AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR AFFIXING AND SECURING THE COVERS OF UMBRELLAS TO THEIR FRAMES, APPLICABLE TO OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Shaw and William Spencer at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th June 1880.
HENRY SHAW and WILLIAM SPENCER, both of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick. "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR AFFIXING AND
SECURING THE COVERS OF UMBRELLAS TO THEIR FRAMES, APPLICABLE TO
OTHER ANALOGOUS PURPOSES."
In attaching the cover of the umbrella to the outer ends of the ribs of the
framing, we entirely dispense with the method of sewing now in ordinary use.
Instead of this we secure a metal clip to the edge of the covering of the umbrella
at every point of attachment to the ends of the ribs by means to be hereafter
described. This clip has at its outer extremity a hole through which the end of the
rib passes. We will first proceed to describe more particularly the clip. The clip
is formed by stamping and piercing in a well known manner from sheet brass or
other suitable metal. It is while still in its flat state approximately rectangular in
shape, with a small semicircular projection at the inner end and a larger and nearly
circular projection at the outer end. The next stage of manufacture of the clip
consists in turning up its side, thus giving it a channel form in cross section, also
in forming the approximately circular outer end into a cup form and piercing a hole
through it for the reception, in the final process, of the rib.
The clip is in this state ready to be attached to the silken or other fabric of
which the covering of the umbrella is made by the means described below.
To attach a clip above described to the covering of the umbrella we use the
apparatus now to be described. This consists, firstly, of a case plate of wrought
ion or other suitable material, rectangular in shape, and firmly secured to the work
To this case
bench by means of ordinary wood screws or other appropriate means.
plate, and parallel with and at a proper distance above it, are firmly secured three
other flat plates; one of these is semicircular in shape, and each of the other two
approximately in the form of a right angled triangle, with the side opposite to the
right angle a curved line with its convexity outwards. These plates are placed
with regard to one another so as to form a series of grooves of a T shape in plan;
the edges of the plates forming the grooves are chamfered so that the grooves have
a dove tail section. On the underside of the plate and fixed to them is another.
plate in the same place as the cam plate afterwards described; this plate is also
D

page_text: provided with room for the sliding pieces, and with a hemispherical recess into
which the cup end of the clip fits. In each groove there is a sliding piece. The
inner ends of the sliding pieces in the grooves forming the upper part of the T are
suitably shaped as dies, hereafter called the side dies, to act on the upturned part
on the clip to close them down; they also are provided with spiral springs so as to
tend to keep them apart.
The sliding piece in the other part of the groove carries a steel finger of triangular
shape, which is depressed by means of a finger piece, and which serves to place the
cover of the umbrella in its proper position in the clip. This finger piece is provided
with a spring to keep it either up or down, and it is raised by a suitable projection
on one of the fixed plates, which acts as a cam when the finger is carried over it by
the sliding piece, which itself receives its motion in a manner to be described
hereafter. Attached to one of the triangular plates before inentioned is a fulcrum
jaw which carries a lever of the first order. The short end of this lever is vertically
over the point of meeting of the grooves; it is formed into a die of the proper
shape for closing the edges of the clip over the covering of the umbrella.
The
longer end of this lever is armed with a small roller which runs on an inclined
plane afterwards to be described. Attached to the fulcrum of this lever is a coiled
wire spring which tends to keep the die or short end of the lever up, and to keep
the roller end down. Between the caseplate and the three plates above mentioned
is a cam plate. This is a flat plate of somewhat irregular form capable of partial
rotation about a vertical axis fixed to the baseplate. To the underside of the cam
plate are fastened two pins which serve to limit its motion. In the cam plate there
is a groove, which is of such form that by the partial rotation of the cam plate a
sliding motion will be communicated to the sliding piece carrying the steel finger
above described. There are also annular grooves and notches for the purpose of
moving the sliding picces carrying the side guides in the other grooves above described.
At one extremity of the cam plate there is a pillar carrying a block which may be
secured to it at a proper height, variable between certain limits, by a thumbscrew
or other appropriate means. This block has a pin projecting from it on which the
inclined plane above mentioned can partially rotate to the extent of allowing it to
rise and fall a proper amount to allow the end of the lever carrying the roller to
pass underneath it. To the block is secured a steel spring which tends to keep the
inclined plane in such a position that its lower edge rests on the cam plate. The
inclined plate itself is partly annular in plan, and is made of sufficient length, and
the height of the upper end properly adjusted by the means before described, so as
to give the requisite amount of movement to the lever. Firmly secured to the cam
plate there is a handle by which motion is given to all the moving parts of the
apparatus. We do not limit ourselves to the exact configuration of parts described
above nor to the special materials mentioned.
We will now proceed to describe the action of the apparatus. When in the
proper position to commence the operation of fastening the metal clip to its proper
place on the edge of the covering of the umbrella, the handle of the cam plate is at
its farthest position with regard to the operator and with the steel finger raised
The operator places one of the clips at the point of intersection of the grooves,
with the cup at its outer end resting in the hemispherical recess provided for it,
and with the sides which form the channel turned upwards. He then lays the edge
of the silken or other fabric forming the covering of the umbrella over the clip so
as to cover all of it except the cup at the end. The next operation to depress
the steel finger by means of the finger piece provided for that purpose. This
carries the edge of the umbrella covering down into the channel part of the clip
and holds it there so long as necessary. The operator then pulls the handle of the
cam plate towards him. The first effect is to cause the two side dies to close and
press together the sides of the clip; the next is to withdraw the steel finger from
the inside of the clip; the third is to open the side dies and partly to depress the
lever by the action of the inclined plane on the cam plate on its outer end.
Continuing the movement in the same direction the die on the end of the lever is_

page_text: firmly pressed on the clip, thereby tightly compressing it and securely fastening it
to the umbrella covering. While this takes place the side dies are held open by the
action of the cam plate. Immediately after the full amount of pressure has been
given by the lever die, the cam plate carrying the inclined plane is brought so far
round that the end of the lever drops over the end of the plane. As soon as this has
taken place further movements of the cam plate is prevented by one of the pins on
its underside engaging with the base plate. The handle is now pushed back by the
operator to the full extent allowed. During this return movement the die end of
the lever is lifted by the combined action of its spring and the preponderating
weight of the other end. The covering of the umbrella, with the clip now firmly
attached, is removed from the apparatus. The inclined plane passes over the roller
end of the lever, and the finger is automatically placed in the proper position for
another series of operations.
After the clip has been affixed to the umbrella covering in the manner above
described, the cup end has to be bent at right angles inwards; when this has been
done the clips are ready to be affixed to the ribs. This is effected by bending or
springing each rib and passing the end of it through the hole in the clip, the rib
being so formed that it will not go through for more than the necessary distance.