US1457679A - Umbrella - Google Patents

Description

June 5- 1923 1,457,679

- 5. c. VINCENT UMBRELLA Filed Aug. 11, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 5, 1923 S. C. VINCENT UMBRELLA 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 11 1921 Patented June 5, 1923.

PATENT".

SIDNEY c. VINCENT, or BALTIMOR MARYLAND.

UMBRELLA.

Application filed August 11, 1921. Serial No. 491,435.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that SIDNEY C. Yn rcan'r,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, in the State of Maryland, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Umbrellas," of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in umbrellas.

The primary object of the invention 1s to provide a very simple and inexpensive umbrella, in fact so inexpensive as to warrant its being thrown away after the emergency for which its use, such as belng caught 1n a sudden and unexpected rain, has been satisfied. It contemplates an umbrella, the canopy or top of which is made of amaterial that has been waterproofed sufficiently to withstand moisture for sufficient length of time to serve the purpose for which it IS 1ntended, such as waterproof paper, and the various ribs and braces, as well as the handle, may be also made of paper.

So far as I am aware, the folding and unfolding features are entirely new, since this umbrella is not raised and lowered in the usual way, but folded fiat or substantially fiat when not in use, and unfolded and "built up when desired for use, and the arrangements are such that these operations may be quickly and conveniently accomplished, so that to all, regardless of the degree of mechanical skill possessed by them, the manner of quick assemblage, will be obvious.

In the drawings illustrating the invention- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the umbrella raised.

Fig. 2 is an inverted perspectlve vlew.

Fig. 3 is a detail plan of the central portion of the umbrella with the central dlsc removed.

Fig. 4- is a detail sectional view showing the manner of attaching the ribs to the 45 canopy or top.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the top, folded.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken about on line 6-6 of Figure 1.

Fig. 7 is an inverted perspective view of a slightly modified form wherein a different form of spanner is used.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of such spanner with part of the lower portion 55 of the rod attached, and

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the modified form taken about on a central line.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the top or canopy, which as before stated,'is' preferably made of waterproof paper, and may be, of course, colored as fancy may dictate, preferably a dark color to resemble as much as possible an ordinary umbrella, and indeed, to further such resemblance, the paper may be impressed in imitation of a fabric like a linen paper. Referring particularly to Figure 3, the numerals 2, 3 and 4 designate V-shaped ribs, which are made of heavy cardboard, the ribs being deep at their angles as indicated at 5, and tapering to 1points as indicated at 6 at the outer edge 0 the canopy .or cover 1. As shown in Fig. 4, these ribs are secured to the canopy by means of long strips 7, which may be glued or otherwise attached, partly to the canopy and partly to the ribs. The section a of the canopy is provided with an additional rib 8 conforming in shape to the adjacent ribs which rib is also preferably made of heavy cardboard, so that when the canopy is unfolded from the positionshown in Figure 5, and its lateral edges brought together, the rib 8 may be secured to one of the legs of the adjacent rib. which as shown in Figure 3, is the rib 2. For fastening the rib 8 to the leg of the adjacent rib when the umbrella is in expanded or open position, I provide a metallic clip 9, pivoted at 10 to one of the legs of the rib 2, the clip being preferably made of resilient material so as to wedge down, and thereby tightly and snugly embrace a very considerable portion of the surface of the rib 8 and leg 2, thus holding the umbrella canopy in open or expanded condition. i Y

The numeral 11 designates the umbrella rod, and the arrangement is such that the rod not only serves as support for the canopy or cover when the umbrella is in use, but serves as additional strengthening and bracing means for keeping all of the ribs in proper radial position. This is accomplished by the provision of a disk 12 provided with three V-shaped slots or recesses 13, which receive the ends of corresponding] shaped 105 spanner sections 14, which lie in t e angles of the V-shaped ribs, as clearly shown in Figure 2. Both the disk and the spanner sections may be made of paper, and the rod is preferably, securely attached to the disk 110 with, as shown in Figure 6, a portion of the rod extending above the disk as indicated at 15, which portion extends through an aperture 16 in the center of the unfolded canopy, where above the canopy it is provided with an aperture 17 for the reception of a pin 18 between which and the top of the canopy is interposed a washer 19. To give additional rigidity to the ribs, should such rigiditybc necessary, I may provide braces 20, which are made by partly cutting out a portion of one rib in such a way as to leave on the partly cut-out portion'a head 21, which cooperates with a T-shaped slot 22 on the opposite rib, as shown clearly in Figure 2.

To prevent leakage of water down the rod, I prefer to provide a guard 23 of the general contour of the canopy except, of course, as illustrated, of only sufficient diameter to cover the central portion of the topzor canopy.

eferring now to the modifications, Figures 7, 8 and 9, the rib and canopy structures are identical with those in the main figures, but here the umbrella rod is made in two pieces, and the lower piece or handle proper is designated by the numeral 24, which is hollow, and attached securely to a spanner 25, provided with three legs 26, which lie in and embrace the angles of the rib sections, as shown in Figure 7.

The upper part of the rod in this form is separable from the lower part, and is indicated by the numeral 27, and is received in the tubular lower portion, as shown in Figure 9, there being provided in the lower part of the rod an aperture 30, adapted to register with a similar aperture 31 in the upper part, the apertures being adapted'to receive a transverse pin 32, by which the upper and lower sections of the rod are held together. In this form, the pin at the top of the rod is dispensed with, and a permanent washer 33 is provided, which limits the downward movement of the upper part of the rod when the parts are being assembled, it being obvious that the upper movement of the lower tubular part is limited by engagement of the spanner disk 25 with the lower edges of the angles of the ribs.

Assuming the umbrella canopy to be folded as shown in Figure 5, and it is desired to attach the rod and parts carried thereby, or in other words, to build the umbrella for use, one of the legs of rib 2 is brought against the additional rib 8, and the metallic clip clamped down over the upper edges, of both of them. The upper portion of the rod 11 is then inserted through the aperture at the top of the canopy bringing the spanner sections within the angles of the ribs when the washer is placed at the upper end of the rod, and the pin 18 passed through the aperture 17 above the washer, when the umbrella will be ready for use.

aae'neve I have found by experiment that an exceptionally rigid structure can be built up in this way by the use of appropriate cardboard, as it will be seen that the various parts perform double functions, that is to say, they by their cooperation provide strength, and at the same time permit the presence of the general structural characteristics of an ordinary umbrella.

To assemble the umbrella illustrated in Figures 7, 8 and 9, the upper part of the rod is inserted through the top of the umbrella into the tubular section below the canopy with the legs 26 in the angles of the ribs, when the pin 32 is ut through both sections of the rod, thus ringing about a ri id useful structure.

eferrin more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, the numeral 34 designates a flap preferably secured to the marginal edge of the canopy 1 on the side that carries the extra rib 8. This flap, as shown more clearly in Figure 1, is ada ted to slightly overlie the opposite edge 0 the canopy to prevent leakage through the cover where the two cover edges are brought together.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the canopy or top of the umbrella when not in use may be folded into very compact form, as illustrated in Figure 5, and the rod and parts carried thereby, together with the folded top may very conveniently be inserted in an envelope adapted for its reception, and the whole device in knockeddown form may be readily handled for sale disposition and other purposes.

While I have described throughout in the foregoing an umbrella intended for temporary use, and made in the main of paper and cardboard, I desire it to be understood that I consider it quite within the spirit of this invention to make the umbrella top of cloth or other material as usual, and to make the other parts, such as the ribs, rod and parts carriedthereby of material other than paper whereby, a permanent lasting structure will result, and one which may be readily assembled for use, and knockeddown for transportation-say for instance, in a suitcase or grip of ordinary dimensions.

Claims:

1. An umbrella comprising a canopy nor-' unfolded position, a plurality of V-shaped ribs secured a) the underside of the canopy with their angles converging at the center thereof, a rod carrying near its top a spanner formed .with sections adapted to lie within the angles of the ribs whereby the ribs are held in properly spaced radial position.

3. An umbrella comprisin a canopy nor mally completely severed f rom its center to its margin, means for securing the canopy edges together when the canopy is in unfolded position, a plurality of V-shaped ribs secured to the underside of the canopy with their angles converging at the center thereof, a rod carrying near its top a disk adapted to overlie the angles of the ribs, said disk being further provided with a plurality of spanner sections adapted to lie within the angles of the ribs, the rod being adapted to extend through the canopy, and means above the canopy for further securing the rod to the canopy.

4. An umbrella comprlsing a canopy normally completely severed from its center to its mar n, said canopy being formed of waterproo paper, a plurality of V-shaped ribs secured to the underside of the canop with their angles at the center thereo said ribs taperin in depth from the center to the margin 0 the canopy, means for securing the cano y edges together when the canopy is in un .olded position, an umbrella rod, and means for bracing the legs of the ribs apart when the umbrella is in unfolded position.

5. An umbrella comprising a canopy or top, V-shaped ribs secured to the underside of the canopy, means engagin the angles of said ribs to hold them In ra ial position, and a suitable rod attached to the canopy and consisting of an upper section and a lower detachable section connected to the upper section beneath the canopy for supporting the same.

6. An umbrella comprising a canopy or cover, -shaped ribs secured to the underside of said canopy or cover, said ribs be ing of considerable depth adjacent to center of the cover and tapering toward the outer margin thereof, and a rod havin means for engaging the V-shaped ribs axf -jacent their angles for holding the ribs in radial position.

7. An umbrella comprising a cover, V- shaped ribs secured to the underside of said cover, said ribs being capable of a folding action at their angles whereby they may be brought to lie side by side, means engagin the angles of the ribs to hold them in ra ial position, and a suitable rod attached to the canopy and consistin of an upper section and a lower detacha le section connected to the u per section beneath the cover for supportlng the upper part or the structure.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SIDNEY C. VINCENT.

Witnesses:

TITIAN W. JoHNsoN, C. B. BULL.

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