IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND SUNSHADES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Critchley, of Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Manager for H. O. Newbery and Company, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF UMBRELLAS,
PARASOLS, AND SUNSHADES."
Sealed the 7th January 1870, and dated the 4th October 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Critchley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th October 1869.
I, JOHN CRITCHLEY, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Manager for H. O. Newbery and Company, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF
UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND SUNSHADES," to be as follows:-
In umbrellas, parasols, and sunshades it has always been customary to
make the stick round. Now my Invention consists in making the stick
either square or of any other polygonal form, or oval, and the runners
and other parts fitting on the stick with holes to correspond, the object

page_text: being to increase the durability of the parts and to prevent the runner
from twisting round on the stick, thereby insuring the hand spring
corresponding with the slot in the runner. In some cases that portion
of the stick on which the runner works may be, made square or of other
polygonal form, or oval, and the remainder round; in this case the
wheel to which the ribs are connected and the cup and ferrule are
provided with round holes, as now customary; or the stick may be
continued square or in other polygonal form, or oval, through the wheel,
and only the ferrule end left round.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Critchley in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 1st April 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CRITCHLEY, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Manager for
H. O. Newbery and Company, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said John Critchley, Her special licence that
I, the said John Critchley, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Critchley, my executors, adminis-
trators, 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 THE COM-
STRUCTION OF UMBRELLAS, PARASOLS, AND SUNSHADES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Critchley, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Critchley, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):-
In umbrellas, parasols, and sunshades it has hitherto been customary
to make the stick round. Now my Invention consists in making the stick
either square or of any other polygonal form, or oval, and the runner or
other parts fitting on the stick with holes to correspond, the object being
to increase the durability of the parts and to prevent the runner from
twisting round on the stick, thereby insuring the hand spring corre-
sponding with the slot in the runner. In some cases that portion of
the stick on which the runner works may be made square or of other
polygonal form, or oval, and the remainder round; in such cases the
wheel to which the ribs are connected and the cap and ferrule would be
provided with round holes, as now customary, or the stick may be
continued square or any other polygonal form, or oval, through the
wheel, and the end for the cap and ferrule left round, or the ferrule end
only is left round, and the other parts made polygonal or oval.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood I will
proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings.
Figure 1 represents an elevation of an umbrella constructed according
to my improvements; Figure 2 is an elevation, and Figure 3 a plan of
my improved runner; Figure 4 is an elevation, and Figure 5 a plan of
my improved wheel; Figure 6 is an elevation, and Figure 7 a plan of my
improved ferrule; Figure 8 is an elevation, and Figure 9 a plan of my
improved cap.
On referring to these Figures it will be seen that the stick a, with
the exception of the handle, which may be of any convenient form, is
square, and that the runner b, the wheel c, the cap d, and the ferrule e
have corresponding square holes. By this means the twisting of the
runner and wheel on the stick is prevented, and the hand spring a',
which is made as usual, is therefore sure to spring into the slot 6' in the
runner when the umbrella is closed; the twisting of the parts being thus
prevented renders the umbrella more durable than those made in the
ordinary manner. In some cases only that portion of the stick on
which the runner 6 slides is square or of other polygonal form, or oval,
as shewn in Figure 10, and the remainder round; in this instance the
wheel, cap, and ferrule would have round holes, as now customary. In

page_text: other cases the polygonal or oval form of the stick is continued for the
runner and wheel, and the cap and ferrule are fitted on the round end,
as shewn in Figure 11. In other cases only the ferrule end of the stick
is round, as shewn in Figure 12, and the remainder square, polygonal,
or oval.
Figure 13 represents a section of an oval stick; Figure 14 is a section
of a hexagonal stick; and Figure 15 is a section of a triangular stick.
These forms and various others may be adopted to prevent the twisting
of the runner or the runner and wheel, the holes in which must corre-
spond to the form of the stick. It is evident that when the polygonal
or oval form extends to the end of the stick or to the cap the holes in
the cap and ferrule must correspond.
My improvements may also be applied to parasols and sunshades.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the
manner of performing the same, I declare that I claim, making the
sticks of umbrellas, parasols, and sunshades either entirely or partly
square, polygonal, or oval, and the holes in the runners, wheels, caps,
and ferrules, or any of them to correspond.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Critchley, have hereto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of March One thousand eight
hundred and seventy.