US1708214A - Collapsible umbrella - Google Patents

Description

April 9, 1929. F. BURRIS 1,708,214

COLLAPS I BLE UMBRELLA Filed April 12, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 9, 1929. F. BURRIS 1,708,214

COLLAPSIBLE UMBRELLA Filed April 12, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 #5 AZ z 3 m K127 I; (a 30/? m *7 Patented Apr. 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES FLAVERS BURRIS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

COLLAPSIBLE UMBRELLA.

Application filed April 12,

This invention relates to collapsible umbrellas, and the general object of the invention is to provide an umbrella which can be collapsed into very small proportions so that it may be rendered portable and carried in a small bundle, and in which the umbrella may be opened by simply pulling up upon a handle cction, the closing of the umbrella being ac complished by pushing inward upon the handle section.

A further object is to provide means for locking the sections of the handle or staff of the umbrella in shifted positions.

Other objects will appear in the course of r the following description.

My invention is illustrat d in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is an elevation of an umbrella frame and its cover opened, onlytwo of the ribs being shown to avoid confusion;

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view through the stafi of the umbrella, the ribs being shown fragmentarily and the umbrella being shown as open; r

Figure 3 is a like viewto Figure 2 but showing the ribs and the staff closed;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 3; v

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the cage;

Figure 7 is an under side plan View thereof;

Figure 8 is a section of the disk which is connected to the ribs;

Figure 9 is an elevation thereof.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates an end plate circular in form and to which the cage 11 is fastened by means of the screws 12. This cage is formed with a plurality of downwardly and inwardly extending ribs 13 and 1 1, between which the ribs of the umbrella are pivotally connected. Rotatably mounted in a central opening 15 of the cage and a central opening of the plate 10 is a staff section 16 which is formed with a spiral groove 17 extending nearly its entire length. The end of the sect-ion 16 adjacent the plate 10 and disposed within the cage 11 carries a spool 18 rotating with'the section 16. Each rib of the umbrella is formed of three sections 19, and 21. The section 19 is hollow for its entire length and the section 20 has sliding engagement within the section 19, while the section 21 slides or telescopes within the' section 20.

-- The section: 20 at its inner end bears against 1928. Serial No. 269,549.

a coiled compression spring 22 disposed at the base of the rib and acting to urge the section 20 outward, while the section 21 bears at its inner end against a coiled compression spring 23 which acts to urge this section outward. A cord 24 is attached to an eye 25 at the inner end of each section 21 and passes through the springs 23 and 22 and then passes onto the spool or roller 18.

I have illustrated an umbrella with six ribs and hence there will be six cords extending to this spool 18. lVhen the spool 18 is rotated in one direction, it will wind up these cords and retract the sections 20 and 21 into place within the section 19 of the rib against the action of the springs 23 and 22 respectivelv, and vice versa when the cord 24' is released by reverse rotation of the spool 18, the springs and 23 will act to force out the sections 20 and 21 respectively to their full lengths.

The sections 19 of the ribs are pivoted between the members 13 and 14 by means of pivot pins 26, and it will be noted that the upper end or inner end of each section 19 is inwardly extended, as at 2T. Surrounding the section 16 and sl'idable thereon is an annulus 28 having upwardly extending arms 29.

- Each of these arms at its upper end is pivoted at 30 to a corresponding projecting portion 27 of the corresponding rib 19. These portions 27 act as hell crank levers and when the annulus 28 is puller downward the rib sections 19 will be raised and when the annulus 28 is pushed upward the rib sections will be lowered.

A spring 31 which is disposed between the annulus 28 and the bottom ol the cage 11 acts to urge the annulus 28 downwardf Pins attached to the bottom of the cage 11 and extending down through openings in the annulus constitute guides therefor and also the heads oi these pins constitute limiting stops preventing the spring from forcing the annuius 28 down beyond the head of the pin, that is, beyond a position where the ribs are extended outward andsiightly down- ;ward.

Surrounding the stalf section 16 is a second section 33 in the form of a sleeve which at its upper or inner end is provided with an inwardly projecting portion 34 engaging in the groove 17. Thus when this sleeve is pulled downward, it will cause a rotation of the section 16 in a direction to unwind or slacken the cords 24, and when the sleeve section 33 is forced in a reverse direction it will cause and preventing its depression.

This cap 36 is attached to an outer sleeve or staff section 39 which slides upon the section 33 and constitutes a handle and this section 39 of its inner end is formed with a pivoted latch 40 angularly bent atone end to provide a tooth 41. The outer end of the'sleeve 33 is formed with an aperture 42 with which the tooth 41 is adapted to engage and thus hold the section 39 or handle section in an extended position. Prefrably the head of the latch 37- is covered by means of a cupsha'ped shield 43 of thin metal fitting over the head 36.

It will be seen that with this construction if it be desired to open the umbrella, the shield 43 is removed and the latch depressed against the action ofthe spring 33. This releases the engagement of the head 36 with the spirally grooved section 16 and then the head 36 is drawn outward and this will draw outward on the two sections 39 and 33. The drawing outward of the section 33 acts to rotate the central shaft section 16 to gradually unwind the cords 24 and, as the sections 33 and 39 are shifted away from'the annulus 28, the annulus moves downward under the action of the spring 31 so that the ribs not only areelongated but are simultaneously elevated. l/Vhen the sleeve 33 has been drawn downward to its full extent, the latch 40 is released manually and that permits the handle sec tion or sleeve 39 to be drawn still further outward upon the section 33 until the latch 40 engages in the aperture 42. At this time the part 34 has moved to its full extent along the groove 17 and into the bayonet slot 17 which forms the lower end of this groove and the part 34 latches in this bayonet. slot. This upwardly extending terminal, therefore, acts I to lock the section 33 at the lower end of the section 16.

' It will be noted also that the sections33 and 39 are provided withfcoacting splines and grooves, the splines being designated 44, so that the two sections 39 and 33 cannot turn with relation to each other. The cover of the umbrella is designated 45 and the upper edge of this'cover is disposed against the under face'of the plate 10 and is held in place by the margin of the cage 11. This cover has loops at intervals attaching it to certain inwardly extending lugs 46 and 47.

These lugs are on the inner faces of the ribs, and the loops are also attached to an eye 48 at the outer end of the permanent rib section 21, thus permitting the cover to fold as the sections are restricted and unfold and open out as the sections are projected.

It will be seen from Figure 6 that the radial ribs 13 are L-shaped but the ribs 14 do not extend inward but merely extend downward, thus allowing space for the arms 29 of the sliding annulus 28.

The operation of this devicewill be obvious from what has gone before. Normally the umbrella is closed with the cover collapsed. hen it is desired to use the umbrella, the pivoted latch 37 is operated, which releases the sleeve 33 and the sleeve 39. These sleeves are then drawn out-ward together, causing the rotation of the shaft 16 and the unwinding of the cords 24. Simultaneously with this the annulus 28 is forced downward by the spring 31 which acts to forcethe ribs outward and at the same time the rib sections are elongated by means of the springs 22 and When the latch 40is released, the handle sections 33 and 39 causes the inward movement of the annulus 28'against the action of spring 31 which draws the ribs centrally inward.

Iclaim:' v

1. foldable umbrella of the character described comprising. a head, extensible ribs pivotally engaged with the head, a plurality of staff sections having telescopic engagement with each other, andmeans whereby upon the extension of said staff sections longitudinally with relation to each other the ribs will be raised and simultaneously longitudinally extended and upon the shifting of the staff sections one within the other the ribs will be retracted.

'2. In a collapsible umbrella, a head member having ribs pivoted thereto, the ribs being extensible, a cover attached to said ribs, a longitudinally extensible handle formed in telescopic sections, and means acting asthe handle is extended to lift the ribs and cause the longitudinal extension of the same and as the sections of the handle are telescoped into each other acting to turn the ribs into approximately parallel relation to the ham dle and retract the rib sections.

3. A collapsible umbrella of the character described comprising a head, ribs pivotally mountedup on the head, theribs being formed 111 a plurahty of telescop c'sections, springs urging the sections of the ribs outward, a

rotatable shaft mounted in the head and having a spool, cords extending from the outermost rib section through said springs and to said spool, a rotation of the spool in one direction causing the rib sections to be drawn into each other and a rotation of the spool in the other direction permitting the springs to force them outward, the central shaft section being formed with a spiral groove, a sleeve section normally surrounding the shaft section and having a lug at its inner end engaging in said groove whereby to cause a rotation of the shaft section as the sleeve section is pulled outward or pushed inward, and means acting as the sleeve section is pulled outward to cause the rotation of the ribs into a position approximately at right angles to the shaft section and acting when the sleeve sections telescope onto the shaft section to cause the retraction of the ribs to a position parallel to the shaft section.

4. A collapsible umbrella of the character described comprising a head, a plurality of ribs disposed radially in said head, each of said ribs being composed of three telescopic sections, a central shaft section mounted in said head and provided with a spool, cords extending from the inner end of the outermost section of each rib and extending to said spool and adapted to be wound thereon, springs urging the rib sections outward with relation to each other, the innermost rib section at its inner end being formed with an angular portion, an annular member surrounding the central shaft and having upwardly extendin arms pivotally engaged with the angular portions of the rib sections, a spring urging the annular member outward, a longitudinally shiftable section having telescopic engagement with the central shaft section bearing against the annular member when shifted inward but releasing the annular member when pulled outward and having an inward projection engaging the spiral groove of said shaft section to cause a rotation of the shaft section when said longitudinally shiftable section is pulled outward, and means engaging the central shaft section and said shiftable section and locking the two against relative longitudinal movement when the shiftable section is telescoped upon the shaft section.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

FLAVERS BURRIS.

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