IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Conry, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Umbrella and Parasol Manufacturer, for the Inven-
tion of "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS."
Sealed the 20th April 1853, and dated the 27th October 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Conry at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 27th October 1852.
I, JAMES CONRY, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Umbrella & Parasol Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS" to
be as follows:-
My Invention consists of an improved mode or method of attaching
or connecting the stretcher to that part of the umbrella or parasol
generally called the bone, whether the same be made of whalebone,
metal, or other suitable material or metal, which I accomplish by
making a fork-shaped stud with a small hole at a, thus
The two forks of this stud are pierced through the bone aforesaid at
the place where the stretcher is to be attached and rivetted at the back.
That part of the stud with the hole in projects from the bone and
inside the umbrella or parasol, and the stretcher with a forked end as
usual clips this stud and is rivetted to it at a, instead of being rivetted
to the bone, as is now the general custom.

page_text: The advantages of this simple contrivance are numerous; there being
no projections at the sides of the bones they lie closer to the stick, are
more portable, and do not wear the outside covering, so much com-
plained of on the present plan; neither is the whale-bone split as upon
the old plan, because the perforations are not made with the grain, but
against or across it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Conry in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 26th April 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JAMES CONRY, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Umbrella
and Parasol Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of October,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-two,
and in the sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said James Conry,
Her especial license that I, the said James Conry, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Conry,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, my Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Conry, should, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Conry, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be carried into practical effect, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say.:.
My Invention consists of an improved method of connecting the
stretchers with the ribs of umbrellas and parasols, by which I make
them stronger, more durable, and neater in appearance. The usual
method of accomplishing this object has hitherto been to make the
stretcher with a forked end so as to clasp or embrace the rib, then to
pass a pin through the said fork ends and the stretcher and rivet it,
thus securing them together, and forming a joint so as to give the
stretcher a swivel motion on the pin to allow the umbrella or parasol
to open and shut. But it will be perceived that by this method the
forked ends of the stretcher project or stand out from the sides of the
ribs, which projections cause much wear and tear to the cover as well
as injuring the appearance of the umbrella or parasol when closed.
Instead of the above plan or method I drill two small holes through
the rib, through which I pass a forked piece of metal, rivetting the
the said forked ends at the back of the rib, and leaving at the front
merely a small plate with a hole in it. To this small plate I attach
the stretcher by rivet or other contrivance, which has a small fork just
sufficient to clasp the said small plate, thus completing the swivel joint,
and avoiding projections at the sides so liable to wear the cover. If
the ribs consist of whalebone or any material liable to split, I lap
it with a covering of tin, sheet brass, or other metal or material,
about three quarters of an inch in length, or sufficient to prevent the
rib splitting by the insertion and pressure of the forked piece of metal,
so that the forks or prongs pass through both the lapping and the rib,
thus keeping it firmly in its place and preventing the rib splitting.
There are some materials, however, although very liable to split in
one particular way of the grain, are not so in another: walebone, for
instance, is of this class. Therefore, to avoid the necessity of lapping
the ribs of this material I turn them on their side, that is, using the
sides of the bone for the back and front; then, by drilling the holes for
prongs or forks of the metal piece, I cross the grain of the bone, in
which direction it is not so liable to split; thus I avoid the necessity of
the

page_text: lapping whalebone ribs or ribs made of similar material. It is ovident
that the process of lapping is unnecessary where metal ribs are used.
The nature of these my improvements will be more clearly understood
by reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which the
same letters of reference are used to represent similar parts where
different views or diagrams are shewn. Fig. 1, is a front view of a
lapped rib with the stretcher attached to the metal piece; Fig. 2,
a side view of the same; Fig. 3, a side view of a rib with the metal
piece and rib attached, but not lapped; Fig. 4, a front view of the
same; Fig. 5, a side view of the stretcher and metal piece; Fig. 6,
a front view of the same; and Figs. 7, and 8, side and front views
of the same unconnected. a, represents the forked metal piece; b, the
hole through which the stretcher is rivetted; c, the rib; d, the lapping;
the stretcher; and f, the forked ends of the same to be attached to
the metal piece at b.
Having thus described the nature and particulars of my said Inven-
tion, I desire it to be distinctly understood that I do not confine myself
to the exact details herein described, as such may be varied or modified
without departing from the principle thereof. But I claim as of my
Invention, and which, to the best of my knowledge and belief, has not
been used within this realm,-Firstly, the uso of the said forked metal
piece with the rib lapped, as herein described; and, secondly, the use of
the same without lapping, by turning the rib on its side or drilling it
against the grain.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Conry, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of April, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-three
JAMES CONRY. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the said
James Conry in the presence of
E. J. HCORES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.