IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Stallard, of Mark Lane, in the City
of London, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS
AND PARASOLS."
Sealed the 28th April 1863, and dated the 3rd November 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Stallard
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd November 1862.
I, WILLIAM HENRY STALLARD, of Mark Lane, in the City of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in umbrellas and parasols relates to a novel
mode of constructing these articles so that an umbrella may be readily converted
into a walking stick. The several parts are also so combined and arranged
that they will, when collapsed, occupy a much smaller space than when
constructed in the ordinary manner. For this reason an umbrella may be
made to assume the appearance of a walking stick of ordinary dimensions,
instead of presenting a thick & clumsy appearance, as heretofore.
In carrying out my Invention, the ribs are jointed at their inner ends to a
fixed crown piece, or to the upper part of a cylindrical cage, in which works a
runner, to which the stretchers are jointed at one end, their other ends being
jointed in any convenient manner to the ribs. The runner may be moved up
and down in its cage by means of a central pin or spindle, which projects down
through a tube which forms the lower continuation of the cage, so that by
pulling down the runner the ribs will be thrust outward, and the umbrella

page_text: expanded. The cylindrical cage is grooved or cut out, so that the ribs and
stretchers when collapsed may lie close in the grooves or recesses thereby
provided for them. The "stick" of the umbrella or parasol is made re-
moveable at pleasure from the other part, for which reason one end of it is
tapped with a screw, so that it may be adapted to the article by being screwed
on to the tubular continuation of the cage. The "stick" is made hollow, and
the handle or upper part of it is made to screw off and on for the purpose of
obtaining access to the interior. When the article is not required to be used
as an umbrella or parasol, the stick may be unscrewed from the cylindrical
cage, and then the umbrella or parasol, with its ribs and stretchers, may be
folded up close into a very thin and narrow compass, and in that form may be
introduced into the tubular stick, the upper part or handle having been
previously removed for the purpose. The ferule or point of the umbrella may
serve as the ferule of the walking stick, and when this ferule and upper part
or handle of the stick are secured in their places, the article will have all the
appearance of, and will not be thicker in dimensions than an ordinary walking
stick.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Henry Stallard in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd May 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
HENRY STALLARD, of Mark Lane, in the City of London, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Henry Stallard, Her special licence that I, the said William
Henry Stallard, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Henry Stallard, 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, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Henry Stallard, my executors or administrators,

page_text: by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the 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
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Henry Stallard, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :—
This Invention relates to umbrellas and parasols, and consists of a novel
mode of constructing these articles, whereby the same are combined with a
walking stick, so that when shut up the stick forms the umbrella case. The
peculiarity of this Invention is that the stick upon which the umbrella is
opened also forms the case in which it is contained. This hollow stick or
shaft is closed at one end with a ferrule, and at the other end fitted with a
handle, which opens upon a hinge, and is fastened and secured when closed
by a lock snap and spring knob, or by a rotary collar with a groove and slot,
or any other suitable means. The umbrella frame and cover is made without
any shaft or stick of its own, and thus folds when collapsed into a very small
compass, and occupies a much smaller space than when constructed in the
usual way with a centre shaft and rumers. By this improvement a case of
the size of an ordinary walking stick is sufficiently large to contain all the
other portion of the umbrella, and forms the stick for mounting it upon when
opened out for use.
Another improvement consists in the peculiar mode in which I form and
fix the shoulders of the ribs and stretcher frames to further economise the space
occupied when folded np. To effect this improvement I attach the shoulders
of the ribs and stretchers to fixed and running rings in the inside of a
cylindrical cage, the side bars of which are equal in length or a little longer
than the run of the stretcher ring which works therein. I shape the ribs and
stretchers, from their shoulder rings in this cage to the stretcher joints, so, that
the one encloses the other when the frame is closed or folded. Those portions
of the ribs and stretchers which fold one within the other fall in and lie between
the bars of the cage together, and thus occupy a very small space when
folded. The top of this cage is formed into a ferrule, and the bottom into a
cylinder or hollow stem; through this stem a spindle is passed into the cage,
where it is attached to the stretcher ring, which it actuates for opening or
closing the frame. The umbrella stick or case at the ferrule end has an
opening made through it longitudinally, in which opening a metal pipe, with

page_text: a groove cut in the inside, is fixed. The lower end of the spindle, which
passes down through the hollow stem of the cage, is cranked or turned
outwards, so as to project a little beyond the side of the said stem; and, when
it is required to fix the umbrella frame to the top of the stick or case for use,
the cage stem is passed down the metal pipe, the groove in which is traversed
by the projection or cranked end of the stem spindle to the bottom, where,
having passed entirely through and out of the groove, by a half turn on one
side, the spindle is secured in the stick. The spindle is either notched or
indented to receive the ends of spring lever stops, fitted in, and having
studs passing through the sides of the hollow stem of the cage into the said
notches or indentations of the spindle, for keeping the umbrella frame open
or closed as required. To open this umbrella the hand is passed between the
covered frame and stick, the lever stop is released, and the cage and ribs
pushed up while the stretcher ring remains stationary. A modification of this
mode of fitting the frames and the stretchers may be obtained by making the
cage to fix to the stick; and the spindle moveable.
Another modification of my said improvements consists in forming an
umbrella case, as before described, and fixing at the ferrule end a small spindle,
which spindle I enclose by a moveable ferrule when used as a walking stick.
I now form the umbrella simply with two small common double-flanged rings
of the ordinary construction, except that they have small short cylinders
attached, and these cylinders or rings are bored so as to fit on to the spindle
fixed to the end of the case or stick herein described, and which spindle is
fitted with spring catches for securing the rings in position both when opened
and closed. The under or stretcher ring is formed with two small eyes at the
sides, and fitted with suitable pull-wires, or strands or cords of silk, catgut, or
any other material, by which the frame is opened. In putting up this
umbrella it is only necessary to remove the loose ferrule from the spindle at
the end of the case, take out the frame (umbrella), and pass the case into the
frame (the stretchers acting as guides) till the spindle enters and traverses
the cylinder rings of the stretchers and frames. The rib ring fixes itself by a
snap, and the cord or strand attached to the stretcher ring being then pulled,
the stretchers expand and open the frame. The frame is held open by a
spring in the usual way.
By preference I make the stick cases of these umbrellas of "ebonite,"
bleached or colored, and polished, as required; or I form the same by turning
and boring ordinary walking sticks or canes, or use any ligneous, or vegetable,
or other natural or artificial substance or material available or suitable for
the purpose.

page_text: EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWING.
Fig. 1 shews an umbrella of my improved construction opened for use;
Fig. 2, the same enclosed in the case, which now forms a walking stick;
Fig. 3, an enlarged plan of the cage, full size; Fig. 4 shews the mode of
forming the improved rib, and rib and stretcher joints; Fig. 5 is an enlarged
plan, shewing the fixed spindle construction, Figs. 1 & 2, full size; Fig. 6,
the frame and cover, as folded when put into the case.
The following letters of reference apply to Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5, & 6:-
a, the umbrella case; b, the hinged handle, opening upon a joint at 1; c, the
fixed spindle, secured in the end of the case by a plug and pins, as shewn at
Fig. 5, or by screwing or otherwise; d, the moveable ferrule; 2, the spring
catch, by which the said ferrule, and also the rib ring, is held in the required
position; e, e, the ribs; k, k, the stretchers; f, the rib ring; 9, the stretcher
ring; h, h, the strands or pulls for expanding the frame; these pulls are loops,
the ends of which are attached to the eyes, one on each side of the runner
ring, as shewn at i, i; k, k, the stretchers.
The following letters of reference apply to Fig. 3-a is the cylindrical
cage, of which b, b, b, b, are the side bars, inside of which the rib and stretcher
rings are fitted; c, c, c, ribs; d, d, d, the stretchers; e, the hollow shank,
opening between the side bars; and f, f. f, slots cut in the bottom of the cage,
into which the ribs and stretchers fit when the frame is shut up; g, the
spindle; h, the cranked end thereof, which traverses the groove in the metal
ring i, inserted in the end of the case ;, when this modification in the con-
struction is adopted.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature and object of my said
Invention, and the means whereby the same may be carried into effect,
I would further declare that, although I do not restrict myself to the use of
ebonite or vulcanite, I claim the use of that material for the formation of
umbrella, parasol, and other like sticks and cases.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Stallard, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of May, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-three.
WILLIAM H. STALLARD. (L.S.)