AN IMPROVEMENT IN UMBRELLAS OR PARASOLS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Oliver Imray of No 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex for an Invention of AN IMPROVEMENT IN
UMBRELLAS OR PARASOLS communicated to him from Abroad by Walter
Scott Hoke and Charles Scull Westcott both of Philadelphia United States of
Amarica
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Oliver Imray at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th April 1883.
"3
OLIVER IMRAY of N° 28 Southampton Buildings Chancery Lane in the County
communicated
of Middlesex, "AN IMPROVEMENT IN UMBRELLAS OR PARASOLS
to me from Abroad by Walter Scott Hoke and Charles Scull Westcott both
of Philadelphia United States of America.
1.
This invention relates to means for holding the runner of an umbrella or parasol
in the position on the stick corresponding respectively. to the closed and opened
conditions of the umbrella or parasol, without the employment of the springs which
are ordinarily used for that purpose and which involve the weakening of the stick
by requiring holes or notches to accommodate them.
I will describe the nature of the invention and the manner of performing it
referring to the accompanying Drawings. Fig. 1 is an elevation of the stick with
its runner in the position corresponding with the open condition of the umbrella
or parasol, and Fig. 2 is also an elevation of the stick with the runner in an inter-
mediate position, Fig. 3 is a section and Fig. 4 a perspective view of the socket near
the end of the stick with its grooved ring for holding the ribs. A is the stick in
which are fixed two pins or studs f and f¹. The runner B consists of the
grooved ring d for holding the ends of the stretchers, fixed on a sleeve or tubular
part d, which has at both ends trumpet mouthed notches e e¹ leading into catch
recesses ee. Near the end of the stick is fixed a sleeve C" and on it is fitted free
to revolve a short sleeve having on it the grooved ring C² which receives the ends
of the ribs. The extent to which C can revolve on C¹ is limited by forming a
part on the sleeve of C¹ projecting into a notched part on C¹, this notched part
being somewhat wider than c' so that C can turn a little round on C¹ until it is

page_text: stopped by the shoulders cand o on the one side or c c on the other side coming
in contact. The turning of the stick relatively to the grooved rings C³ and d¹ which
hold the ribs and stretchers is thus so far limited that when the runner B is moved
along the stick the pins or studs fand f' are always within the width of the
mouths e or e¹ of the notches in the runner tube. In opening the umbrella or
parasol the runner B is slid along the stick until it is stopped by the stud f meeting
the bottom of the notch e', and then the stick is turned a little round till the stud f
becomes engaged in the recess e². In like manner in closing the umbrella or
parasol the stud f' is engaged in the recess e³. In either case the stud holds the
runner in position until the stick is turned a little backwards to disengage it.
The arrangement may be modified as shewn in Fig. 5, the grooved ring near the
end of the stick for holding the ends of the ribs being in this case fixed and the
sleeve H of the runner being capable of turning within the grooved ring that holds
the stretchers to an extent limited by shoulders such as i and h³ like those
described with reference to C in Figs 1, 2, 3 and 4. When the arrangement shewn
in Fig. 5 is adopted, the sleeve H of the runner, besides being slid up or down the
stick to receive the stud g or g' in its notch h or h¹, is to be turned a little round to
engage the stud in the recess of its notch.
Having thus described the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents,
I claim :-
First. The herein described method of holding the runner of an umbrella or
parasol at either end of its stroke by the engagement of a stud or pin of the stick
in a recessed notch of the runner effected by a partial turning movement of the
stick or runner so limited that the stud or pin is always within range of the notch
which it has to enter.
Second. Constructing the runner of an umbrella or parasol with recessed trumpet
mouthed notches, and the sleeve and grooved ring for holding the ribs with stop
shoulders, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth with reference to
Figs 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Third. Constructing the runner of an umbrella or parasol with recessed trumpet
mouthed notches and with its notch ring arranged to turn on it between stop
shoulders, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth with reference to
Fig. 5.
In Witness whereof I the said Oliver Imray have hereunto set my hand and
seal this twenty fourth day of April in the year of our Lord One thousand