AN IMPROVEMENT IN AND APPLICABLE TO UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND ARTICLES OP A LIKE DESCRIPTION
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Blanchfield, of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Umbrella Frame Makor, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN AND APPLICABLE TO UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND ARTICLES
OP A LIKE DESCRIPTION."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Blanchfield at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 2nd November 1875.
I, THOMAS BLANCHFIELD, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Umbrella Frame Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN AND APPLICABLE TO UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND
ARTICLES OF A LIKE DESCRIPTION," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to umbrellas, parasols, parachutes, and to any
other similar articles, which are or may be otherwise styled; but to avoid
repetition I will herein-after refer only to umbrellas.
.
A difficulty is frequently experienced in expanding umbrellas as
ordinarily made. As is well known the expansion of an umbrella is
effected by acting upon a runner, which transmits the thrust to rods
which are attached each by one end to the runner, and by the other
end to a rib of the umbrella. When the umbrella is closed the central

page_text: joint formed by the connection of the said rod with the rib is nearly in
line with the other two joints, namely, the joint formed by the con-
nection of the other end of the rod with the runner, and the joint
formed by the connection of the rib with the slotted ring which is fixed
to the head or ferule end of the umbrella stick. The greater part of
the thrust is thus transmitted to the said slotted ring, and has little
effect in pushing the ribs outwardly at the commencement of the expan-
sion, and the extra force used often breaks the joints and otherwise
damages the umbrella. To remedy the said defect I apply a spring of
caoutchouc around the stick in such a position as that it may tend to
push the ribs outwardly away from the stick, so that when the ribs are
released from the encircling band usually employed they at once move
outwardly to some extent, and are then in a better position to be acted
upon by the runner and connected rods than when the said spring is not
employed. The said spring in its simplest form may consist of an
ordinary ring of vulcanised caoutchouc of suitable thickness, encircling
the stick at a suitable distance from the aforesaid slotted ring, but in
practice I should prefer to employ rings or springs specially manufac-
tured of a conoidal form, or of any other form which may be considered
or found to be most suitable for the requirements.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Blanchfield in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd May 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
BLANCHFIELD, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Umbrella
Frame Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
fortieth year of Her reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Blanchfield, Her
special licence, that I, the said Thomas Blanchfield, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Blanchfield, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times a

page_text: 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 Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN AND APPLICABLE TO UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND
ARTICLES OF A LIKE DESCRIPTION," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Thomas Blanchfield, 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 Inven-
tion, 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 immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Blanchfield, 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 and accompanying Drawings, that
is to say:-
My Invention relates to umbrellas, parasols, parachutes, and to any
other similar articles which are or may be otherwise styled, but to avoid
repetition I will herein-after refer only to umbrellas.
A difficulty is frequently experienced in expanding umbrellas as
ordinarily made. As is well known the expansion of an umbrella is
effected by acting upon a runner which transmits the thrust to rods
which are attached cach by one end to the runner, and by the other
end to a rib of the umbrella. When the umbrella is closed the central
joint formed by the connection of the said rod with the rib is nearly in
a line with the other two joints, namely, the joint formed by the con-
nection of the other end of the rod with the runner, and the joint
formed by the connection of the rib with the slotted ring, which is fixed
to the head or ferule end of the umbrella stick. The greater part of
the thrust is thus transmitted to the said slotted ring, and has little
effect in pushing the ribs outwardly at the commencement of the expan-
sion, and the extra force used often breaks the joints and otherwise
damages the umbrella. To remedy the said defect I apply a spring of
caoutchouc around the stick in such a position as that it may tend to
push the ribs outwardly away from the stick so that when the ribs
are released from the encircling band usually employed they at onco
move outwardly to some extent, and are then in a better position to be

page_text: acted upon by the runner and connected rods than when the said spring
is not employed.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I will
now refer to the Sheet of Drawings appended hereunto.
In the said Drawings a represents the said spring of caoutchouc 5
encircling the stick 6 of an ordinary umbrella, the said spring being
represented in section in Fig. 1. In the example the said spring is of a
plain annular cylindrical form, but any other suitable form of caoutchouc
spring may be used so long as it is applied substantially in the manner
indicated.
In Fig. 1 the ribs c, c, are represented somewhat in position as when
the umbrella is closed, only two of the ribs being represented to avoid
confusion. When the ordinary encircling band is released the spring a
pushes out the ribs somewhat into the positions represented in Fig. 2.
Having now fully set forth and indicated the nature of my said Inven- 1
tion and the manner in which I carry the same into practical effect, I
would remark in conclusion that I claim the employment of annular
springs of caoutchouc, substantially as and for the purpose set forth and
indicated herein-before and by the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Blanchfield, have here- 2
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.
THOMAS BLANCHFIELD. (L.S.)
Signed and sealed by the said.
Thomas Blanchfield, in the
presence of
HUGH GRANT,
Clerk to Edward K. Dutton,
Agent to the Patentce,
3, Princess Street,
Manchester.