IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS" communicated to him from John Newton Colby,
a person resident at New London, New London County, State of Connecticut,
United States of America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th November 1883.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS a communication
to me from John Newton Colby a person resident at New London, New London
County, State of Connecticut, United States of America"
Some of the Improvements hereinafter described have for their object to render an
Umbrella or Parasol capable of being used as a cane when occasion requires, whilst
other of the improvements are applicable to umbrellas or parasols generally with
the view of simplifying the construction of the same and facilitating repairs
According to this Invention in order to make a combined cane and umbrella, the
stick is provided with a number of longitudinal grooves or recesses in which the
ribs and stretchers are contained when the Umbrella is closed
To insure compactness and avoid the necessity of deep slots in the stick, the ribs
are made hollow or U-shaped in cross section, so so that when the umbrella is
closed the stretchers are contained within the ribs
Each rib is pivotted at the upper end to a rib holder adapted to the upper end of
the rib groove in the stick, each bolder consisting in the present instance of a strip
of sheet metal provided with projections and bent to such a shape that the
projections will enter the body of the stick and retain the holder in its proper
position
Each rib is thus independently connected to the stick, so that any one or more of
the ribs can be removed without affecting the other ribs
+
A like independent connection of the stretchers to the runner is also effected in
the following manner

page_text: The runner consists of a corrugated tube adapted to fit snugly to the grooved
stick and free to slide thereon. This tube is seamless being formed by drawing or
forcing a seamless tube through dies of the proper shape, thus producing very
cheaply a stronger and more accurate runner than can be made by casting it or by
bending up and soldering or brazing a strip of sheet metal
In each of the ribs of the runner is formed a central recess and to the grooves of
the runner are adapted the U shaped stretcher bars, each of which is provided with
opposite wings adapted to the recesses in the ribs on the opposite sides of the
groove containing the stretcher bar, so that the latter is secured vertically to the
runner and is compelled to move therewith
The wings are slightly elastic and bear with a yielding pressure upon the sleeve
which encloses the runner, the friction being sufficient to cause the movement of
the runner with the sleeve when there is no undue opposition to this movement,
that is to say no more than is caused by the opening of the umbrella, for instance.
When the movement of the runner is prevented, however, as, for instance, when
the ribs are confined and prevented from spreading, the sleeve can with a slight
extra effort, be moved independently of the runner as may be necessary in order to
cause the same to confine the tips of the ribs or to release said ribs when it is
desired to spread them
The same result may however be attained by providing a bayonet joint
connection between the runner and the sleeve
The runner is made to fit snugly the grooved stick so that the friction between
the two may be relied upon to retain the runner in position when the umbrella is
spread, but for additional security one of the grooves of the stick may be provided
'with a spring finger which when the runner is elevated, bears against the upper
end of the same or against the projecting end of one of the stretcher bars or both,
and increases the friction
The sleeve which encloses the runner acts directly upon the tips of the ribs to
retain the same, whether the ribs are bare, as when the device is used for a cane or
when they are provided with a cover, as when the cane is formed into an umbrella,
the same adjustment of the sleeve being made in either case
To permit the sleeve to act upon the tips of the ribs the cover must be secured
to the latter some distance above the tips for which purpose each rib is reduced at
and near the end so as to form a shoulder, the cover being provided at the outer
edge with as many rings as there are ribs, each ring being slipped over the tip and
finding a bearing against the shoulder
Each ring has an eye by which it is secured to the cover, but the rings may be
plain if desired
Instead of relying upon the elastic wings of the stretcher bars for insuring proper
frictional contact between the runner and the sleeve, the runner may have special
elastic wings for this purpose
According to a modified form of runner slots are provided for the reception of
the stretchers and each of the slots is enlarged at the lower end for the reception
of a slotted bar to which the stretcher is pivotted, the said bar being confined
between the bottom of the slot and shoulders formed by the enlarged part of
the said slot. In this case a sleeve connected to the runner by a bayonet joint or
equivalent connection should be used
To prevent the lateral withdrawal of the rib holders from the stick, a ferrule
is employed to cover the same, this ferrule being removed when it is desired to
detach one of the ribs
The cover of the umbrella has around the central opening two rings and the outer
ring being pressed down over the inner ring so as to firmly confine the fabric of
the cover between the two and form a ring adapted to fit snugly over the ferrule
which confines the rib holders to the stick

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said. John Henry Johnson in the Patent Office on the 28th May 1884.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS" a Communication
to me from John Newton Colby a person resident at New London County, State
of Connecticut United States of America
The object of certain of the improvements constituting this Invention as
hereinafter described is to construct an Umbrella or Parasol so that the same
is capable of being used as a cane when desired whilst the object of other of the
improvements is to simplify the construction of umbrellas and parasols generally
and facilitate repairs.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the
several figures on the annexed sheets of drawings the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a sectional view of a combined cane and umbrella made in accordance
with this invention, the same being closed in order to form a cane.
Figure 2 is a view on a smaller scale of part of the device showing the stretchers
and ribs extended, and part of the cover detached from the frame;
Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the rib joints.
Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the rib holders detached from the stick.
Figure 5 is an enlarged section of the upper portion of the cover
Figure 6 is an enlarged section of the stick, runner and stretcher joint.
Figure 7 is a sectional plan of the same, the section being taken on the line 1-2
Figure 6 and
Figure 8 is a sectional plan the section being taken on the line 3-4 Figure 6
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the runner.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of the stretcher bar.
Figure 11 is a sectional view showing the spring for retaining the runner
Figure 12 is a view of the end of one of the ribs showing the method of fastening
the cover.
Figure. 13 is a perspective view of one of the eyelets for securing the cover.
Figures 14 and 15 are views illustrating a modification of the runner sleeve, and
Figures 16 and 17 are views illustrating a modification of the runner and
stretcher bar.
A is the stick, B are the ribs and D the stretchers of the combined cane and
umbrella, the stick having a number of longitudinal grooves or recesses in which
the ribs and stretchers are contained when the unbrella is closed.
To insure compactness and avoid the necessity of deep slots in the stick the ribs
are made hollow or U shaped in cross section, so that when the umbrella is closed
the stretchers are contained within the ribs as shown in Figure 8.
Each rib is pivotted at the upper end to a rib bolder E adapted to the upper end
of the rib groove in the stick, each holder consisting in the present instance of a
trip of sheet metal bent as shown in Figure 4, the strip being of such shape that.
he holder will have projections x adapted to enter the body of the stick and retain
he holder in its proper position.
Each rib is thus entirely independent of the others in its connection to the stick,
o that any one or more of the ribs can be removed without affecting the other ribs.
A like independent connection of the stretchers to the runner is effected by. the
evices shown in Figures 6, 7, 9 and 10.

page_text: F is the runner which consists of a corrugated tube adapted to fit snugly to the
grooved stick and free to slide thereon. This tube is seamless, being formed by
drawing or forcing a seamless tube through dies of the proper shape, thus producing
very cheaply a stronger and more accurate runner than can be made by casting it
or by bending up and soldering or brazing a strip of sheet metal.
In each of the ribs a of the runner is formed a central recess d and to the
grooves b of the runner are adapted the U shaped stretcher bars G, each of which
has opposite wings fadapted to the recesses d in the ribs a on the opposite sides of
the groove containing the stretcher bar so that the latter is secured vertically to the
runner and is compelled to move therewith.
The wings are slightly elastic and bear with a yielding pressure upon the
sleeve H which encloses the runner, the friction being sufficient to cause the
movement of the runner with the sleeve when there is no undue opposition to this
movement that is to say no more than is caused by the opening of the umbrella for
instance.
When the movement of the runner is prevented, however, as, for instance when
the ribs are confined and prevented from spreading the sleeve H can with a slight
extra effort, be moved independently of the runner, as may be necessary in order to
cause the same to confine the tips of the ribs as in Figure 6 or to release said ribs
when it is desired to spread them.
The same result may be attained by providing a bayonet joint connection
between the runner and the sleeve as shown in Figures 14 and 15 the friction
connection however being preferred as the simplest and cheapest.
The runner fits.so snugly to the grooved stick that the friction between the two
may be relied upon to retain the runner in position when the umbrella is spread
but for additional security one of the grooves of the stick is provided with a spring
finger g (Figure 11) which when the runner is elevated, bears against the upper end
of the same or against the projecting end of one of the stretcher bars, or both, and
increases the the friction.
こ
The sleeve H acts directly upon the tips of the ribs to retain the same whether
the ribs are bare as when the device is used for a cane or are provided with a cover
as when the cane is formed into an umbrella the same adjustment of the sleeve
being made in either case.
To permit the sleeve to act upon the tips of the ribs the cover w must be
secured to the latter some distance above the tips, therefore each rib is reduced at
and near the end so as to form a shoulder w¹ (Figure 12), the cover w being
provided at the outer edge with as many rings y as there are ribs each ring being
slipped over the tip and finding a bearing against the shoulder w' as shown in
Figure 12.
Each ring has an eye y¹ by which it is secured to the cover w but the rings may
be plain if desired.
Instead of relying upon the elastic wings f of the stretcher bars. for insuring
proper frictional contact between the runner, and sleeve H the runner may have
special elastic wings for this purpose but on the score of economy the double use of
the wings fis preferred.
In the modified runner shown in Figures 16 and 17 slots b' are formed for the
reception of the stretchers and each of the slots is enlarged at the lower end for
the reception of a slotted bar G₁ to which the stretcher is pivoted the said bar
being confined vertically between the bottom of the slot and the shoulders d¹
formed by enlarging said slot. In this case a sleeve H connected to the runner by
a bayonet joint or equivalent connection should be used as shown in Figures 14
and 15.
To prevent the lateral withdrawal of the rib holders E from the stick a ferrule J
is employed to cover the same this ferrule being removed when it is desired to
detach one of the ribs.
The cover w of the umbrella has around the central opening two rings m and n,
Figure 5, the outer ring n being pressed down over the inner ring m so as to

page_text: firmly confine the fabric of the cover between the two and form a ring adapted
to fit snugly over the ferrule J which confines the rib holders E to the stick.
The different parts of the umbrella above described can be manufactured by
machinery in very large quantities and the assembling and fitting together of the
various parts can be effected expeditiously and without the employment of skilled
labor.
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 hereinbefore in part
recited Lettera Patent is :-
First-The combination of the stick A having longitudinal grooves therein with
the hollow ribs B adapted to the grooves and the stretchers D adapted to the ribs
when the latter are closed substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Second-The combination of the stick and the ribs with rib holders E each
independent of the others substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Third-The combination of the stick the ribs and the independent rib holders E
each having projections a substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Fourth The combination of the runner having grooves or recesses b the
stretcher bars adapted to said recesses and the stretchers D pivotted to the stretcher
bars substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Fifth-The combination of the stick the ribs B the rib holders E and the
confining ferrule J substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Sixth-The combination of the runner F having grooves or recesses 6 the
stretcher bars adapted to the recesses, the stretchers D pivotted to the bars, and the
confining sleeve H, substantially as herein before set forth.
Seventh-The combination of the cover w with the confining rings m and n
applied to the cover around the central opening therein substantially as herein-
before set forth.
Eighth-The seamless longitudinally-corrugated runner tube F substantially as
hereinbefore set forth.
Ninth The seamless longitudinally corrugated runner tube F have externally
recesses & substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Tenth-The combination of the corrugated runner F having recesses & with
the stretcher bars G having wings adapted to said recesses substantially as
herein before set forth.
Eleventh-The combination of the runner with the sleeve H held in position
thereon by friction substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
Twelfth-The combination of the runner the sleeve H and the stretcher bars G
having elastic fingers f substantially as herein before set forth.
Thirteenth: The combination of the stick A and the runner with the spring
finger g adapted to retain the runner by friction substantially as hereinbefore set
forth.
Fourteenth-The combination of the ribs having shoulders w¹ above the tips
with the cover w having rings y adapted to bear against the shoulders substantially
as hereinbefore set forth.
In witness whereof I the said John Henry Johnson have to this my Specification
et my hand and seal this twenty seventh day of May One thousand eight hundred
nd eighty four.
J. HENRY JOHNSON (L.S.)