Certain Improvements in Runners for Umbrellas and Sunshades.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Oct., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 15th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 27th Apr.,
1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in Runners for Umbrellas and Sunshades.
We, CHARLES WOOD, of Halewood Villa, Blenheim Road, Moseley, Birming-
ham, Metal Merchant and Manufacturer, and ALFRED ERNEST BUSBY of
142, Bristol Road, Birmingham, aforesaid, Manufacturer do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to runners for umbrellas and sunshades and consists
in constructing the said runners as herein described so as to grip or otherwise
engage with the stick and maintain the umbrella or sunshade closed or opened and
thus enable the usual catches on the stick to be dispensed with.
It is to be understood that by the word "stick we include not only those
sticks which being made of wood are properly so called, but also those sticks
which are metal tubes or otherwise made of metal or other substances.
We will describe our said invention in connection with an umbrella.
An umbrella runner constructed according to this invention is made with two
limbs which spring from a ring like part at one end, say at the bottom end of
the runner, and extend upwardly to the top of the same, one of the said limbs
being rather longer than the other and each limb terminating in a separate ring
like part the top ring like end of the one limb being immediately below the top
ring like end of the other limb. The usual "notch" to which the ends of the
stretchers are jointed is fixed to or formed with the top ring like end of the longer
limb.
When the runner is not on the stick the outer ring like ends of the limbs
spring apart so that to place the runner on the stick the outer ring like ends have to
be squeezed together so as to permit of the stick being threaded through both and
then when the limbs are released their tendency to spring apart causes their upper
ring like ends to grip the stick. In those parts of the stick corresponding with
the positions of the runner when the umbrella is closed or opened we provide a
cross slot or hole or groove or projection with which the upper ring like end of
one of the limbs (preferably the shorter limb) snaps to maintain the umbrella if
fully opened or closed. To disengage the runner from its hold in the slot groove
hole or projection the two limbs have merely to be squeezed together when the
runner will be free to be moved along the stick.
Instead of the." notch" being fixed to or formed with the outer ring like end of
the longer limb as above described the runner may be turned upside down and the
"notch" fixed to or formed with the other ring like end from which the two limbs
spring.
Dated this 27th day of October 1904
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: Certain Improvements in Runners for Umbrellas and Sunshades.
We, CHARLES WOOD, of Halewood Villa, Blenheim Road, Moseley, Birming
ham, Metal Merchant and Manufacturer, and ALFRED ERNEST BUSBY, of
142, Bristol Road, Birmingham, aforesaid, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has reference to runners for umbrellas and sunshades and consists
in constructing the said runners as herein described so as to grip or otherwise
engage with the stick and maintain the umbrella or sunshade closed or opened and
thus enable the usual catches on the stick to be dispensed with.
It is to be understood that by the word "stick we include not only those sticks
which being made of wood are properly so called, but also those sticks which are
metal tubes or otherwise made of metal or other substances.
We will describe our said invention in connection with an umbrella but it is to
be understood that our invention is equally applicable to sunshades.
Our invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings on which Fig. 1 is an
elevation of an umbrella runner constructed according to this invention threadel
on the stick Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional elevations of the same Fig. 2 shewing the
runner engaging with the stick as when the umbrella is closed and Fig. 3 shewing
how the two portions of the runner have to be squeezed together to release the
runner from the stick when opening or closing the umbrella; Fig. 4 is a sectional
plan on line X X of Fig. 2; Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional elevations of a modification
of our invention, and Figs. 7, 8 and 9 illustrate a further modification.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the
figures.
Referring firstly more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 an umbrella runner
constructed according to this invention is made of brass or other suitable metal
and has two limbs marked respectively A and B which spring from and are formed
with a ring like part C at one end, say at the bottom end, of the runner and extend
upwardly the limb A being rather longer than the other limb B and each limb
terminating in a separate ring like part marked respectively a 6! the top ring like
end 61 of the limb B being immediately below the top ring like end a' of the other
limb A. The usual "notch" D to which the ends of the stretchers are jointed is fixed
to or formed with the top ring like end a' of the longer limb A. The ring like
part of the shorter limb B is in this example of our invention made to surround
the longer limb A and has an inner projection which passes through a hole a in
the limb A so as to engage with the stick D as hereinafter described to maintain the
umbrella closed or open. For convenience of manufacture the upper ring like part b¹
of the limb B has part of the limb B made with it as shewn in Fig. 1 separate
from the other part of the limb B which is formed with the ring C, the edges ³ of
the part formed with the ring & being closed over the edges of the part which is
formed with the ring C so as to connect the two parts of the limb B together.
the limb B and its ring b¹ may be made in one piece.
Or
The tendency of the limbs A B is to spring apart so that in order to place the
ruuner on the stick E the two limbs have first to be squeezed towards each other
as shewn in Fig. 3 so as to bring the inner projection 6 about flush with the inside
of the limb A and permit of the stick being threaded through the ring like ends of
both the limbs A B; then when the limbs A B are released their tendency to
spring apart causes the inner projection of the upper ring like part 1 to enter a
cross slot or hole or engage with a projection which may be arranged in various
ways upon the stick at those parts corresponding with the positions of the runner

page_text: when the umbrella is closed or opened. We may for instance make a longitudinal
groove such as e¹ in the stick from the position of the runner when the umbrella
is closed to the position of the runner when the umbrella is open this groove
having an inclined staple like piece f in it near the end corresponding with the
position of the runner when the umbrella is closed and against which the inner
projection 6 of the shorter limb B will snap as shewn in Fig. 2 to maintain the
umbrella closed. The groove e has another similar inclined staple like piece in
he upper end of the groove corresponding with the position of the runner when
the umbrella is open and above which the inuer projection of the limb snaps to
maintain the runner in this position to disengage the runner from its hold on the
stick to open or close the umbrella the two limbs A B having merely to be
squeezed together as shewn in Fig. 3 when the runner will be free to be moved
along the stick.
Instead of the notch D for the stretchers being fixed to or formed with the
outer ring like end a' of the longer limb A as above described the runner may as
shewn in Figs. 5 and 6 be turned upside down and the notch D be fixed or formed
with the other ring like end C from which the two limbs A B spring.
In the modification of our invention shewn by Figs. 7, 8 and 9 the longer limb A
does not pass through the ring like end of the shorter limb B but is all together
outside the same the ring like end being adapted to snap into a cross slot g in
the stick E when the umbrella is closed and into a similar cross slot at the upper
end of the stick when the umbrella is opened.
The accompanying drawings illustrate what we consider to be the best way of
carrying our invention into practice but it is to be understood that our invention is
not limited to the precise details shewn.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
"
1. The herein described improved runner for umbrellas and sunshades made with
two limbs which tend to spring apart, one of said limbs terminating in the
"9
notch for the stretchers and the other limb terminating in a ring below the
"notch" and formed to engage with the stick when the umbrella or sunshade is
fully opened or closed, the said limbs being so constructed that when pressed
towards each other the runner will be disengaged from the stick and free to be
moved along the same, and when the limbs are released their tendency to spring
from each other will cause one of the limbs to be ready to engage with the stick
when the umbrella or sunshade is fully opened or closed, substantially as herein-
before described with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 and Figs. 7 and 8 of the
accompanying drawings.
2. The herein described improved runner for umbrellas and sunshades made with
two limbs which tend to spring apart and which extend downwardly from the
"notch" for the stretchers, one of the said limbs terminating in a ring like part
adapted to engage with the stick when the umbrella or sunshade is fully open or
closed, the said limbs being so constructed that when pressed towards each other
the runner will be disengaged from the stick and free to be moved along the
same, aud when the limbs are released their tendency to spring from each other
will cause one of the limbs to be ready to engage with the stick when the
umbrella or sunshade is fully opened or closed, substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to Fig. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of March 1895.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.