Improvements in Umbrella and other like Frames.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Mar., 1890
Comprete Specification Left, 24th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 24th Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Umbrella and other like Frames.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of 23 Southampton Buildings in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of said invention,
communicated to me from abroad by Messrs. A. Teste Fils, Pichat, Moret & Cie.,
of 11, Rue de la Claire, Lyons, in the Republic of France, Manufacturers of
Umbrella Frames, to be as follows:-
The frame constituting the subject of the present invention is a combination of the
ordinary frame and automatic frame, in which are united the advantages of both
systems without having the inconveniences of either. The advantages of the
automatic frame are:
1st. The suppression of the springs and notches in the stick which have the serious
inconvenience of weakening the handle.
2nd. The facility with which the umbrella can be opened and closed automatically
as all that is necessary is to push to open it, and to pull to close it.
But what is defective in the automatic systems as hitherto manufactured is:
1st. The slide, on which point the ends of the ribs terminate, is visible, it tarnishes
very quickly, becomes oxidized with the contact of the fingers, and soon becomes an
object without any decisive shape or colour.
2nd. The absolute necessity for arching the ribs in the centre, without which one
could not open the frame, and from which it results that the automatic umbrella is
always large and swelled out in the centre.
The good qualities in the non-automatic umbrella are:
1st. That the slide is hidden from sight.
2nd. That the ribs are straight, instead of being curved or bowed, conseq ently
the umbrella of this system is thinner and more slender than an automatic shutting
umbrella.
The defective part on the contrary of this system is the absolute necessity for
employing springs and notches on the stick in order to keep the umbrella in an open
or closed position.
The improved frame partakes partly of the nature of both, it is automatic with all
its advantages and with none of its disadvantages, that is to say the slide is not
shown neither are the ribs arched or bowed, it is also at the same time like an
ordinary frame with all its advantages, and without the inconveniences which are,
the absolute necessity of having springs and notches on the stick.
The accompanying drawing illustrates the arrangement adopted in carrying out
these conditions.
Figure 1 represents an automatic frame rib B with its stretcher A in the closed up
position; in consequence of the spring formed by the part a. b. of the rib and of
the rectangular form of the head of the stretcher, this latter is closed tight against
the rib, which is the condition hitherto required in automatic frames.
In the new frame (Figure 2) the rib B by pressing on the head of the stretcher A
makes a spring of its part a b but the joint C being placed on the fitting d at a
slightly greatly distance than the rib so that the stretcher can only be conducted by
the spring to a fixed position A still forming an angle with the rib; from this
position A to the position A' shown by dotted lines, the stretcher can oscillate
freely.
Moreover it will be seen that the rib B is straight, its curvature no longer being
necessary for pressing its extremity against the slide.
An unbrolla mounted with ribs as above described will, in being closed, be

page_text: gathered up automatically to the position shown at Figure 3, which allows the hand
to be introduced inside in order to take hold of the slide when the umbrella is
required to be opened. The ribs are free further to be closed and to be held by the
means employed in ordinary frames.
Dated March 31st 1800
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Umbrella and other like Frames.
I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of 23 Southampton Buildings in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agont, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a com-
munication to me by Messrs. A. Teste Fils, Pichat, Moret & Cie., of 11, Rue de la
Claire, Lyons, in the Republic of France, Manufacturers of Umbrella Frames, and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The frame constituting the subject of the present invention is a combination of the
ordinary frame and automatic frame, in which are united the advantages of both
systems without having the inconveniences of either.
The advantages of the automatic frame are :-
1st. The suppression of the springs and notches in the stick which have the serious
inconvenience of weakening the handle.
2nd. The facility with which the umbrella can be opened and closed automatically
as all that is necessary is to push to open it, and to pull to close it. But what is
defective in the automatic systems as hitherto manufactured, is :—
1st. The slide on which point the ends of the ribs terminate is visible, it tarnishes
very quickly becomes oxidized with the contact of the fingers and soon becomes an
object without any decisive shape or colour.
2nd. The absolute necessity for arching the ribs in the centre, without which one
could not open the frame, and from which it results that the automatic umbrella is
always large and swelled out in the centre.
The good qualities in the ordinary non-automatic umbrella are:-
1st. That the slide is hidden from sight.
2nd. That the ribs are straight, instead of being curved or bowed consequently
the umbrella of this system is thinner and more slender than an automatic shutting
umbrella.
On the contrary the defective part of this system is the absolute necessity for
employing springs and notches on the stick in order to keep the umbrella in an open
or closed position.
The improved frame partakes partly of the nature of both, it is automatic with all
its advantages and with none of its disadvantages, that is to say the slide is not
shown, neither are the ribs arched or bowed it is also at the same time like an
ordinary frame with all its advantages, and without the inconveniences which are the
absolute necessity of having springs and notches on the stick.
The drawing accompanying my Provisional Specification illustrates the arrange-
ment adopted in carrying out these conditions.
Fig. 1 represents an automatic frame rib, B, with its stretcher, A, in the closed up
position; in consequence of the spring formed by the part a, b, of the rib and of
the rectangular form of the head of the stretcher, this latter is closed tight against
the rib, which is the condition hitherto required in automatic frames.
In the new frame (Fig. 2) the rib, B, by pressing on the head of the stretcher, A,
makes a spring of its part a, b, but the joint, C, being placed on the fitting d, at a
slightly greater distance of the rib so that the stretcher can only be conducted by
the spring to a fixed position, A, still forming an angle with the rib; from this

page_text: position, A, to the position, A', shown by dotted lines the stretcher can oscillate
freely. Moreover it will be seen that the rib B is straight, its curvature no longer
being necessary for pressing its extremity against the slide.
An umbrella mounted with ribs as above described will, in being closed, be
gathered up automatically to the position shown at Fig. 3, which allows the hand to
be introduced inside in order to take hold of the slide when the umbrella is required
to be opened. The ribs are further free to be closed and to be held by the means
employed in ordinary frames.
The same result can be obtained without displacing the axis of the joint, which will
remain as represented at Fig. 1. For this it will be sufficient to slightly curve the
stretcher, A, near its joint so as to separate its extremity from the rib, or again to
curve the rib itself in the contrary direction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
An improvement in the frames of automatic umbrellas and the like consisting in
separating sufficiently the joint of the stretcher from the rib or else in lightly
curving either the stretcher or the rib, so that during the opening, the pressure of
the ribs upon the cams of the stretchers will commence only at a certain given
moment so arrange that before this moment facility is afforded for introducing the
hand to seize the slide, it is therefore only at this instant that the frame will act like
ordinary automatic frames substantially as herein described.
La30 B108 74601
Tecam ner LAYI
Utau 1808 74M AV Or Decum neT LAYL
B. J. B. MILLS.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.