IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND CASES OR COVERS, AND WALKING STICKS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Restell, of the Strand, in the City of West-
minster, Chronometer Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND CASES OR COVERS, AND WALKING STICKS."
Sealed the 18th May 1855, and dated the 28th November 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Restell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th November 1854.
I, THOMAS RESTELL, of the Strand, in the City of Westminster, Chronometer
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND CASES OR COVERS, AND WALKING STICKS," to be
as follows:-
My improvements consist in causing umbrellas and parasols to open and
close in the reverse manner to that now followed; that is to say, I pull the
runner down in order to open, and push it up in order to close the umbrella,
and am thus enabled to produce an umbrella much-neater in appearance. I
employ a peculiarly shaped runner or slide; the upper part is notched or cut
out to receive the ends of the stretchers; the central part is tubular, and slides
over the stick or central rod; it has a slot in it for the bearing of the spring
catch, whereby the umbrella-is-retained or fixed when open; the bottom of
the runner carries a ring-or-wheel, with parts hollowed out for receiving the

page_text: ribs when the umbrella is shut and folded. These improvements apply to
umbrellas and parasols generally, but are particularly suited for walking-stick
umbrellas, for which I have Her Majesty's Letters Patent, dated 27th July
1853. I make my cases or covers of a mixture of paper and calico, linen, or
other suitable textile fabric, which I form into the shape of a tube over a suit-
able mandril and under pressure; I then japan the cases, and impart to them
any desired color.When-forming-walking-sticks. I-use-a core of wood, cane,
or other suitable, substance, and cover it with a tube composed and formed as
above named, or I make walking sticks from a thick tube of the material
above named without any core.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Restell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th May 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
RESTELL, of the Strand, in the City of Westminster, Chronometer Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 'Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Thomas Restell, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Restell my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Thomas Restell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS-IN
UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND CASES OR COVERS, AND WALKING STICKS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Restell, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, 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 Restell, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be, per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed
(that is to say):
My improvements consist, in the first place, in causing umbrellas and para-
sols to open and close in the reverse manner to that now followed; that is, I
pull the runner down in order to open, and push it up in order to close the
umbrella or parasol, and am thus enabled to produce an umbrella or. parasol
much neater in appearance than those constructed in the usual manner. In
applying this improvement, I employ a runner or slide of a peculiar shape.
The upper part of this runner or slide is notched or cut out to receive the ends
of the stretchers, and the central part is tubular, and slides over the stick or
central rod, having a slot in it for the bearing of the spring catch, by which the
umbrella or parasol is retained or fixed when open. The bottom of the runner
carries a ring or wheel, which has parts hollowed out for receiving the ribs and
stretchers when the umbrella or parasol is shut or folded.
The foregoing improvement applies to umbrellas and parasols generally, but
is particularly intended for walking-stick umbrellas, for which I obtained. Her
Majesty's Letters Patent, dated Ninth July, One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-three:
Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed (in all of which the same
letters refer to like parts) represent as much of the frame of an umbrella or
parasol as is necessary to exhibit my first improvement; and Figure 2 is a
separate view of the improved runner or slide, which I employ in applying this
improvement. a, Figure 1, is the tubular rod or stick; b, b, are the stretchers;
c, c, the ribs; and d is the runner or slide. In this Figure the umbrella or
parasol is shown partially open; and in order to spread it completely, it is
necessary to pull the runner d down, until the spring e catches in the opening
f; and retains the runner in the position it then occupies. The spring e is
reversed, because it is required to exert a pressure, downwards and not upwards,
as is usual. In connection with this part of my Invention I employ the follow-
ing modes of combining the parts of walking-stick umbrellas, to which it may
be applied:-Figures 3, 4, and 5 represent the mode I adopt of connecting
the handle and case to the umbrella 'rod or stick; Figure 3 is a handle, partly
in section; Figure 4, an umbrella opened out for use, also partly in section;
and Figure 5; an external view of the same when closed, for use as a walking
Within the collar g is soldered a ring of metal h, divided into prongs
or teeth i on one edge, and having the thickness of the other edge reduced
from the inner part, so as to form a shoulder to receive the flange of the metal
nut j, over which flange the thinned portion of the ring his turned, so as
stick.

page_text: to retain the nut j in the position shown, at the same time allowing it to be
moved easily round. The handle k is screwed tightly upon the external thread
of the nut j, as is well understood. The internal thread of this nut is intended
to receive a screw 7, formed upon or attached to either end of the umbrella
rod or stick, a stud m being employed to take into or pass between the prongs
or teeth, and prevent the rod or stick from being itself turned round, as was
described in the Specification of my Patent, above referred to.
The button n,
which is formed of wood, covered with silk, and bound round the edge with
silk cord, or other slightly elastic material, is used for steadying the rod or
stick in the case, as shewn. In some instances, instead of forming the case
as in Figures 4 and 5, according to my former Specification, I propose to
form it in such manner that it shall extend down to the thimble when the
article is used as a stick, as in Figures 6 and 7, and high enough to embrace
the lower end of the runner when it is used as an umbrella, as in Figure 8.
In such cases it is necessary to adopt a contrivance by means of which the
rod or stick of the umbrella may be extended or lengthened when the latter
is open. I have shown two such contrivances; one in Figures 8 and 9, and
another in Figures 10 and 11. In the former of these I employ a short
rod o, which carries a plug, to which the screw is attached, and which
enters the tubular stick a, .and is prolonged, so as to form a spring p,
which takes into the opening 9 when the stick is extended, as in Figure 8,
and into the opening when the stick is not extended, as in Figure 9.
In the other contrivance, I employ a similar short rod o, with a quick
thread cut upon it, which thread takes into a corresponding thread cut in
the tubular stick a, which is prevented from turning by means of a piece
of woods, of segmental transverse section, glued within the case, the flat
side of which comes against another piece t, which completes the cylinder,
and which is attached externally to the stick a. With the form of case shown
in Figure 8 I sometimes employ, instead of the button n, a piece of india-
-rubber-u,-which-is-forced-into-the position shown in Figure 12 when the
umbrella is open, and lies as shown in Figure 13-when-the-umbrella-is-closed.
Figure 14 shows the thimble with a screw thread formed upon it, so that the
umbrella may be fixed in the case in the reversed position by means of it.
My improvements consist, in the second place, in forming walking sticks,
and cases or covers of walking-stick umbrellas, of a mixture of paper and
calico, linen, or other suitable textile fabric. The cases or covers I form into
the shape of a tube over a suitable mandril under pressure, and I form_the.
sticks by covering a core of wood, cane, or other suitable substance with.a tube
formed as above described; or I make them of a similar tube without any

page_text: core; I then japan both the cases and the sticks, and impart any desired
color to them.
And having now described.the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is,-
First, the construction of umbrellas and parasols, the opening of which is
effected by the pulling down of the runner or slide.
Second, the several methods berein-before described of combining the parts
of walking-stick umbrellas.
Third, the construction of walking sticks, and of the cases or covers of
walking-stick umbrellas, of a mixture of paper and calico, linen, or other
suitable textile fabric.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Restell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of May, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-five.
THOMAS RESTELL. (L.S.)