IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Griffith Brewer, of Chancery Lane, London, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS." A communica-
tion from abroad by George Byron Kirkham, of New York, United States of
America.
Sealed the 14th October 1876. and dated the 22nd April 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Griffith Brewer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd April 1876.
EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER, of Chancery Lane, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS." (A communication from abroad by George Byron
Kirkham, of New York, United States of America).
The object of this Invention is to produce an umbrella or parasol which, when
open, has the appearance and form of those now employed, but when not required
for use may occupy little space and be carried in the pocket or other convenient
place.
According to one arrangement the stick is in two parts, the lower part being
a rod free to slide in an upper tube, the latter being slotted, except at the lower.
end, which acts as a stop for springs free to slide easily in the groove, and to pass
under the traveller or sliding sleeve either up or down. These springs are arranged
so that when the stick is pulled out the lower spring supports the lower end of tube
and the upper enters the slot therein and abuts against the bottom of same; a
ferrule regulates the distance which the springs ought to project. It is when the
stick is drawn out of the tube that the two springs are brought with the full part
left at bottom of tube between them and the stick is so kept in position. In some
cases it may be convenient to employ a single instead of a double spring, and then
it is advisable to enlarge the traveller and make it funnel shaped at its lower part,
so that the spring may pass freely through it. When the traveller is pushed up the
whole length of the tube, or so far as can go, it comes against a spring hook and
becomes hooked thereto, and thus firmly secured until the hook spring is pushed
back by the ferrule. The traveller may be secured by means of a hooked rod in a
tube placed at the side thereof, the book of the rod being pressed into a groove
formed for the purpose when the traveller is going up or down.
To open the umbrella it is only necessary to take hold of the stick and traveller
and pull the two in contrary directions. To close it is only necessary to press

page_text: inwards the two springs, or the one, as the case may be, and to push up the stick
into the tube.
The rib coming from the top is jointed to an intermediate part of the rod from
the traveller, and is at its lower end, by means of a rod or cord, connected to a saddle
piece on the outer rib, to which saddle piece the rod from the traveller is also
jointed.
According to another arrangement the upper end of the rod from the traveller is
forked and jointed to the upper end of the outer rib, and the rod which is jointed
to the lower end of the rod coming from the cap is at its outer end also formed with
a fork, and there jointed to a boss on the outer rib, its junction point being on the
outside of the rib. Sometimes a cord is used instead of rods to connect the inner
and outer ribs.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed by the
said Edward Griffith Brewer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
October 1876.
EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER, of Chancery Lane, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS." (A communication from abroad by George Byron
Kirkham, of New York, United States of America).
The object of this Invention is to produce an umbrella or parasol which, when
open, has the appearance and form of those now employed, but when not required
for use may occupy little space and be carried in the pocket or other convenient
place.
The Invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying Drawings,
and in the different Figures of the said Drawings the covering of the umbrella or
parasol is not shown because there is no novelty in this respect in the Invention, as
frames made according to the Invention may be covered with any suitable material
for the purpose, such as cotton, silk, or alpaca.
Figure 1 shows two of the ribs or rods of the frame complete and partially open;
the stick is made in two parts, the lower part A being a rod free to slide in an upper
tube B; the latter tube B is slotted, as shown at C, C, except at the lower end,
where there is a part D left, which forms a stop for springs E, E¹, free to slide easily
in the groove C, and to pass under the traveller G or sliding sleeve, either up or
down. The shape of the double spring is clearly seen at Figure 3; a ferrule F
regulates the distance which the springs ought to project out of the stick A, and, on
the other hand, the spring is fixed to the stick by a pin H passing through its lower
part, or in any other suitable way. It is when the stick A is drawn out of the
tube B that the lower part E of the two or double spring E, E', passes without
hindrance the portion D which terminates the groove, but the upper part E¹ is
stopped by it, and these two parts of the spring thus maintain the stick in the
position desired.
Figure 4 shows a modified arrangement, which may in some cases be adopted with
advantage; in this case a simple spring E" is employed, and the traveller G¹ is
enlarged or made funnel-shaped at its lower part in such manner that the spring
E will pass through it without obstacle. When the traveller G is pushed up the
whole length of the tube B, or so far as it can go, it comes against a spring hook P
and becomes hooked thereto by hook Q, and thus firmly secured until the hook
spring is pushed back by the ferrule. This hook arrangement is clearly shown at
Figure 5. But when the stick A is pushed into the tube B the spring P is pushed
back by the ferrule F, and consequently unfastens the hook Q, so that the traveller
G can be lowered to shut the umbrella. To fix the traveller G a spring R may also
be employed, enclosed in a tube S, by which it may be taken hold of if required.
The spring R is stopped in a small groove T, and is unhooked by the ferrule F, when
the stick A is pushed into the tubo B.

page_text: Umbrellas constructed according to this Invention are automatic in their action,
and to open the umbrella it is only necessary to take hold of the stick A and
traveller G and pull the two in contrary directions. To close it it is only necessary to
press inwards the two springs E, E¹, or the one, as the case may be, and to push up
the stick into the tube, the top springs R, S, and P being operated by the ferrule F.
The general shape of the ribs or rods composing the frame are shown at Figures 1
and 2.
In the arrangement shown on the right side of Figure 1 the ribs J and K are
jointed to the rib I and to the piece N carrying the rib L; M is a cord for holding
the material which covers the umbrella.
In the arrangement shown to the left of the same Figure the ribs J¹ and K¹ are
forked, and embrace the rib L'; the joint of K¹ is outside of L¹, and the piece N with
double joint is dispensed with.
Figure 2 shows a slight modified arrangement wherein the rib K is replaced by
the cord K¹
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as the improvements in umbrellas and
parasols,
•
First. The traveller G or G¹ in combination with the stick A, the tube B, and the
spring E, E, or E", the whole constructed and arranged in the manner and for the
purpose before described.
Second. The combination of the ribs or rods I, J, K, L, and of the piece and joints N,
essentially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.
Third. The arrangement of the ribs or rods I, J, K, and L, substantially in the
manner described and shown.
Fourth. The arrangement of the ribs or rods I¹¹, J, L¹¹, and of the cords M and
K, substantially in the manner described and represented.
Fifth. The spring E, E', and the ferrule F, substantially as they are described
and represented.
Sixth. The combination of the spring P and the hook Q and handle A, F, sub-
stantially as described and represented in the annexed drawings.
Seventh. The spring R and the piece or covering S, substantially as and for the
purposes represented in the accompanying Drawings.
Eighth. The combination of tube B with groove C of the stop piece or portion D,
and of the springs E, E¹, or E", essentially as above described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Griffith Brewer, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
E. G. BREWER. (L.S.)