IN UMBRELLAS SUNSHADES AND PARASOLS
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Willis at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd March 1882.
JAMES WILLIS of Rosendale Bournemouth in the County of Hants
MENTS IN UMBRELLAS SUNSHADES AND PARASOLS"
"
IMPROVE-
Heretofore the tip ends of the ribs of umbrellas have been flattened in a
direction radial to the stick and a hole or eye has been formed through this flattened
portion to allow of the cover being secured to it by sewing-and at the extremo
end of the tip a small rounded knob has been formed.
Where the rib is flattened as above described it bulges inwards towards the stick
and bears against it when the umbrella is closed and the cover rolled up tightly—
the knob at the extreme end of the rib also bears against the stick and the stick
very quickly gets rubbed and abraded where these parts bear against it and its
appearance is thereby spoilt.
To obviate this I make the flattened portion of the tip ends of the ribs at a
tangent to the stick instead of radial to it and the knob at the extreme end I make
to project wholly outwards away from the stick so as to leave no inward projection
at the end of the rib which may bear against and rub the stick when the umbrella
is closed. I prefer to form these tip ends separately and to affix them to the ends
of the ribs afterwards but they might in some cases be formed out of the rib
itself.
I cut out a blank from thin sheet metal-the end of the blank where the knob
is to be formed. I curl over outwards so as to form at the end a small cylinder.
By pressure applied to the ends of the cylinder I reduce it in diameter.at its
ends and bulge it in the middle so as to produce a somewhat barrel shaped knob.
A narrow portion of the blank connects this knob with a broader portion through
which the hole or holes (preferably two holes) are formed to allow of the cover
being sewn to it-the holes should be made rounded or bell mouthed on the side
[Price Gl

page_text: next the stick the remaining length of the blank serves for connecting the tip to
the rib end. If it is to be fixed on to the exterior of the end of a rib this part of
the blank is bent outwards at its sides to bring it to a trough form to fit over the
rib end and it is closed on to the rib-end and secured to it by indenting. Or if
it is to be secured inside a hollow rib the end of the blank is reduced so that it
may go inside the rib and I fix it therein by the application of pressure.
Another way of forming a tip end to fix on to the exterior of the end of a rib is
to make it from a short length of tube with one closed end-the open end is of a
size to fit over the rib end and to be secured to it by pressure-the closed end is
flattened out for the hole or holes to be formed through it and a ball or knob is
also raised at its extreme end in such a way as to project outwards only and not
inwards towards the stick..
By first making the tip ends separately as above described and afterwards
securing them to the rib ends I am enabled to make tips that can be gilt or plated
or have a metallic lustre given to them or be otherwise ornamentally colored or
finished and this can be done at little expense as large quantities of the tips can
be treated at one time.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Willis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd September
1882.
JAMES WILLIS of Rosendale Bournemouth in the County of Hants
MENTS IN UMBRELLAS SUNSHADES AND PARASOLS
"
"IMPROVE!
Heretofore the eye of the bottom tip end of the ribs of umbrellas has usually
been made radial to the stick and the portion forming the inner side of the eye
has bulged inwards and has rested against the stick when the umbrella was closed
and the cover rolled up tightly. Also at the extreme end of the rib a small rounded
knob or head has been formed by affixing on to it a small metallic cap formed from
a disc of metal previously dished to a cup shape and by then working this cap
between dies to mould it into a round knob or head. The rounded knobs or heads
so formed at the extremities of the bottom tip ends have also rubbed against the
stick when the umbrella has been rolled up tightly.
To remedy these evils it has been proposed in the Specification of a Patent
granted to W. Carter No 1346 in the year 1879 to partially flatten the tip end of
the rib at a tangent to the stick and to form two eyes or holes through it radially
to the stick or approximately so. It has also been proposed in the Specification of
a Patent granted to Bayzand and Boyle No 149 in this year to form the bottom
tip end of the ribs with two wire eyes projecting sidewise from it, one on either
side. But in both these cases when the umbrella is closed and the ribs are lying
alongside the stick the ribs themselves or the eyes projecting from them come into
contact with the stick.
According to this invention I form the bottom tip ends of the ribs in such a
manner that when the umbrella is closed and the ribs lying alongside of the stick
neither the ribs themselves nor the eyes nor the knobs at the ends of the ribs come
into contact with the stick but are kept off from it by the interposition of the
sewing thread used for securing the cover to the bottom tip end and this I do by
making the tip ends with two holes or eyes through them radially to the stick and
with the metallic portion of the tip between these holes or cyes on a lovel with the
inner face of the rib or bulging somewhat inwards towards the stick. The thread
used for sewing the cover to the tip end is lapped over this central piece of metal
and forms a soft projecting surface to bear against the stick and keep it from being
rubbed by the metallic portions of the tip end.
It is also for many reasons desirable that the fashioning of the rib ends should
not be carried out upon the rib ends themselves but that the bottom tip ends
should be formed separately and when completed be attached to the ends of the
ribs. To effect this I form the tip ends from blanks of thin sheet metal the knob
at one extremity I form by bending or curling over the metal of the blank whilst
the opposite extremity of the blank I form to embrace or be embraced by the rib
end. Also when I form the tip ends out of the metal of the end of the rib itself
I form the knob in the same manner. I also form the knobs either when made in
this manner or from separate caps of metal as heretofore of an oblong form barrel
shaped or egg shaped but preferably with the inner side of the head slightly
concave and level with the inner side of the neck which carries it, whilst on the
outer side the head is convex making the head somewhat of the shape of a.beam.
The extra breadth of this form of head affords greater protection to the hand and
the increased projection of the head outwards from the neck of the tip affords
greater protection to the cover at that part where it is sewn to the tips and more
effectually secures the cover from being rubbed or worn by the hand.

page_text: At Figures 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed I have shown a bottom tip end
piece formed as above described from a blank of thin sheet metal. The bottom
tip end piece shewn in these figures is made to fit the end of a rib of paragon wire
and is made to fit both within the hollow of the rib as well as to embrace it
externally. A blank of the required form is first punched out from thin sheet
metal to the form shewn at Figure 2. At one end the metal is curled over to
form the knob and by pressure between dies is "afterwards brought to the form
required. The other portions of the blank are also by the aid of dies moulded to
the form shewn. The two holes or eyes a a are also punched through the metal
and the metallic portion between these two eyes is made to bulge in a direction
which will be inwards towards the stick as shewn at b. "It is desirable that the
eye holes in these tip ends should be punched from the inner side outwards so as
to make on the inner side of each 'hole a' perfectly smooth or rounded surface that
will not cut the sewing thread. Figure 3 shews the tip end placed on to the end
of a rib of paragon wire.
་
123
-4.7
At Figures 4.I have shewn a modification of the tip end shewn at Figures 1
and 2. In this modification in place of the knob at the extremity being formed
by bending the metal into a curl, it is formed by simply doubling over a sheet
metal blank of the form shewn at Figure 5 the strip c which then extends back-
wards in the manner shewn serves to strengthen the tipend. The tip end shewn
at Figures 4 is shewn to be so formed as to embrace the exterior of the end of a
paragon rib. I have not shewn any tip end formed to fit into the trough of a
paragon wire rib but it will clearly be seen that the tip ends might be secured to
the ends of paragon ribs in this way.
At Figures 6 and 7 I have shewn an inside view and side view of a similarly
shaped tip end formed out of the end of a paragon' wire rib. To form this tip end
a short length of wire b is placed into the trough of the paragon wire at the end-
the sides of the trough are then closed on to the wire b at the parts marked c
and d'whilst ate the sides of the trough are bent outwards and an eye f is here
punched through each side of the trough.
At the pointe also the wire 6 and bottom of the trough wire rib are bulged
inwards at B* as shewn at Figure 7 so that the sewing thread used for sewing the
cover to the tip end may when lapped over this wire form a soft projecting pad to
bear against the stick and keep the metallic portions of the end from rubbing
against it. To the extreme end a knob or head is set on in the usual way but in
place of this head being worked up into a spherical form by being repeatedly
nipped between circular dies as heretofore" and by the rib with the head upon it
being frequently turned so that the pressure from the dies may come upon the
head in different directions: I cause the head after it has been set on in the
ordinary manner to be pressed once or twice between a pair of oval dies to give to
it an oval shape.
(+
In place of the knob or head being formed from a separate piece of metal I in
some cases form it from a flattened out portion of the end of the rib itself just in
the same way as is explained 'with reference to forming the heads when the tip
ends are formed from blanks of thin 'sheet metal.
At Figures 8 I have shewn a bottom tip end formed in the manner above
described at the end of a rib or solid wire. An eye is formed in the end of the rib
much in the same way as heretofore' except that the eye is made to bulge out
sidewise at a tangent to the stick instead of being made radial to it and the
extreme end of the wire is flattened and cut to a square form as shewn at
Figures and then curled over to form it into an elongated knob or head and
submitted to pressure between a pair of oval dies as described with reference to
Figure 1. With a bottom tip end formed in the above manner the sewing thread
used for sewing on the cover could be alternately passed through the hole of the
eye and then back first on one side of the eye and then on the other so that in
this way the sewing thread used for sewing on the cover would be interposed
between the tip end on the stick,

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing
the same I would have it understood that I claim :-
First. The manufacture of the bottom tip ends of the ribs of umbrellas sunshades
and parasols with two eye holes radial to the stick and with the metal between
them on a level with the inner face of the rib or bulging somewhat towards the
stick so that the thread used for sewing on the cover may when lapped over this
piece of metal form a soft projecting surface to bear against the stick and keep it
from being rubbed by the metallic portions of the tip end.
Second. The manufacture of the bottom tip ends of the ribs of umbrellas
sunshades and parasols from blanks of thin sheet metal, the knob at one end being
formed by bending or curling over the metal and the other end being formed to
embrace or be embraced by the end of the rib substantially as described.
Third. The manufacture of the bottom tip ends of the ribs of umbrellas sunshades
and parasols with oblong or barrel shaped knobs at thair extremity substantially
as described.
Fourth. The manufacture of the knob at the extremity of the bottom tip ends of
the ribs of umbrellas sunshades and parasols by curling or bending over the metal
of which the other parts of the tip ends are formed substantially as described.
Fifth. The manufacture of the bottom tip ends of the ribs of umbrellas sunshades
and parasols substantially as herein before described with reference to Figures 1,
3.and 4,
Sixth. The manufacture of the bottom tip ends of the ribs of umbrellas, sun-
shades and parasols substantially as herein before described with reference to
Figures 6 and 7 and to Figures 8.
In witness whereof I the said James Willis have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Twenty first day of September in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.