IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Albert Davis at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd January 1878.
HENRY ALBERT DAVIS, of Brindley Street, New Cross, in the County of Kent,
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN UMBRELLAS AND PARASOLS."
This Invention relates to improvements in umbrellas and parasols, and is chiefly
designed to provide more efficient means than heretofore used for securing the ribs
to the rib holder or "notch," within which latter device the ribs converge at the
upper part of the umbrella or parasol.
In the manufacture of umbrellas and parasols as heretofore practised, the ribs are
held together as follows, that is to say-A ring is provided having a groove
extending around its periphery, and furnished with openings at regular distances.
Within these openings the upper ends of the ribs are inserted, one in each, and a
wire is carried around the ring lying within the said groove, which wire passes
through a hole in the end of each rib. When the wire has been passed through
each rib, the ends of the former are twisted together, and the ribs are thus secured
to the rib holder or " notch."
This method of fastening the ribs is found in practice to be defective, for the
reason that the said wire soon becomes rusty, owing to the moisture which reaches
it through the covering of the umbrella whenever the latter is exposed in use to
rain. The wire thus becomes weakened, and as there is a continual strain upon it
with the opening and closing of the umbrella, the wire breaks, and a portion or all
of the ribs being then released, they protrude through the covering of the umbrella
or parasol, and considerable damage is very quickly effected.
By means of my said Invention I fasten the ribs to the rib holder or "notch" in
a very simple manner, and so securely that they are not in the least exposed to the
danger of becoming separated as in the case when they are fastened with wire as
heretofore practised.
"notch"
In carrying my said Invention into practice I construct a rib holder or
in two parts, that is to say, an upper part and a lower part, and the said parts
are so made that they fit together accurately and form a ring or disc, in the centre
of which there is a circular aperture through which the stick of the umbrella or
parasol passes.

page_text: Upon the face of each of the said parts of the ring or disc I provide holes at
regular intervals, so placed that when the said parts are brought together, the holes
in the upper part correspond with or come opposite to those in the lower part; and
a series of sockets or recesses are thus formed, extending around the interior of
the said disc or ring. These sockets or recesses are to receive the heads or ends of
the ribs, and I prefer that the holes in each part of the said ring or disc should
be half round in shape, so that when the two parts are brought together, the sockets
or recesses thus formed will be of spherical form.
I construct the heads or ends of the ribs also of spherical form, so that they may
fit within the said sockets or recesses; and around the periphery of the said ring or
disc provide slots or openings which correspond with the said recesses. These
openings are for the purpose of allowing the ribs to move up and down as the
umbrella is opened and closed.
In applying my said Invention the lower part of the said ring or disc is attached
in its proper position to the stick of the umbrella or parasol by means of a pin or by
other suitable means, and the head or end of each rib is placed in the hole provided
for it upon the face of the said lower part of the ring or disc. The said upper part
is then brought down upon the lower part, and the two parts are then securely
fastened together by pins, screws, or by other suitable means; and the said upper
part is also secured to the stick in the same manner as the lower part is secured.
It will thus be seen that the ribs are securely fastened to the said disc or ring
forming the rib holder or "notch," the heads of the ribs fitting within the recesses
er sockets of the latter. The umbrella or parasol may then be opened and closed
without danger of the ribs becoming detached from the said holder.
Although I have described the recesses or sockets in the holder, and the heads of
the ribs fitting therein as being spherical in shape, I wish it to be understood that I
may also make them of other shapes if desirable.
My said Invention may also be applied as a means for securing the cross pieces
or stretchers of an umbrella or parasol to the runner of the same, and I may in
some cases attach the said stretchers or cross pieces to the ribs by providing the
former with heads, and the latter with recesses or sockets and slots.