IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th May 1874.-A communication from abroad by Louis-Eugène
Bertrand, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County.
of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS," a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Louis-Eugène Bertrand, of Paris, in the
Republic of France, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates,―
First. To an arrangement of "runner" provided with a cup or socket
piece which has a stop notch formed therein for the reception, after
the manner of a bayonet joint, of the stud or projection employed for
the purpose of raising and lowering the notched end of the "runner,"
by which means the stretchers are maintained clear of the cup or socket
when the umbrella or parasol is opened.
Second. To a peculiar arrangement of sliding metal cup or socket.
for securing or retaining the extremities of the ribs of an umbrella or

page_text: parasol when in its closed condition, such cup or socket having moveable
internal strips, whereby the requisite elasticity is obtained to admit of
its passing over or adjusting itself to any inequalities on the surface of
the stick during the operation of fitting it thereto.
In carrying out the first part of this Invention it is proposed to
employ a cup or socket piece which surrounds or encloses the notched
end of the runner when the umbrella or parasol is closed, whereby the
silk is prevented from being injured by the sharp edges of the notches.
Within this cup or socket piece, and surrounding the cylindrical portion
of the runner, there is placed a ring carrying a stud or projection which
passes through and is capable of sliding in a slot formed in the lower
portion (which is made cylindrical) of the cup or socket piece. The
slot is made of a 1 or elbow shape, so that by raising the stud or pro-
jection when it is desired to open the umbrella or parasol, and turning
it round slightly it is caused to enter the notch formed by the angle
or bend of the slot, by which means the stretchers are raised and main-
tained clear of the cup or socket piece. A helical spring is provided
between the ring and an internal flange or shoulder formed on the cup
or socket piece, which arrangement admits of the wire spring ordinarily
employed for the purpose of maintaining the umbrella or parasol fastened
or closed being dispensed with.
In carrying out the second part of this Invention it is proposed to
employ a tube having a metal cup or socket for the reception of the
extremities of the ribs, which tube is attached to and encloses an
internal tube surrounding the stick, and having formed in it any
suitable number of openings, in which a corresponding number of metal
strips are fitted, such strips being secured or retained in their place
by means of an india-rubber band surrounding the internal tube and
strips, or in any other suitable manner, so as to admit of the strips-
yielding to any notches or inequalities on the surface of the stick during
the operation of mounting the slide.