AN IMPROVED FOLDING FRAME, DESIGNED FOR UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, TENTS, AWNINGS, SUNBLINDS. AND OTHER ANALOGOUS. STRUCTURES
Year: 1860

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED FOLDING FRAME, DESIGNED FOR UMBRELLAS,
PARASOLS, TENTS, AWNINGS, SUNBLINDS. AND OTHER ANALOGOUS. STRUCTURES."
A communication from abroad by L. K. Selden, of Haddam, in the
County of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, United States. of
America.
Sealed the 29th June 1860, and dated the 27th January 1860..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th January 1860.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED FOLDING FRAME, DESIGNED FOR UMBRELLAS,
PARASOLS, TENTS, AWNINGS, SUNBLINDS, AND OTHER ANALOGOUS STRUCTURES," to be
as follows:
The object of this Invention is to obtain a frame which will fold within a
comparatively small compass, and allow the article to which it is applied to
be closed in a compact form, either for convenience of transportation or porta-

page_text: bility, so that when not in use it will occupy but small space. The stick or
handle of the umbrella or the upright standard of the other structures is pro-
vided with a slide, to which the stretchers or arms are attached. The stick or
standard is divided into two parts, which slide one in the other, and are con-
nected by a joint; the ribs are attached to the cover, and are short, extending
about half way between the edge of the cover and the upper end of the handle
or standard; other stretchers are provided, the outer ends of which are pivoted
to the ribs at a short distance from their upper ends; the inner ends of the
stretchers are pivoted to the slide. To the upper ends of the ribs braces are
pivoted, and the inner ends of these braces are pivoted to diagonal braces or
arms. The upper ends of the stick or upright standard and the lower ends of
the said braces are pivoted to the stretchers. The ribs are firmly supported and
kept properly in place by the stretchers and braces, and the ribs are distended
and closed by raising and lowering the slide. When the ribs are closed, the
upper or central portion of the cover folds within the outer portion, the braces
fold iuward. When the slide is raised and the ribs and cover are distended, no
catch is required to hold the slide in proper place, for the braces are brought
nearly in line, and consequently the strain or thrust acts upon the braces
nearly in line with their points. To close the umbrella or frame, therefore, all
that is required is merely to draw down the slide a trifle, and the braces being
thereby thrown out of line, the ribs will readily fold.
Inadapting the Invention to tents, the central vertical standard which corre
sponds to the stick or handle of the umbrella, and which part forms the pole of
the tent, may be constructed of metal in tubular form and in sections, so that
one part may slide within the other, similar to a telescope tube. This hollow
pole may serve the purpose of a flue, when necessary. The lower end of the
central pole or standard is driven in the ground, and a curtain is attached
to the edge of the cover to form the sides of the tent, the lower edge of the
curtain being secured to the earth in any proper way.
In applying the Invention to an awning attached to a building, the braces
are attached permanently to the building. The frames constituting the Inven-
tion being placed side by side at suitable distances apart instead of being
attached radially to a central stick or pole. The inner ends of the stretchers
are cemented to a suitable tackle and are fitted each on a guide rod.
operating the tackle the frame may be folded or extended.
By

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 27th July 1860.
SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chaucery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
me,
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
the said William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said
William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 Inven-
tion for AN IMPROVED FOLDING FRAME, DESIGNED FOR UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS.
TENTS, AWNINGS. SUNBLINDS, AND OTHER ANALOGOUS STRUCTURES," being a com-
munication from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that 1, the said
William Edward Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention of an improved folding frame designed for
umbrellas, parasols, tents, awnings, sunblinds, and other analogous purposes,
is to obtain a frame which will fold within a comparatively small compass, and
allow the article to which it is applied to be closed in a compact form, either
for convenience of transportation or portability, so that when not in use it
will occupy but a small space.
In the accompanying Drawing, Figures 1 and 2 represent the Invention

page_text: applied to an umbrella or parasol; Figure 3 represents it applied to a tent;
aud Figure 4, as applied to an awning at the front of a building.
A, Figures 1 and 2, is the handle or stick of an umbrella or parasol; this
stick or handle is provided with a slide B, and is jointed at a, the joint being
constructed in any proper way; C is the cover, to which the ribs D are
attached. These ribs extend about half way between the edge of the cover
aud the upper end of the handle or stick. Other stretchers E are provided,
the outer ends of which are pivoted to the ribs D, at a short distance from
their upper ends. The inner ends of the stretchers E are pivoted to the slide
B. To the upper ends of the ribs D, braces F are pivoted, and the inner ends
of these braces are pivoted at 6 to the diagonal braces or arms G. The upper
end of the stick or haudle A and the lower ends of the braces G are pivoted
to the stretchers F..
From the above description of parts it will be scen that the ribs D are
firinly supported and kept properly in place by the stretchers E and braces
F, G, and that the ribs are distended and closed by raising and lowering the
slide B. When the ribs are closed, the upper or central portion of the cover
folds within the outer portion, as shown in Figure 2, and the braces F, G, are
folded inward. When the slide B is raised, and the ribs D and cover C are
distended, no catch is required to hold the slide in proper place, for the braces
F, G, are brought nearly in line, and consequently the strain or thrust acts
upon the braces nearly in line with their points. To close the umbrella or
frame, all that is required is merely to draw down the slide a trifle, and the
braces being thereby thrown out of line, the ribs will readily fold. Another
advantage besides dispensing with the usual catch is, that the cover cannot
be blown by the wind inside out, as is frequently the case with ordinary
umbrellas. When the wind acts forcibly against the inner side, the braces
F,G,will be thrown out of line with each other, and they will fold inward,
leaving the wind to act against the loose centre portion of the cover. The
slide B may be immediately raised, so as to again distend the ribs.
The ribs D may be constructed of metal, whalebone, or cane, and the
stretchers and braces may be constructed of metal..
The Invention may be applied to a tent, as seen in Figure 3, without any
material modification. The dimensions of the parts are of course increased
according to the size required, but the same parts are used and designated by
the same letters, with the exception of the part A', which corresponds to the
stick or handle of the umbrella, and which part forms the pole of the tent.
This part A' may be constructed of metal in a tubular form and in sections, so

page_text: that one part may slide within the other, similar to a telescope tube. This
hollow pole may serve the purpose of a flue, when necessary. The lower end
of the pole A¹ is driven in the ground, and a curtain B' is attached to the edge
of the cover C to form the sides of the tent, the lower edge of the curtain
being secured to the earth in any convenient manner.
In applying the Invention to an awning attached to a building, as shown in
Figure 4, the braces G are attached permanently to the building H, the frames
constituting theInvention being placed side by side at suitable distancesapart,
instead of being attached radially to a central stick or pole, as shown in
Figures 1, 2, and 3. The inner ends of the stretchers E are cemented to a
suitable tackle I, and these ends are fitted each on a guide rod J. By operating
the tackle I, the frame may be folded, as shown in red, or distended, as shown
in black.
Having now described the Invention that has been communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, and having explained the manner of carrying the
same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as
aforesaid, the mode herein set forth of constructing frames for umbrellas,
parasols, tents, awnings, sunblinds, and other analogous purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)