AN IMPROVED CONSTRUC- TION OF WALKING-STICK UMBRELLA
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Restell, of Water Lane, Tower Street, in the
City of London, Engineer, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUC-
TION OF WALKING-STICK UMBRELLA."
Sealed the 5th February 1864, and dated the 20th October 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Restell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th
October 1863.
I, THOMAS RESTELL, of Water Lane, Tower Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN
IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF WALKING-STICK UMBRELLA," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in walking-stick umbrellas,.
whereby while their construction is simplified and their stability ensured,
their transformation from a walking stick to an umbrella and vice versà
will be greatly facilitated.
The case or hollow stick for receiving the umbrella I form by preference
of semi-hard vulcanite, coiling a strip of the compound when in a soft state
round a steel mandril, and I thus form an elastic cylindrical case which I fit at
one end with a suitable handle. Within the case, just below the handle, I
provide a spring fastening for catching into an annular groove formed on the
end of the umbrella stick. The opposite ends of this stick are similarly pro-
vided with an annular groove for the purpose of securing either end at pleasure
the This spring fastening I form by preference of a sliding plate
to

page_text: which lies across the case and is pierced to receive the metallic termination of
the umbrella stick. A spring fixed in the case presses against the end of the
sliding plate to cause the edge of the circular hole in the plate to snap into the
groove in the umbrella stick and hold the stick fast. A stud projecting from
the plate (through the case) allows of the plate being pressed back to bring its
circular hole into a concentric position with respect to the case. When the plate
takes this position the umbrella stick is free to be drawn out of the case and
may be turned ends for the purpose of inserting the umbrella covering within
the case or inserting only the stick as may be required. The runner I provide
with a second notched guide wheel for the purpose of fitting the bore of the
case (when the umbrella is in use) and thus giving steadiness to the open
umbrella. This second notched wheel, fixed to the lower part of the runner, I
use in place of a loose collar formerly employed on the umbrella stick.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Restell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th 1
April 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
RESTELL, of Water Lane, Tower Street, in the City of London, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Thomas Restell, Her special license that I, the said Thomas
Restell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I; the
said Thomas Restell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "AN IMPROVED
CONSTRUCTION OF WALKING-STICK UMBRELLA," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Restell, by an instrument in writing under
iny hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Restell, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to certain improvements in walking-stick umbrellas,
whereby while their construction is simplified and their stability ensured,
their transformation from a walking stick to an umbrella and vice versa will
be greatly facilitated. The case or hollow stick for receiving the closed
umbrella I form by preference of semi-hard vulcanite, which may be brought
to shape by coiling a strip of the compound when in a soft state around a
steel mandril and then submitting it to heat in the usual way of curing vulcanite
goods; I thus form an elastic cylindrical case which is both light and strong,
and will not be liable to split by being trodden on, or by falling on stone
pavement. This case I fit at one end with a suitable bandle, and within the
case, just below the handle, I provide a spring fastening for taking a firm hold
of the umbrella stick. The opposite ends of this stick are suitably formed to
allow of this fastening taking effect, and thus either end at pleasure may be
secured to the case according to whether the umbrella is required to be pro-
truded from or enclosed within the case.
In the accompaning Drawing Fig. 1 is a view, partly in section, of the
umbrella frame open with the rod inserted in the case; Fig. 2 shews the case
in section with the closed unbrella inserted therein; and Fig. 3 is a section
taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 2.
a, a, is the umbrella case or hollow stick closed at one end by a handle b,
which may be of any suitable form, ornamental or otherwise; c is the rod of
the umbrella upon which the runner d is free to move, being held in position
by the spring d as usual. The movement however of this runner to close
the umbrella is upwards, or in the direction of the arrow, instead of downwards
as in ordinary umbrellas. This movement has been found very convenient
for walking-stick umbrellas. The stretchers e, e, are jointed at one end to the
runner d as usual, and at the other to the ribs f, which ribs are jointed as
usual to the notched wheel g affixed to the top end of the rod c, a tip or terminal
of horn or other light and strong material h of peculiar construction is fitted to
the top end of the rod c, an annular groove being formed in it to receive the
spring fastening to be presently described. Affixed to the opposite end of the
rod c is a cylindrical piece a* which fits the open end of the case a and corre-
sponds in appearance with it so far as to form a visible portion of the walking-
stick when the umbrella is enclosed in the case, as shewn at Fig. 2. Beyond this

page_text: cylindrical piece a* is fitted a second tip h*, corresponding in form to the ti
h. The spring fastening for coupling the case a and umbrella together when
the latter is either open or closed consists of a sliding plate of bone or other
like hard material i, which is inserted in the case through a cross slit formed
therein and lies across the case, as shewn at Fig 3. This plate i is pierced to
receive either of the annular grooved tips or terminals of the umbrella rod and
close upon the same so as to hold the umbrella firmly. The tendency of the
sliding plate to take a firm hold of the tip it receives from a spring k fixed to
the handle and bearing against the rear end of the sliding plate, which spring
causes the edge of the circular hole in the plate to snap into the groove in
the umbrella stick and hold the stick fast. The front end of the plate projects
through the case and allows of the plate being pressed inwards sufficiently to
bring its circular hole into a concentric position with respect to the grooved
terminal or tip h.. When the plate takes this position the umbrella is free to
be drawn out of the case and may be turned ends for the purpose of inserting
the umbrella covering within the case or inserting only the rod, as may be
required. The runner (see the detached view, Fig 4) I provide with a
second or supplementary notched guide wheel d' which is placed below the
notched wheel previously used with runners in this description of umbrella.
This additional wheel d' is made sufficiently large to fit the bore of the case
(when the umbrella is in use) and thus impart steadiness to the open umbrella
without acting as an obstruction or at all interfering with the closing of
the umbrella.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of an improved construc-
tion of walking-stick umbrella, and explained the manner of carrying the same
into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited
Letters Patent I claim,-
First, the construction of spring coupling above described for connecting the
case and the umbrella together.
And, secondly, the addition to the runner of the second notched guide wheel
for the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Restell, bave hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
THOMAS RESTELL. (L.S.)