IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS, AND IN APPARATUS OR APPLIANCES FOR EFFECTING THE SAME
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS, AND IN APPARATUS OR
APPLIANCES FOR EFFECTING THE SAME."-A communication from abroad
by Abram Herzberg and Isaac Herzberg, both of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, United States of America.
Sealed the 31st December 1872, and dated the 30th October 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th October 1872.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS, AND IN
APPARATUS OR APPLIANCES FOR EFFECTING THE SAME," a communication to me
from abroad by Abram Herzberg and Isaac Herzberg, both of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America, to be as
follows:-

page_text: of the stretchers to the runners, and this object is attained by forming on
the notch or runner as many radial projections as the umbrella has ribs,
and by bending these projections downwards so as to partly enclose
the ends of the ribs, each spherical end being thus confined to its place,
partly by two adjoining projections and partly by the stick of the
umbrella or parasol.
Ribs and stretchers with enlarged ends have heretofore been attached
to notches and runners of umbrellas and parasols, but in all cases the
said ends have been confined between two pieces, the preparation of
which, and their connection together, involved considerable expense,
which is obviated by using but one piece having radial projections bent
downwards so as to confine the spherical ends of the ribs or stretchers,
which are as free to move as if they were connected by ordinary joints.
The improved connection, moreover, in addition to its economy, is
much stronger than the ordinary wired joints, in which the ribs are
unavoidably weakened by punching the eyes at their ends.
Although spherical enlargements at the ends of the ribs and stretchers
are preferred the said enlargements may be of any suitable shape.
In fitting a frame together the enlarged ends of the ribs must be
adjusted to the recesses of the notch before the stick is passed through the
latter, and as a convenient aid to this operation the following device
may be employed. This consists of two semi-cylindrical sections, and
secured together by a spring or other convenient means, the combined
sections having a central opening, around which at equal distances apart
are recesses for the reception of the ribs, which are thus properly spaced
for attachment to a notch formed to receive them.
The stick is inserted into the central opening of the tubular block for
the purpose of retaining the ribs within the recesses, and the upper pro-
jecting ends of the elastic ribs are then pressed closely together so as to
admit of the notch being fitted over enlargements at their ends, after
which the pressure is relieved and the ribs spring outwards into their
proper recesses in the notch, in which they are confined by the stick
after the latter has been simply pushed upwards through the tubular
block and notch. The block is removed by simply separating its
sections.

page_text: The following device may be employed when it is necessary to replace
a broken rib or stretcher. It consists of a short rod of the same diameter
as the stick, and which takes the place of the latter and prevents the
disarrangement of the ribs, when the stick is slipped out of the notch.
A slot in one side of the rod is brought opposite the broken rib and
receives the enlarged end of the latter, thus permitting its withdrawal,
and a new rib may be introduced through the same slot, after which the
rod is pushed upwards and out of the notch by the stick in restoring the
latter to its former position, in which it may be secured by any suitable
fastening.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th April 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special
license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson,
my executors, administrators, or 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 AND PARASOLS, AND IN APPARATUS OR APPLIANCES
POR EFFECTING THE SAME," a communication to me from abroad by Abram
Herzberg and Isaac Herzberg, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
United States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what

page_text: 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 John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:
The object of this Invention is the simple and economical connection
of the ribs of umbrellas and parasols to the notches or crown pieces, and
of the stretchers to the runners, and this object is attained by forming on
the notch or runner which is to be made of sheet metal by stamping and
bending as many radial projections a (shewn in the plan view Figure 1).
as the umbrella has ribs, and by bending these sheet metal projections
downwards so as to partly inclose the spherical ends of the ribs, as
shewn in the vertical section Figure 2, and in the under side plan in
Figure 3, each spherical end being thus confined to its place partly by
two adjoining projections and partly by the stick of the umbrella or
parasol.
Ribs and stretchers with enlarged ends have heretofore been attached
to notches and runners of umbrellas and parasols, but in all cases the
said ends have been confined between two pieces, the preparation of
which and their connection together involved considerable expense, which
is obviated by using but one piece having sheet metal radial projections
bent downwards so as to confine the spherical ends of the ribs or
stretchers which are as free to move as if they were connected by
ordinary joints.
The improved connection moreover in addition to its economy is
much stronger than the ordinary wired joints in which the ribs are
unavoidably weakened by punching the eyes at their ends.
Although the spherical enlargements h at the ends of the ribs and
stretchers are preferred, the said enlargements may be of any suitable
shape. The forms represented in Figures 4 and 5 for instance would
prevent any lateral motion of the ribs and stretchers without interfering
with their free movement towards and from the stick.

page_text: In fitting a frame together the enlarged ends of the ribs must be
adjusted to the recesses of the notch before the stick is passed through
the latter, and as a convenient aid to this operation the device illustrated
in Figures 6 and 7 may be employed. This consists of two semi-
cylindrical sections B and B¹ secured together in the present instance by
a spring d, the combined sections having a central opening, around
which at equal distances apart are recesses e for the reception of the
ribs, which are thus properly spaced for attachment to the notch x.
The stick A is inserted into the central opening of the tubular block,
as shewn in Figure 6, for the purpose of retaining the ribs within the
recesses e, and the upper projecting ends of the elastic ribs are then
pressed closely together so as to admit of the notch X, being fitted over
their enlargements h, after which the pressure is relieved and the ribs
spring outwards into their proper recesses in the notch, in which they
are confined by the stick after the latter has been simply pushed upwards
through the tubular block and notch; the block is then removed by
simply separating its sections.
The device illustrated in Figure 8 may be employed when it is
necessary to replace a broken rib or stretcher; it consists of a short rod
F, which is of the same diameter as the stick, and which takes the place
of the latter, and prevents the disarrangement of the ribs when the said
stick is slipped out of the notch, as shewn. A sloth in one side of the
rod is brought opposite the broken rib, and receives the enlarged end of
the latter, as shewn, thus permitting its withdrawal, and a new rib is
introduced through the same slot, after which the rod is pushed upwards
and out of the notch by the stick in restoring the latter to its former
position, in which it may be secured by any suitable fastening.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The combination of a notch or runner made of sheet metal by
stamping or bending, and having projections a with the enlarged ends of
ribs or stretchers of umbrellas and parasols, as hercin-before described
and illustrated by the Drawings.

page_text: J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)