Improvements in or relating to Umbrellas, Parasols, and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 5th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 13th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 24th Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Umbrellas, Parasols, and the like.
A communication from BERNHARD MEYER, Merchant, of Serkowitz, Dresden,
Saxony, Empire of Germany.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of 323, 'High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows :-
The ribs and stays of an umbrella or parasol frame have hitherto been secured
respectively to the fixed sleeve at the upper end of the stick and to the lose sleeve
or runner at the lower end of the stick in the well-known manner, so that the joints
can pivot freely on their pins; namely, that the forked ends of the ribs and stays
having been pierced with eyes are inserted in radial slits or notches cut at regular
intervals in a ring on the sleeve, and that a circular metallic wire is passed through
them all, forming for all alike a hinge-bolt or pivot, on which they are securely
attached to the sleeve. This mode of fastening can lay no claim to reliability and
durability, because the metallic wire ring very rapidly works loose and frequently
enough breaks; and as regards security from lateral fluctuation there can hardly
be any question that there is none.
This invention is devised to get rid of all such defects and is carried out in the
following manner.
On the jointed ends of the ribs are formed spherical heads preferably by
mechanical means such as by upsetting or pressing, between which and the stem of
the ribs an enlarged or strengthened piece may be interposed.
The sleeve carries a flange in which corresponding to the number of the ribs to
be inserted and movably secured, semi-spherical hollows or recesses are formed at
regular intervals, which can be done with rapidity and cheapness by the process of
stamping. Corresponding recesses are formed in the flat ring which is screwed or
rivetted to the flange in such manner that the semi-spherical hollows or recesses
coincide to form a hollow sphere in which the spherical heads of the ribs are
enclosed before the ring is secured to the flange. The ribs are thus fixed with a
ball-joint, but their movement is limited to one radial plane only, respectively, by
slots which are cut in the under part of the periphery, and act as guides to the
enlarged prismatic pieces.
In order to permit the removal of broken ribs and the substitution of new ribs
in their place, without any necessity for releasing the attach nent of the other parts
of the frame, the annular covering disc or ring may be composed of a sufficient
number of distinct parts or sectors, each of which can be separately attached to or
detached from the flange.
All that has herein before been described for fixing the ribs to the fixed sleeve
applies equally to the jointing of the stays to the runner or loose sleeve; only that
in this case, in consequence of the plane of movement lying above the sleeve instead
of as in the preceding case below it, the radial slots are preferably cut in the upper
part of the periphery of the ball-joint.
Dated this 5th day of June 1894.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Of London, Nottingham, Liverpool, and Manchester,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Umbrellas, Parasols, and the like.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn London 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 :-
My present invention relates to improvements in or relating to umbrellas,
parasols, and the like, and has for object to improve the manner of fastening the
wires forming the frame of the umbrella or parasol, to the stick or handle.
Hitherto it has been customary to use fixed and sliding ferrules with a grooved
flange, having notches, in which the inner ends of the umbrella wires are fastened
by means of wire passed round the grooved flange and through small holes made in
the end of the umbrella wires which are usually flattened a little for the purpose.
This system is unsatisfactory, in that, owing to the manner of opening the umbrella
not always being the same and to the inner ends of the wires being only insecurely
held, said ends gradually get loose and the frame begins to swing about to the
detriment of the umbrella cover. Again, the wire holding the inner ends of the
umbrella wires in the notches of the ferrules quickly gets rusty and breaks, causing
the ends of the wires to tear through the upper part of the cover, and, in any case,
said wire offers very little resistance to the turning of the umbrella in a strong
wind.
I remove these disadvantages by doing away with wire fastenings altogether,
and, in order to make my invention more readily understood, I will describe same
with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :
Fig. 1 is an elevation of an umbrella frame.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the upper or fixed ferrule showing the fastenings.
Fig. 3 is a cross section of Fig. 2.
0
Fig. 4 is a plan view of the lower or sliding ferrule showing the fastenings.
Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of Fig. 4.
A is the upper or fixed ferrule and B the lower or sliding ferrule to which the
cover supporting wires d and stay wires d' are fastened respectively.
Instead of providing the lower part of the upper or fixed ferrule A with a
grooved and notched Hange as heretofore, I provide same with a flange half of
which is flat, as at a, and the other half made to form a raised curve, a little less
than a semi-circle, as at a'. Rivetted or attached in any other suitable way to the
flange above mentioned, is an annular flange piece a² whose outer edge a³ is
depressed in a curve so as to form with the raised curve at a circular space or
socket c¹.
In the circular space or socket thus formed, I insert the inner ends of the wires d
before the flange a and the under annular flange piece a² are fastened together, and,
in order that said inuer ends of the wires d may be held securely in said circular
space or socket and yet be able to move freely in same, I provide the former with
a small round head or ball c so as to form with the circular space or socket c¹ a
ball and socket joint.
In order that the wires may freely move up and down as the umbrella is opened
or closed, I provide the socket or circular space with a slot 6 of the necessary
length, and, by making that part of the ends of the wires which engages with the
sides of the slot, square, so as to leave little play between the sides of the wire and
sides of the slot, I obtain much more rigidity in, and, consequently, greater
durability of the frame. In this way a swinging or loose movement of the frame
on the stick and which loosens the wires and soon renders the umbrella useless, is
impossible.
My ball and socket fastening offers a further advantage over existing fastenings,
in that, when the cover supporting wires are opened out, the inner ends engage

page_text: with the upper ends of the slot in the socket, and, in case of strong wind, the socket
thus offers a certain resistance to the turning of the umbrella and renders the frame
altogether stronger.
In the under or sliding ferrule B the annular flange piece a³ is placed uppermost
and the socket is formed by the raised curve a³ of same and the depressed curve a¹
of the flange a.
I can apply the same principle to other kinds of articles besides umbrella frames
and can modify the method of carrying out my invention accordingly; but I
consider my invention most practical for the purpose described, in that the altera-
tions required in the ends of the wires and ferrules entail practically no extra cost
and the advantages obtained thereby are very considerable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An improved fastening for the inner ends of the wires forming the frames of
umbrellas, parasols and the like, consisting in a socket being formed by the flange
of the ferrule and an annular flange piece attached to same and in which socket is
inserted a small round head or ball with which the inner ends of the wires of the
frame are provided, in such way that the whole forms a ball and socket joint
substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
2. In an improved fastening for the inner ends of the wires forming the frames
of umbrellas, parasols and the like, as set forth under Claim 1, the combination of
a partly flat and partly curved flange (a, a¹) with the ferrule (A, B), the annular
curved flange piece (a², a³) and the heads (c) substantially as and for the purpose
described and shown.
3. In an improved fastening for the inner ends of the wires forming the frames
of umbrellas, parasols and the like, as set forth under Claim 1, the combination
with the socket c, heads c and the wires of the frame of a slot (b) substantially as
and for the purpose described and shown.
Dated 13th September 1894.
J. E. EVANS-JACKSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.