IMPROVEMENTS IN RETENTION SPRINGS FOR UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Willis Howard Belknap of the City County and State of
New York but temporarily of 53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RETENTION SPRINGS FOR UMBRELLAS
AND PARASOLS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Willis Howard Belknap at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st November 1882.
WILLIS HOWARD BELKNAP of the City County and State of New York but
temporarily of 53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RETENTION SPRINGS FOR UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS"
This Invention relates to the springs of umbrellas and parasols secured in the
sticks and adapted to retain the runner in position when the umbrella or parasol is
open or closed
It consists in enclosing the springs or a spring acting catch within a light metal
case in such a manner, that it is in condition to retain the runner as desired by
merely fixing the case in a slot in the stick, the upper part of the case and the
projecting catch being the only parts visible when so fixed in place, thus producing
a better retention device and saving considerable time in securing them in the
stick over the present method which consists in securing a wire spring in an
irregular formed slot in the stick requiring considerable adjustment and having an
unsightly appearance when done
The whole of the case is of one piece of sheet metal cut out in the shape and
then by suitable formers bent to form a narrow box having sides and top in which
is a slot through which the catch projects and a flange to form the bottom and
ends and a peak which is bent over and into the side to hold the parts together
The retention catch is provided with a hole at its rear end and a lip at its front
end which limits the extension of it beyond the top by coming in contact with the
under side of the top of the case Between the under side of the catch and the
bottom of the caso is placed a wire spring To forin the pivot upon which the
catch turns the sides of the case are forced inwardly into the hole at the rear end

page_text: of the catch The case may be first made complete and the spring and catch
passed through the slot in the top of it and the sides then forced into the pivot hole
in the catch or the case may be completed with the exception of turning down the
side the punctures being formed in the sides for the catch pivot, the spring and
catch then placed in position and the side closed down and held in place as before
described. In the umbrella stick a slot is cut of the shape and size of the case and the
side of which may be provided with two or more pointed projections or spurs to be
pressed into the bottom of the slot in the stick to assist in holding the retention
device in place but as an extra security I propose in most cases to pass rivet pins
through the stick and through holes in the case Instead of pivoting the rear end
of the catch in the case it may be formed rounded so as to turn against the end
and top of the case when the front end of the catch is depressed In substitution
for the catch and spring a wire spring catch may be used one end of the wire
resting on the bottom of the case from whence it passes around a pivot pin through
the slot in the case beneath the upper end of which the other end of the
wire rests.
Another modification is that in which a spiral spring is used in place of the
ordinary bent spring the case having a cylindrical recess formed in it to hold the
spiral spring

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Willis Howard Belknap in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th April 1883.
WILLIS HOWARD BELKNAP of the City, County and State of New York but
temporarily of 53 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex IMPROVEMENTS IN
RETENTION SPRINGS FOR UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
This Invention relates to the springs of umbrellas and parasols secured in the
sticks and adapted to retain the runner in position when the umbrella or parasol
is open or closed It consists in enclosing the springs or a spring acting catch
within a light metal case in such a manner that it is in condition to retain the
runner as desired by merely fixing the caso in a slot in the stick, the upper part of
the case and the projecting catch being the only parts visible when so fixed in
place thus producing a better retention device and saving considerable time in
securing them in the stick, over the present method, which consists in securing a
wire spring in an irregular formed slot in the stick requiring considerable adjust-
ment and having an unsightly appearance when done
To clearly explain my invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings
in which Fig I represents a side elevation of my improved retention device
Figure II is a transverse section of the same, cut through the line xx Figure III
is a side elevation with the side of the case removed Figure IV is a plan view
Fig V represents the form of the sheet metal for the case before it is bent into
shape Figs 6, 7, 8 and 9 are modifications The whole of the case is of one piece
of sheet metal cut out in the shape shown at Fig 5 and then by suitable formers
bent to form a narrow box having the sides a a¹, top a, in which is a slot through
which the catch b projects and the flange a³, to form the bottom and ends, and the
peak a', which is bent over and into the side a to hold the parts together, as shown
at Figs 1 and 2 The retention catch b is provided with a hole at its rear end and a
lip 6 at its front end, which limits the extension of it beyond the top a³ by coming
in contact with the under side of the top a² of the case Between the under side
of the catch b and the bottom of the case is placed the wire spring c To form the
pivot upon which the catch b turns, the sides a a' of the caso are forced inwardly
into the hole at the rear end of the catch The case may be first made complete,
and the spring c and catch b passed through the slot in the top of it and the sides
then forced into the pivot hole in the catcli, or the case may be completed, with the
exception of turning down the side a, the punctures being formed in the sides for
the catch pivot, the spring c and catch b then placed in position and the side a
closed down and held in place as before described; d represents part of an umbrella
stick in which a slot is cut of the shape and size of the case, and the side a may be
provided with two or more pointed projections or spurs a to be pressed into the
bottom of the slot in the stick to assist in holding the retention device in place; but
as an extra security I propose in most cases to pass rivet pins through the stick
and through the holes a in the case. Instead of pivoting the rear end of the
catch b in the case, it may be formed as shown at 6 Fig 6, rounded, so as to turn
against the end and top of the case when the front end of the catch is depressed
In Figs 1 and 2 my improved retention device is shown applied as a bottom or
thumb spring to hold the runner e in position when the umbrella or parasol is
closed, and it is equally well adapted as a top spring to hold the umbrella or
parasol open In substitution for the catch b and spring c, the wire spring catch f
may be used, of the form and placed in the case as shown at Fig. 7 Another
modification is shown at Figs. 8 and 9 in which a spiral spring g, is used in place
of the spring c, the case having a cylindrical recess formed in it to hold the spiral

page_text: spring as clearly shown Figure 8 is a side elevation and Fig 9 a plan view I do
not claim broadly a spring acting catch in combination with an enclosing case, as a
spring retainer for umbrellas but what I do claim and desire to secure by Letters
Patent is
1st In a retention device for umbrellas and parasols in combination, a narrow
case having a slotted top, a catch projecting through said slot, and adapted to turn
at its rear end in the case, and a spring located under the catch substantially as
and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth
2nd In combination with a spring acting catch b, an enclosing case a, a', a³, a³, a¹
therefor made of a single piece of metal cut and formed into a narrow box and
provided with holding spurs as a substantially as hereinbefore set forth
In witness whereof I the said Willis Howard Belknap have hereunto set my
hand and seal this twenty sixth day of April in the year of Our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty three
Signed, sealed and delivered}
ALLEN P JONES
55 & 56 Chancery Lano
London W C
WILLIS H BELKNAP (L.S.)