IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN PARTS OF THE FURNITURE OF UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS, AND IN TOOLS AND MACHINERY TO BE USED IN THE SAID MANUFACTURE
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Skerrett at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 1st November 1880.
HENRY SKERRETT, of 6, Whitby Road, Sparkbrook, in the County of Worcestor,
Mechanical Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN PARTS
OF THE FURNITURE OF UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS, AND IN TOOLS AND MACHINERY
TO BE USED IN THE SAID MANUFACTURE."
My Invention has reference principally to the manufacture of runners and top
notches, and also the caps and ferrules of umbrellas and parasols, and in tools and
machinery to be used in the said manufacture as herein after described.
My Invention consists, first, of the process, or combination of processes,
hereinafter described for the manufacture or production of the notch part and the
barrel part of runners and top notches for umbrellas and parasola.
I will describe this part of my Invention as applied to a runner.
I take thick sheet brass or other ductile metal or alloy, having a thickness equal
to the notch ring of the finished runner to be made, I cut out at a press a ring or
disc (having a central piercing) from the said sheet metal, the external diameter of
which said ring or disc is equal to the diameter of the notch ring to be made, and
containing sufficient metal to form the notch ring and barrel part of the said
runner.
I form the barrel part by a series of internal drawing-through processes, the said
internal drawing-through being conducted from the middle or inner part of the said
ring or disc, leaving such a depth of metal at the external edge sufficient to form
the notch ring, that is to say, the lower die of each pair of tools has a recess equal
to the external diameter of the ring or disc and of a depth equal to the thickness of
the said ring or disc; in this recess the ring or disc is placed, and lies while the
metal from its central part is being elongated in a direction at right angles to the
said ring or disc through a hole concentric to the said recess by a plunger, near the
end of which is a bulb or swell; the said bulbed plunger forces or pushes forward
the metal of the intended barrel down the sides of the die. This operation is
repeated several times with suitable sized dies and bulbed or straight plungers with
rounded noses until the desired length of tube or barrel is produced, leaving at the
upper end of the barrel (so produced) a flange or notch ring at right angles to the
barrel part which has not been operated upon by the tools described.

page_text: Where a disc has been operated upon as before described, the bottom has to be
cut out in the ordinary way at an early stage of the process.
Or instead of a disc
or ring as before described, a short thick tube of drawn or cast metal may be
employed, in which the walls or edges of ono end is turned at right angles to the
other or tube part. To form the runner notch ring, the said tube part is internally
drawn as herein before described.
Where the metal is drawn or fashioned in a heated or soft state, I prefer to
employ what is known in commerce as Muntz's yellow metal, that is about 60 per
cent. of copper to 40 per cent. of zinc. When this metal is used a less number of
drawing-through processes is requisite. A bulbed or a continuous mandril or plunger
may be employed in the said internal drawing-through processes.
Top notches arm made like runner notches except that the tube part is shorter.
By these successive operations the notch ring part is made solid or in one piece
with the barrel part or tube.
My Invention consists, secondly, in producing runners and top notches in the
following manner :-
A cup ring or short length of thick tubing is operated upon by a press or stamp,
as to produce a figure resembling a short thick tube with a gathered or contracted
neck or end, the said neck or end being of a diameter equal to the diameter of the
⚫ finished runner or top notch tube, and of a thickness in metal a little greater than
the thickness of the runner or top notch ring to be formed; that part of the tube
which is of largest diameter forming the part to be operated upon by external
drawing-through tools, the said part of larger diameter being by a series of passes
through the drawing-through dies elongated and contracted in diameter; this forms
the intended runner notch tube. When the desired length of tube' is produced
the thick end is turned at right angles to the elongated thin tube part, the said
turned down part forming the runner or top notch flange at the summit of the
thin tube; this annular fange produced is grooved and notched in the ordinary
way.
My Invention consists further in manufacturing runners and top notches from
thin tube closed at one end and drawn from sheet metal. A mandril, the external
diameter of which is equal to the internal diameter of the tube under operation,
prevents any internal change of form of the said metal tube. An upper die
approaches the bottom of the tube under operation to an extent equal to the length
of tubing that will be required to form one annular ring when bulged out and
flattened. The bulging out and flattening is effected by an internal annular shoulder
in the upper or pressing tool, the said upper tool pressing upon the top or open end
of the tubular body.
By the descent of the said upper tool the sides of the tube are forced down the
sides of the stationary mandril, and on its continued pressure and descent causes
the tube to expand or bulge itself outwards between the open space left between
the under edge of the upper tool and the fixed bed, thus forming a notch ring or
flange; this process of bulging and closing is repeated by another set of tools for
producing a second annular ring.
The necessary space between the two annular rings is effected by two half rings
which embrace the tube before the formation of the second annular ring; these
annular rings constitute the notch ring of runners or top notches. Where only one
bulged ring is employed the top one may be made solid with the tube which is
thicker in metal at that part; the said thicker part is turned over (when the bottom
is cut out) at right angles, forming with the bulged and flattened ring below it the
notch ring required.
Where the end of the open or closed ended tube is required to be thickened to
form the notch ring, I produce the thickening by back drawing or by upsetting the
end of tube, or by gathering in the said end before drawing.
Or the two bulged and flattened annular rings, as before described, may be
produced at one operation by placing the gauge tool for dividing the two rings on
the runner or top notch tube at an equal distance between the face of the lower

page_text: die and the upper moveable tool, so that on the descent of the said moveable tool
annular rings are formed on either side the gauge tool described. If the tube with
a contracted closed bottom be drawn longer than as before described, and if the
annular rings be formed at a suitable distance from the said closed end and
operated upon by suitable tools and divided, three separate parts of umbrella or
parasol furniture is produced, namely, a cap, a runner or top notch, and a ferrule,
or where no runner or top notch is required a ferrule and cap is produced.
When a length of tubing open at both ends is operated upon to produce the two
annular rings described at one operation, the said length of tubing is placed upon a
solid mandril capable of moving upwards; on the descent of an upper dio or tool
with a shoulder in its concavity, which said tool carries a forked arm at the end of
which is a roller, the said roller comes in contact with one end of a lever, which
turns on a centre about its middle, which motion causes the other end of the lever
to raise the mandril, which said mandril has a shoulder at about its middle; on the
upward motion of the said shoulder the tube is carried before it, at the same time
the upper tool descends with the same motion as the lower tool ascends.
So that by the combined motions of the upper and lower tools the uncovered
parts of the tubing under operation are bulged outwards, and by the further
motions of the upper and lower tools the bulged out parts are compressed into two
annular rings or flanges standing at right angles to runner or top notch tube. Half
sliding or moveable ring plates divide the annular rings formed as before
described; they are opened and closed by levers operated upon by the lower
sliding mandril. On the ascent of the upper tool the lower tool resumes its normal
position by a spring.
When the notch ring is made separate from the tube, the tube has only to have
forined a slightly raised annular ring for the separate notch ring to abut against; the
notch ring is by impressing or indenting tools affixed to the tube from the inside
thereof. Where the creased end of the tube is milled or indented the ring is
affixed by a closing process, or the rotation of the notch ring on the tube may be
effected by creasing internally the metal of the tube into a slot in the inner edge of
the notch ring; where the top or notch end of the tube is thickened, the notch ring
may be screwed thereon and the tube indented internally as before described.
The notches in the notch rings of runners and top notches may be cut out at a
press; a notched half ring sliding plate fills up the annular groove in the notch ring
when the said cutting out of the notches is being effected.