IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH THE FRAMES OF UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND SUNSHADES
Year: 1873

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Joseph Knight at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
January 1873.
I, JOSEPH KNIGHT, of Worcester, in the County of Worcester, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS TO BE USED IN CONNECTION WITH THE FRAMES OF UMBRELLAS,
PARASOLS, AND SUNSHADES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the construction and arrangement of
certain apparatus in connection with the frames of umbrellas, parasols,
and sunshades, by means of which the same are held firmly citlier
in an extended or closed position, whilst all the disadvantages attendant
upon the wire springs previously used are entirely avoided.
Two modifications in the construction and arrangement of the
apparatus in question are embraced by this Invention.
In the first modification a spring toothed catch is attached by one
end thereof to a cylindrical tube which is fixed to the stick of the article
to which the Invention is applied, above the part thereof which is
covered by the "runner "when the ribs and stretchers are extended.

page_text: A similar spring catch and cylindrical tube are placed in like manner
immediately beyond that part of the stick which is covered by tho
" runner "
when the ribs and stretchers are closed. The "runner" is of
the ordinary cylindrical tubular form, and provided with a flange at
cither end thereof. On the exterior of the "runner" are attached two
spring levers placed longitudinally, cach having a bevilled or tapered
form, and working on a transverse centre. Two ends of the levers are
jointed or hinged together on a transverse pin, a spring being placed
thereunder so as to retain the tapered ends of the levers when in their
normal position inclined towards either end of the "runner." When it
is desired to extend the ribs and stretchers, the "runner" is pushed up
the stick until the upper flange on the former has raised the spring
toothed catch or lever (and which has a bevilled face) at the upper part
of the stick, and allowed the same to drop over the flange, the end of
one of the levers being beneath the catch. In order to close the frame
it is only necessary to depress the lever, whereby the spring catch is
raised and released, and the "runner can then be drawn down thic
stick, and the flange at the other end of the "runner" passes under the
spring toothed catch fixed near the handle, and by which it is retained
in a fixed position as long as desired, the "runner" being readily
released by simply pressing the lever and thereby raising the spring
toothed catch.
"3
The second modification embraced by this Invention is as follows :—
The stick is provided with two flanged collars, one at the upper, and
the other at the lower part thereof. The runner is furnished with two
spring levers attached thereto, similar to those before mentioned, but
cach with a bevilled tooth or detent at the outer end thereof. Upon
passing tho runner up the stick until it reaches the upper flanged collar
thereon, the bevilled tooth on one of the levers attached to the runner
passes over tho samo and then drops, thus holding the ribs and
stretchers in an extended condition, and when the tooth is raised by
depressing the lover the "runner can be drawn along the stick to the
lower part thereof, when the other toothed lever passes over the lower
flanged collar, and retains the ribs and stretchers in a closed position,
until the runner is again released, as before described. The springs
used in connection with the catches and levers may be spiral, flat, or of
any other suitablo kind.
"

page_text: It should be observed that this Invention is applicable to umbrellas,
parasols, and sunshades, whether constructed with wooden or cane sticks,
or with with tubular metallic handles, and that in the former case thic
evil resulting from the stick being necessarily weakened by the grooves
cut therein for the reception of the wire springs hitherto employed aro
entircly avoided.