IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Francis Harvey, of 145, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, Manufacturer,. for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS."
Sealed the 17th June 1862, and dated the 24th December 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Francis Harvey
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th December 1861.
I, JOHN FRANCIS HARVEY, of 145, Strand, in the County of Middlesex,
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS," to be as follows:-
I form the top notch upon a tube extending downwards to carry the top
spring or springs, so as to avoid the necessity for applying the top spring in
the stick, as is the general practice, and by which the stick is considerably
weakened at that part. I also form this tube by preference of an internal
diameter larger than that of the same part of the stick, by which it will be
particularly adapted to those sticks which taper, as the part of this tube where
the top springs are applied may then correspond with the runner and prevent
its shaking about loosely. The tube of the top notch may be packed to the
stick, and it may be held to it by rivetting and by the gathering in of the
lower edges or other part. The runner is formed with its tube extending

page_text: upwards, and so as to pass closely on to the tube of the top notch with a slot or
slots to receive the top springs. This tube of the runner also carries a ring or
slide to act upon and release the top springs from the notches of the runner
when the umbrella or parasol is desired to be closed. This releasing ring or
slide is connected by a stem or stems passing the notch of the runner to a
ring or other slide below, which is acted upon by a spring with a tendency at
all times to keep the slide free of the slots. I also apply a cap acted upon by
a spring, by which it has a tendency to slide over, and by enclosing the ends
of the stretchers to hold the parts closed and retain the parasol or umbrella
closed, by which the hand spring will be rendered unnecessary, whilst the
silk or other covering of the umbrella or parasol will be protected from being
injuriously acted upon by the edges of the runner and stretchers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Francis Harvey in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th June 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
FRANCIS HARVEY, of 145, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Francis Harvey, Her special licence that I, the said John Francis
Harvey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Francis Harvey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Francis Harvey, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Francis Harvey, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
The improvements relate to arranging and combining parts of umbrellas
and parasols so as to obtain increased strength and security thereto.
For this purpose I form the top notch upon a tube extending downwards to.
carry the top catch, so as to avoid the necessity for applying the top catch in
the stick, as is the general practice, and by which the stick is considerably
weakened at that part. I also form this tube by preference of an internal
diameter larger than that of the same part of the stick, by which the improve-
ments are particularly adapted to those sticks which are of a taper form, as
the part of this tube where the top catch is applied may then correspond with
the runner and prevent its shaking about loosely. The tube of the top notch
may be packed to the stick, and it may be held to it by rivetting and by the
gathering in of the lower edges or other part. The runner is formed with its
tube extending upwards, and so as to pass closely on to the tube of the top
notch with a slot or slots to receive the top catch. This tube of the runner
also carries a ring or slide to act upon and release the top catch when the
umbrella or parasol is desired to be closed. I also apply a cap acted upon by
a spring, by which it has a tendency to slide over, and by enclosing the ends
of the stretchers, to hold the parts closed, and retain the parasol or umbrella
closed, by which the hand spring and the cutting and consequent weakening
and disfigurement of the stick for such spring will be rendered unnecessary,
whilst the silk or other covering of the umbrella or parasol will be protected
from being injuriously acted upon by the edges of the runner and stretchers.
But that the nature of the improvements may be better understood, I will
proceed to describe the Drawing annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shews parts of the framing of an umbrella arranged according to
my Invention, partly in section, as seen when the umbrella is "closed;" Figure 2
shews corresponding parts of an umbrella when the same is "open;" Figure 3
shews an external view of part of that shown by Figure 1; Figure 4 is an
end view. a, a, is the stick of the umbrella; b is the top notch, which
I prefer to be affixed upon a tube b', extending downwards to carry the top
catch c for the spring to hold the umbrella when "open." This tube b¹
be packed to the stick, and it is held to it by rivetting, and by the gathering
in of the lower edges 6. For taper sticks I prefer to make this tube larger
may

page_text: than the stick, and it may be packed as desired, or it may be held by rivetting
or otherwise. d is the runner, to which the lower ends of the stretchers are
attached by wire, as is well understood. This runner is formed with an
extension d' upwards, and so as to pass closely on to the tube 61, when the
umbrella is open; and this part d' has a slot (2) to receive the stud or catch c.
This tube d also carries the spring e, which at its upper end is formed as a
catch e¹ to catch on to the stud c when the umbrella is "open." The tube d
also carries a slide f, which, when it is desired to close the umbrella, may be
acted upon to release the top catch e. For this purpose the upper end of the
slide f is formed inclined at f, and by acting upon the projection e³ from the
back of the catch e', that catch may be released from the stud c. At other
times this slide is drawn downwards by a spring g; h is a cap, which is also
acted upon by the spring g with a tendency to keep the part h¹ thereof over,
and so as to enclose the ends i, i, of the stretchers, by which means when the
umbrella is closed, those parts of the stretchers will be enclosed, and held so
as to render the hand spring unnecessary, whilst at the same time the covering
of the umbrella will when closed be protected at those parts from being
injuriously acted upon by the edges of the runner and stretchers.
Figure 5 shews a modification of the improvements in which the top catch c
is applied to a spring c¹. This catch, when the umbrella is open, takes on to
the ring d formed on the slide d', and when the umbrella is desired to be
closed the slide f is moved upwards, as before explained, by which the upper
end thereof will pass under the end of the catch c to lift that catch off the
ring d, when the umbrella may be closed. Like arrangements are also
applicable to parasols.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and the means
I adopt in carrying the same into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim is, the adaptation and combination of means as applied to
umbrellas and parasols, substantially as explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Francis Harvey, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
J. F. HARVEY. L.S.)