Improvements in and relating to Umbrellas and Sunshades.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 20th May, 1893-Accepted, 24th June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Umbrellas and Sunshades.
I WILLIAM FERGUS, of 2 Viewfield Terrace, Hillhead, Glasgow, Lanarkshire,
Clergyman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to and comprises improvements in umbrellas and
sunshades, and has principally for its object to prevent creasing and cutting at the
centre folds in the cloth between the radial ribs in coiling up the umbrellas, and
enable them to wear much longer than heretofore.
The improvements consist first in sewing or attaching the end of a reefing cord to
the upper outer edge of the cloth on the inner surface, a few inches from each
radial rib, and in drawing said cord through an eyelet on the rib some distance
down from the end.
Under one arrangement the cord would be passed through another eyelet placed
either below at the end of the rib or at some distance above the first eyelet, a knot
being formed on the cord to prevent the return of its free end through the eyelets.
After taking down and closing the umbrella any number, or the whole, of these
cords would be drawn through their eyelets and so draw or take in the edge of the
cloth towards the rib to any desired extent, as say from a quarter to two inches,
and so cause the fold to be made at a different part of the cloth between the ribs,
and thus prevent uniform folding and cutting at the centre. These reefing cords
may be attached to the cloth on both sides of each rib, and so be drawn up by two
cords, or these may be attached to one pulling cord at the rib. The action of
putting up the umbrella for use, will draw in all the reefing cords and permit the
cloth to expand to its full extent.
Under another and preferable arrangement of my improvements each of the
reefing cords would be of considerable length, and instead of being isolated or
single they would be each passed up from the first reefing eyelet on each rib through
a series of cord or metallic guide eyes on the channel rib until it approached the
inner or fixed ends of the fixed ribs and pass from these and have the ends of
cords connected to a sliding ferrule or ring collar on the upper or narrow part of
the umbrella handle. The cords may pass through guide hook eyelets or over
small antifriction rollers at the upper parts of fixed ribs, or preferably a fixed ring
would be mounted at upper part of umbrella handle and be formed with an outer
projecting flange or cap having a series of holes annularly round it, and the cords
of each pair or more of ribs be passed through one of these holes and be secured
to each hole on the sliding ferrule so that the cords would not come in sliding
frictional contact with the umbrella handle. A strong longitudinal cord or band
would be connected to the lower end of the sliding ferrule and its free end would
pass through an eyelet hook or guide near the lower thick end of handle, so that
when the umbrella is taken down the pulling of this drawing cord will slightly
pull down the sliding ferrule to simultaneously draw in all the reefing cords to the
desired extent. By an alternative arrangement all the reefing cords may be passed
through eyelets secured to the underside of the ring to which the ribs are jointed,
or into the stick close to this, and be connected below the eyelets to the single
hand drawing cord without the use of a sliding ferrule.
The folds in the cloth can thus be varied according to the distance the centre
acting cord is drawn; while in putting up the umbrella the centre cord is
automatically drawn up by the spreading out of the ribs and the reefing cords all
slackened to permit the cloth to expand to its full extent. A tassel, small whistle,
or other device would be attached to the lower end of centre drawing cord to
prevent it slipping up beyond the lower hook guide, and which would also act as

page_text: the hand drawing attachment of cord, and form an ornament to the umbrella. In
coiling the umbrella up as usual the folds will thus take place at different parts of
the cloth according to the degree the reefing cords were pulled up, and they would
be secured by a separate elastic-band having a button or stud at the one end and a
ring or eye at the other, and this band would be attached to a loose sliding
ornamental cord on the handle thick part of the umbrella stick, which would
allow the elastic band to be applied at different parts and not always at the same
position so as to avoid the wear or cutting of the cloth.
Dated this 25th day of October 1892.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Umbrellas and Sunshades.
I, WILLIAM FERGUS of Viewfield Terrace, Hillhead Glasgow, Lanarkshire,
Clergyman, do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, that is to say :-
This invention has reference to and comprises improvements in umbrellas and
sunshades, and has principally for its object to prevent creasing and cutting at the
centre folds in the cloth between the radial ribs in coiling up the umbrellas, and
enable them to wear much longer than heretofore.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings in which the same reference letters are
used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an umbrella as fitted with one arrangement
of my improvements.
Figure 2 is a corresponding view of an umbrella showing a slightly modified
arrangement of my improved fittings. And
Figures 3 to 7 show detached views of the details hereinafter referred to.
Referring to these drawings:-The improvements consist, first, in sewing or
attaching the end a', of a reefing cord a to the upper edge A' of the cloth A on
the inner surface, a few inches from each radial rib B and in drawing said cord a
through an eyelet or loop 6 on the rib B some distance from the end.
Under one arrangement the cord would be passed through another eyelet placed
either below as at Figures 3 and 4 attached at the end of the rib B, or at some
distance above first eyelet b, a knot being formed on the cord a, to prevent the
return of its free end through the eyelets bi, b. After taking down and closing the
umbrella any number, or the whole, of these cords a would be drawn through their
eyelets and so draw or take in the edge A' of the cloth A towards the rib 15 to any
desired extent, as say from a quarter of an inch to two inches, and so cause the
folds to be made at a different part of the cloth between the ribs B, and thus
prevent uniform folding and cutting at the centre. These reefing cords a may be
attached to the cloth A on both sides of each rib B, and so be drawn up by two
cords a, a, or these may be attached to one pulling cord at the rib B. The action
of putting up the umbrella for use, will draw out all the reefing cords a and permit
the cloth to expand to its full extent.
Under another and preferable arrangement of my improvements each of the
reefing cords a would be of considerable length, and instead of being isolated or
single they would be each passed up from the first reefing eyelet b, (which may be
formed of metal as in Figures 1, 3, and 4 or of open looped cord as in Figures 2
and 5) on each rib B through a series of cord or metallic guide eyes 62 on the
channel rib B, until it approached the inner or fixed ends of the fixed ribs B, and
pass from these and have the ends of the cords a connected or plaited together at c¹

page_text: on the end of the cord c, or they may be connected to a sliding ferrule or ring collar
at or on the upper or narrow part of the umbrella handle C. The cords a of each
pair or more of ribs B would be passed through one of a series of eyelet hooks b³
secured at the upper part of the umbrella handle C, and be secured to the knotted
part c', so that the cords a will not come in sliding frictional contact with the
umbrella handle. A strong longitudinal cord or band c would form part of or be
connected to the junction knotted part c', and, as shown in Figure 1 its free end e*
would pass through an eyelet hook or guide c" near the lower thick end of handle C,
or alternatively, as shown in Figure 2 the cord c may pass through a loop c³ on one
of the ribs B, and through a corresponding loop et on the stay sliding ferrule C¹, so
that when the umbrella is taken down, the pulling of the end of this drawing
cord c will slightly pull down the knotted part c¹ to simultaneously draw in all the
reefing cords a to the desired extent.
The folds in the cloth A. can thus be varied according to the distance the centre
acting cord c is drawn; while in putting up the umbrella the centre cord c, 'is
automatically drawn up by the spreading out of the ribs B and the reefing cords a
all slackened to permit the cloth A to expand to its full extent, as shown in this
position in Figures and 2. A woven loop, tassel, or small whistle, or other
device would be attached at c² to the lower end of centre drawing cord c to prevent
it slipping up beyond the hook guide c¹¹ or c and which would also act as the hand
drawing attachment of cord, and form an ornament to the umbrella. In coiling the
umbrella up as usual the folds will thus take place at different parts of the cloth A
according to the degree the reefing cords c were pulled up, and they would be
secured by an elastic band d, sewn at d to the cloth A, as shown in Figure 7, and
having a button or stud 2, and a ring or eye d³, at the end which would be coiled
round and secured to said button d².
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
First. The herein described method of preventing creasing, and cutting at the
centre folds of the cloth between the radial ribs of umbrellas and sunshades,
consisting in fitting reefing cords to draw or take in the edge of the cloth, sub-
stantially as herein described, in reference to and by way of application shown in
the accompanying drawings.
Second. In umbrellas and sunshades, the fitting and use of a cord or cords, at or
near the edges of the cloth which shall pass through eyelets or loops in the radial
ribs, so as to reef the cloth between said ribs, substantially as herein described.
Third. In umbrellas and sunshades, the fitting and use of a series of reefing
cords attached at their one end near the edge of the cloth between the radial ribs,
and passed through guiding eyes, and connected at their other ends to a single
drawing cord which simultaneously operates the whole, substantially as herein
described.
Dated the 19th May 1893.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.