IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Corder, of the Firm of Corder and Turley, of
Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Manufacturers, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS."
Partly a communication from abroad by Alfred Sutton, of Paris, in the Republic
of France
Sealed the 15th July 1879, and dated the 12th February 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Corder at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th February 1879.
WILLIAM CORDER, of the Firm of Corder and Turley, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS." [Partly a cominunication from abroad by Alfred
Sutton, of Paris, in the Republic of France.]
The said Invention relates to those parts of umbrellas and parasols by which the
stretchers are jointed to the ribs of the umbrellas and parasols, and the said Inven-
tion consists of the improvements hereinafter described in the said parts, whereby
great strength and efficiency in action of the said parts are secured.
I will describe the said Invention in connection with an umbrella.
The connection of the stretchers of an umbrella with the ribs is effected by means
of forks on the ends of the stretchers jointed to projecting pieces on the ribs, the said
projecting pieces being commonly called middle bits. According to this Invention
the stretcher is made of solid wire. On the end of the stretcher a two pronged
fork of sheet metal is fixed, but the extreme end of the stretcher, which is flattened,
projects between the two prongs of the sheet metal fork, thus forming a third prong.
The middle bit is formed of sheet metal, and is fixed on the rib by pressure as usual.
The projecting parts of the middle bit are not in contact as in the ordinary middle
bit, but are separated a sufficient distance to permit the middle prong of the
stretcher fork passing between them. In the finished joint the several parts have
the following relative positions. The two projections or ears of the middle bit
occupy respectively the spaces between the outer prongs of the fork and the middle
Die S37

page_text: prong, the said middle prong occupying the space between the two ears or projec-
tions of the middle bit. The parts are secured together by a rivetted pin or axis
of the ordinary kind. The blank from which the middle bit is made is cut away at
the middle of that part by which it is attached to the rib, so that when the said
part is closed around the rib the tubular attachment formed is open at its middle.
By this method of construction the curvature of the rib which takes place when the
umbrella is open has no tendency to loosen the middle bit.
It is preferred to employ solid ribs as well as solid stretchers, but the said Inven-
tion-may-be-carried-into-effect-with-hollow as well as with solid ribs. The stretchers
-must-however-in-all-cases-be-solid..
The application of the said Invention to parasols, differs in no essential respect
from its application-to-umbrellas, as-herein-before described.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Corder in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 4th August
1879.
WILLIAM CORDER, of the Firm of Corder and Turley, of Birmingham, in the
County of Warwick, Manufacturers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS." Partly a communication from abroad by Alfred
Sutton, of Paris, in the Republic of France.
The said Invention relates to those parts of umbrellas and parasols by which the
stretchers are jointed to the ribs of the umbrellas and parasols, and the said Inven-
tion consists of the improvements herein after described in the said parts, whereby
great strength and, efficiency in action of the parts are secured.
I will describe the said Invention in connection with an umbrella.
The connection of the stretchers of an umbrella with the ribs is effected by means
of forks on the ends of the stretchers jointed to projecting pieces on the ribs, the
said projecting pieces being commonly called "middle bits."
According to this Invention the stretcher is made of solid wire. On the end of
the stretcher a two pronged fork of sheet metal is fixed, but the extreme end of the
stretcher, which is flattened, projects between the two. prongs of the sheet metal
fork, thus forming a third prong. The middle bit is formed of sheet metal, and is
fixed on the rib by pressure as usual. The projecting parts of the middle bit are
not in contact as in ordinary middle bit, but are separated a sufficient distance to
permit the middle prong of the stretcher fork passing between them. In the
finished joints the several parts have the following relative positions. The two
projections or ears of the middle bit occupy respectively the spaces between the
outer prongs of the fork and the middle prong, the said middle prong occupying the
space between the two ears or projections of the middle bit. The parts are secured
together by a rivetted pin or axis of the ordinary kind.
The blank from which the middle bit is made is cut away at the middle of that
part by which it is attached to the rib, so that when the said part is closed around
the rib, the tubular attachment formed is open at its middle. By this method of
construction the curvature of the rib which takes place when the umbrella is open
has no tendency to loosen the middle bit.
It is preferred to employ solid ribs as well as solid stretchers, but the said Inven-.
tion may be carried into effect with hollow as well as with solid ribs. The stretchers
must however in all cases be solid.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which the said Invention may be carried into effect.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation and front elevation a portion of a solid rib
and a solid stretcher, the joint of the said rib and stretcher being made according to
this Invention; Figure 2 represents in front and side elevation the three pronged
fork and the end of the stretcher; and Figure 3 represents the rib with its middle
bit before the fork; Figure 2 is jointed to it. The other Figures represent the
blanks and detached parts of the joint and rib.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawing.
a is the stretcher made of solid wire, having at its end a fork provided with three
prongs, marked respectively a, b, c. The three pronged fork a, b, c, consists of the
middle prong c made solid to the end of the stretcher, and the outer prongs a, b,
made from sheet metal, the said sheet metal fork a, b, being fixed to the end of the
stretcher. The two outer prongs a, b, of the fork are situated on opposite sides of
the middle prong e, as represented. The middle prong c is made by flattening the
extreme end of the solid stretcher a, and piercing the said flattened end for the
joint pin, as represented in Figure 4, and the outer prongs a, b, are made by taking
the pierced blank of sheet metal represented in Figure 5, and doubling it longitu-

page_text: dinally at its middle, so as to produce a fork a, b, having a trough or semi-circular
part d at its end, as represented in Figure 6.
The fork, Figure 6, is fixed to the end of the stretcher by closing the trough part
d upon the stretcher by dies and pressure.
The middle bit e, e, f,f,on the solid rib_g_is_made_by_doubling_the_sheet_metal
blank, Figure 7, into the trough form represented in Figure 8. The middle bit is
fixed to the rib-g by closing the trough-parts ff, by dies and pressure around
the said rib.g, and on either side-the-shoulder or projection.h on the rib, Figure 9,
-as-represented-in-Figures-1-and-3,-a-piercing-ati in the middle bit passing over the
said shoulder h, so that when the middle bit is closed upon the rib, the tubular
attachment at fis open at its middle, as represented. By this arrangement there
is no tendency in the middle bit to become loose by the curvature of the rib when
the umbrella is opened.
Although it is preferred to make the shoulder or projection on the rib at that
part of the rib where the opening i in the middle bit is situated, so that the shoulder
may project into the said opening i, yet a plain rib or a rib without the shoulder h
may be employed.
It will be seen by referring to Figure 3 that the projecting ears e, e, of the middle
bit are separated a sufficient distance to permit the middle prong c of the stretcher
fork to pass between them.
In jointing the stretcher a to the rib g, the middle prong c of the stretcher fork
is placed between the ears e, e, of the middle bit, and the outer prongs a, b, made to
embrace the outer sides of the said ears e, e, as represented in Figure 1, where it
will be seen that the two cars e, e, of the middle bit occupy respectively the spaces
between the outer prongs a, b, and the middle prong c of the fork, and the said
middle prong c occupies the space between the two ears or projections of the middle
bit. After the parts of the joint have been thus engaged together, a pin or axis k
is passed through the engaged parts, and rivetted as represented. The jointing of
the stretcher to the rib is thereby completed.
A hollow or trough rib may be used instead of the solid rib represented.
The application of the said Invention to parasols differs in no essential respect
from its application to umbrellas herein before described, and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawing.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as the
said Invention of improvements in the manufacture of umbrellas and parasols,―
Jointing solid stretchers of umbrellas and parasols to solid or hollow or trough
ribs of the said umbrellas and parasols in the manner herein before described, and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing, that is to say, making on the end of the
solid stretcher a three pronged fork, consisting of a middle prong, made solid to or in
one piece with the stretcher, and two outer prongs made from sheet metal and
connected to the end of the stretcher, substantially as described and illustrated, and
engaging the three pronged fork with and jointing it to an open middle bit fixed
on the rib, substantially as described and illustrated. Also; perforating or cutting-
away the tubular part of the middle bit, for the purpose and substantially as
described, and illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Corder, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this First day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand