Improvements in the Frames of Umbrellas, Sunshades, or Parasols.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 13th July, 1889
Complete Specification Left. 10th Apr. 1890-Accepted. 10th May. 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Frames of Umbrellas, Sunshades, or
Parasols.
1, JAMES WILLIS of Rosendale, Bournemouth in the County of Hants, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to so form the frames of umbrellas that an umbrella
that can be rolled up to a small diameter can be obtained in a simple manner and
at reduced cost.
Heretofore when the frames of umbrellas have been made with solid ribs the
stretchers used with them have also been of solid wire and the joints by which they
have been coupled have necessarily been of a depth greater than the combined
depth of the rib and stretcher.
I form a lock rib frame with solid ribs and with trough stretchers within which
the solid ribs can lie when the umbrella is closed.
Where the stretchers are to be jointed to the ribs I secure solid brass gits to
the ribs in the usual way but in place of punching the holes through the gits as
is now done I cause the holes to be made by drilling-in this way the holes can
easily be formed close up to the rib and consequently the git can be made much
smaller in depth than those made in the ordinary way.
The stretchers at the end which is to be jointed to the git make two fork so
that the git may enter between the two prongs of the fork-and the joint pin is passed
through the prongs and through the git.
In this way the joint may be made with the git projecting but little if at all
beyond the stretcher fork and the fork may be made nearly straight with the
stretcher.
Thus when the frame is closed the rib lies within the stretcher and the joints
which couple the ribs and stretchers are but little if at all deeper than the stretchers
alone.
Fotod thin 12th 2 of Tal 1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (AMENDED).
Improvements in the Frames of Umbrellas, Sunshades, or
Parasols.
I, JAMES WILLIS of Rosendale, Bournemouth, in the County of Harits, Gentleman,
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 :-
These improvements relate to frames having ribs of solid wire and have for their.
object to make such frames lighter and neater and produce an extra strong umbrella
which can be rolled up to a small diameter and be made at reduced cost.
Γ

page_text: Hitherto steel rib frames for umbrellas and parasols have been made in various
ways. Sometimes a solid wire rib was combined with a solid wire stretcher and
sometimes a trough shaped rib was combined with a trough shaped stretcher the
one sometimes folding within the other when the umbrella was closed.
According to my invention I form a lock rib frame with solid ribs and with trough
stretchers within which the solid ribs can lie when the umbrella is closed.
I joint
the stretchers to the ribs by fixing on the latter solid gits preferably of brass or
other metal that can be rapidly and easily worked and instead of punching the hole
through the git I drill it close up to the rib so that the joint occupies less depth than
when the git holes are punched.
The stretchers at the end which is to be jointed to the git I make two fork so
that the git may enter between the two prongs of the fork-and the joint pin is
passed through the prongs and through the git.
In this way the joint may be made with the git projecting but little if at all
beyond the stretcher fork and the fork may be made nearly straight with the
stretcher.
Thus when the frame is closed the rib lies within the stretcher and the joints
which couple the ribs and stretchers are but little if at all deeper than the stretchers
alone.
Figure 1 is a side view of a solid rib combined with a trough stretcher as above
described. In this figure the rib is shewn lying within the stretcher.
Figure 2 is a similar side view with the rib turned outwards from the stretcher.
Figure 3 is a side view of part of one of the ribs where the git is secured to it.
Figure 4 is a side view of this part of the rib before the git is secured to it.
Figure 5 is a cross section through. the line ab figure 2.
Figure 6 is a cross section through the line c d figure 1.
Figure 7 is a side view and Figure 8 a face view of the stretcher end. Figure 9
shews one of the pieces of sheet metal by which the stretcher end is strengthened.
A is a solid rib having secured to it a solid git B preferably of brass, C is a
trough stretcher with a two fork end. In order that the prongs of the fork may
be of sufficient strength I cause the end of the stretcher to be embraced by a piece of
sheet metal D which is bent around its exterior and its side edges doubled over and
made to lie against the inner sides of the trough and to nip and hold to these sides
as shewn.
The rib can enter freely into the trough where it is so thickened on the interior
and therefore all along the remainder of the stretcher there is still greater freedom
between the stretcher and the rib which is very advantageous as in this way proper
space is provided for the threads or bracings by which the cover is at intervals
secured to the ribs to enter so that the bracings do not impede the rib from entering
into and lying in the trough of the stretcher.
3.
In order also to strengthen the ribs where the gits are secured to them I preferably
press their sides so as to make them slightly oval from the git marks (or slight
indentations made in the sides of the ribs for the git to hold to) towards the tip
ends of the ribs to a short distance only beyond where the git itself terminates as
shewn in Figure 4 but it is not essential to strengthen the ribs in this way the ribs
are in this way made capable of withstanding a greater strain just at this, point. The
holes through the gits I'as before stated form by drilling instead of by punching so
that they can be formed much more accurately than when formed by punching as at
present and they can be formed close up to the rib.
By constructing a solid rib frame in the above manner the diameter of the umbrella
when folded is reduced and such frames can be produced at much less cost than
frames possessing the same advantages in which trough ribs are used.
Solid wire ribs when well made are excellent and when made up into a lock rib
frame as herein before described an equally good frame can be produced at less cost
than with hollow ribs and at the same time the diameter of the folded umbrella is also
reduced.

page_text: said inven-
my
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that I make no general
claim to the forming steel rib frames for umbrellas and parasols with solid ribs and
solid stretchers, or with trough shaped ribs and trough shaped stretchers but what
I claim is
In a steel rib frame for an umbrella or parasol the combination of solid wire ribs
with trough shaped stretchers enclosing the ribs when the umbrella is folded up the
ribs being jointed to the stretchers by drilled gits on the ribs engaged in strengthened forks
of the stretchers substantially as herein set forth.
JAMES WILLIS.