IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL of N° 28 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare
the nature of this Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described in and
by the following statement:-
This Invention relates to mechanism applied to umbrellas and parasols, whereby
the opening and closing of these is effected automatically.
:
The construction of the mechanism will be readily understood on reference to
the accompanying Drawings.
The stick of the umbrella consists of two metal tubes, one of which, G, is fixed to
the handle (Fig. 2) while the other, x, of a less diameter, slides in G, and has fixed
to its outer end the rosette E (Fig. 1) to which are pivotted the ribs P of the
umbrella. Upon the tube x is fitted a helical spring y that butts with its one end
against the rosette E and with its other end against the extremity C of the tube G,
so that by pushing G ap towards E the spring is compressed. The part C has a
stud at m projecting inwards into a slot ¹ in the tube x, so as to prevent the two
tubes from turning round relatively to each other. Over the spring y slides a
ferrule B, having a rosette to which are pivotted stretchers q, and having a spring
catch B¹ that, when in the position shewn at Fig. 3, in which B butts against a
flange on the end of C, catches under a stud on the latter, and so holds the two
parts together. The catch can be disengaged by a trigger having a cord n
passing down inside the tube G to a button at the handle, so that by pressing in or
turning the button, the cord n is caused to pull the trigger and thus to disengage
the catch. Upon the tube G slides a ferrule D, having a flange to which are
attached the tie rods A, the other ends of which are attached to the ribs, and it has
also a rosette to which are pivotted the stretchers r; lastly it carries the cap F that
secures the ends of the ribs P when in the closed position.
When the umbrella is closed, the ribs P, being held by the cap F, the ferrule or
slide B is being held by the rod G C up against the rosette E, B and C being locked
together by the catch as at Fig. 3, and the spring y being entirely compressed and
contained within the slide B, so that in pressing upon C, it tends to press this and
with it the slide B downwards. If now the ends of the ribs be released from the

page_text: cap F, then the spring, in tending to force B downwards, will cause the stretchers q,
that are pivotted to its upper end, to expand the ribs P until the parts assume
the position shewn at Figs. 2 and 4, when the umbrella will be open. The ribs, in
expanding will, at the same time, cause the stretchers and ties A to draw the
ferrule or slide D upwards, until it meets the flange C² of C, when, as the tendency
of the spring y will be to force C and D downwards, and as and downward motion
of D must cause B to move upwards, and as, furthermore, such opposite motions of
B and C are prevented by their being locked together, it follows that the part will
be locked in the position shewn at Figs. 2 and 4. If now it be desired to close the
umbrella, the cord n is pulled by the button at the handle, so as to release the
catch B¹. The spring y will now be free to push C and with it D downwards,
causing the stretchers and ties A to draw the ribs P inwards towards the closed
position. By such motion of the ribs, the stretchers q will be caused to push the
slide B upwards until it butts against the rosette, and the parts will now be in the
position shewn at Fig. 5. If, after the ribs P have been secured by the cap F,
the point of the umbrella be set upon the ground and the tube G be pressed
downward by the handle, the part C will be made to approach the slide B; thereby
compressing the spring y, until B and C are again locked together by the catch B¹,
as at Fig. 3.
Figs. 6 and 7 shew respectively a modified form of the cap F and a different
construction of the catch for securing the parts B and C together. Figs. 8 and 9
shew the mode of securing the stretchers q r and ties A to the ribs P.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
First The use of mechanism for automatically opening and closing umbrellas
and parasols, wherein one and the same helical spring is caused to effect both the
opening and the closing of the umbrella, according as it is made to act either upon
a slide carrying stretchers that force the ribs of the umbrella open or upon a second
slide carrying stretchers that draw the ribs together, substantially as herein
described.
Second: The combination of the tubes and G forming the stick of the umbrella,
the spring y, slide B with stretchers q and catch B', part C, slide D with stretchers r
and ties A, arranged and operating substantially as herein described.
Dated
35 1001
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant,
28, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.