IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS, SUNSHADES, AND LIKE WEATHER PROTECTORS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Mac Millan, of the City of London, Manu-
facturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS, SUNSHADES, AND
LIKE WEATHER PROTECTORS."
Sealed the 25th October 1878, and dated the 8th May 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Mac Millan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th May 1878.
ALEXANDER MAC MILLAN, of the City of London, Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN UMBRELLAS, SUNSHADES, AND LIKE WEATHER PROTECTORS."
This Invention relates to improvements in umbrellas, sunshades, and like weather
protectors, the object of the improvements being to construct the runners, top
notches, ribs, and stretchers so that the ribs and top notches and the stretchers and
runners may be connected together without the aid of the usual wire, each rib and
stretcher being thus independent of the others; also to construct the runner so that
it does not require the usual springs, but will remain in any position to which it
may be moved on the stick of the umbrella; and, finally, I provide means for
attaching the silk or other covering to the umbrella frame without requiring the aid
of sewing.
By my improvements it will also be seen that the covering of the umbrella may
be easily removed, and the whole of the frame be taken to pieces and put together
again with great facility.
In carrying out my improvements I form the top notch and the notch of the
runner of a hollow box, with a number of slots corresponding with the number of
the ribs and stretchers, and the ends of the ribs and stretchers fitting into these
slots instead of being formed with the usual eye are formed with a shoulder on each
side, the said shoulders fitting and working, in the said hollow boxes allowing the

page_text: free motion of the ribs and stretchers, which are thus held securely without neces-
sitating the use of wire.
The tubular portion of the runner consists of two tubes, a suitable number of
curved blade springs being placed within the tubes, the ends of such springs passing
through slots in the inner tube and pressing on the stick, so as to retain and hold
the runner on any part of the stick to which it may be moved.
The tubular portion of the runner is formed with a flange at its upper end which
fits on to the lower part of the notch, the said flange thus holding the lower ends of
the stretchers in position.
The upper ends of the stretchers may also be formed with shoulders, so as to
allow of their being jointed to the ribs without the usual pins.
To secure the silk or other covering on the umbrella, the upper part of the silk
or covering is placed over the top notch (which having no sharp edges will not cut
the covering), and is held in position by means of a ferrule, thimble, or its equivalent,
screwed or otherwise suitably fixed on the tubular portion of the top notch, so as to
firmly secure the covering.
To fix the silk or other covering to the ribs, the outer ends thereof, instead of
being formed with the usual eye for sewing, are pointed, and the covering being
placed over to pointed ends of the ribs, is fixed thereon by means of a tubular tip
slotted on its under side, which tip being pressed over the end of the rib will firmly
hold the covering thereto.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alexander Mac Millan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th
November 1878.
ALEXANDER MAC MILLAN, of the City of London, Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN UMBRELLAS, SUNSHADES, AND LIKE WEATHER PROTECTORS."
This Invention relates to improvements in umbrellas, sunshades, and like weather
protectors, the object of the improvements being to construct the runners, top
notches, ribs, and stretchers so that the ribs and top notches and the stretchers and
runners may be connected together without the aid of the usual wire, each rib and
stretcher being thus independent of the others; also to construct the runner so that
it does not require the usual wire springs in the stick to keep the umbrella open
and closed, but will remain in any position to which it may be moved on the stick
of the umbrella; and, finally, I provide means for attaching the silk or other covering
to the umbrella frame without requiring the aid of sewing.
By my improvements it will also be seen that the covering of the umbrella may
bo easily removed, and the whole of the frame be taken to pieces and put together
again with great facility.
In carrying out my improvements I form the top notch and the notch of the
runner of a hollow box, with a number of slots corresponding with the number of
the ribs and stretchers, and the ends of the ribs and stretchers fitting into these
slots instead of being formed with the usual oye are formed with a fixed roller on
each side, the said rollers fittng and working in the said hollow boxes, allowing the
free motion of the ribs and stretchers, which are thus held securely without neces-
sitating the use of wire.
The tubular portion of the runner consists of two tubes, the inner tube forming a
spring box having a suitable number of curved blade springs pressing on the stick,
so as to retain and hold the runner on any part of the stick to which it may be
moved.
To secure the silk or other covering on the umbrella, the upper part of the silk
or covering is placed over the top notch (which having no sharp edges will not cut
the covering), and is held in position by means of a ferrule, thimble, or its equivalent,
screwed or otherwise suitably fixed on the tubular portion of the top notch, so as to
firmly secure the covering.
To fix the silk or other covering to the ribs, the outer ends thereof, formed with
the usual eye, are pointed, and the covering being placed over the pointed ends of
the ribs, is fixed thereon by means of a thread bound round the silk, over which I
place a tubular tip slotted on its under side, which tip being pressed over the end of
the rib will firmly hold the covering thereto. -
But to make my Invention better understood I will proceed to describe the same
by reference to the accompanying Drawing, in which,—
Figure 1 is a plan, Figure an elevation, and Figure 3 a section of my improved
runner.
Figure 4 is a section of the runner without the spring box, which is shewn in
detached elevation and section at Figures 5 and 6.
Figure 7 is a plan, Figure 8 an elevation, and Figure 9 a section of my improved
top notch.
Figure 10 is a plan of an ordinary rib shewing the end thereof formed with a
roller at each side; and Figure 11, plan of a "lock stretcher" with similarly formed
end.
Figure 12 an elevation, and Figure 13 a section of my improved runner, shewing
the stretchers applied thereto.
Figures 14 and 15, elevation and section of my improved top notch, shewing the
ribs applied thereto.
'
Figure 16 is a plan shewing my improved tip for fastening the covering to the
end of the rib.

page_text: And Figure 17 is a sectional elevation of an open umbrella constructed according
to my Invention.
All the Figures except Figure 17 are drawn full size, and similar letters in all the
Figures represent similar parts.
a is the tubular portion of the runner, formed with a hollow box b at the upper
end thereof, such hollow box having eight or other number of slots c cut therein,
according to the number of the ribs in the umbrella frame.
'd, d, Figure 11, are the fixed rollers on the ends of the stretcher, such rollers
being formed on the narrowed end e, such narrow parts or necks e of the stretchers
fitting and working in the slots c in the box b of the runner, the rollers d, d, fitting
and working in the hollow box, and are kept in position by the stick f of the
umbrella, as will be seen in the sectional view at Figure 13.
The spring box g, Figures 5 and 6, fits inside the tubular portion a of the runner,
and is formed, as shewn, with three (or other suitable number) of spring or tongues
h, which springs are curved or bellied inwards, so that when the runner is placed
on the stick the springs will press against the stick, and thus keep the runner in.
its raised or other. position on the stick without the aid of the usual wire springs.
8.is a ring placed on the lower end of the tubular part a of the runner to keep the
spring box in position.
The top-notch is constructed similarly to the runner, except that it is reversed
and has no spring box; i is the tubular portion thereof; j, j, the hollow box; and
,, the slots in the box in which slots fit and work the narrow parts or necks l
(Figure 10) of the ribs m, the rollers n, n, thereof working in the box j, as will be
seen by referring to the section at Figure 15, the stick f keeping the ribs from
getting out of the box.
It will thus be seen that the usual wires for fixing the stretchers and ribs in the
runner and top notch are dispensed with, and that each stretcher and rib is inde-
pendent of the others.
-
o, Figure 15, shews the ferrule or thimble fitting over the tubular portion of the
top notch for securing the covering p of the umbrella at the upper part, while the.
silk is fixed. to the ends of the ribs, as shewn at Figure 16, by means of a thread
passing through the eye or hole at the end of the rib, and being then wound over
the silk, the whole being then fixed by means of the slotted tubular tip q, which is
passed over the said thread and silk.
When the umbrella is opened the stretchers should be horizontal, as shown in
Figure 17, or nearly so, and a stop is provided consisting of a ring r on the stick f
and the upper end of the runner stops against this ring. The spring box in the
runner will keep the unbrella in its open position, the horizontal position of the
stretchers also.materially assisting to maintain this position, the pull from the strained
covering of the umbrella being direct against the stick.
I would here observe that any ordinary ribs and stretchers may be constructed
with my improvements, and that my stretchers are of the ordinary length only.
Having thus described. my said Invention and the best means I am acquainted
with for carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details herein laid down, and shewn in the Drawing,
but what I do claim is,-
-
. Firstly. The construction and employment of the improved runner, herein-before
described, and represented in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 12, and 13 of the accompanying
Drawing.
Secondly. I claim a runner provided with a spring box, as and for the purposes
described.
Thirdly. The construction and employment of the improved top notch, herein-
before described, and represented in Figures 7, 8, 9, 14, and 15 of the accompanying
Drawing..
Fourthly. Constructing the ends of the stretchers and ribs of umbrella frames
with necks and rollers for fitting and working in the slotted hollow boxes of the
runners and top notches respectively, so as to dispense with the use of.the.ordinary.

page_text: wires, as herein-before described, and represented in Figures 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and
15 of the accompanying Drawing.
Fifthly. The combination of the rollers and necks on the ends of the stretchers
and ribs with the slotted hollow boxes of the runners and top notches, as herein-
before described, and represented in Figures 12, 13, 14, and 15 of the accompanying
Drawing.
Sixthly. The construction and employment of the slotted hollow tips for fixing
the umbrella covering on the ends of the ribs, as herein-before described, and repre-
sented in Figure 16 of the accompanying Drawing.
Seventhly. The combination of the several parts, heroin-before described, forming
an improved frame for umbrellas and other like weather protectors.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Mac Millan, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
ALEXANDER MAC MILLAN. (L.S.)