US3055382A - Umbrella - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 25, 1962 w. L. MAPPIN ETAL 3,055,382

UMBRELLA Filed May 24, 1960 5 L22? 4 4e F/G: 45 46 4/ FIG.

B .DoRor/w Nan /N ATTORNEYS United States Patent U 3,055,382 UMBRELLA Walter Levison Mappin and Dorothy Mappin, both of 1 Cauifield St., Rnsholme, Manchester, England Filed May .24, 196i), vSer. No. 31,457 Claims priority, appiication Great Britain May 26, 1959 8 Claims. (Cl. 135-34) This invention relates to umbrellas and the like, and has for its object to provide an improved construction thereof.

The present invention provides an umbrella or the like comprising a frame having a cover upon it; means are provided whereby the cover can be easily removed from the frame so that the cover can be repaired or replaced by one of a different colour or pattern.

The invention consists of an umbrella or the like comprising a frame, including ribs and a cover secured to the rib tips and comprising plug and socket means on the cover and the rib ends, providing readily detachable fastenings between the rib and the cover.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of embodiments thereof, given by way of example, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of an umbrella;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a rib end, with a tip-receiving socket on it;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of a tip for use with the socket shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of a rib, with a retaining hook for the cover;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view of a plastic clip to use with the hook of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a side view of another form of rib end and tip;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view of the parts shown in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a cross section, taken on the line 88 of FIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 9 is a plan view of the rib end of FIGURES 6 and 7.

The umbrella shown in FIGURE 1 comprises a frame including a stick it), ribs 11 and stretchers 12. The frame can be of the collapsible type. A cover 13 for the frame is provided consisting of a series of panels formed by seams; the cove has a central opening which is passed over the end of the stick, and the panels, at the ends of the seams, are attached to the ends of the ribs. As thus far described, the umbrella is conventional.

With the present invention, the central opening of the cover can be readily removed from the ferrule end of the stick, and the attachment of the points of the cover to the ends of the ribs can also be easily effected; in this way the cover can be quickly removed for repair or replacement.

One form of attachment between cover and rib is shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. A tubular socket is formed on the end of the rib, with its axis lying substantially in line with the length of the rib; this socket can be formed directly on the rib itself, if this is of the usual channel section, but as shown in FIGURE 2 a separate tubular socket member 14 is used. The member 14 is a force fit on the end of the rib, which can be compressed slightly at 15 to receive it.

The socket member 14 receives a small plug or rib tip 16, to retain it frictionally, the tip 16 being sewn to the cover, having a hole 19 for this purpose. To ensure that the tip will be held, the socket member 14 is longitudinally slit at 18 and inwardly of this slit portion, about half of the periphery of the tube cut away, as at 20. The

tip is then shaped with an end 21 of slightly greater diameter which locates in a reduced bore 20 of the member 14 and a part 22 of slightly lesser diameter which is held in the slit end of member 14.

To place a cover on the frame the ferrule end of the stick is passed through the central opening of the cover, and the tips 16 are inserted in turn in the sockets on the rib ends; there is suflicient stretch in the material to allow this to be done. A rubber ferrule or like ring 24 can be pushed onto the projecting end of the stick to hold the centre of the cover.

The tension in the material and the friction at the tip and socket is sufficient to hold the cover in position but if desired means can be employed to hold the cover to the ribs at points intermediate their ends. For example, tapes 26 sewn to the cover can be tied round the rib, or a small hook 27, FIGURE 4, can be secured in the rib channel as by crimping at 28. The cover can be provided with a loop to engage the hook, or there can be used a plastic member 30, with an enlarged head 31 to fit in the hook.

An advantageous form of the invention is shown in FIGURES 6 to 9. In this case a tip 40 has a socket 41 at one end and a ball 42 at the other, with a hole 43 for attachment to the cover as described above. This tip can be formed from the solid, but can also be formed from tube or sheet metal. The socket on the tip receives the end of the rib, Which can be pressed to substantially circular cross section at 44. A clip 45 is used to retain the tip frictionally on the rib. The clip has a rear part 46 which, as shown in FIGURE 8, is bent round the rib and is held securely against rotation. Adjacent this end the clip is bent down at 47, to clear the end of the tip 40. This part of the clip is reduced in Width at 41, to increase its resiliency, and the end of the clip is shaped at 43 to fit round the tip and hold it in position. This form of the invention can be used in the same way as that described above.

We claim:

1. An umbrella comprising a stick, a frame including a plurality of ribs, a cover secured to such ribs, and plug and socket means on the cover and the end of each rib respectively, said plug and socket means being engageable with each other in the general direction of the longitudinal axis of each rib, each of said plug and socket means including a tubular socket member attached to the end of a rib and a plug member attached to the cover and frictionally insertable in the respective socket member, each of said socket and plug members having cooperating parts constituting a detent means to retain said two members in engagement said cooperating parts comprising a longitudinally centrally located cut-away section defining an aperture in the tubular wall of said socket means, a longitudinal split in the tubular wall of said socket means extending from one end thereof and intersecting said centrally located aperture, the tubular walls immediately bordering said longitudinal split defining a pair of springy lips, and an enlarged head on said plug means wider in diameter than the diameter of said tubular socket means at said springy lip portions and fully insertable Within said tubular socket means at said centrally located aperture.

2. An umbrella in accordance with claim 1, and comprising a central opening in the cover through which the end of the stick extends.

3. An umbrella in accordance with claim 2 and comprising a ring of friction material fitting on said stick to retain the cover.

4. An umbrella in accordance with claim 1, and com- 3 4 prising further means for attaching the cover to the ribs eluding small attachments, with enlarged portions for reintermediate the ends of the latter. tention in said hooks, on said cover.

5. An umbrella in accordance with claim 4, and Where in said means comprises tapes on said cover, for tying References Cited In the file of thls Pawnt round the ribs 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 6. An umbrella in accordance with claim 4, and wherein said means comprises hooks on said ribs. 1 3:3 32

7. An umbrella in accordance with claim 6, wherein 2,319,118 Farkas et a1. May 11, 1943 said I'lbS are of channel sect1on and the hooks are held 2 436 321 Morton Feb 17 1948 in the channel by crimping the latter. 10 27o5014 Mann 1955 8. An umbrella in accordance with claim 6, and in-

Images