IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
COCHRANE, of Arundel Street, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Thirteenth day of July, in the second year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Alexander
Cochrane, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege, and authority, that
I, the said Alexander Cochrane, my exors, adñors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Alexander Cochrane, my exors, adññiors, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and
also in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS;" in which said Letters Patent
is contained a proviso that I, the said Alexander Cochrane, shall cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court
of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the dato
of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference
being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Alexander Cochrane, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner. the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say) :-

page_text: The object of my Invention of improvements in umbrellas and parasols is to
bring them when closed into a small space, so as to be contained in a metal
or other tube to represent a walking-stick or cane; and also such tube shall
form the handle or stick as well as the case or cover of the umbrella or parasol;
nevertheless, the umbrella or parasol may be used without the tube case, and
yet forming a complete umbrella or parasol.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a part section fully extended of the sliding tubes,
shewing the action of the slide or runner upon the tube spring stretchers and
ribs. A is a rod, tube, cane, or stick which slides in a rod, tube, cane, or
stick B; c, c, are ribs, confined at the top, as in other umbrellas or parasols, to
a ring or top notch D, fastened to the rod, tube, cane, or stick B; e, e, are
short stretchers, used merely to keep the ribs at equal or uniform distances
from the rod, tube, cane, or stick B, as Figure 5, and not from falling about,
for the umbrella or parasol can be opened if the stretchers were not there;
His a slide or runner which slides over the tube, rod, cane, or stick B, for
the purpose of opening and shutting the umbrella or parasol, and is fastened by
a rivet i, Figure 2, to the rod, tube, cane, or stick A; k is a slit made in the
rod, tube, cane, or stick B, to allow the rivet to pass freely up and down. To
open the umbrella or parasol to its full extent, the slide or runner H is pushed
in the direction of the arrows, Figure 1, until the spring m is disengaged,
which prevents the slide or runner H from falling.
Figure 2 represents the same parts as the foregoing Figure, only closed.
Figure 3 represents the transverse section of an umbrella or parasol, shewing
the application of the improvements, the working parts of which are shewn in
the enlarged Drawings, Figures 1 and 2. N, N, is the silk, cotton, or cover
of umbrella or parasol, fastened to a ferrule O on to the top of the rod, tube,
or stick A. The silk, cotton, or cover of umbrella or parasol being fastened
also at Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, will by the action of the slide or runner H, as
before explained in Figure 1, cause the ribs to expand to a curvature, and
shape the umbrella or parasol as Figure 3. It is evident that there is much
strain on the cover of the umbrella or parasol, which with the action of the
other parts expands the ribs of the umbrella or parasol, and so, in order to
take off the strain from the silk, cotton, or cover of the umbrella or parasol,
thin cords, strings, or wires, as in Figure 5 letter p, are fastened to the silk,
cotton, or cover of the umbrella or parasol to give it strength, which thin
cords, strings, or wires are fastened to the ribs and ferrule O with the silk,
cotton, or cover of umbrella or parasol. Figure 4 represents a section upon a
small scale, shewing the working parts of the umbrella or parasol when

page_text: enclosed in a tube or case. The top notch for this umbrella or parasol is
made on an improved principle to gain strength as well as space. The Figures
9, 10, 11, shew it in different positions. The top notch or ring is not cut
through as for other umbrellas or parasols, but is left solid at the top, as
Figure 9, and cut down to the rod, tube, cane, or stick, as Figure 10, which
allows the ribs to be placed close to the rod, tube, cane, or stick B, as Figure
11. In order to keep the umbrella or parasol closed or from falling open, a
cap, letter R, is fastened to the inner red, tube, cane, or stick A, as Figures
1, 5, 7, which cap is made to cover or compass the top notch with the ends of
ribs, as Figure 7; thus the ribs cannot fall open as long as the cap is kept
over them; Figure 1 shews the cap off, and Figure 5 shews the cap just
relieved from the ribs. The spring, Figure 8, holds or keeps the slide or
runner up or down, and is made on an improved plan. The spring is made
with a catch at both ends, as s, t; thus when the umbrella or parasol is
open the slide or runner is at s; when the umbrella or parasol is closed,
the slide or runner is held by the spring catch at t, and until the spring is
pressed and the slide or runner is pushed in direction of arrows, Figures 1
and 2, the cap will remain over the top notch and end of ribs. To prevent
the wind as much as possible from turning over the umbrella or parasol,
a thin cord, or tape, or ribbon, or light flexible wire is put round the cover
of the umbrella or parasol in direction of red line, Figure 3. It may be
observed in ordinary umbrellas or parasols the borders are turned down with a
piece of thin cord or twine, sometimes inclosed, consequently the twine or thin
cord forms the same line as the border. Now, in my improved plan the border
is not obliged to be turned down, but the thin cord or twine, ribbon, or light
flexible wire is put on independant of the border, forming nearly a direct
straight line round the cover of the umbrella or parasol; thus when the wind
acts on any part of the inside of the umbrella or parasol, it may push or blow
back that part, but the cord or twine being arranged purposely pulls the
other or opposite ribs towards the inner part; consequently the parts that were
blown outward are kept in check, and the umbrella or parasol is not so liable
to be turned over as other umbrellas or parasols. It is necessary to observe
that the short stretchers, Figures 1, 2, 3, 5, are not required to open the
umbrella or parasol, but the umbrella or parasol could be opened if the
stretchers were not there.
Having thus explained the nature of my Invention of improvements in
umbrellas & parasols, and the manner of working the same, I claim as my
Invention, the method of working the rod, tube, cane, or stick A within the
rod, tube, cane, or stick B, as well as the method of using the silk, cotton, or

page_text: cover of umbrella or parasol, for the purpose of expanding the ribs and
drawing them to a curverture, as in Drawing, Figure 3; thus the space taken
by stretchers required in a common umbrella or parasol is gained.
I also claim the method of strengthening the silk, cotton, or cover of
umbrella or parasol by means of thin cords, strings, or wires, as Figure 5,
letter p.
I also claim the method or application of short stretchers merely to keep
the ribs of the umbrella or parasol at equal or uniform distances, and from
'falling about.
I claim the use and application of the top notch, Figures 9, 10, 11, &c., to
this and other umbrellas or parasols.
I claim the novel invention of the cap used to hold the ribs from falling
open, as in Figures 1, 5, and 7.
I claim the application of the spring to umbrellas and parasols shewn in
Figure 8.
I claim the method of attaching a thin cord, string, or ribbon, or light
flexible wire round the cover of an umbrella or parasol.
I also claim the method of opening the umbrella or parasol with or without
the stretchers.
And, lastly, I claim the exclusive application of a metal or other tube to
form the handle or stick as well as the case or cover to contain the umbrella
or parasol.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Cochrane, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine.
ממזריITCT
COOTD ANT