US3156249A - Windproof umbrella with catch - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 10, 1964 N. BIDERMAN WINDPROOF UMBRELLA WITH CATCH INVENTOR.

Filed June 27, 1965 g//// l/H //l I 0 c 1 1/ Km United States Patent M 3,156,249 PROOF UMBRELLA WITH CATCH Nat Biderrnan, New York, N.Y., assignor to Liberty Urnbrella Co., Inc, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed June 27, 1963, Ser. No. 2%,010 2 Claims. (Cl. 135-20) This invention relates to umbrellas and more particularly is directed to an improved catch and release mechanism between the rod and runner of a windproof umbrella construction to facilitate returning the umbrella frame to a normal position after being blown inside out.

Among the objects of the invention is to generally improve the construction of windproof umbrellas, which shall comprise few and simple parts and be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, which shall include a runner incorporating a spring biased finger pressure release catch for engaging openings in the umbrella rod in both open and closed position, which shall provide the open position opening in the rod with a guide track for automatic release of the runner when forced in an upward direction by the pressure of the wind permitting the umbrella to be turned inside out as the conventional safeguard against breaking and distorting of the frame, which positioning of the finger pressure release catch shall permit springing the umbrella frame from its inside out position to its normal position with one hand, which shall be rugged in construction, fool-proof in operation, practical and efiicient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists of features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter disclosed, the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims following.

In the accompanying drawing in which an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of an umbrella constructed to embody the invention shown in full lines in normal open position, the broken lines indicating a wind blown inside out position of the frame.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 2-2 in FIG. 1 showing details of the runner and rod construction.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the umbrella rod showing the upper opening construction serving as one element of the automatic release mechanism, and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 in FIG. 2.

Referring in detail to the drawing, generally denotes an umbrella of the windproof type constructed to embody the invention, the cover being omitted from the drawing for simplicity. Umbrella 10 is seen to include a central rod 11 terminating at a lower end in handle 12 and having a crown 13 secured adjacent the upper tip 11a to which crown ribs 14 are pivotally secured. A runner 15 is slidably mounted on rod 11, having struts 16 pivotally secured to an upper end portion 15a thereof, each strut 16 being pivoted at its opposite end 16a to a midportion of one of the ribs 14. A helical compression spring 17 is coaxially mounted on rod 11 adjacent crown 13 and may have an upper end secured to rod 11 in any suitable manner as by inwardly bent end 17a engaging an opening 11b in rod 11 located in close proximity to crown 13, the lower end 17b of spring 17 being free for upward compression by runner 15 when ribs 14 are sprung to the upwardly flexed position shown in broken lines in FIG. 1 in the manner hereinafter more fully described.

3,156,249 Patented Nov. 10, 1964 Rod 11, which may be made solid or tubular of metal or wood in any manner well known in the art, is here shown as a tubular metal structure having a lower opening 11c and an upper opening 11d, openings 11c and 11d being positioned to be engaged by a hook or projection 13b terminating one end of catch 18 for releasably retaining the numbrella in a closed or open position, respectively.

Runner 15 may also be made of any suitable material well known in the art, but shown in FIG. 2 as molded of a suitable resinous plastic in the form of an elongated sleeve having an axial bore 15b sized to slidably receive rod 11 therethrough. The upper end portion 15a of runner 15 is formed as a flange having radially extending grooves for pivotally mounting struts 16 thereto, all in the well understood manner. The lower end of runner 15 opposite end portion 15a may be formed with a strengthening bead 15c. Extending longitudinally from bead 15c and radially from the wall of runner 15 is a boss 15d having an enlarged upper end 15e located on a midportion of runner 15 spaced below upper flange end portion 15a. A longitudinal slot 151 is formed in boss 15d to communicate with bore 15b and has a catch 18 pivotally mounted therein on pin 18a, said catch 18 having one end formed with an inward projection 18b and an opposite end formed with a circular finger pressure plate or button 130. A recess 15g as an extension of slot 15 is provided in enlarged boss end 15a to receive button 15c.

A suitable spring 1? may be mounted on pivot pin 18a to normally resiliently retain catch 18 in the position shown in FIG. 2, namely, with projection 18b extending into bore 15b and button projecting beyond the surface of boss enlarged end 15e. As shown in FIG. 2, spring 19 has an intermediate portion 19a extending through an opening 18d in catch 18 and opposite symmetrical end portions extending on opposite sides of catch 18, each end portion having an open loop 1% which passes partially around pin 18a and a free end 19c which engages the bottom wall of recess 15g.

In order to provide for the windproof feature of umbrella 10, runner 15 must be free to slide from the open position shown in full lines in FIG. 1 to the uppermost position indicated in broken lines, thereby permitting the ribs to bow upwardly, that is, to spring into an inside out configuration in the manner Well known in the art. To this end, upper opening 11d in rod 11 is constructed and arranged to engage projection 18b of catch 18, retaining runner 15 against sliding downwardly along rod 11 but to freely permit projection 18b to disengage therefrom for said upward sliding movement of runner 15 when umbrella 10 is suddenly caught by the wind. Thus as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, upper opening 11d may be drop-shaped and provided with an inclined bottom wall 11a which is relatively deep at the lower edge of opening 11d and inclines upwardly to the surface of rod 11. Inclined bottom Wall 11c may be stamped from the wall of rod 11 or otherwise formed therein. Should rod 11 be made of solid stock, opening 11d may then be formed as a recess having an inclined bottom wall.

The practical application and utility of the invention will now be apparent. After assembling the parts as hereinbefore described and shown in the drawing and provided with a suitable cover (not shown), umbrella 10 is ready for use. In closed position with ribs 14 collapsed, runner 15 will be positioned adjacent handle 12 so that projection 18b of catch 18 engages in lower opening 11c locking runner 15 against sliding movement along rod 11. Umbrella 10 is opened in the conventional manner by holding handle 12 in one hand and with the other hand depressing button 18c of catch 18 to pivot the latter against the action of spring l9'and disengage projection 18b from' engagement in lower opening 11c. Thereafter runner 15 is free to be moved upwardly along rod 11 to open the umbrella. In practice, after freeing projection 18]) from lower opening 110 button 180 may be released while runner 15 is being moved upwardly along rod 11 to a short distance beyond upper opening 11d. Then runner 15. is brought back downwardly until projection 1812 under the action of spring 19 engages upper opening 11d to retain umbrella It in open position. Closing may be accomplished with one hand by resting handle 12 against the body, depressing button 18c with one hand to release projection 18]) from upper opening llld so that runner is free to move downwardly to collapse ribs 14 until projection 18b again engages lower opening 110, thus locking umbrella It in the closed position.

The improved feature of umbrella 1% will now be described. With umbrella It) in open position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a sudden relatively strong gust of wind exerting pressure on the under or inside of the umbrella will spring ribs 14 into an inside out configuration shown in broken lines in FIG. 1. In order to assume this inside out configuration, runner 15 must move upwardly along rod 11 against compression spring 17. The wind pressure, in exerting this upward force upon runner 15, causes projection 18b to slide along inclined bottom wall Me which cams catch 18 in a clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 2 against spring 19, projection 18b thereby being guided to the surface of rod 11 for free upward movement of runner 15, compression spring 17 serving to cushion the movement and springing force of the ribs 14. In order .to return umbrella It to its normal open position it is necessary to bring runner l downwardly below upper opening 11d. This can be readily accomplished with one hand by simply resting handle 12 against the body, gripping runner 15 with said one hand, depressing button 130 While simultaneously pulling runner l5 downwardly along rod 11 until ribs 14 spring back into normal position. Thereafter umbrella It) may be opened in the usual manner.

It is thus seen that there is provided an improved windproof umbrella with catch for one handed operation whereby the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A windproof umbrella having a rod and a rib structure adapted to spring inside out from a normal open downwardly bowedposition to an upwardly bowed position, a runner slidably mounted on said rod for operating and controlling said rib structure, releasable positioning means coacting between said runner and rod, said means including an upper and lower opening formed in the rod and a catch carried by said runner and spring biased to selectively engage said upper and lower openings, finger pressure means carried by said catch for disengaging the latter from said upper and lower openings, said upper opening and rib structure being constructed and arranged for automatic disengagement of the catch to permit the runner to slide upwardly along said rod for springing the rib structure from said normal open downwardly bowed position to an inside out upwardly bowed position upon exertion of wind pressure on the underside of the open umbrella, said finger pressure means being accessible for finger manipulation to release the runner by one of the fingers of one hand while the latter is simultaneously gripping the runner and exerting a sliding force to move the runner downwardly beyond said upper opening to spring the ribs from said inside out position to a normal configuration, said upper opening being elongated along the length of said rod and having an inclined bottom wall extending from a relatively deep lower end to an upper end at the surface of said rod, said inclined bottom wall serving as a guide for effecting said automatic disengagement of the catch.

2. A windproof umbrella comprising a hollow tube having upper and lower opposite ends, a plurality of ribs pivoted to said tube adjacent said upper end, a runner slidably mounted on said tube, a strut for each of said ribs pivotal-ly mounted to extend from the runner to a midportion of said rib for closing the umbrella by collapsing the ribs upon sliding the runner to a first position adjacent said tube lower end and for opening the umbrella by spreading the ribs upon sliding the runner to a second position spaced from said tube upper end, said tube being formed with a lower and an upper opening, said runner having a pivoted catch formed with a projection for engaging said lower and upper openings to selectively lock the runner in said closed and open positions, said catch being spring biased to normally urge said projection into said openings and having a finger pressure button positioned to pivot the catch against the action of the spring bias to disengage the projection from the openings, said upper opening, catch, ribs and struts being constructed and arranged for automatic disengagement of the catch from the upper opening to permit the runner to slide upwardly along said tube springing the ribs from a normal downwardly bowed spread position to an inside out upwardly bowed position upon exertion of wind pressure on the underside of the open umbrella, said finger pressure button being accessible for operation to render the catch inoperative by one of the fingers of one hand while the latter is simultaneously gripping the runner and exerting a sliding force to mov the runner downwardly beyond said upper opening to spring the ribs from said inside out position .to a normal configuration, said upper opening including an inclined bottom wall extending from a relatively deep recessed lower end to an upper end at the surface of said tube, said inclined bottom wall serving as a guide for effecting said automatic disengagement of the catch.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 986,532 3/11 Wolfe -28 2,725,888 12/55 Haupt 135-38 2,788,792 4/57 Koller l35-20 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A WINDPROOF UMBRELLA HAVING A ROD AND A RIB STRUCTURE ADAPTED TO SPRING INSIDE OUT FROM A NORMAL OPEN DOWNWARDLY BOWED POSITION TO AN UPWARDLY BOWED POSITION, A RUNNER SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID ROD FOR OPERATING AND CONTROLLING SAID RIB STRUCTURE, RELEASABLE POSITIONING MEANS COACTING BETWEEN SAID RUNNER AND ROD, SAID MEANS INCLUDING AN UPPER AND LOWER OPENING FORMED IN THE ROD AND A CATCH CARRIED BY SAID RUNNER AND SPRING BIASED TO SELECTIVELY ENGAGE SAID UPPER AND LOWER OPENINGS, FINGER PRESSURE MEANS CARRIED BY SAID CATCH FOR DISENGAGING THE LATTER FROM SAID UPPER AND LOWER OPENINGS, SAID UPPER OPENING AND RIB STRUCTURE BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED FOR AUTOMATIC DISENGAGEMENT OF THE CATCH TO PERMIT THE RUNNER TO SLIDE UPWARDLY ALONG SAID ROD FOR SPRINGING THE RIB STRUCTURE FROM SAID NORMAL OPEN DOWNWARDLY BOWED POSITION TO AN INSIDE OUT UPWARDLY BOWED POSITION UPON EXERTION OF WIND PRESSURE ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE OPEN UMBRELLA, SAID FINGER PRESSURE MEANS BEING ACCESSIBLE FOR FINGER MANIPULATION TO RELEASE THE RUNNER BY ONE OF THE FINGERS OF ONE HAND WHILE THE LATTER IS SIMULTANEOUSLY GRIPPING THE RUNNER AND EXERTING A SLIDING FORCE TO MOVE THE RUNNER DOWNWARDLY BEYOND SAID UPPER OPENING TO SPRING THE RIBS FROM SAID INSIDE OUT POSITION TO NORMAL CONFIGURATION, SAID UPPER OPENING BEING ELONGATED ALONG THE LENGTH OF SAID ROD AND HAVING AN INCLINED BOTTOM WALL EXTENDING FROM A RELATIVELY DEEP LOWER END TO AN UPPER END AT THE SURFACE OF SAID ROD, SAID INCLINED BOTTOM WALL SERVING AS A GUIDE FOR EFFECTING SAID AUTOMATIC DISENGAGEMENT OF THE CATCH.

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