Improvements in Rib Holders for Umbrellas and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 9th Dec., 1893-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rib Holders for Umbrellas and the like.
I, ARTHUR WILLIAM LEIGH of 45 Darnley Road, Hackney in the County
of Middlesex, Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
At present the spokes or rib ends of umbrellas when closed are usually secured
either by an indiarubber ring placed round them or by a sliding cap or tube
adapted to slide down over the ends of the ribs; my invention is intended as an
improvement upon these devices combining as it does the good features of both.
In carrying out my invention I employ a cap composed of a number of spring
fingers, their ends meeting or nearly so, so as to form substantially a continuous
ring and if desired the ends of the spring fingers may overlap or may fit into each
other so as to make the ring absolutely continuous notwithstanding that its diameter
may vary. The spring fingers are preferably curved and arranged to pass over a
fixed ring or projection upon the umbrella handle or stick so that when sprung over
this ring the cap may remain in either of its two extreme positions, holding the rib
ends or clear of them. The fixed ring may be secured to or upon the stick or
handle in any desired manner as for example by clips passing between the spring
fingers of the cap and pinned to the handle or stick.
In a modified form I employ a non-expansive ring, but provide it with a helical
spring so that it will remain over the rib ends of the umbrella when placed upon
them. The spring may lie around the handle or stick at the back of this ring and
between it and a fixed ring or support or if arranged around the stick the end of
the handle may serve as a support; the spring may be entirely concealed in the
ing.
Dated this 8th day of November 1802
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rib Holders for Umbrellas and the like.
I, ARTHUR WILLIAM LEIGH of 45 Darnley Road, Hackney in the County of
Middlesex, Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to rib holders for umbrellas and the like and will be best
understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which show the rib holder,
and some modifications in section and in elevation, like letters representing like
parts throughout the drawings.
Referring first to Figures 1, 2 and 3, A represents the umbrella stick and B the
ribs, C the rib holder which in these figures is shown in skeleton form consisting of
a band C with spring fingers D carrying at their free ends curved cross pieces D'
forming the ring shown in end view in Figure 2. According to the drawing there
will be four fingers and four curved cross pieces to form the complete ring but any
desired number may be employed. Each spring finger is formed with preferably
two recesses or bends D' intended to engage with the ring E which is fixed upon
PR27

page_text: the umbrella stick or handle so as to retain the rib holder in whichever position
it, may be moved to.
In Figure 1 the rib holder is in its raised position out of
engagement with the ribs B, in Figure 3 it is shown in its lowered position holding
the ends of the ribs; in the latter figure the ring E engages with the bend D'
nearest to the band C so as to retain the rib holder in its position upon the rib ends
while in Figure 1 the ring E engages with the bend D nearest the divided ring
and consequently retains the holder out of engagement with the ribs. It will be
observed that in moving the rib holder up or down the stick the portions of the
spring fingers D between the depressions D' in passing over the ring E cause the
fingers to be lifted from the stick and consequently the divided ring D' to be
expanded thus facilitating the movement of the holder on to or off the rib ends.
In Figure 4 the rib holder C is constructed as a complete ring pressed upon the
spokes by the spiral spring F preferably contained within the cylindrical portion C¹
of the holder. The spring F obtains a bearing at the end nearest to the ribs upon
the ring C and at the opposite end upon the ring E secured to the umbrella stick
or handle A in any convenient manner. The face C2 of the ring C upon which
the rib ends strike when the ribs are closed by the hand is preferably curved or
bevelled as shown so that by forcing the ribs inwards towards the stick the ring
will be forced outwards against the pressure of the spring F and when the ribs have
passed the ring and assumed the position shown in Figure 4, the ring will, under the
influence of its spring, return to its lowest position, and thús cover the rib ends as
clearly shown in Figure 4. With this arrangement it is only necessary to use one
hand which closes the ribs in towards the stick in order to secure them by the
holder. I prefer to corrugate the portion C2 of the ring C as indicated in the end
view, Figure 5, one corrugation being provided for each rib so that the ribs will
automatically take equal distances apart when being closed in, an arrangement
which avoids the difficulty experienced with common rib holders where the ribs lie
together in groups instead of being evenly spaced around the stick. The inside of
the rib holder C may also be corrugated as indicated in Figure 5 so as to retain
the ribs in their proper positions. Corrugations may be applied to any of these rib
holders.
In Figure 6 the arrangement is substantially similar to that of Figure 4, but the
shape of the holder C is a little different and the ring E is dispensed with, the back
end of the spring taking a bearing against the handle A which in this case is of larger
diameter than the stick. The end of the ring C¹ is turned inwards at C thus
providing an annular space in which the helical spring F can lie and protecting the
spring from the rib ends.
3
In Figure 7 the helical spring is replaced by a small plate spring F which may
be rivetted on to the stick of the umbrella and takes a bearing upon a lug C
inside the cylindrical portion C¹ of the holder. In Figure 1 the ring C is too small
to pass over the ring E which may be fixed upon the umbrella after the holder is
in place so that the holder cannot slip down below its proper position; in Figures 4, 6,
and 7, this is prevented by the back end of the cylindical portion C¹ of the holder
being turned in or beaded so as to engage as in Figure 4 with the ring E against
which the back end of the spring bears, in Figure 7 against the ring E which
however is not required for the spring, and in Figure 6 against one or more
pins G provided for the purpose.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a rib holder for umbrellas and the like the combination with a ring C of
spring fingers such as D D' D' substantially as described and illustrated in
Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination with a rib holder such as described in the previous claim
of a ring E for the double purpose of opening the divided ring D' when the holder
is being pushed down over the spokes and of retaining the holder in either its

page_text: forward or backward position substantially as described and illustrated in
Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination with the stick or handle of an umbrella of a sliding holder
such as C C ring E and helical spring F the ring E being secured directly
upon the stick or handle and the other parts sliding in contact with the stick or
handle substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 4 of the accompanying
drawings.
4. A corrugated rib holder for umbrellas and the like substantially as described
and illustrated in Figures 4 and of the accompanying drawings.
5. A rib holder consisting of a cylindrical ring C' with its end C4 turned
inwards sliding upon the stick handle a helical spring F inside the ring C¹ its back
end bearing against the end of the handle and part of it being between the
portions C and C+ whereby C protects the spring from the rib ends substantially
as described and illustrated in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.
6. The rib holder for umbrellas and the like substantially as described and
illustrated in Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Ninth day of December 1893
A. W. LEIGH.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.