Improvements in Umbrellas.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 19th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 20th May, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Umbrellas.
We GEORGE HOLLY SEYMOUR, Surveyor, and WILLIAM HENRY FUSCH,
Stock Dealer, both of Stanton, Martin County, Texas, United States of America
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates an umbrella which may be folded into a small compass so
that it may be packed away when not in use in a hand bag or other receptacle and
will yet be held firmly when opened.
The umbrella stick is made mainly in two parts, the lower portion constituting
the handle and the upper portion carrying the furniture. These two parts are
pivotally connected together by a plate or link. The connected ends of the two
parts are cut away so as to permit the parts to fold readily and a sleeve which
embraces the stick, and is held to slide on the reduced portion serves to maintain
the umbrella in position when raised.
The sleeve is of such a thickness that its outer surface is flush with the .outer
surface of the stick and the runner may easily slide over the joint. To hold the
sleeve over the joint, a spring is formed on one edge of the link by a slip being
cut lengthwise of the plate near its edge and the spring thus formned presses against
the inside of the sleeve.
CT
The upper portion of the stick has a tube at its extremity which is secured to
the stick so that its outer surface will be flush with the outer surface of the stick.
The upper end of the tube terminates in a top notch which is recessed in the usual
way to receive the upper ends of the inner rib sections which are pivoted to the top
notch in the usual manner.
The ribs of the umbrella are made of sections so that
the umbrella may be easily folded, the upper section being held to slide in the
lower section, which consists of a tube slotted longitudinally on the under or inner
side and the lower end of the upper section is provided with a lug which slides in
the slot, which lug limits the movement of the two parts relatively to one another
and prevents their detachment.
The outer end of each stretcher is pivoted to a sleeve with which the lower
section of the rib is provided. The stretcher is long enough so that when the
umbrella rib is raised, the extreme outer end of the stretcher will extend into the
path of the lug and thus hold the rib in an extended position, and as the end of
the stretcher projects into the path of the lug, end movement of the sections in
relation to each other will be prevented.
The lower or inner ends of the rib are pivoted to an enlarged portion of the
runner notch which is of the same diameter as the top notch and has a flange at its
lower end. At the upper end of the runner are secured springs, there being a
spring for each stretcher, and the springs are bent outward and terminate in notched
upper ends adapted to fit the stretchers. The springs will normally throw out the
stretchers and expand their upper ends, and to hold the stretchers parallel or
nearly parallel with the stick, a ring is employed, which fits around the stretchers
and is adapted to slide down on the enlarged part of the runner and rest on the
flange when the stretchers are to be expanded. The runner has a slot through
which the usual form of bent spring extends to hold it down and a similar spring
works in a slot in the tube at the top of the stick, so as to hold the runner up and
the umbrella open.
The extreme top of the umbrella stick is provided with a sliding section which
adds to the finish of the umbrella, this section having at its lower end a rib which
engages an inner rib at the end of the tube. This section is also provided with a

page_text: common form of bent spring, which, when the section is extended engages the top
notch and prevents the section from dropping into the tube, but when the umbrella
is to be folded, the spring may be pushed in and the section pushed downward into
the tube.
The umbrella stick may be covered in the usual way, and it is operated as
follows:
We will suppose that the stick of the umbrella is straightened out in a position
to permit the opening of the umbrella, and then to spread it the ring is slipped.
downward upon the enlarged part of the runner and the latter is pushed upward
until the upper bent spring projects through the slot, and the spring will thus hold
the parts in this position. The upward movement of the runner will cause the
ribs to spread in the usual manner by means of the stretchers connecting the ribs
with the runner, and when the ribs are raised, the sections will be pushed out to
their, uttermost limit, and the outer ends of the stretchers will swing in front of the
lngs on the upper sections of the ribs.
When the umbrella is to be folded, the sliding section at the extremity of the
stick is shoved downward into the tube and the runner is pulled downward so that
the spring catches in the slot of the rummer, the ring is slipped up over the
stretchers, thus holding them close to the stick, and the umbrella is held thereby
so that it cannot. spread. The runner is then pushed upward on the stick, which
will cause the upper sections of the ribs to slide in the lower sections, after which
the sleeve is pushed from off the joint of the umbrella stick; and the umbrella stick
is folded up.
Dated this 19th day of July 1802
G. H. SEYMOUR,
W. H. FUSCH,
By A. M. & Win. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Umbrellas.
We, GEORGE HOLLY SEYMOUR, Surveyor, and WILLIAM HENRY FUSCH,
Stock Dealer, both of Stanton, in the County of Martin and State of Texas,
United States of America, 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:-
Our invention relates to improvements in folding umbrellas and the object of
our invention is to produce a folding umbrella which may be quickly reduced in
size so that it may be conveniently inserted in a valise, satchel or other receptacle,
and also to construct the umbrella in such a manner that it may be held rigidly in
either an open or closed position.
To this end our invention consists in a folding umbrella, the construction of
which will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
Specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in
all the views.
Figure 1 is a broken longitudinal section of the umbrella stick, with the ribs
and stretchers connected therewith;
Figure 2 is a broken detail view of the umbrella stick, with one of the ribs in a
raised position thereon;
Figure 3 is
detail view showing the position of the stick and the various parts
of the umbrella when the latter is folded;
Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view of one of the rib joints ;

page_text: Figure 5 is a plan view of the runner and stretcher holder; and
Figure 6 is a detail sectional view of the stick sections.
The umbrella stick consists chiefly of the two parts 10 and 11, the lower part 10
forming the handle, the two parts being reduced near their connected ends, as
shown at 12 in Figures 1, 2 and 6, and the reduced ends being pivotally connected
by a plate or link 13. The connected ends of the two parts 10 and 11 are cut
away as best shown in Figure 1, so as to permit the parts to fold readily. A
sleeve 14 embraces the stick and is held to slide on the reduced portion 12, and
when the sleeve encloses the joint as in Figure 1, the two parts of the stick will
be held in an extended position and will be prevented from accidental displacement.
The sleeve 14 is of such a thickness that its outer surface is flush with the outer
surfaces of the parts 10 and 11 of the stick, and the runner may easily slide over
them. To hold the sleeve 14 in place over and around the joint, a spring is formed
on one edge of the steel plate or link 13, by a slip 13" being cut lengthwise of
the plate near its edge, and the spring thus formed presses against the inside of the
sleeve 14, thus holding it in place.
The upper portion of the stick has a tube 15, at its upper end, which tube is
secured to the stick and is inlaid thereon so that its outer surface will be flush with
the outer surface of the stick. The upper end of the tube 15 terminates in a top
notch 16, which is recessed in the usual way to receive the upper ends of the inner
rib sections 17, which are pivoted to the top notch in the usual manner.
The
ribs 18 of the umbrella are made of sections 17 and 19, so that the umbrella may
be easily folded, the upper section 17 being held to slide in the lower section 19,
which consists of a tube slotted longitudinally on the under or inner side, as shown
at 20, and the lower end of the section 17 is provided with a lug 21, which slides
in the slot 20, and which prevents the detachment of the parts 17 and 19.
It will be noticed by reference to Figure 4, that the slot 20 of the section 19.
terminates near the upper end of the latter, and the movement of the part 19 in
reference to the section 17, is limited by the lug 21 striking the upper terminal
wall of the slot.
A sleeve 22 is fastened firmly on the lower section 19 of the rib 18, and the
sleeve is provided on its inner side and near its lower end with a pair of ears 23,
between which one of the stretchers 24 is pivoted. The stretcher 24 is long enough
so that when the umbrella rib is raised, as in Figure 2, the extreme outer end of
the stretcher will extend into the path of the lug 21 and thus hold the rib 18 in
an extended position, and as the end of the stretcher projects into the path of the
lug, end movement of the sections 17 and 19 in relation to each other will be
prevented.
The lower or inner ends of the rib 24 are pivoted to an enlarged portion 25 of
the runner notch 26. The part 25 is of the same diameter as the top notch 16
and has a flange 27 on its lower end. At the upper end of the runner are secured
springs 28, there being a spring for each stretcher 24, and the springs are bent
outward and terminate in notched upper ends 28" adapted to fit the stretchers.
The springs will normally throw out the stretchers 24, and expand their upper
ends, and to hold the stretchers parallel or nearly parallel with the stick, a ring 29
is employed, which fits around the stretchers and is adapted to slide down on the
part 25 of the runner and rest on the flange 27 when the stretchers are to be
expanded. The runner 26 has a slot 30 through which the usual form of bent
spring 31 extends to hold it down, and a similar spring works in a slot 31 in the
tube 15, so as to hold the runner up and the umbrella open.
The top of the umbrella stick is provided with a sliding section 34 which adds to
the finish of the umbrella, this section 34 having at its lower end a rim 35, which
engages with an inner shoulder 36 at the end of the tube 15, and thus prevents
the removal of the section 34. The section 34 is also provided with a common
form of bent spring 31, which spring when the section is extended, as in
Figure 1, engages with the top notch 16, and prevents the section 34 from

page_text: dropping into the tube 15, but when the umbrella is to be folded, the spring 31
may be pushed in and the section 34 pushed downward into the tube, as shown in
Figure 3.
The umbrella stick may be covered in the usual way and it is operated as
follows:
We will suppose that the stick of the umbrella is straightened out in a position
to permit the opening of the umbrella, and then to spread it the ring 29 is
slipped downward upon the part 25 of the runner and the latter is pushed upward
until the upper bent spring 31 projects through the slot, 30 and the spring will
thus hold the parts in this position. The upward movement of the runner will
cause the ribs 18 to spread in the usual manner by means of the stretchers
connecting the ribs with the runner, and when the ribs are raised the sections 19
will be pushed out to their uttermost limit, with the lugs 21 of the sections 17
resting against the terminal walls of the slots in the sections 19, and the outer
ends of the stretchers 24 will swing in front of the lugs 21 on the upper
sections 17 of the ribs, so that the ribs will be prevented from telescoping when
the frame is opened.
When the umbrella is to be folded the part 34 is pushed downward into the
tube 15 and the runner 26 is pulled downward to its utmost extent, so that the
spring 31 catches in the slot 30 of the runner, the ring 29 is then slipped up over
the stretchers 24 as in Figure 1, so as to hold them close to the stick and the
umbrella is held thereby so that it cannot spread. The runner 26 is then pushed
upward on the stick, which will cause the sections 17 of the ribs to slide in the
sections 19, after which the sleeve 14 is pushed from off the joint of the umbrella
stick, and the umbrella stick is folded up into the position shown in Figure 3. It
will then occupy but very little space and may be inserted in any ordinary
travelling bag, satchel, or other small receptacle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is.
1. In a folding umbrella, the combination, with a folding stick, of ribs formed of
two sections, the upper sections being attached to the upper portion of the stick
and sliding in the lower sections, and stretchers pivoted to the runner of the stick
and to the lower sections with their ends projecting into the paths of the upper
sections, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination, with the folding stick and the runner held to slide thereon,
of the ribs pivoted to the upper portion of the stick, each rib comprising a tubular
outer section having a longitudinal slot therein and a solid upper section having at
its upper end a lng to slide in the slot, sleeves fixed on the upper end of the lower
or outer section of the rib, and stretchers pivoted on the sleeves with their ends
projecting into the paths of the upper rib sections and extending to the runner,
substantially as described.
3. In a folding umbrella, the combination, with the folding stick and the ribs
pivoted thereon, of a runner held to slide on the stick and provided with notched
springs at its upper end, a ring held to slide on the runner, and stretchers pivoted
ou the runner and to the telescoping ribs, substantially as described.
4. In a folding umbrella, the combination with the upper and lower stick sections,
of a link pivoted to each section and provided with a slit forming a spring, and a
sleeve sliding on the section, substantially as described.
5. A folding umbrella, comprising a stick formed of three sections, the two lower
sections being hinged together and the uppermost section sliding in the upper
hinged section, ribs formed of two sections one sliding in the other, a runner pro-
vided with springs, stretchers hinged to the runner and. to the outer rib sections
and projecting into the paths of the upper rib sections, and a ring sliding on the
runner over the stretchers, substantially as described.

page_text: 6. A folding umbrella, constructed substantially as shown in the accompanying
drawings and described in the foregoing Specification.
Dated this 19th day of Anvil 1802
G. H. SEYMOUR,
W. H. FUSCH,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.