IMPROVEMENTS IN FRAMES OF UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1885

page_text: THE
I JAMES WILLIS of Rosendale Bournemouth in the County of Hants Gentleman
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FRAMES OF UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS" to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in the frames of umbrellas and
parasols.
In the specification of a former Patent granted to me No 3321 in the year 1884
I described a method of producing a tip to a rib of trough like section by inserting
the stem of a headed pin within the end of the rib then closing in the end of the
rib around the stem flattening the rib with the stem within it and perforating
both at the flattened part to form an eye for the attachment of the silk or
covering.
It is not easy however by this method to provide a head as large as it should
be to form a suitable finish to the end of a trough shaped rib.
According to my present invention I obtain a head of greater size and otherwise
more suitable by first spreading the outer end of the rib so as to form a cavity
within which the head of the pin may lie; the pin is inserted and the rib is then
closed around the head forming a ball within which the head of the pin is com-
pletely enclosed; the rib end and the stem are then flattened and perforated in the
manner already described.
I also according to my invention prepare the frame at much less cost and also
more effectually and conveniently than heretofore to receive a label bearing a trade
mark. This has heretofore been done in the manner described in the specification
of a Patent granted to Samuel Fox No 2348 in the year 1865 by applying to one
of the stretchers at a short distance from the point where it is jointed to the runner
an elongated bit or piece of copper in which a shallow cavity with a flat bottom is
formed to receive the trade mark label. This method of preparing the frame to
receive a label is unsatisfactory and on account of the shallowness of the cavity the
mark is liable to become obliterated or detached by damp and friction in the wear
of the umbrella besides which this method of providing for the label is being
imitated almost universally by manufacturers of frames of inferior quality. Hence
besides being costly this method is less efficient than that which I will proceed to
describe and which consists in spreading out the sides of the ordinary trough like
Price Rd 1

page_text: stretcher to a length such as to admit of the label being inserted within the stretcher
itself instead of being carried upon a block of additional metal formed and fixed by
great pressure for the purpose.
The trade mark I cause to be printed or transferred on to thin sheet steel out of
which I cut or stamp the labels so as to leave a short tongue projecting from each
end. These tongues lie in the hollow of the stretcher which is slightly closed in
at the sides beyond the widened part in such manner as to prevent the tongues
escaping.
The most convenient part of the frame on which to apply the mark is the
stretcher nevertheless ribs may be prepared to receive a mark in like manner.
Dated this 27th day of January 1885.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: I, JAMES WILLIS of Rosendale, Bournemouth in the County of Hants, Gentleman
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
FRAMES 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 frames of umbrellas and
parasols,
In the specification of a former Patent granted to me N° 3321 in the year 1884
I described a method of producing a tip to a rib of trough like section by inserting
the stem of a headed pin within the end of the rib then closing in the end of the
rib around the stem, flattening the rib with the stem within it and perforating
both at the flattened part to form an eye for the attachment of the silk or
covering.
It is not easy however by this method to provide a head as large as it should be
to form a suitable finish to the end of a trough shaped rib.
According to my present invention I obtain a head of greater size and otherwise
more suitable by first spreading the outer end of the rib so as to form a cavity
within which the head of the pin may lie, the pin is inserted and the rib is then
closed around the head forming a ball within which the head of the pin is com-
pletely enclosed, the rib end and the stem are then flattened and perforated in the
manner already described.
Figure 1 of the drawings hereunto annexed shews a side view and Figure 2 an
inside edge view of the outer end of a trough rib having a head formed at the
extremity of the end in the above manner. Figure 3 shews the end of a rib spread
outwards at its extremity to form a cavity within which the head of a headed pin
may lie. Figure 4 shews a side view of the pin-Figure 5 shews the rib end after
the pin has been placed' into it and after the sides of the cavity have been closed
in around the head of the pin. After this has been done the rib end and the stem
of the pin are flattened and perforated to form the eye as shewn at Figure 1.
All
these various operations are performed by compressing the parts in dies as will be
readily understood. The drawings are made to a scale of twice the usual size.
I also according to my invention prepare the frame at much less cost and also
more effectually and conveniently than heretofore to receive a label bearing a trade
mark. This has heretofore been done in the manner described in the specification
of a Patent granted to Samuel Fox N° 2348 in the year 1865 by applying to one
of the stretchers at a short distance from the point where it is jointed to the runner
an elongated bit or piece of copper in which a shallow cavity with a flat bottom is
formed to receive the trade mark label.
This is a costly process and makes besides great waste by the cracking of the
hardened and tempered stretchers under the blow necessary. When also the label

page_text: inserted into this cavity has been composed of an embossed thin metal tablet, the
durability of these marks became a source of fraud on the public by the stretcher,
which bore the genuine mark of superior frames being taken off old umbrellas: the
appearance of the tablet somewhat restored, the stretchers rejapanned and then
rivetted on to new frames of the commonest kind and purchasers deceived by the
mark into the belief that they were buying an umbrella on a frame of the best
quality.
To correct this the metal tablets were abandoned and the marks printed in
bronze on glazed paper of steel blue color and pasted into the said cavity with the
object of the mark becoming effaced or nearly so by the time the umbrella was
worn out; the fixing however of these marks is unsatisfactory owing chiefly to the
strong varnish with which they are afterwards coated as a protection against damp
having a tendency in the drying to draw the paper and so disturb the adhesiveness
of the paste and so these marks not unfrequently become loose in the cavities and
soon fall out, frequently before the umbrellas are sold.
In consequence of this and of the large quantity of inferior trough shaped ribs
and stretchers now being used in the manufacture of umbrella frames and of this
means of securing a label being almost universally adopted by manufacturers and
in many cases also the label used on good umbrellas being closely imitated it is very
difficult for the public to distinguish good frames from common ones on account of
the shape and size of the wire being the same and all coated alike with black japan
whilst really good frames could only be produced by considerable experience. A
means of securing to the stretchers or ribs of umbrellas a mark that can be more
easily read and securely fixed and that shall become defaced past restoring by the
time the umbrella is worn out is therefore much required. This is the object of
this part of my invention.
The method which I employ consists in spreading out the sides of the ordinary
trough like stretcher or it might be the rib as presently described to a length such
as to admit of the label being inserted within the stretcher or rib itself instead of
being carried on a block of additional metal formed and fixed by great pressure for
the purpose. To spread out the sides of a stretcher or rib I take it in its soft state
and by simply pressing it between a pair of dies in an ordinary fly press I open
out the part which is to contain the trade mark and so increase considerably the
size of the label that can be used and consequently render it more legible.
The trade mark labels might as heretofore be printed on paper strips to be
secured by cement in the cavity formed in the above manner as when the cavity
was formed in the additional inetal block formerly secured to the stretchers-
I however prefer to form the labels and to secure them in the cavity in the
following manner.
The marks I cause to be transferred on to thin sheet steel by well known
processes by which the level surface of the thin metal sheet is left undisturbed and
so the mark loses its freshness in the wear of the umbrella and cannot be restored.
The method is either by direct printing on the metal or by transferring as is well
understood on either annealed or hardened and tempered steel and after it has been
put into place giving it a coat of copal varnish thinned down sufficiently to protect
the mark from rust until the varnish is worn off; for this reason I prefer steel as
by the time the umbrella is old and the varnish worn off the mark will be more or
less coated with fine rust to remove which would also remove the design of the
mark. Out of a sheet so having a number of trade marks printed upon it I cut or
stamp the labels so as to leave a short tongue projecting from each end. These
tongues I make to lie in the hollow of the stretcher or rib beyond the widened part
and below the sides of the stretcher or rib which are closed in somewhat at these
points so as to overlap the tongues and prevent them from escaping.
The labels are put into their places after the stretchers or ribs have been
hardened and tempered. When the label is of spring steel it may be sprung into
place or when it is of soft steel or other metal it may be inserted into place by first

page_text: bending it to an arched form which will not injure the mark and then when it has
been placed over the cavity again straightening it out so as to make the tongues
at its ends pass below the sides of the trough where they have been closed
inwards.
At the same time the label may except when of hardened and tempered steel be
dished or bent to make it fit against the sides as well as against the bottom of the
cavity so that a label of greater width than the distance across from side to side of
the cavity can be used. In a similar manner the labels when made of paper may
be formed with tongues projecting from their ends so that such tongues may be
retained by the sides where they are closed inwards at the ends of the cavity as
above described or even if the sides were not so closed inwards the tongues fitting
into the hollow of the rib would assist in retaining the label as the varnish used for
protecting the label from damp would get a firm hold of the tongues in the narrow
hollow of the stretcher or rib.
Figure 6 shows a portion of a trough stretcher or rib so spread out for a portion
of its length for a label to be secured in the cavity-the cavity formed as shown in
this figure is suitable for receiving a label on paper or fabric or such like material
the sides of the trough just beyond the cavity not being closed inwards. Figure 7
shews a portion of a trough stretcher or rib formed with a cavity suitable for a
thin sheet metal label being held within it-the sides of the trough just beyond
the cavity being closed inwards at their edges as shewn-this can be done at the
same time and by the same blow by which the spreading out of the stretcher or rib
to form the cavity is effected.
Figure 8 shews a portion of a sheet of thin metal with a number of trade mark
labels transferred or printed upon it and Figure 9 shews the form of the labels
which are subsequently cut or punched from such sheet of metal. It is unnecessary
to shew the form of dies used for so spreading out a portion of the stretcher or rib
as the way in which the dies have to be formed to produce such spreading out will
be well understood.
The most convenient part of the frame on which to apply the mark is the
stretcher and preferably I so mark every stretcher near to the end which is jointed
to the runner as my improvements may be applied to mark every stretcher of a set
at far less cost than marking a single stretcher on the present plan.
In place of applying the mark to the stretchers as above described the marks
might if preferred be applied to each of the ribs and as the nature of the steel and
the perfection of the tempering are of the greatest importance to the ribs of an
umbrella as an umbrella which contains a single bad rib cannot be a serviceable
one the public would then have a guarantee for every rib.
When so applying the mark to the ribs I preferably apply them to the ribs about
two inches from the top notch end and as when the marks are in this position the
wet cover cannot touch them-the labels may be of paper as a coating of very thin
varnish which could not draw the paper in drying would be quite sufficient to
protect them against damp and so the paper marks could readily be secured in
place.
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
1. Producing a tip end on the extremity of a rib of trough like section by first
spreading the metal at the end of the rib to form it into a cup then placing into
this cup the head of a pin whose stem lies along the trough and then closing the
sides of the cup over the head of the pin and flattening and perforating the rib and
the stem of the pin within it to form the eye substantially as described.
2. Spreading out the sides of a trough stretcher or of a trough rib at a point
intermediate of the stretcher joint and its top notch end to form a cavity to receive
a trade mark label substantially as described.

page_text: 3. Spreading out the sides of a trough stretcher or rib to form a cavity to
receive a trade mark label and closing the sides of the trough somewhat inwards
close up to the ends of this cavity so as to retain the label substantially as
described.
4. Marking the stretchers or.ribs of umbrellas and parasols by means of strips
of thin sheet metal baving a mark printed or transferred on to their surface and
held within the interior of the stretchers or ribs substantially as described.
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