IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Rockett and John James Reynolds, both of
the Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Umbrella Manufacturers, for
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Rockett and John
James Reynolds at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 29th May 1858.
We, SAMUEL ROCKETT and JOHN JAMES REYNOLDS, both of the Strand, in
the County of Middlesex, Umbrella Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS," to be as follows:-
It is well known that umbrellas are frequently lost through persons taking
them away by mistake or intention, or that they are lent in the absence of tho
owner to his discomfort, and several contrivances have with more or less
success been made to render the umbrella comparatively useless to the
appropriator. The framework of an umbrella or parasol is usually kept in
position by means of a cap, which is a fixture on the umbrella stick. Wo
propose to cut a screw thread on the top of a tubular piece placed within the
tube and ring holding the upper ends of the ribs; this tubular piece will be
attached to the stick, and have two or more pins fixed thereon to prevent the
stick passing too far. When the umbrella is otherwise complete, a screw cap
is passed over the end of the stick, and screwed on to the tubular piece first
mentioned. The umbrella or parasol is now perfect; but to render the article
totally unfit for use, the screw cap is removed, and put into the owner's pocket
if he please. The effect of removing the screw cap would be, that the stick

page_text: would come loose in the hand, and the umbrella framing could not be
expanded. We also propose to improve the upper catch on the stick of the
umbrella (or parasol), by introducing a band and spring to be used instead of
the wire spring or catch now employed to sustain the framework when the
umbrella is onen.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Rockett and John James Reynolds, in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 27th November 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, SAMUEL
ROCKETT and JOHN JAMES REYNOLDS, both of the Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, Umbrella Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Samuel Rockett and John James Reynolds, Her special licence that we,
the said Samuel Rockett and John James Reynolds, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Samuel Rockett and John
James Reynolds, our exccutors, 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 THE MANU-
FACTURE OF UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said Samuel Rockett and John James Reynolds, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or one of our, their or
one of their bands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 Samuel Rockett and John James
Reynolds, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the
Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed and to the letters of reference marked
on the Figures or Diagrams thereon designed:-

page_text: The object of our Invention is to render a perfect umbrella or parasol, under
certain circumstances, quite useless. Our reason for effecting this is to secure
to the owner the enjoyment of his property. We are aware that many
contrivances have been resorted to, to increase the utility of the umbrella, by
making the stick removeable, so that it may be used as a walking stick in fine
weather, by fulling the umbrella into small compass, so as to go into a pocket,
and of various other modifications.
Our Invention has a different object in view as aforesaid. Umbrellas are
frequently taken away from halls, public rooms, and elsewhere by persons who
have no rightful claim to them, sometimes by mistake, oftener because the
appropriator considers the one he takes better than the one he leaves behind.
Should it be raining, the purloiner on leaving the premises immediately opens
the umbrella to shelter himself therefrom. If the abstracted umbrella be of
our construction, he will find it utterly useless, the real owner having taken
care to render it so by means hereafter explained. Again, umbrellas are
frequently lent in the owner's absence from home, and are returned (if
returned) much used, and often damaged. Owners of umbrellas made
according to our Invention have only to remove a small portion thereof,
which may be placed in the waistcoat pocket, and the umbrella becomes
useless; the replacing of said portion in position renders it again fit for use,
and both operations scarcely occupy one minute of time.
We now proceed to describe the mechanism of our Invention.
Figure 1 in the annexed Drawing shews the boss or lining of an umbrella
with its two screw pins, the top notch or wheel, and the cap; Figure 2, the
whole of these parts put together; Figure 3, section of the whole and stick.
of the umbrella; and Figure 4, the apparatus as it appears on the stick with
part of the ribs, but without the cloth or silk. In the first place, we make the
boss or lining a, Figures 1, 2, and 4, to fit on the stick f of the umbrella or
parasol. On said boss or lining is fixed two pins (or they may be screwed in,
screws threads being made thereon, as shewn at b, b, Figure 1). On the
upper end of the boss or lining (having regard to its position when fitted on
the stick) it will be perceived a screw thread is cut, c, Figure 1. We then
make the top notch or wheel d (seen at all the Figures) to fit on the boss
or lining a. In the said top notch or wheel are two cuts or slots to receive
the pins b on the boss or lining, and to keep the umbrella or parasol in its
right position, being brought on a level with the hand spring. We then mako
a screw cape (see all the Figures) to fit on the screw end of the boss or
lining, which being screwed thereon after all the other parts of the umbrella
or parasol are fitted together, renders either complete and perfect for use. To

page_text: render the article unusable, the owner should unscrew the cap from the boss,
and remove it by passing it over the end of the stick, place the cap in his
pocket, and then essay to open the umbrella, he finds the stick slide from its
position (without however being drawn through the ring and separated from
the framework), and no effort will cause the framework and cover to expand
in the ordinary and useful manner. The passing of the stick to position again,
and the replacement of the cap, again renders the article available for use.
In conclusion, we would call attention to the object we have in view. When
the cap is removed and in the owner's possession, the umbrella will, if taken
in mistake, be always returned; if purloined, will, if the deficiency be
discovered in time, be replaced, and the umbrella will never be lent, when it
rains, by the owner's wife or servants in his absence, as no shelter can be
obtained from it when its use is attempted. We sometimes use instead of the
wire upper catch a spring in the runner or band, which spring takes into a
socket when the framework has attained its full expansion.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the means by
which we carry it into practical effect, we would observe, that we make our
apparatus of any metal or material that may be found most suitable for our
purpose, and although we have shewn the moveable cap and other portions of
our improvements, as if made of brass, they are also made of ivory, bone, or
other material; and we claim as new and of our Invention, the arrangement
and combination of parts herein-before mentioned, referred to, described, and
in part illustrated in the Sheet of Drawings, forming when so arranged,
combined, or put together, "Improvements in the Manufacture of Umbrellas
and Parasols."
In witness whereof, we, the said Samuel Rockett and John James
Reynolds, have hereunto set their hands and seals, this Twenty-fifth
day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and fifte-eight
SAMUEL ROCKETT.
(L.S.)
JOHN JAMES REYNOLDS. (L.S.)
Witness to the signature of both parties hereto,
JOHN GEDGE, Patent Agent,
4, Wellington Street South, Strand,
London.