Improvements in Umbrella, Walking-stick, and like Racks or Stands.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 20th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 7th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 11th Jan., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Umbrella, Walking-stick, and like Racks or
Stands.
We, JOHN HUGHES and JOSEPH BLOXSIDGE HUGHES, Foremen of Departments
at Salters Works, West Bromwich, in the County of Stafford, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to racks or stands for holding umbrellas, walking sticks,
athletic appliances and apparatus used in games, (such as cricket bats, billiard cues
and golf clubs) in an erect or nearly erect position, and has for its object, a rack
which may be cheaply made, simple in construction, easily used and not liable to
become deranged by use.
In carrying out one form of our improvements in connection with an umbrella
stand, we take a bifurcated or middle gapped outstanding bracket, and provide one
of the sides of the same with a bell-crank-lever shaped stop with an arm of the
same projecting or extending nearly across the entrance to the gap. The other
arm of the lever (which loosely turns upon a hanging or other pivot) has connected
to it the free end of a coiled spring whose other end is made fast to the bracket,
the stop-carrying arm of which is cut-away or provided with a clearance to admit
of the arm turning inwards clear of the gap.
The space between the arm and the back of the gap is sufficient to hold the
handle or other part of the umbrella or like article to be supported.
The stop arm only makes an angular movement and then returns after the article
to be held has passed it. Thus supposing an article is required to be held in the
rack, bring the same opposite the gap and press it forward, when it wipes over and
pushes back the stop arm and on the article getting beyond or out of the range of
the stop arm the said stop is returned by the force of the spring, which has been
distended by the forcing of the same back by the article.
Instead of employing a coiled spring and a bell-crank-lever shaped stop, we may
employ a double armed lever stop, with the inner end being connected to the free
end of a feather, flat or other spring, and if necessary the spring may have
connected with it a link or jointed shackle to allow of a freer angular movement of
the stop.
Or instead of the stop having an inner arm to which the free end of a spring is
connected, the said inner end of the stop may be made square or angular or be
provided with a facet or facets, against which the free end of a flat or other spring
bears and keeps the stop arm normally across the entrance to the gap or the bearing
end of the arm may be forked to receive the end of the spring so that the said arm
is then only capable of moving in the direction of a right angle.
The brackets are fixed on a wall at a considerable distance from the ground and
addition brackets may be provided near the floor, also troughs are provided for the
reception of dirt or water drippings.
The application of our invention to racks for holding cricket bats, billiard cues,
golf clubs and other similar articles differs in no essential respect from its
application to an umbrella rack as herein before described.
Dated this 18th day of May 1805

page_text: COBIT LEID DE LULEIVATION.
Improvements in Umbrella, Walking-stick, and like Racks or
Stands.
We, JOHN HUGHES and JOSEPH BLOXSIDGE HUGHES, Foremen of Departments
at Salters Works, West Bromwich in the County of Stafford, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
This invention relates to racks or stands for holding umbrellas, walking sticks,
athletic appliances and apparatus used in games, (such as cricket bats, billiard
cues and golf clubs) in an erect or nearly erect position, and has for its object,
a rack wbich may be cheaply made, simple in construction, easily used and not
liable to become deranged by use.
In carrying out our improvements an outstanding bracket plate is taken and
gapped at intermediate points. The gates to these gaps are closed by yielding
stops consisting of pivoted arms, which normally cross the entrances to the said
gaps and are kept in that position by suitably connected coiled springs.
The space between the stops and the back of the gap is sufficient to hold the
handle or other part of the umbrella or like article to be supported.
The stop arm only makes an angular movement and then returns after the
article to be held has passed.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a top-side plan of an umbrella
rack constructed according to one form of our invention.
Figure 2 represents an underside plan of Figure 1, showing the springs for
keeping the yielding arms or stops in position across the entrances to the gaps.
Figure 3 is an edge view, with a part in section, of the said stand or rack.
Figure 4 is a section of Figure 1 upon the dotted line x, with one of the stops
and its spring and cognate parts shown in elevation.
Figure 5 is a section upon the dotted line c', Figure 1, showing the pivot upon
which the inner ends of two adjacent stops turn.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in Figures 1 to 5
of the drawing.
The stand or rack consists of bracket part a, secured to a wall or other support
by attachment ears a', and provided on the outside edge with a series of equi-
distant gaps a, separated from each other by outstanding parts a³, and wherein the
handles of umbrellas lie. The entrance a³, to each of these gaps is crossed or
nearly closed by a pair of yielding stops or arms b, pivotedly connected to the
middles of the parts a', by pins b', and with each pivot end 63, of the stop arms having
a short arm, loop, lug or teat 63, to which an outer end c³, of a coiled spring c,
secured at c¹, to the bracket a, is connected.
The contact ends &, of the stops or arms b, which normally cross the gaps of the
stand, are preferably rollered.
Supposing an article is required to be held in the rack, bring the same opposite
one of the gaps and press it forward when it wipes over and pushes back the stop
arms (as indicated at A Figure 2 in dotted lines) and on the article passing beyond
or out of the range of the stop arms, the said arms are returned by the force of
the springs, which were distended by the forcing of the stop arms by the article
placed in the rack.
On an article being withdrawn from the rack, the stop arms
are forced
outwardly as indicated in dotted lines at B Figure 2, and on the article entirely
passing the said arms they return to their normal positions across the gaps.
Figure 6 represents a modification of our invention, in which the short arm or
teat b, shown in the preceding arrangement is substituted by a stud 6, to which
the spring is attached. Fig. 6ª is a section of Figure 6 upon the dotted line a³.

page_text: Figure 7 represents a modified form of yielding stop arm for crossing the gap.
b is the arm, pivoted at 6' and with the outer ends c¹ of springs c, connected
respectively at equal distances from the centre b¹, to the short arm or extension 6*-
and the long arm b, and with their inner ends, attached to the bracket or frame.
The pull of both the springs being equal the stop arm is balanced or kept in a state
of equilibrium.
It will be understood that the lines of pull of the springs pass through the centres
of the pivots or axes upon which the arms or stops are mounted, so that any
change of position to the right or left of the points of connection of the springs
with the arms make an angular movement and distends the said springs in opposition
to the forces of them and the arms, when relieved from pressure, are brought back
to their crossing positions by the springs tending to resume their normal direction
or line of force.
The brackets are fixed on a wall at a considerable distance from the ground and
additional brackets may be provided near the floor, also troughs are provided for
the reception of dirt or water dripping.
The application of our invention to racks for holding cricket bats, billiard cues,
golf clubs and other similar articles differs in no essential respect from its
application to an umbrella rack as herein before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. A rack or stand for umbrellas and kindred articles, consisting of a fixed
and gapped frame or bracket, with the entrances to the gaps crossed or partly
crossed by a pivoted and yielding stop arm or pair of arms kept in its or their
crossing position by a coiled spring or springs connected to the inner ends of the
Baid arms and the bracket respectively, and with the line of pull of the said springs
directed through the pivots of the arms, substantially as described and set forth in
Figures 1 to 64.
Secondly. In racks or stands for umbrellas and the like, the arrangement,
mounting and fitting of the yielding stop arms and their cognate parts, substantially
as described and set forth in Figures 1 to 6ª.
Thirdly. In racks or stands for umbrellas and the like, the modified method of
mounting the yielding stop arms described and represented in Figure 7.
Dated this 5th day of December 1895.
JOHN HUGHES,
JOSEPH BLOXSIDGE HUGHES,
By Henry Skerrett,
24 Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicants.