Improvements in Umbrellas, Parasols, and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: ate of Application 12th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 24th Sept., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Umbrellas, Parasols, and the like.
I, LEO JONAS, Merchant of Nr. 21 Schmidt Str. Berlin, in Kingdom of
Prussia, German Empire, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in
what manner the same is performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
The object of the present invention is to construct umbrellas, sunshades, parasols
and the like, in such manner as to enable the putting up, or spreading, of the same
to be more conveniently effected than hitherto. In putting up or spreading
umbrellas and parasols it has hitherto been necessary to push the sleeve, to which
the wires leading to the framework of the stuff are connected, nearly the whole
length of the umbrella stick.
In my present invention I introduce a sliding sleeve on the umbrella stick, said
sleeve being of considerable length and having pivoted at its upper end intermediate
rods connecting it to the frame stays at a point near to their sleeve or collar so that
a comparatively short movement of the said sleeve is sufficient to open or close the
umbrella.
My invention also comprises a certain arrangement of a spring whereby the said
parts may be more or less automatically operated.
In order to make this invention more easily intelligible reference is had to the
accompanying drawings in which similar letters denote similar parts throughout the
several views.
Fig. 1 shows my improved umbrella in an open or spread condition and Fig. 2 in
a closed state.
Figs. 3-6 show modifications. Figs. 7-10 show means for automatically
opening and closing the umbrella and, in Figs. 11-13 is shown a modified form of
mechanism for opening and closing the umbrella.
The frame wires A are as usual pivoted to the upper collar B enclosing the stick,
whilst the frame stays c are attached at one end to the said frame and at the other
to a sleeve or collar a fixed on the upper part of the stick.
To the said stays c are pivoted at c short levers or rods e connecting the former
to the upper collar d' of a skeleton sleeve cousisting of the upper & lower
collars d d and connecting rods d. This frame d'ad is held in both positions
(upper & lower) by means of a bow shaped spring f in the umbrella stick b. From
Figs. 1 and two, it will be obvious, that it is only necessary to raise or lower the
skeleton sleeve or frame d' d' d' a distance corresponding to H, in order to open or
close the umbrella, instead of having to push the sleeve the whole way H' as
hitherto.
A
The modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4 consists in making the collar a to slide
on the stick, whilst the rods e are pivotally connected to the frames A direct.
full sleeve d is also shown attached to the ring d' instead of a frame or skeleton
sleeve. The distance in this case, which the sleeve has to be moved in order to
put up or lower the umbrella, will be H = (A' + e) - 63, which, as seen from the
figures, will be very short. The rods e are in this case formed as loops (Fig. 4) in
which the rods c are guided.
1
In Figs. 5 and 6 another modification of the invention is shown in which sleeve d
is worked in the opposite direction to that heretofore described. In this case the
rods c are connected to the top of the sliding sleeve d and the latter is provided
with a slot s' in which a pin s works. In putting up the umbrella the sleeve must
be drawn down instead of being pushed up (Fig. 6); the other parts are the same
as already described with reference to the other figs.

page_text: Figs. 7-10 illustrate means for making the device to operate automatically.
Figs. 7 and 8 show the device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 but with a spring t for
automatically operating it. Between the collar a and the top d' of the sleeve da
spring is arranged to operate so as to pull the two collars together, so that when
the umbrella is closed the spring is expanded. The spring is so arranged, that
even when the umbrella is open, it is not entirely at rest, being still slightly
stretched. This must be the case, otherwise the spring would not open the umbrella
right out. A lever is pivcted to the umbrella stick near the handle and connected
by a rod g to the lower end of the sleeve d. This lever may be used. to assist the
spring in putting up the umbrella, if necessary, but is provided mainly for closing
the same and overcoming the tension of the spring t. The lever is provided with
a hole which engages on a pink of a small plate i attached to the handle of the
umbrella, when the same is closed. The arrows in Fig. 7 show the direction of
movement of the lever in order to close the umbrella. On releasing the lever h
from the spring or pink (a snap may be easily substituted for the pin k) the
umbrella will open automatically under influence of spring t. Figs. 9 and 10 show
the same device as described with regard to Figs. 7 and 8 but in connection with
the form of umbrella illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. The spring t is here fixed at its
upper end to a pin passing through the umbrella stick whilst its lower end is attached
to the upper collar d' of the sleeve d; the device is otherwise the same as that
described with reference to Figs. 7 and 8 and needs no further explanation. If the
spring is arranged to work as a pressure spring instead of a tension spring, the
umbrella will be closed automatically instead of opened.
In Figs. 11-13 a lever device for opening and closing the umbrella is shown.
In this case a fork or double lever m n is pivoted to the lower collar d³ of the frame
or skeleton sleeve d*, the lower end of the said double lever being pivoted at sto
about the middle of a lever y having handle r. The other end of the latter lever is
pivoted at p to a ring o situated on the umbrella stick about half way between the
collar and the lower end of the double lever m n, when the umbrella is closed
(Figs. 11 and 12).
A
In order to open the umbrella it is only necessary to grasp the spoon shaped
end of the lever 7 and turn it upwards into the position shown in Fig. 13.
hook u or its equivalent retains the lever q in its upper position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is performed what claim is :-
1) The combination with an umbrella having frame A and stick b, of the rods c
pivotally connected to the interior of the frames, at a point about in the middle of
the same, and to a collar a fixed to the stick as described; rods e connecting the top
collar d and rods c, a long sleeve or its equivalent attached to said collar d¹ and
means for retaining the sleeve in position on the stick substantially as described.
2) In combination with an umbrella having frames A and a stick b, rods c
connecting frame rods A to the top of a long moveable sleeve d, & means for
retaining the said sleeve in its extreme positions on the stick substantially as
described.
3) In combination with an umbrella having frames and stick, a collar a on said
stick, rods c pivotally connected to said frame A and collar a, a long sleeve d,
rods e connecting top end of same to frame A, c, a spring t between sleeve d and
collar a, and acting to close or open the umbrella automatically substantially as
described.
4) In combination with an umbrella having frame A and stick b, a collar a on
said stick, rods c connecting frame A and collar a, a sleeve d spring t, between
sleeve and collar a, and means for operating the said sleeve on the stick
substantially as described.
5) In combination with an umbrella having frame A and stick b, a fixed collar a
on said stick, rods c connecting frame A and collar a, a sleeve on said stick, rods e

page_text: connecting frame-work A ċ with said sleeve, a spring t arranged as described, a
lever pivoted at one end to the stick b, a connecting link attached to the lower end
of the sleeve and to the said pivoted lever, and means for retaining said lever
substantially as described.
Dated this 12th day of August 1892.
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.