IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS, SUNSHADES, AND WEATHER PROTECTORS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Ritchie and Jessy Gertrude Ritchie, both
of Belmont Villa, Tyrwhitt Road, Upper Lewisham Road, in the
County of Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS,
SUNSHADES, AND WEATHER PROTECTORS."
Sealed the 28th October 1870, and dated the 26th August 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Ritchie, and
Jessy Gertrude Ritchie at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 26th August 1870.
We, GEORGE RITCHIE and JESSY GERTRUDE RITCHIE, both of
Belmont Villa, Tyrwhitt Road, Upper Lewisham Road, in the County
of Kent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS, SUNSHADES, AND WEATHER PROTECTORS," to be
as follows:
▸
In constructing that class of sunshades and umbrellas which are to be
carried in the hand or for use on carriages, where the ribs are jointed
to the runner and the stretchers to the top notch, and where it is

page_text: required that the outer or tip ends of the ribs should be curved or bent
downwards when the sunshade or umbrella is opened, so as then to
resemble an ordinary umbrella or sunshade, in place of jointing the
inner ends of the ribs directly to the runner we connect them to it in
such manner that when the umbrella or sunshade has been partially
opened and the ribs have been moved past a position at right angles
to the stick the ribs may be moved outwards away from the stick, and
the covering so tightened up, thus causing the tip ends of the ribs to
curve downwards to the desired extent. This we prefer to effect by
jointing the inner ends of the ribs to short links jointed to the runner.
When the umbrella is being opened these links lie parallel or nearly so
to the stick, but as soon as the ribs have been moved past a position at
right angles to the stick the links are caused to incline outwards from
the runner, so moving the ribs outwards and tightening up the covering.
To cause-the-links-thus_to_ stand out from the runner we joint to them
other links, and these links we joint to a second runner,-the-tube-of-
which is capable of sliding within the tube of the first runner; a coiled
spring is placed around the tube of the second runner and bears upon
the heads of both the runners, so that they are held away from one
another by the spring, but when the umbrella or sunshade has been
partially opened, as above described, the head of the upper runner comes
against a stock on the stick; by continuing to move upwards the lower
runner the heads of the two runners are brought nearer to one another,
and thus the links are caused to incline outwards away from the stick,
so moving outwards the ribs and tightening up the covering; the lower
runner is then retained by a spring catch in the ordinary manner.
In closing the umbrella or sunshade the lower runner, as soon as it
is released from the spring catch, moves away from the head of the
upper runner and the links resume a position parallel to the stick, so
drawing inwards the ribs and loosening the covering to allow the ribs
to be moved past a position at right angles to the stick, and then to
be drawn downwards.
In place of the inner ends of the ribs being connected to links carried
by the runner they might be connected to springs on the runner, and
when the ribs are to be moved outwards away from the stick the springs
might be acted upon by a cone to cause them to incline outwards from
the runner.

page_text: When the canopy or upper covering and the side curtains of a weather
protector are to be attached to the ends of radial arms or ribs branching
out from a central pole we permanently attach the canopy and curtains
to one another, and where they are to be attached to the ends of the
ribs we attach them to bags of leather or other fabric which fit over the
ends of the ribs, and are bound or otherwise secured to them. Where
no side curtains are used the canopy alone may similarly be attached
to the ends of the ribs. By this means no exterior ropes are required
for securing a weather protector.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Ritchie and Jessy Gertrude Ritchie in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th February 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, GEORGE
RITCHIE and JESSY GERTRUDE RITCHIE, both of Belmont Villa, Tyrwhitt
Road, Upper Lewisham Road, in the County of Kent, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said George Ritchie and Jessy Gertrude
Ritchie, Her special license that we, the said George Ritchie and
Jessy Gertrude Ritchic, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as we, the said George Ritchie and Jessy Gertrude Ritchic,
our 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 Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS, SUNSHADES, AND WEATHER PROTECTORS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said George Ritchie and
Jessy Gertrude Ritchie, our executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us or them, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to

page_text: 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 we, the said George Ritchie and Jessy.
Gertrude Ritchie, 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 thereof, that
is to say:-
In constructing that class of sunshades and umbrellas which arc to
be carried in the hand or for use on carriages where the ribs are jointed
to the runner and the stretchers to the top notch, and where it is
required that the outer or tip ends of the ribs should be curved or bent
downwards when the sunshade or umbrella is opened, so as then to
resemble an ordinary-umbrella or sunshade, in place of jointing the
inner ends of the ribs directly to the runner we connect-them-to_it_in
such manner that when the umbrella or sunshade has been partially
opened, and the ribs have been moved past a position at right angles to
the stick the ribs may be moved outwards away from the stick and the
covering so tightened up, thus causing the tip ends of the ribs to curve.
downwards to the desired extent. This we prefer to effect by jointing
the inner ends of the ribs to short links jointed to the runner. When
the umbrella is being opened these links lie parallel or nearly so to the
stick, but as soon as the ribs have been moved past a position at right
angles to the stick the links are caused to incline outwards from the
runner, so moving the ribs outwards and tightening up the covering.
To cause the links thus to stand out from the runner we joint to them
other links, and these links we joint to a second runner, the tube of
which is capable of sliding within the tube of the first runner. A coiled
spring is placed around the tube of the second runner, and bears upon
the heads of both the runners, so that they are held away from one
another by the spring, but when the umbrella or sunshade has been
partially opened, as above described, the head of the upper runner comes
against a stop on the stick. By continuing to move upwards the lower
runner the heads of the two runners are brought nearer to one another,
and thus the links are caused to incline outwards away from the stick,
so moving outwards the ribs and tightening up the covering. The lower
runner is then retained by a spring catch in the ordinary manner.

page_text: In closing the umbrella or sunshade the lower runner as soon as
it is released from the spring catch moves away from the head of the
upper runner, and the links resume a position parallel to the stick, so
drawing inwards the ribs and loosening the covering to allow the ribs
to be moved past a position at right angles to the stick, and then to be
drawn downwards.
Figure 1 shews a vertical section of the frame of a sunshade or parasol
when open and constructed as above described; Figure 2 shows a similar
section of the same when partly closed; and Figure 3 a section of the
same when entirely closed.
In these Figures a is the stick; b, the top notch to which the
stretchers c are jointed; d are the ribs having the stretchers jointed to
them at a point intermediate of their length, and also jointed at their
inner ends to links e¹, which at their opposite ends are jointed to the
upper runner e of the two runners e and f. The links e" are also jointed,
as shewn, to the ends of lengths f¹, which at their opposite ends are
jointed to the lower runner f. The tube or barrel få of the runner fis
capable of sliding over the tube or barrel e³ of the upper runner, and
between the two runners is the coiled spring g, which tends constantly to
keep the two runners apart from one another. The covering and lining
of the sunshade are shewn by dotted lines. In order to open the sun-
shade or parasol the lower runner is pressed upwards towards the tip
end of the stick, and the upper runner is carried up with it, the coiled
spring g keeping the two runners apart until they have arrived at the
position shewn at Figure 2. The ribs will then have been moved past
a position at right angles to the stick, and will be sloping slightly down-
wards instead of upwards as previously. The upper runner then comes
against the pin h, which stands out slightly from the stick, and is by it
prevented from moving further along the stick; and as the lower runner
is still pressed upwards the coiled spring g is compressed, and the
links e and f¹ in place of lying parallel to the stick, or nearly so, incline.
outwards from it and force the ribs outwards away from the stick, so
expanding the covering and giving to it a downward bow or curve, as
shewn at Figure 1. The lower runner then passes beyond the spring
catch k, and is by it prevented from being forced back along the stick.
To close the sunshade or parasol this spring catch is pressed inwards;
the coiled spring then forces back the lower runner into the position
shewn at Figure 2, and the lower runner can then readily be drawn

page_text: downwards until the runners and ribs are again brought into the position
shewn at Figure 3.
We would state that other arrangements than those shown by the
dotted lines for forming the covering and lining may be adopted, and
also that other arrangements may be adopted for forcing the ribs out-
wards. After they have past beyond a position at right angles to the
stick, as, for example, in place of the inner ends of the ribs being
connected to links carried by the runner, as herein-before described,
they might be connected to springs on the runner; and when the ribs
are to be moved outwards away from the stick the springs might be
acted upon by a cone to cause them to incline outwards from the runner.
Umbrellas and other weather protectors, either to be held in the hand
or for carriages or otherwise, may be constructed in a similar manner to
-that-herein-before described.
When the canopy or upper covering and the side curtains of a weather-
protector are to be attached to the ends of radial arms or ribs branching
out from a central pole we permanently attach, by sewing or by other
fastening, the canopy and curtains to one another, as shewn at Figure 4,
which represents a weather protector in the form of a tent so con-
structed; and where they are to be attached to the ends of the ribs we
attach them to bags of leather or other fabric, which fit over the ends of
the ribs, and are secured by ligatures passed through holes in the ribs,
or are otherwise bound or secured to them, by which means, when the
lower part of the side curtains are fastened to the ground or to the sides
of a carriage or vehicle, we get additional strength as well as additional
circumference, and no exterior ropes are required for securing against
pressure of the wind. Where no side curtains are used the canopy alone
may similarly be attached to the ends of the ribs.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, we would have it understood that what we
claim is,―
1. The construction of umbrellas, parasols, and weather protectors,
substantially as herein described and illustrated at Figures 1, 2, and 3
of the Drawings annexed.
2. The connecting the side curtains of a weather protector to its upper
covering or canopy, as herein described and shown at Figure 4, whereby

page_text: no exterior ropes are required for securing the weather protector against
pressure of the wind, as described.
3. The mode herein described of connecting the canopy of a weather
protector to the ends of the ribs which support it, as herein described.
In witness whereof, we, the said George Ritchic and Jessy Gertrude
Ritchie, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-third
day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-one.
GEO. RITCHIE.
(L.S.)
JESSY GERTRUDE RITCHIE. (L.S.)