IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TOP NOTCHES AND RUNNERS FOR UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND SUNSHADES."
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Widdowson, of the Firm of Thomas Widdowson
and Company, of Sheffield, in the County of York, Umbrella Furniture
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
TOP NOTCHES AND RUNNERS FOR UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND SUNSHADES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Widdowson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th October 1877.
THOMAS WIDDOWSON, of the Firm of Thomas Widdowson and Company, of
" IMPROVE-
Sheffield, in the County of York, Umbrella Furniture Manufacturer.
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TOP NOTCHES AND RUNNERS FOR UMBRELLAS,
PARASOLS, AND SUNSHADES."
The object of the Invention is simplicity in the arrangement and construction of
the parts.
In carrying the Invention into effect I take a disc of metal of size sufficient to
produce the intended top notch or runner, as the case may be, and then by means
of dies and pressure I force this disc into a tubular form to the extent desired for
the tubular portion of the part; I then cut off the blank end thereof, and then by
the aid of a spindle with a bead or projecting rim thereon, aided by a grooved
roller; I raise a projecting rim on this tube towards one end thereof to form one side
of the intended "notch;" I then obtain the other side of the notch by a punch and
die, so as to form two sides, or a. pair of projecting rings, leaving a space or groove
all round between these sides or rings to receive the wire by which the ends of the
ribs or stretchers are afterwards to be held thereto. The openings to receive the
ends of the ribs or stretchers are then cut by a saw or otherwise, as desired.
The end of the tube opposite the notches for "runners " I turn over to form a
bead in the usual way.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Widdowson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th
April 1878.
"
THOMAS WIDDOWSON, of the Firm of Thomas Widdowson and Company, of
Sheffield, in the County of York, Umbrella Furniture Manufacturer. IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF TOP NOTCHES AND RUNNERS FOR UMBRELLAS,
PARASOLS, AND SUNSHADES."
The object of the Invention is simplicity in the arrangement and construction of
the parts.
In carrying the Invention into effect I take a disc of metal of size sufficient to
produce the intended top notch or runner, as the case may be, and then by means
of dies and pressure I force this disc into a tubular form to the extent desired for
the tubular portion of the part; I then cut off the blank end thereof, and then by
the aid of a spindle with a bead or projecting rim thereon, aided by a grooved
roller I raise a projecting rim on this tube towards one end thereof to form one side
of the intended "notch "; I then obtainthe other side of the notch by a punch and
die, so as to form two sides or a pair of projecting rings, leaving a space or groove
all round between these sides or rings to receive the wire by which the ends of the
ribs or stretchers arc afterwards to be held thereto. The openings to receive the
ends of the ribs or stretchers are then cut by a saw or otherwise, as desired.
The end of the tube opposite the notches for "runners" I turn over to form a
bead in the usual way.
But that the Invention may be the better understood I will by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings proceed to describe means pursued by me in carrying the
Figure 1 shews by plan and section a disc of metal of size adapted to produce a
"runner" a.
Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 shew by sectional and plan views respectively the
progressive forms obtained to the disc of metal, Figure 1, by successive operations
of dies and pressure, as is well understood. The dies used during these successive
stages being of the character of those ordinarily employed for corresponding
purposes, I have not thought it necessary to shew them. I would, however,
remark that in operating on the metal during these successive stages for the purpose
of my Invention the internal punches or upper dies are generally formed to admit
of the metal being left thicker at the parts a', a², than at the upper parts a thereof,
so as to admit of increased strength or uniformity of substance being given to
the projecting rims which are to be formed therefrom, as I will now proceed to
explain.
Having produced by successive punching operations the tubular form represented
by Figure 8, I then cut off the blank end a thereof, when a tubular form of the
character of that shewn by the plan and section, Figure 9, will be produced. This
tubular form is then placed over a spindle d of the character of that represented by
side view, Figure 10, and end view, Figure 11, and which spindle is applied by
screwing or otherwise into the shaft of a lathe or other suitable shaft, by which
quick rotary motion may be given to it.
The spindle d is formed with a bead or projecting rim d¹ thereto, and when a
tube a, Figure 9, has been applied on the spindle d, and the spindle d, has been set
in rotary motion a roller, e shewn by side view, Figure 12, and end view, Figure 13,
carried by its spindle e2 in the fork of a lever arm is caused to bear with pressure on
the tube a, as that tube is carried round by the spindle d, when the action of the
groove e¹ formed around the roller e in bearing with force on the external surface of

page_text: the tube a, together with the internal pressure of the bead or rim d', will produce a
projecting rim b to the tube a of the character of that represented by Figure 14;
and if desired a succession of spindles d and rollers e with variations in form or
extent of bead or rim d' and groove e¹ may be employed.
In all cases the diameter of the bead or rim d' will have to be somewhat smaller
than the interior of the body of the tube to be operated upon; f is an enlargement
acting as a stop on the spindle d adapted to the length of tube a for the time under
operation. The rollers e may also be variable in width to correspond.
A tube a produced to a form somewhat as represented by Figure 14 by the
means thus described, or by other suitable means, is then placed with its longer
end a in a bottom die g, shewn by section, Figure 15, and by plan view, Figure 16,
and with its projection b resting on the upper edge g₁ of the bore thereof, when the
end a² of the tube a will first be operated upon by the conical end h¹ of a punch 'h,
shewn by end view, sectional view, and side views, Figures 17, 18, and 19, so as to
produce a somewhat open or bell mouth to that end a², and by the collar i to
compress the part b, as indicated by Figure 20, and by the use of another upper
die j provided with a collar k capable of movement, as indicated by the dotted
lines to release the tube a when acted upon as desired and represented by side
view and plan, Figures 21 and 22, in connection with the bottom die, Figure 15,
and by the internal support m formed to the base or supporting block.shewn by
plan and side views; Figures 23 and 24; the end a² of the tube a is further acted
upon so as to turn down the end a², and thereby to form a rim c, which with the
bead or projection b forms a pair of rims, as represented by Figure 25, with a space
between them for the wire, as is well understood. The collar k is acted upon by
a lever or otherwise to give motion to it, and push the runner or notch from the
part j. The openings 1, Figure 26, in these rims b, c, to receive the ends of the ribs
or stretchers are then cut by a saw or otherwise, as desired. The end at of the
tube a opposite that for the notches I turn over to form a bead in the usual way.
The top notches represented by Figures 27 and 28 are similarly produced.
In operating on the metal to produce. the successive results referred to it will be
understood that the metal will be annealed as usual when required.
Having thus described my Invention, and means which I adopt in carrying the
same into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise details referred to, as variations may be made therein without departing
from the peculiar character of the Invention, but what I do claim is the improve-
ments in the manufacture of top notches and runners for umbrellas, parasols, and
sunshades, whereby I am enabled to produce the tubes a and rims b, c, thereto
from one blank or disc of metal by dies and pressure, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Widdowson, have hereunto set my.
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.