IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Emile Gabriel Charageat of Boulevard Saint Denis 1 at
Paris Manufacturer for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS,
PARASOLS AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Emile Gabriel Charageat at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st July 1883.
EMILE GABRIEL CHARAGEAT of Boulevard Saint Denis 1 at Paris, Manufacturer
IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES
"J
There have been various attempts in recent years to make self opening umbrellas,
but the results have not hitherto been satisfactory. Among other defects I may
mention (1) that the umbrellas were much too heavy; (2) that they were too
bulky; and (3) that their action left much to be desired.
Now the object of my Invention is to manufacture umbrellas and other similar
articles of the kind referred to of great strength and at the same time of sufficient
lightness and of perfect form, while on the other hand the action is easy and
regular.
Within the tube which forms the runner of the umbrella I introduce another
tube movable therein telescopically; between these two parts is enclosed a helical
spring which is of flat form in section; this form allows me to make springs of
small diameter and therefore to make the body of the runner narrow and at the
same time provide sufficient power of expansion. Along one of the tubes, say the
inner one, are formed two diametrically opposite grooves to receive projections on
the other or outer tube.
These grooves and projections prevent any partial rotary movement of
the frame the effect of which would be to cause a bad action and even to
break the stretchers. The "notch" of the outer tube of the runner has hooked
thereto steel or other strong supplementary stretchers which at their outer
end are hooked to the main stretchers these being formed for this purpose with a
hole at the middle of their width; these stretchers are themselves attached at one
end to the ribs and at the other to a "notch
on the inner tube of the runner.
The ribs have near the middle of their length small tenons or fittings serving as
the points of attachment of the stretchers; these latter at their joints carry springs
(Price 6d7
"

page_text: terminating in a nose or nib in the form of an inclined plane which acts on a boss
of the tenon formed around the centre of the joint. The tenons and springs are
fixed by means of hooks formed in a piece with them and which enter openings
formed to receive them in the ribs and stretchers. This combination or arrange-
ment of springs and tenons has the double object of closing the umbrella and keeping
it closed and of making easy the starting of the opening so as to obtain in both
cases an immediate and certain action.
In order to open the umbrella it suffices to push the runner a distance of about
half an inch with the thumb of the hand by which the umbrolla is held. The
springs which kept the umbrella closed will then no longer act on the ribs, and
the helical spring in the runner by automatically expanding will cause the
supplementary stretchers and main stretchers to rise and these draw the ribs with
them. The notch of the inner tube of the runner comes against a projection which
limits its movement along the stick.
In order to close the umbrella, the runner is pulled down to the bottom. In
this movement which is continued until the umbrella is closed the supplementary
stretchers exert a powerful traction on the main stretchers which bend under the
effect of this action and draw the ribs with them, and bearing upon the notch of
the inner tube of the runner press on the helical spring and force it inwards.
When the runner and other parts have made a certain portion of their return
- movement, the springs before described again come into action and their nosos or
nibs press upon the bosses of the tenons, close the umbrella and enter the notches
of the bosses. The umbrella cannot then be again opened except by pushing the
runner as already described. There is thus an absolute closing. The employment
of the springs and tenons dispenses with the necessity for any catch or cutting in
the stick, and also with caps and other ordinary closing devices

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Emile Gabriel Charageat in the Patent Office on the
16th January 1884.
EMILE GABRIEL CHARAGEAT of Boulevard Saint Denis 1 at Paris Manufacturer
"IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS AND OTHER SIMILAR ARTICLES'
There have been various attempts in recent years to make self-opening umbrellas,
but the results bave not hitherto been satisfactory. Among other defects I may
mention: (1) that the umbrellas were much too heavy; (2) that they were too
bulky; and (3) that their action left much to bo desired.
Now the object of my invention is to manufacture umbrellas and other similar
articles of the kiud referred to of great strength and at the same time of sufficient
lightness and of perfect form; while on the other hand the action is easy and
regular.
I will describe my invention with the aid of the annexed drawings. Figure 1 is
an elevation of one of my umbrella frames when open. Figure 2 shews the samo
when closed. Figure 3 is a vertical section of the outer telescopic tube of the
runner hereinafter described. Figure 4 is a plan of the same. Figure 5 is a
vertical section and Figure 6 a plan of the inner telescopic tube. Figure 7 is a
transverse section on the line A B of Figure 5. Figure 8 represents in section the
runner containing the telescopic tube and the disposition within the tubes of the
special spring hereinafter described. Figure 9 is an elevation, partly sectional, of
the umbrella frame open; the dotted lines indicate intermediate positions which
will assist in understanding the action. Figure 10 is an elevation of a spring with
a nose or nib in the form of an inclined plane in combination with the boss of a
special tenon hereinafter described.
Within the tube a which forms the runner I introduce another tube 6 movable
therein telescopically; between these two parts is enclosed a helical spring c which
is of flat form in section; this form allows me to make springs of small diameter
and therefore to make the body of the runner narrow and at the same time provido
sufficient power of expansion. Along one of the tubes, say the inner one b, aro
formed two diametrically opposite grooves d d to receive projections ff on the
other or outer tube a. These grooves and projections prevent any partial rotary
movement of the frame the effect of which would be to cause a bad action and
even to break the stretchers. The "notch" of the outer tube a of the runner has
hooked thereto steel or other strong supplementary stretchers g g which at their
outer end are hooked to the main stretchers hh these being formed for this purpose
with a hole at the middle of their width, these stretchers are themselves attached
at one end to the ribs i and at the other to a "notch " on the inner tube b of the
runner. The ribs i have near the middle of their length (see Figure 9) small
tenons or fittings & serving as the points of attachment of the stretchers h; these
latter at their joints carry springs terminating in a nose or nib x Figure 10 in
the form of an inclined plane which acts on a boss y of the tenon formed around
the centre of the joint. The tenons k and springs are fixed by means of hooks
formed in a piece with them and which enter openings formed to receive them in
the ribs and stretchers . This combination or arrangement of springs and
tenons k has the double object of closing the umbrella and keeping it closed and of
making easy the starting of the opening so as to obtain in both cases an immediate
and certain action.
In order to open the umbrella it suffices to push the runner a distance of about
half an inch he angling ta

page_text: umbrella is held. The springs which kept the umbrella closed will then no longer
act on the ribs i and the helical spring c in the runner by automatically expanding
will cause the supplementary stretchers g and main stretchers to rise and these
draw the ribs with them. The notch of the inner tube b of the runner comes
against a projection m which limits its movement along the stick n.
In order to close the umbrella, the runner is pulled down to the bottom by means
of the part 2.
In this movement which is continued until the umbrella is closed
the supplementary stretchers g exert a powerful traction on the main stretchers h
which bend under the effect of this action and draw the ribs i with them, and
bearing upon the notch of the inner tube b of the runner press on the helical spring c
and force it inwards. When the runner and other parts have made a certain
portion of their return movement, the springs again come into action and their
noses or nibs press upon the bosses of the tenons-k, close the umbrella and enter
the notches of the bosses. The umbrella cannot then be again opened except by
'pushing the runner as already described. There is thus an absolute closing. The
employment of the springs and tenons dispenses with the necessity for any
catch or cutting in the stick and also with caps and other ordinary closing
devices.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that I claim as my improvements in unbrellas,
parasols, and other similar articles:―
1. Constructing the runner with two telescopic tubes which contain a helical
spring of flat form in section substantially as and for the purpose" herein before
described.
2. Constructing one of the telescopic tubes of the runner with grooves and the
other with corresponding projections substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described.
3. The special arrangement of springs with noses or nibs in the form of an inclined
plane and placed at the joints of the stretchers the said springs acting on bosses
formed around the centre of the said joints'upon tenons or fittings which serve as
the points of attachment of the stretchers, all substantially as and for the purposes
hereinbefore described.
.
4. The combined employment of the spring in the runner and of the springs at the
joints of the stretchers with the object of automatically effecting the opening of the
umbrella when the runner is pushed up a short distance, substantially as herein-
before described.
5. The mode of hooking the springs at the joints of the stretchers and the tenons,
and also the mode of hooking the supplementary stretchers to the main stretchers
all substantially as herein before described.
.
6. Constructing the frames of umbrellas or other like articles substantially as hercin-
before described and represented in the annexed drawings.
In witness whereof I the said Emile Gabriel Charageat have hereunto set my
hand and seal this fifteenth day of January One thousand eight hundred and eighty
four
EMILE GABRIEL CHARAGEAT (L.S.)
Witness:
ALBERT CALEN
Civil Engineer
of Boulevard Saint Denis 1
at Paris.