CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
JOHN PITTAR, late of Church Place, Clampham, in the County of Surrey, but
now of Erith, in the County of Kent, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Gracious Majesty Victoria, by Her Letters Patent
under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
bearing date at Westminster, the Thirteenth day of August, in the fourteenth
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me the said Samuel John Pittar, Her especial licence, that I, the said
Samuel John Pittar, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Samuel John Pittar, my exors, admors, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, and also within all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS;" in which
said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me the said Samuel
John Pittar, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal particularly
to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in
Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said recited Letters Patents, as in and by
the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the aforesaid proviso, I have
ascertained and set forth the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, in and by the following description thereof,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures
and letters marked thereon, observing that where two or more views are given
of an object the same letters denote the same parts in each.
My improvements are chiefly intended for that class of umbrellas and
parasols which have each rib composed of pieces connected together by a
hinge joint so as to admit the outer portion of the ribs being folded back
upon the inner portion when the umbrella or parasol is not in use, whereby
the umbrella or parasol being reduced to a small compas is rendered more
portable and convenient, but a part of my improvements are applicable to
umbrellas and parasols of the ordinary construction.
Figures 1 to 4 represent one arrangement of an umbrella with folding ribs;
Figure 1 being a vertical section with the ribs folded or doubled up; Figure 2
an elevation partly in section, shewing a portion of one of the ribs extended;
Figure 3 a plan of a rib and hinge joint; and Figure 4 a plan of the supporting
catch. a, a, a, are three metallic tubes which slide one within the other,
and constitute the handle; the tubes are prevented from being totally with-
drawn from each other by a rim or shoulder round the lower end of one
tube coming in contact with a similar rim or shoulder at the upper end of
the containing tube, and when drawn out to the proper length are supported
by a stud or catch b, which is projected outward by a blade spring c, and
which by slightly turning one tube upon the other enters into one of a series
of holes d, d; c, e, are the upper portions of the ribs connected in the usual
manner to the ring f, and e', e', are the lower portions or exterior of the ribs
which are connected to the upper ribs by a pin joint to the hinge g. This
hinge is made of thin sheet metal turned up at the sides so as to form a
channel or shoe to receive the ribs; it is brazed or otherwise attached to the
lower end of the upper rib, and as the metal extends some distance beyond
the pin joint in the lower rib, the latter is firmly supported by the hinge both
vertically and laterally, the pin hole in the lower rib and hinge are outside
the centre lines of the ribs to allow space for the silk to fold between the ribs
when the ribs are doubled back; h, h, are the stretchers connected at one
end by a pin joint to the hinge, and at the other end to the runner . The
movement of this runner it will be perceived is different from that of
umbrellas of the common construction, inasmuch as it is pushed upwards
for the purpose of closing the umbrella, and is drawn downwards in order to

page_text: open it, where it is retained in its proper position for keeping the umbrella
open by the spring catch m, which projects under the lower end of and also
through the runner, as shewn in Figure 2, or under the lower and over the
upper ends of the runner, as shewn in Figure 6, and prevents the runner from
either rising or descending; n is a ferrule which screws into a piece of metal
brazed into the upper end of the tube a, and firmly secures the silk covering.
at the center between the shoulder on n, and the ring f.
Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8 represent an umbrella with folding ribs which differs
in some particulars from that which I have described above. Figure 5 is a
vertical section shewing the ribs folded up; Figure 6 an elevation partly in
section shewing a portion of one of the ribs extended; Figure 7 a plan of a
rib, bit, and hinge; and Figure 8 a plan of the supporting catch.
a, a¹, a¹¹, are the tubes forming the handle as before, but the sustaining
catches b, b, slide in a socket b', attached to the inside of the tube, and are
pressed outwards into the holes d, d, by a spiral spring c, acting upon a
shoulder 6, formed on the catch, and which likewise prevents its quitting the
tube; e, e, are the upper portions of the ribs connected in the usual manner
to the ring f, and to the lower portions of the ribs by pin joints at the hinge
piece 9,
which is fixed to the lower portion of the ribs by stamping, so as to
fold or lap the metal of such hinge piece 9 round a portion of the lower
ribs e, c', which are further secured by having a hole in the end for the pin
of the joint to pass through; the metal of the ribs at the joint is reduced in
thickness so as to allow them to lie side by side in the hinge piece, as shewn
in Figures 7, 9, and 10. h, h, are the stretchers which are connected at the
outer end, not to the hinge joint as in the construction before described, but to
a bit i, which is attached to the upper portion of the rib near its middle by
stamping or other proper means. At the other end the stretcher is jointed
in the usual manner to the runner k, the movement of which is similar to
that of ordinary umbrellas (that is to say) the runner is pushed up to extend the
ribs, and pulled down to close them. This being the case the runner must
be of sufficient diameter to slide over the largest or external tube (a) of the
handle; a cylindrical tube of metal j, the diameter of which is equal to that
of the tube a" is fixed upon the smallest or innermost tube a, at that part
where the runner would stand when the umbrella is extended, so that the
runner may stand firmly and steadily, and the tube j, and the runner k, and
the tubes a, a, have their upper and lower edges bevilled in order that they
may slide easily over each other.
I desire to remark that the two constructions of umbrellas above described

page_text: may be modified by the substitution of one of the kinds of supporting catch
for the other, and also by substituting the one kind of ferrule for the other, and
they admit of the substitution of one for the other in several minor points which
will be apparent to any person conversant with the manufacture of umbrellas.
Figure 11 represents a mode of applying a sliding ferrule, to admit of the
umbrella being used as a walking stick; a is the uppermost or innermost
tube of the handle, and is the ferrule sliding within a, a stop being placed at
the upper part of a, and another stop at the lower end of 6, to prevent its being
entirely withdrawn from the tube a; c is a steel spring attached to the interior
of the ferrule, and carrying a small stud d which, when the ferrule is drawn
out to the proper length, is projected by the spring c through a hole e in the
upper part of the tube a, and thus retains the ferrule in the proper position.
A slot is cut in the lower end of the ferrule to allow it to pass over the runner
catch m when the ferrule is pushed down to its lowest position.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I claim in relation thereto,-
Firstly, the adaptation of folding joints or hinges to steel or metal ribs of
umbrellas or parasols.
.
Secondly, the adaptation of telescopic tubular handles composed of three or
more lengths to umbrellas or parasols having folding ribs.
Thirdly, the two kinds of hinges herein-before described having each a
channel to receive the ribs, and a prolongation each way beyond the pin joint
for the purpose of affording means of attaching firmly one part of the rib to
the hinge, and of supporting the other part of the rib both laterally and
vertically. Also I claim the mode of attaching the kind of hinge shewn in
Figures 5, 6, and 7 to the rod, by stamping, striking, or pressing it, so as to
lap round or attach it to the rib.
Fourthly, the two kinds of supporting catches herein-before described, and
their application to telescopic tubular handles of umbrellas and parasols of all
descriptions.
Fifthly, the construction of the runner catch herein-before described, by
which the runner is held by the catch both below and through or above the
runner, and the application of such catch to umbrellas and parasols of all
descriptions.
Sixthly, the ferrule herein-before described which screws into the upper part
of the handle, for the purpose of securing and protecting the covering at the
center, and the application of such ferrule to umbrellas and parasols in general
having tubular handles.

page_text: Seventhly, the application of a sliding ferrule to the telescopic tubular
handles of umbrellas and parasols of all descriptions.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel John Pittar, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Thirteenth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.
SAM. JOHN (L.S.) PITTAR.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED that on the Thirteenth day of February in
the year of our Lord 1851, the aforesaid Samuel John Pittar came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified in form
above written; and also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purposo.
Enrolled the Thirteenth day of February in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.