An improved folding Umbrelпа.
Year: 1898

page_text: An improved folding Umbrelпа.
I, VICTORIA ISABELLA HELIODORA DE BUNSEN, of 144, Blomfield Terrace, Harrow
Road, in the County of Middlesex, Lady, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to umbrellas or parasols which can be readily folded into
a small space, the chief feature of my invention being in the hinging or jointing
of the ribs at or about their middle
I carry out my invention in the following manner: —
Each rib is divided at or about its middle, the two portions being hinged or
jointed together, and pivoted or jointed to the outer end of each stay-rod or
stretcher" is a ferrule or barrel adapted to slide on said jointed 11b a spring
(preferably spiral) being provided on the inner portion of the rib and bearing
against the inner end of said ferrule, a stop or collar on the rib holds said spring
in position When the umbrella is either opened for use or retained in its
unfolded condition, the inner end of the outer jointed portion of the rib fits
into the outer end of said sliding ferrule or barrel, a collar or stop being also
provided on this outer jointed portion of the rib. In addition to the ordinary
top spring latch or stop on the umbrella stick (as now generally in
retaining umbrellas in the open position) another spring latch
situated so as to be above the runner" when the umbrella is opened
The stick of the umbrella or parasol is also hinged or jointed in any convenient
manner; it may if desired be hinged in the same manner as the ribs.
66
use for
18 provided
When it is desired to fold the umbrella, upward pressure is put upon the
stretchers with the result that the before mentioned ferrules or barrels on the
ribs are moved inwards, towards the umbrella stick, compressing the springs
bearing against their inner ends, and when said ferrules or bariels have moved
back clear of the joints in the ribs the outer portions of all the ribs diop or can
be folded alongside the inner portions; the runner on the umbrella stick is then
moved upwards past the beforementioned spring catch so that said runners also lie
alongside the folded ribs, and finally the umbrella stick itself is folded on its hinges,
so that the whole umbrella is folded into a comparatively small space, the runner
being close up to the "notch piece," or top notches when the umbrella is thus
folded
1000

page_text: I, VICTORIA ISABELLA HELIODORA DE BUNSLX, of 144, Blomfield Terrace, Harrow
Road, in the County of Middlesex, Lady, 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.-
My invention relates to umbrellas or parasols which can be readily folded into
a sinall space, the chief feature of my invention being in the hanging or jointing
of the ribs at or about their middle
I carry out my invention in the following manner
Each rib 18 divided at or about its middle the two portions being hinged or
jointed together, and pivoted or jointed to the outer end of each stay-iod or
"stretcher' is a ferrule o bairel adapted to slide on said jointed rib a spring
(preferably spiral) being provided on the inner portion of the rib and bearing
against the inner end of said ferrule, a stop or collar on the rib holds said spring
in position When the umbrella is either opened for use or retained in its
unfolded condition the inner end of the onter Jointed portion of the rib fits
into the outer end of said sliding ferrule or barrel a collar or stop being also
provided on this outer jointed portion of the rib In addition to the ordinary
top spring latch or stop on the umbrella stick (as now generally in
use for
retaining umbrellas in the open position) another spring latch 18 provided
situated so as to be above or below the runnel when the umbrella is opened The
stick of the umbrella or parasol is also hinged or jointed in any convenient
manner; it may if desired be hinged in the same manner as the ribs.
"
"
Spiral springs, preferably, are connected at their upper ends to the stay-rods or
"stretchers" and at the lower ends to the runner said springs being provided
for the purpose of giving a slight preliminary outward or opening movement
to the ribs The tread o ferrule end of the umbrella is arranged so as to be
capable of dropping or sliding into the umbrella stick at that end, which is
preferably tubular
As a modification or further improvement I provide means for automatically
opening the umbrella such means consisting of a spring surrounding the umbrella
stick and enclosed in the " runner or sliding barrel connected to the lower ends
of the stretchers" said spiral spring being normally kept in compression by
means of connections from the runner or barrel enclosing the spring to a
point a little way up on the " stretchers"
"
In order that my invention may be better understood and more readily carried
into effect I will describe it with reference to the accompanying drawing in
which.-
Figure 11s a part sectional view of the umbrella, comprising my invention,
in its folded position, Figure 2 being a similar view but showing the umbrella
frame in its full length and ready to be opened in the ordinary manner Figures 3
and 4 are corresponding views showing the arrangements for automatically open-
ing the umbrella
The same letters refer to the same parts in the several figures
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the lower half a being as before mentioned pre-
ferably tubular, b b are the telescopic or folding ribs the portions 61 being
attached to the portions 6 by means of collars c so as to be capable of sliding on
the portions of the ribs into the position shewn in Figure 1, d is the " runner
on the umbrella stick to which the lower ends of the "stretchers" € are jointed
in the ordinary manner, the upper ends of said stretchers being pivoted to
'
"
"
"

page_text: to the
6
the ribs as shown at e¹ f are the spiral springs (for giving the slight initial
opening movement to the ribs) connecting the lower ends of the "stretchers"
runner d as shewn, g g is a hinged or pivoted rod or link connected at
its outer end to a screw attached to the upper portion a of the umbrella stick
the rod or link g g¹ being capable of dropping or sliding into the lower portion a¹
of the umbrella stick as shewn in Figure 2, the screw h¹ taking into a thread
provided on the said portion a¹ of the stick
18 the detachable end or ferrule piece of the umbrella which in this arrange-
ment is shewn with a backward screw thread so that when it is allowed to slide
out of the part a¹ of the umbrella stick it can be screwed into position as shewn
in Figure 2, and it will be obvious that by this arrangement the ferrule piece
or end of the umbrella cannot accidentally drop out of the stick
When it is desired to fold the umbrella as shewn in Figure 1 the "stretchers" e are
moved backwards by the hand towards the ferrule end of the umbrella thus
sliding the outer portions 61 of the ribs towards the end of the umbrella so that
they will lie alongside the portions b of the ribs as clearly shewn in Figure 1.
The outer portion of the stuck is now unscrewed from the part a and the
pivoted or flexible link drawn out as far as necessary (the outward movement of
the link being limited by a projection or cotter pin) and the handle end or outer
portions of the stick folded back alongside the ribs and lower portions a¹ of
the stick.
Preferably provided of the umbrella cover 18 an elastic strap of the usual kind
near the ferrule end of the umbrella so that the umbrella covering when in the
folded position may be retained in a compact form
Referring to Figures 3 and 4 which illustrate the arrangements for auto-
matically opening the umbrella In these figures I have shewn an alternative
arrangement for fixing the ferrule end oi tip of the umbrella in place, which
consists of a spring catch as shewn at k, and also an alternative arrangement for
Jointing the two parts a a¹ of the umbrella stick which consist of a flat link
piece pivoted at each end of the parts a a¹ of the stick respectively a barrel or
sleeve being provided on the stick to be moved into position surrounding the
link piece as shown in Figure 4 m 18 the spiral spring enclosed in the
runner m³, being the connections from said " runner or bairel m¹ to
the stretchers" G
"
"6
"
19
"
The runner m² is provided with a slot for engaging the usual form of
spring latch provided at the handle end of the umbrella When it is desired
to open the umbrella the spring catch is released from the slot m which action
will allow the spring m to expand and its end bearing on the disc, ring, or notch
piece o to which the ends of the "stretchers e are attached in the usual manner
will allow the umbrella frame to be opened automatically The remaining parts
and the method of folding the umbrella are the same as described with reference
to Figures 1 and 2 with the exception that the sleeve or barrel on the joint
in the stick is moved away from the joint towards the ferrule end of the umbrella
and there is no sliding link and screw as in Figure 1 The action on the
ferrule end or tip of the umbrella stick spring catch & 18 of course also different
to the arrangement of screw described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, a pro-
jection on the lower end of the spring catch (Fig 4) being released from a
depression or catch in the end of the umbrella stick by pressing inward a pro-
jection or knob k¹
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim 18:
1 In an umbrella, ribs divided about their middle the outer portions being
adapted to slide and lie alongside the inner portions, a stick pivoted or hinged
about its middle, and a ferrule piece or tip () adapted to slide in the stick and

page_text: to be screwed into position, all substantially as herein set forth with reference to
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings and for the purposes specified
2. In an umbrella, ribs divided about their middle the outer portions being
adapted to slide and he alongside the inner portions, a stick pivoted or hinged
about its middle, and a ferrule piece or tip () adapted to be held in position by a
spring catch, and a spring (m) normally in compression and expanding when
released to automatically open the umbrella all substantially as herein set forth
with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated OIL
1000
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
Fel Chart Inst P.A.,
Agent for the said Applicant,
70 and 71, Palace Chambers, Westminster, SW.