IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS, AND IN THE MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1871

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry George Sievier at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th September 1871.
I, HENRY GEORGE SIEVIER, of Craven Street, Strand, in the County
of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS, AND IN THE
MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows :—
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the manufacture
of umbrellas and parasols, and in the machinery to be used for such
manufacture; the first object of the Invention being to produce a fabric
in its entirety as a cover for an umbrella or parasol, the second object
being to attach such cover to the frame or ribs of the umbrella or
parasol in such manner that it may be removeable and capable of being
renewed or substituted by another cover, as required.
I am well aware that the objects sought have been partly described in
a former Specification of a Patent granted to H. R. Fanshawe, dated
October 1st, 1852, No. 64, but I propose to produce a fabric, whether of

page_text: cotton, alpaca, silk, or other material or combination of materials,
in such manner that the fabric shall present a conical or tapering
form to suit any outline of the frame of umbrella to which it is to be
applied.
Now, in order to effect this object I propose to arrange the warp
threads of the loom in accordance with the varying widths of shoot
desired by the following means:-Assuming that in contradistinction
to weaving a straight or parallel fabric I cause the warp threads to
rise and fall differentially, notwithstanding the complete shoot or throw
of the shuttle, it follows that a tapering fabric will be produced capable
ultimately, when drawn off from the loom, of presenting a curvilinear
outline and surface of fabric, which would if continued meet end to end,
or which might otherwise be received by conical take-off rollers. The
arrangement of the harness of the loom and the piercing of the
jacquard will enable any series or number of threads of warp to be
drawn within the operation of the shuttle, leaving all other warp
threads of the series free from the influence of the shuttle thread,
woof, or weft, consequently it must follow that by throwing (by
differential degrees of shoot) the shuttle across different portions of
the race actuated by the jacquard, a curvilinear, elliptical, or dome-.
shaped fabric will of necessity be produced.
.
In this construction of loom it is of course necessary that the threads
of warp should be on reels in what is termed a "frame loom," and not
on a beam of warp where the warp is drawn off in a continuous sheet or
layer in equal lengths, but it is equally easy for the jacquard to operate
freely on all these independent threads and control the manufacture of
the tapering fabric..
:
Moreover, assuming that a pattern should be required on the fabric,
it is easy to apply stripes of color in the warp threads to make either
a border or margin around the 'fabric, because it must be borne in mind.
that the warp forms the curvilinear or elliptical curve of the fabric and
that therefore any stripe may be arranged in the threads...
It now remains to describe the method of the take-off roller and the
feeding roller, the latter supplying the position of the ordinary beam
(referred to previously). The feed roller is therefore made conical or of
any differential curve required. The apex of the cone being considered

page_text: as unity: the base may be easily calculated in accordance with the
diameter of the cover required, but not only so; the varying curves
may be determined throughout the manufacture, and consequently the
jacquard, the feed, and take-off rollers, being regulated in their due
proportions the work will come off and be delivered in perfect unison
throughout.
...
But I also propose to manufacture a similar fabric or cover by means of
a circular loom arranged in a peculiar and novel manner. I make the
shuttle pass across a double series of warps by means of rising and falling
shuttle boxes or equivalents thereto. I then weave a circular fabric, but
gradually taper it away into the conical or taper form, or the differential
form, as required; this is easily arranged by the warp threads being
either increased or divided, leaving the shuttle or shuttles to traverse
the warp freely.
The fabric or cover having been produced I propose to unite it in the
first case by any suitable means, such as sewing, but prefer in some
cases to apply an elastic union, but in the second example no union
would be required, because the circular loom will make the fabric
complete or tubular, and without any selvage to be united. The fabric
or cover is then to be adjusted to the frame and stick of the umbrella or
parasol.
My Invention therefore further consists in forming (either by the
loom or by addition of fabric or india-rubber as a washer at the
circular open apex of the cover) a thickened ring which will act as a
strengthening piece or pad, but other equivalent means may be adopted.
I then apply the metal top, by means of a screw thread, to the stick or
handle, having first placed the cover over the ferrule, by these means the
screw cap will compress the open apex of the cover on to a metal or
other hard base, and secure it firmly in position. It then becomes
necessary to secure the periphery of the fabric to the extremity of the
ribs; this I propose to effect by means of elastic strips and open and
closing spring fastenings, or by means of split steel rings or bands.
The elastic strips or fabric could be made to pass through small rings,
eyelets, or loops in the periphery of the cover, and being attached to the
rings could be drawn out, let over the tips of the ribs and would retreat
so as to secure the cover to the ribs. So also to secure the intermediate

page_text: portion of the cover to the ribs, where the stretchers are united, I
propose, if necessary, to apply to the cover, or to the rib or stretcher, an
open spring snap capable of securing one portion to the other; but
whatever fastenings may be employed it will be obvious that by the
manufacture of the cover described it may be applied to or removed f
from the frame or another substituted at will, in accordance with the
requirements of the time.