IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Edward Boyce and
Hezekiah John Hobday at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 15th July 1874.
We, JAMES EDWARD BOYCE, of Birmingham, in the County of
Warwick, Manufacturer, and HEZEKIAH JOHN HOBDAY, of Birmingham,
aforesaid, Press Tool Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS," to be as
follows:-
Our Invention relates to those parts of umbrellas and parasols by
which the fixing of the umbrella or parasol in its closed and open
positions, and the liberation of the runner preparatory to the opening or
closing of the umbrella or parasol are effected.
Our said Invention effects the purposes described without the
weakening of the stick by the formation therein of the usual slots. We
make the runner of the usual form, excepting that we prolong the barrel
a short distance beyond the runner notch, so as to form a short tube on

page_text: that side of the notch turned towards the top notch, and we make a slot
through the whole length of the barrel of the runner. The said slot is
parallel to the axis of the runner, and is expanded at each end. In the
inner side of the runner notch we make a slot or opening coincident
with the slot in the barrel, the said slot or opening being of sufficient
depth to enable it to pass over a short projecting pin or stud fixed on
the stick of the umbrella or parasol. To one side of the slot in the
barrel of the runner a plate is hinged or jointed, which plate extends
over the slot in the runner and is pressed thereon by a spring. The
said plate is provided with a short lever or thumb plate, by pressing the
finger or thumb on which the said plate can be raised from the slot in
the barrel. Near the middle of the edge of the said plate is a notch or
opening, towards which opening the plate inclines on each side. When
the runner is depressed on the stick for closing the umbrella or parasol
the barrel of the runner passes over the pin fixed on the stick, the said :
pin entering the slot in the barrel. As the incline on the hinged plate
passes over the pin the said plate is raised, but when the notch in the
plate comes over the said pin, the said plate by the action of the spring
described snaps upon the said pin, which thereby becomes engaged with
the stud on the stick and the barrel is fixed in its position.
In order to liberate the barrel for opening the umbrella it is only
necessary to press upon the lever or thumb plate of the hinged plate, so
as to raise the said hinged plate when it is disengaged from the pin on
the stick, and the runner can be moved. The fastening of the umbrella
or parasol in and liberating it from its open position are effected in a
similar manner.
In order to render it unnecessary to introduce the hand under the
ribs of the closed umbrella or parasol for the purpose of opening it, the
axis of the hinged plate may be extended the required length towards
the handle of the umbrella or parasol. The axis and hinged plate must
in this case move together, the thumb plate being on the end of the
axis.
1-
Instead of the hinged plate described two hinced arms encacino with

page_text: essentially the same as that of the hinged plate described, but they do not
require the slot to be made in the barrel of the runner. One of the arms
described engages with one stud or shoulder for fixing the umbrella or
parasol in its closed position, and the other engages with the other
stud to fix the umbrella or parasol in its open position.