubular form. The upper section is
firmly fixed to the stock and projects thereinto, and the lower section is
pivoted near its end to the outer end of the stock, but the said end is of
such a length that when the umbrella is opened the said end will overlap
or come in contact with the end of the section that is within the
stock. The stretchers are pivoted to the stocks, the joints occupying
such positions that the ends of the lower sections are in nowise inter-
fered with by, or do not interfere with the stretchers. The auxiliary
runner is fitted on the stick above the usual runner, and to this auxiliary
runner there are jointed slides or arms. These slides are of sufficient
length to extend to the stocks and project into the stocks through spaces
between the ribs and said stocks, so as to have a sliding motion in
and out of the stocks, and are adapted to overlap or come against the
ends of the lower sections of the ribs. The said fastening or catch
is fixed to the stick in proximity to the position occupied by
the runner, so that when the umbrella is opened the runner is kept
from movement, whereby the unlocking of the sectional rib is also
prevented.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 15th September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, 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 IN UMBRELLAS,” a communication to me from abroad by
Uriah Gross Steinmetz, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Robert Lake, 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 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 immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
leclare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
ame is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
nd by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification :-
This Invention relates to an umbrella which when in service may be
arried as ordinarily, and is adapted to be folded in compact form so as
be placed in a traveling satchel, coat pocket, or otherwise.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of the device embodying my
Invention.
Figure 2 is a view of the folded umbrella drawn to an enlarged
scale; Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the same
detached.
Similar letters indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
A represents the stick or staff of an umbrella; B, the ribs ; C, the
stretchers; and D, the runner thereof, the stick being formed in
sections a, b, c, and provided with upper and lower catches e, f, for
holding the frame of the umbrella opened and closed as usual. The
ribs B are formed in sections g, g', which are connected to each other
through the medium of stocks E, consisting of a body in part or
entirely of tubular form. The upper section g is firmly fixed to the
stock E and projects thereinto, and the lower section g' is pivoted near
its end to the outer end of the stock, but the end is of such a length
that when the umbrella is opened the said end will overlap or come in
contact with the end of the section g that is within the stock E, as most
readily seen in Figure 3. The stretchers C are pivoted to the stocks E,
the joints occupying such positions that the ends of the lower sections
are in nowise interfered with by, or do not interfere with the stretchers.
F represents an auxiliary runner, which is fitted on the stick A above the
usual runner D, and to said runner F there are jointed a series of slides
or arms G (one for each rib). These slides are of sufficient length to
extend to the stocks E and project into the stocks through spaces
between the ribs B and said stocks, so as to have a sliding motion in and
out of the stocks, and are adapted to overlap or come against the ends
of the lower sections 9¹ of the ribs.
It will be seen that when the end of the lower section bears against
the end of the upper section, and the slide G bears against the end of
the lower section, the said sections will be most firmly held together or
braced, whereby the body or frame of the umbrella will be held reliably
extended, and receiving proper tautness will be prevented from dis-
engagement or rattling at the joints of the ribs and stretchers.
When the auxiliary runner F is drawn down to its full extent it forces
the slide G more firmly against the ends of the ribs, and consequently

page_text: tightens the joints of the sections. J represents a catch, which is fixed
to the stick A in proximity to the position occupied by the runner F, so
that when the umbrella is opened the runner is prevented from move-
ment, whereby the unlocking of the sectional ribs is also prevented.
When the umbrella is to be folded the runner D is relieved and
moved down, and the auxiliary runner F moved up, the latter being then
held by the catch J; now invert the umbrella, and the lower or outside
ribs g¹ will fall over the joints of the ribs, having been unlocked by the
withdrawal of the slides G due to the previous upward movement of the
auxiliary runner; then slide the runner D towards the top of the
umbrella, and the ribs B will move within the body of the umbrella;
disjoint the stick and fold its sections, and the parts will occupy the
position shewn in Figure 2.
The operation of unfolding and opening the umbrella will be in reverse
order to that stated.
Collars may be attached to the sides, so as to encircle the ends of the
sections of the ribs and assist in firmly connecting said ends.
If desired the stretchers G may be jointed to stocks E at the lower
or outer portions thereof, as shewn by the dotted lines, Figure 3, but the
operation will be the same as that previously described.
I am aware that locking slides have been jointed to curved springs,
which are rigidly connected to the umbrella stick, and a band is
employed to slide over the curved spring in order to withdraw the slides,
but the outward or locking motion of the slides depends on the ex-
pansion of the springs. These features are superseded by the auxiliary
runner, which both locks and unlocks the slides, and, while utilizing the
elasticity of the slides to assist in firmly locking the sectional ribs, it
renders separate springs unnecessary.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,-
9
First. The fixed section g and jointed section g¹, in combination with
the stock E and sliding arm G, for the purpose set forth.
Second. The combination with the sectional ribs B and stretchers C of
the auxiliary runner F, having slides G jointed thereto, and operating as
above described, for the purpose set forth.

page_text: Third. The auxiliary runner F and fastening J, in combination with
the slides G and sectional ribs B, as above described, for the purpose set
forth.
In witness whereof I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of September, in 5
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five
Witness,
JA. EDWARDS,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
WM. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)