AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1884

page_text: I JOSEPH HAMBLET DAVIES of Lombard Street West Bromwich in the County
of Stafford Manager of Brick Works do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS'
to be as follows :―
"
My invention consists in making in the covering or fabric of the umbrella or
parasol one or a series of covered or uncovered sight holes for the purpose of
enabling the user-of-the-open-umbrella or parasol to see through the said sight
hole or holes the path or objects in front of him thereby obviating the necessity.
for raising the umbrella or parasol above the line of his sight or turning the
umbrella or parasol aside as is required in umbrellas and parasols of the ordinary
construction.
The required sight hole or holes is or are either cut in the covering material or
left by the weaving process at the required place or places in the covering and the
said hole or holes may afterwards be filled with or covered by a waterproof
transparent material such as oiled silk tale or mica. The filling or covering material
is attached to the sight holes by sewing or otherwise.
I do not limit myself to the size shape number or position of the covered or
uncovered sight holes but I prefer to mako ono sight hole between each pair of
adjacent ribs or between the ribs of alternating pairs and preferably at a short
distance above the lower edge of the covering.
My invention may be readily applied to umbrellas and parasols now in use.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I JOSEPH HAMBLET DAVIES of Lombard Street, West Bromwich in the County
of Stafford, Manager of Brick Works do hereby declare the nature of my Invention
for "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS" and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:—
My invention consists in making in the covering or fabric of the umbrella or
parasol, one or a series of covered or uncovered sight holes for the purpose of
enabling the user of the open umbrella or parasol to see through the said sight
hole or holes the path or objects in front of him thereby obviating the necessity
for raising the umbrella or parasol above the line of his sight, or turning the
umbrella or parasol aside as is required in umbrellas and parasols of the ordinary
construction.
The required sight hole or holes is or are either cut in the covering material or
left by the weaving process at the required place or places in the covering and
the hole or holes may afterwards be filled with or covered by a waterproof
transparent material such as oiled silk, talc or mica. Or a film of collodion, either
varnished or unvarnished, or a film of dried linseed oil, or a thin film of colourless
india rubber may be used. The filling or covering material is attached to the sight
holes by sewing or otherwise.
I do not limit myself to the size shape, number or position of the covered or
uncovered sight holes but I prefer to make one sight hole between each pair of
adjacent ribs or between the ribs of alternating pairs and preferably at a short
distance above the lower edge of the covering.
Or in place of one large sight hole a series of small sight holes arranged side by
side and close to one another may be employed. In this case, I use a thin plate of
steel or other flexible metal or alloy and make in it a series of straight and parallel
slits or perforations the said slits or perforations when the plate is applied to the
covering material being situated parallel to the ribs of the umbrella or parasol so
as to present to the eye when the umbrella or parasol is open for use a series of
vertical parallel slits or perforations through which objects in the path of the
umbrella or parasol can be seen. I fix these perforated plates or compound sight
holes to the edges of the openings cut or made in the covering material of the
umbrella or parasol by means of sewing, the marginal part of the perforated plate
being provided with small holes or with perforated ears through which the sewing
thread can be passed. These perforated plates or compound sight holes are coated
or covered with varnish or are otherwise protected from corrosion.
When the umbrella or parasol is closed and coiled up after use the flexible
coverings of the sight holes, or the thin perforated plates constituting compound
sight holes, fold with the covering material without materially increasing the bulk
of the umbrella or parasol.
Although I have described the transparent and semi-transparent and flexible
materials which I prefer to use yet I do not limit myself thereto as other materials
may be substituted therefor.
My invention may be readily applied to umbrellas and parasols now in use.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
Making in or combining with the covering fabric of umbrellas and parasols one
or a series of covered or uncovered sight holes through which hole or holes the
path or objects in front of the person carrying the open umbrella or parasol can be
seen with more or less distinctness substantially as herein before described.
Dated this Fifteenth day of June 1885.