Improvements in Umbrellas.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 16th Mar., 1895
[Communicated from abroad by CLARENCE CLEMENT FROST, of Laurel Hill,
Norwich, Connecticut, the United States of America, Manufacturer.]
Improvements in Umbrellas.
1 WILLIAM HUMPHREY WHEATLEY, of 40 Chancery Lane, London, Patent
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The immediate object of this invention is to produce an umbrella having a
handle section that may readily be detached and said invention also embodies
specific and practicable means for securing the handle to the stick, of which the
handle is a part when in use.
With an umbrella embodying this invention it is possible to remove the handle
at will and pack the disjointed parts in an ordinary trunk, for greater convenience
in carrying the same when travelling. An umbrella thus constructed may also be
safely left in public places, as it would be practically useless in its disjointed,
crippled, condition (that is to say, with its handle removed).
The drawings annexed hereto illustrate the said invention, Figure 1 being an
elevation of an umbrella embodying the same. Figures 2, 3 and 4 are enlarged
detail views of the novel joint portion of the umbrella stick. Figure 5 illustrates a
modification in the manner of supporting the latch of said joint.
In these drawings the letter a denotes the umbrella top or canopy and 6 the
"stick," which latter may be of wood, or, preferably, of metal tubing. When
made of wood the end that is to be connected with the handle should either be
bored for a short distance or be provided with a short ferrule of metal tubing, of
proper size to receive the end of the handle section. Said handle section is
denoted as a whole, by the letter in the drawings. The handle section has
firmly driven or otherwise secured thereto a short section of metal rod that is
slotted longitudinally, as at 6³ to receive a spring latch c whose free end c¹ extends
radially beyond the circumference of the reduced part 6', as seen in Figure 3 of the
drawings. The outer end of the latch c is bevelled in such form that when it is
desired to join the handle section and the stick b, the act of entering the reduced
portion of the handle in the bored end of the stick will result in forcing the latch
inward, as seen in dotted lines in Figure 3. The wall of the bored, or otherwise
chambered, end of the stick is slotted as at 6 to receive the latch extension c',
when the parts are assembled, and said wall is also cut away at each side of said
slot, as at 6 so that the latch end may be forced inward by a finger or finger nail
when it becomes necessary to disjoint the parts.
The end of the extension c¹ opposite the described bevelled end is formed as a
right angle which abuts the end of the slot and prevents the accidental separation
of the stick and handle. Latch ec may be secured in the slotted portion 62 by
riveting or may be secured as shown in Figure 5. "When it is desired to remove
the handle section 61 it is only necessary to force inward the latch extension c
when the parts may be readily separated or disjointed and the umbrella portion is
then rendered practically useless and is also shortened sufficiently to allow it to be
packed in an ordinary trunk. Travellers may thus be relieved from the annoyance
of carrying the umbrella by hand, as well as from the risk of losing the same by
theft or accident.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
is claimed is:-
1. As an improvement in umbrellas, in combination, a stick having a handle
portion removably connected thereto by means embodying a spring latch
substantially as herein set forth and for the purposes specified.
2. In an umbrella, in combination, a stick having a circumferentially slotted and
chambered end, a handle section reduced to enter said chambered end and provided
with a spring latch adapted to interlock with said circumferential slot, all
substantially as and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 15th day of January 1895.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chaucery Lane, London, W.C., Agente.