IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, SUNSHADES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES
Year: 1876

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, &
Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, SUNSHADES, AND OTHER LIKE
ARTICLES." A communication from abroad by Alfred Augustus Valentine, of
the City of New York, and Henry Alfred Morrison, of Brooklyn, both in the
State of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th December 1876.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, SUN-
SHADES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES." A communication.
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of umbrellas, parasols,
sunshades, and similar articles, and consists in the incans for fastening the covering
to the ribs of the same without stitching the covering to the ribs as more fully
herein-after set forth.
In umbrellas as ordinarily constructed the covering has been generally attached
to the ends of the ribs by means of a thread sewed through the material of the
As thus con-
cover and passing through an aperture in the extremity of the rib.
structed the securing thread has a tendency to wear or cut out the material of the
covering and weaken it to such an extent as to allow the covering to break at such
points and speedily render the umbrella useless. Moreover this manner of securing
the covering to the ends of the ribs required skilled labor in stitching the covering
to the ribs. This Invention is specially designed to overcome these objections.
According to the said Invention the outer extremities of the umbrella ribs are
provided with a shoulder or a recess preferably of an annular form over or into
which the material of the cover can be folded and secured by means of a divided
collar, having corresponding recesses or shoulders on the interior and a shank upon,
the outside over which is adapted to fit a cap or tip that secures the two parts of
the collar together.
The staff or rod of the umbrella has the ribs of the same attached thereto in the
ordinary manner. The outer extremities of the said ribs are provided each with a

page_text: shoulder preferably of annular form over which the material of the cover may be
gathered, and there is a divided collar having a similar recess on the inside and a
screw shank on the outside, the recess being adapted to fit over the shoulder on the
extremity of the rib and secure the covering of the umbrella over the same. A
screw cap or tip is adapted to fit over a screw shank of the divided collar and
confine the two parts together for the purpose of securing the covering of the
umbrella between the same and the annular shoulder on the extremities of
the ribs.
To prevent undue wear or cutting out of the material of the covering where
confined between the divided collar and the ribs, it is preferable to interpose a
washer of india-rubber or other elastic material which will yield slightly when the
umbrella is raised and the cover stretched, thus relieving the strain upon the
material at the point of attachment. The advantage of this improvement will be
apparent from the above description.
The covering is secured at its centre in the ordinary manner, but the edges are
secured to the extremities of the tips by means of the binding action of the divided
collars upon the material, securing the same over the annular shoulders without
stitching the screw tips which serve to hold the divided collars together and bind
them upon the material, serving the same purpose as the projecting tips of the
ordinary ribs to conduct off the water and to be engaged and held under the shield
of the umbrella handle when the umbrella is folded.
Instead of making the ribs with an annular projection they may be made with a
groove preferably of an annular form, and the corresponding projection may be
made on the interior of the divided collar, and instead of the cap and collar being
made separately they may be formed in one piece, the sides being slightly elastic so
as to confine the fabric between the projection and recess when the collar is forced
over the end of the same.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th June
1877.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, SUN-
SHADES, AND OTHER LIKE ARTICLES." A communication from abroad by Alfred
Augustus Valentine, of the City of New York, and Henry Alfred Morrison, of
Brooklyn, both in the State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in the construction of umbrellas, parasols,
sunshades, and other like articles, and it consists in the means for fastening the
covering to the ribs of the same without stitching the covering to the ribs as more
fully herein-after set forth.
In umbrellas as ordinarily constructed the covering has been generally attached
to the ends of the ribs by means of a thread sewed through the material of the
cover and passing through an aperture in the extremity of the ribs. As thus
constructed the securing thread has a tendency to wear or cut out the material
of the covering and weaken it to such an extent as to allow the covering to break
at such points and speedily render the umbrella useless. Moreover this manner
of securing the covering to the ends of the ribs required skilled labor in stitching
the covering to the ribs. This Invention is specially designed to overcome these
objections.
According to the said Invention I provide the outer extremities of the unbrella
ribs with a shoulder or a recess (preferably of an annular form) over or into which
the material of the cover can be folded and secured by means of a divided collar
having corresponding recesses or shoulders on the interior and a shank upon the

page_text: outside over which is adapted to fit a cap or tip which secures the two parts of the
collar together.
I construct or provide umbrella or parasol ribs with a round, flattened, or other
suitably-shaped end or extremity with a round, oval, or other shaped projection or
shoulder, upon which projection or shoulder the edge forming the covering of the
umbrella or parasol is held and confined by means of a tip having a corresponding
recess or cavity. And I fonn the said shoulder on the rib of the umbrella by
striking up an oval, flat, or other shaped recess on one side of the same, thereby
distending or forcing outward the opposite side of said rib, forming a corre-
spondingly shaped projection ledge or lug, whereby the cost of manufacturing this
class of umbrellas is materially reduced.
01007, ww.
outside over which is adapted to fit a cap or tip which secures the two parts of the
collar together.
I construct or provide umbrella or parasol ribs with a round, flattened, or other
suitably-shaped end or extremity with a round, oval, or other shaped projection or
shoulder, upon which projection or shoulder the edge forming the covering of the
umbrella or parasol is held and confined by means of a tip having a corresponding
recess or cavity. And I forn the said shoulder on the rib of the umbrella by
striking up an oval, flat, or other shaped recess on one side of the same, thereby
distending or forcing outward the opposite side of said rib, forming a corre-
spondingly shaped projection ledge or lug, whereby the cost of manufacturing this
class of umbrellas is materially reduced.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is an elevation of an umbrella staff or rod showing the tips of the ribs
in position under the shield of the umbrella; Figure 2 is a sectional view of the
same.
Figure 3 is a sectional view of the extremity of the tip, showing the divided
collar and cap for securing the material around the annular shoulder at the extremity
of the rib.
Figure 4 shows one-half of the divided collar detached.
Figure 5 is a view of the split collar and cap secured upon the end of the rib.
Figure 6 shows the split collar and cap detached.
Figure 7 is a view of the end of the rib showing the annular shoulder and rubber
washer slipped below the same.
Figure 8 shows a modification in the groove in the end of the rib and the pro-
jection on the interior of the split collar, and
Figure 9 shows a modified construction of the split collar and cap.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of an umbrella.
Figure 11 is a view of one of the ribs shewing the tip in dotted lines.
Figure 12 is a view of the rib and the tip, the latter being in section.
Figure 13 is a view of the rib and the tip separated.
Figures 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, show modifications of the shoulders on the ribs.
Figure 19 shows a flattened rib, and Figure 20 a modification of the same.
I will first describe the improvements illustrated in Figures 1 to 9 of the
Drawing.
A represents the shaft or rod of the umbrella, and B the ribs of the same attached
thereto in the ordinary manner. The outer extremities of the said ribs are each
provided with a shoulder b (preferably of annular form) over which the material C
of the cover may be gathered; c is a divided collar having a similar recess on the
inside and a screw shank on the outside, the recess being adapted to fit over the
shoulder on the extremity of the rib and secure the covering of the umbrella over
the same; e is a screw cap or tip adapted to fit over a screw shank of the divided
collar and confine the two parts together for the purpose of securing the covering of
the umbrella between the same and the annular shoulder on the extremities of the
ribs, as shewn in Figures 2, 3, and 4.
To prevent undue wear or cutting out of the material of the covering where it is
confined between the divided collar and the ribs, I prefer to interpose a washer g of
india-rubber or other elastic material which will yield slightly when the umbrella is
raised and the cover stretched, thus relieving the material of the strain at the point
of attachment.
The covering is secured at its centre in the ordinary manner, but the edges are
secured to the extremities of the tips by means of the binding action of the divided
collars upon the material, securing the same over the annular shoulders without
stitching the screw tips which serve to hold the divided collar together and bind
them upon the material, serving the same purpose as the projecting tips of the
ordinary ribs to conduct off the water and to be engaged and held under the shield
of the umbrella handle when the umbrella is folded as shown.

page_text: Instead of making the ribs with an annular projection they may be made with a
groove (preferably of an annular form) and the corresponding projection may be
made on the interior of the divided collar, as shewn in Figure 8, and instead of the
cap and collar being made separately they may be formed in one piece as shewn in
Figure 9, the sides being slightly elastic so as to confine the fabric between the
.projection and recess when the collar is forced over the end of the rib.
Referring to Figure 10 and the following Figures of the Drawing; A represents
the shaft or rod of the umbrella, and B the ribs of the same. The outer ends or
extremities of the ribs at and for a short distance from the ends are flattened as
at a, and each rib is constructed or provided with a projection or shoulder which is
formed by striking up on one of the flattened sides of the ribs a cavity or recess
which distends or forces outwardly the opposite side of said flattened ribs, thereby
forming the projecting shoulder or ledge b. This cavity may be semicircular,
square, or of other suitable shape, so as to form a correspondingly shaped shoulder
or lug on the opposite side of the rib as desired.
The material forming the covering C of the umbrella is held over and upon the
projection or shoulder by means of a tip D which is constructed with a recess or
cavity c corresponding to the shoulder on the rib in such manner as to firmly and
substantially confine the edge of the covering upon said shoulder without the
necessity of any sewing. The tip is flattened to correspond approximately with the
flattened end of the rib, whereby the least possible projections are secured and the
appearance of the umbrella is greatly improved. The tip in order to secure it over
and upon the shoulder on the rib is divided as at d; but after being arranged in
place the edges are brought together by compression and may be secured to form an
imperceptible joint.
Instead of forining the shoulder on the flattened end of the rib as above described,
the same may extend entirely around the same either in a flat, square, oval, or
round shape, and the recess in the tip will of course be correspondingly shaped,
the main object being to have the ends of the ribs and tips to have an approxi-
mately flat shape in order to impart a neat appearance to the umbrella; and instead
of the rib being provided with a shoulder it may be constructed with a corre-
sponding protuberance on its inside for clamping the covering of the umbrella in
said recess.
In some cases I may employ a divided collar which is arranged between the
covering of the umbrella and the tip, to more firmly hold the same on the shoulder
of the rib; and said collar may be made in two or more pieces, and it is constructed
or provided with a recess or a protuberance of an oval, round, or other shape, corre-
sponding in shape to the shoulder on or the recess in the rib.
By the construction of the ribs and tips the edges of the covering are secured to
the flattened extremities of the ribs in a most effectual manner, and the flat shape
of the ends of the ribs and the approximately flat shape of the tips ensures the least
possible projections; they occupy but little room, are very light and neat, and the
appearance of the umbrella at the tips is greatly improved.
In some instances I may split the end of the rib, as shewn in Figure 20, insert
the covering into the slit, and then compress the split portion upon the said
covering.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,—
First. In an umbrella or parasol the divided collar constructed with an annular
groove, recess, or projection, adapted to fit over an annular projection or into an
annular recess on the rib of the umbrella or parasol, and secure the covering thereon
by means of a screw tip, as above described.
Second. In an umbrella or parasol the combination with the ribs provided with
.annular shoulders near their extremities of the divided collars with or without the
elastic washers adapted to fit over the same and secure the covering and the screw
tips for securing the said collars as above described.

page_text: Third. The combination with the rib baving a recess at or near its end of the
clamping tip, constructed and arranged to clamp the covering in the said recess, as
above specified.
Fourth. A rib having a projection or recess as described in combination with a
tip having an approximately flat shape, and a recess or projection corresponding to
the projection or recess of the rib, as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Fifth. A rib having a shoulder struck up on one side near its end, forming a
recess on the opposite side in combination with a clamping device for holding the
covering over and upon the said shoulder, as above set forth.
Sixth. A rib having a flattened outer extremity and a shoulder or recess in
combination with a clamping tip of an approximately flat shape for confining the
covering over and upon the said shoulder or in the said recess, as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
ADE
WM. ROBT
ROD. LAKE. (L.S.)