IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF UMBRELLAS
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Willis at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with bis Petition, on the 17th
November 1869.
I, JAMES WILLIS, of Stocksbridge Works, near Sheffield, in the
County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF UMBRELLAS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has, firstly, for its object an improved mode of
constructing umbrellas with a gutter running either entirely or partially
around the covering, and relates to an improved mode of opening and
holding open the gutter when the umbrella is opened. For this purpose
I affix to or form on the tip end of the ribs a spring of any suitable
section leading backwards along the rib, and connected at its end to the
fabric of which the gutter is composed. By this means when the
umbrella is set up and the ribs have consequently a downward curve
given to them at their tip ends the spring will tend to stand out away
from the rib, and so hold open the gutter, whilst when the umbrella is
closed the springs may lie close to the ribs; and in order also that the
tip ends of the ribs may lie close up to the stick when the umbrella is

page_text: closed without their being held thereto by an elastic band or by a metal
cap slipped over their ends, as is now commonly the case, both which
arrangements would be inconvenient when the umbrella is formed with
a gutter, I give a set or permanent bend to each of the ribs near their
tip ends so as to cause their tip ends to lie close to the stick. The set
or permanent bend should be given to the ribs near to where they lie
over the runner. Umbrellas not provided with gutters may also similarly
be formed with ribs the tip ends of which are bent inwards so that they
shall lie close to the stick when the umbrella is closed.
To give the permanent set or bend to the ribs near their tip ends I
place the ribs after they have been hardened and tempered into a curved
mould, and bring down on to them a corresponding punch or die. By
this means an equal set can readily be given to each rib.
Another part of my Invention consists in strengthening umbrella
runners along the sides or along a portion of the side of their longitudinal
slot. With runners as ordinarily constructed the metal of the tube of
the runner is often torn by the side of the slot in the runner being
forced against the spring catch at the time when the umbrella is being
rolled up. According to my Invention I strengthen the side of the slot
which is thus liable to be torn open by soldering or fixing to it a
strengthening piece of metal. This piece of metal may either be a strip
of metal laid along the edge of the slot, or it may be a short tube or
segment of a tube with a slot cut in it to correspond with the slot in the
runner, the tube or segment of a tube being only of such a length as
shall ensure the end of the spring catch coming against it, or the metal
removed to form the slot may be turned back to the side of the slot to
give additional strength thereto. In this case I prefer that the beading
applied to the end of the runner should overlap the end of the strip of
metal so turned back.