US608694A

US608694A - Folding umbrella or parasol

Info

Publication number: US608694A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1898-08-09
Anticipated expiration: 1915-08-09

Description

No. 608,694. Patented Aug. 9, I898.

E. E. MALLDRY. FOLDING UMBRELLA or: PARASOL.

(Application filed May 12, 1897.) I

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No. 608,694. Patented Aug. 9, I898. E. E. MALLORY.

FOLDING UMBRELLA 0R PARASOL.

(Application filed May 12, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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ERNEST E. MALLORY,'OF WEST UNITY, OllIO.

FOLDING UMBRELLA OR PARASOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 608,694, dated August 9, 1898.

Application filed May 12,1897. Serial No. 636,176. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: I Be it known that I, ERNEST E. MALLORY, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Unity, in the county of Williams and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Foldable Umbrellas or Parasols; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in umbrellas or parasols of that class which are designed to be folded in a small compass for the purpose of easily packing the same in or on a satchel or otherreceptacle.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple construction of parts by which the umbrella may be easily and quickly folded into a compact compass and in like manner unfolded or extended for service either as a sunshade or to protect the user from rain and snow. I also aim to make the ribs and stretchers practically rigid when the umbrella is opened for service and to hold the same in steady fixed relation to each other, especially so in case of wind and when the umbrella is opened or closed with the ribs extended their full length in the ordinary way.

My invention consists, first, in a novel construction of the staff with a swell at the place where the runner stops when the umbrella is opened or spread and with another swell at the lower end of the handle; second, in a runner having a plurality of spring-fingers to which the inner ends of the stretchers are pivoted; third, in a peculiar crown-piece or notch to receive the ends of the stretchers and the spring-fingers of the runner when the umbrella is folded in its most compact form; fourth, in a construction whereby the cover is attached to each rib on opposite sides of the foldable joint and between the crown-piece and the outer end of the rib, and, finally, it consists in the novel combination of elements and in the construction and arrangement of parts, all as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand my in vention, I have illustrated the same in different embodiments in the accompanying drawing which Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the umbrella in its opened spread condition. Fig. 2 is a sectional View showing the umbrella when it is closed in the ordinary way with the ribs extended their full length. Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of the umbrella when it is closed short for storage or transportation. Figs. 4:, 5, 6, 7, and 7' are views of the runner, illustrating differentembodiments thereof. Figs. 8 and 9 are views of the ribs and stretchers, showing the parts in their folded and extended positions,respectively. Fig. 10 is a View of the preferred form of the notch or crown-piece. Fig. 11 is a detail sectional view of the sectional foldable staff.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings, referring to whichi A designates the staff. 0 is the notch or crown-piece. D are the ribs, which are attached to said notch or crown-piece; F, the runner, and H are the stretchers connecting the runner and ribs to serve, in my foldable umbrella or parasol, the peculiar function of holding the ribs, which are made in jointed members, in rigid relation when the umbrella is adapted for service.

The staff A is sectional and provided with two swells a a. The upper section A of the staff is formed to provide the swell a between the cylindrical parts a which correspond in diameter to the ordinary well-known style of continuous staves in umbrellas commonly used, and the swell a is produced in the staffsection A at the place where the runner comes to a point of rest when it is spread open for use. The lower sectionA of the staff has the swell a provided thereon at the place where the staff is to be grasped by the hand, and over this swell a on the section A slides the tubular staff-section A which terminates in a conical upper end a that is adapted to fit snugly on the swell a when the tubular staffsection A is pulled down in extending the staff and handle for service, this conical end a of the tubular staff-section insuring a tight or snug fit of said section A. on the section A The tubular handle-section A of the staff formin a part of this s. ecification, and in 1 is adapted to be locked in place by springcatches b b, which are fitted in kerfs provided in the staffsection A and are adapted to spring outwardly into slots 79 provided on said handle-section A one of the catches being arranged to lie practically flush with the tubular handle-section, while the other catch h is adapted to project for some distance through its slot in said handle-section A so that the catch 1) may engage with the runner to hold it in place when the umbrella or parasol is closed in the ordinary way. These catches serve to confine the handle-section A on the section A against any rotary movement; but when the catches are depressed the section A may be adjusted endwise, as required. The lower large end of the handlesection A is closed by a cap a, which may be screwed on the handle-section or fastened thereto by catches or secured in any other suitable way. When the staff A is to be shortened, the handle-section A is slid upward along the staff-section A until the top a abuts against the end of the latter.

The sections A A of the staff are connected by a foldable joint in which the adjacent ends of said sections are beveled reversely, as at N, to enable them to lap one another when the sections are brought into alinement. These beveled adjacent ends of the staff-section are slotted or kerfed, as at b to receive the ends of an adjustable coup- 1ing-plate b the thickness of which is such that it may be fitted in the kerfs. The ends of this flat coupling-plate are pivoted at b to the adjacent ends of the staff-sections A A and the joint is covered by a slidable ferrule or thimble B, the diameter of which is such that it fits snugly on the small parts of the staff-sections between the swells a a thereof. This ferrule or thimble serves to hold the staff-sections A A in rigid locked relation when it is adjusted across the foldable joint between said staff-sections, and said thimble may be moved down on the staffsection A to clear the joint and enable said staff-sections to be folded together. The upper staff-section A has a catch 11 fitted in a kerf orgroove therein, and it is arranged in the vertical plane of the catch Z) in the staffsection A so that said catches Z) or b may be engaged with the runner F, according as the latter is lowered or raised 011 the staff to hold the umbrella in its closed or opened positions, said runner being provided with a slot or notch f to receive said catches.

The crown-piece O is of peculiar form to serve as a means for the attachment of the upper ends of the ribs, and when the umbrella is folded to its compact condition the inner ends of the stretchers and the upper ends of the spring-fingers on a runner are adapted to be inclosed or housed within said crown-piece. The crown-piece is made in a single piece of metal, of enlarged hollow form, and of such diameter as to receive the stretchers and runner-fingers.

As shown in the drawings, the crown-piece may be bell-shaped, attached to the staff at its upper end, and open at the lower end, so as to leave a space 0 of sufficient area to receive the upper ends of the stretchers and the spring-fingers on the runner when the umbrella is compactly folded. I do not, however, desire to limit myself to the particular bell-shaped form of the notch or crown-piece, as it is obvious that the notch may be square or other shape. While the shape is immaterial, I prefer the bell shape, because it serves the purpose of inclosing the springfingers and stretchers without unduly increasing the size of the crown-piece, and it gives a neat finished appearance to the umbrella. The notch serves as a protection to the fabric or cover from being worn and frayed by the pressure and rubbing of the stretchers and spring-fingers when closed short, and it also serves its usual capacity in providing a means for the attachment of the upper ends of the ribs, for which purpose the lower edge is notched, as at c, to receive the ribs and the usual wire or ring 0, by which the ribs are pivotally attached to the notch or crown-piece.

If desired, the fabric may have the usual protective cap, of leather or other material, applied to the outside thereof to protect the same from the rubbing action of the pivoted ends of the stretchers; but as this is usual in umbrellas I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate the same.

The ribs D are arranged in the usual way and attached, as described, to the notch C; but in my present invention the ribs are made in sections joined to insure the lower sections folding upwardly and outwardly over the upper sections, which are pivoted to the notch, and the joints of the rib-sections are so arranged and the stretchers are so combined therewith that the sectional ribs are locked against turning movement at the middle joints when the umbrella is used in the ordinary way, both when opened for use or when closed against the staff, so that to all intents and purposes the ribs under normal conditions are equivalent to the ordinary single-piece ribs, and the joints in the ribs are only availed of when the umbrella is to be closed short and compactly for storage in a satchel, &c. To these ends I construct each rib in two sections, (indicated at D D of which D represents the upper section, pivoted, as described, to the notch C, while D represents the lower or outer section, which is pivotally attached in a peculiar way to the lower end of the upper section D. I prefer to pivot the lower rib-section D at a point near its upper end, but at some distance from said upper end, to the lower extremity of the rib-section D, the upper extremity of the section D above its point of pivotal attachment to the section D, forming a short arm, (represented by the letter (Z in the drawings.) The pivot or joint between the rib sections is represented at d, and it is made in the ordinary way of umbrella-joints-a'. (2., by a clip having perforated ears, between which is pivoted the end of the rib-section D. The joint cl is arranged to allow the arm cl to bear against the lower edge or side of the rib section D when the sections D are extended in the use of the umbrella in the usual way, and said joint d also allows the lower section to fold or turn outwardly and upwardly over upon the rib-section D when the umbrella is to be closed short.

In umbrellas as ordinarily constructed the length of the stretcher is the same as that part of the rib between the points of its attachment to the notch and the stretcher. Consequently the stretcher could not pass upward. To overcome this objection, I make the staff with the swell a and provide the runner F with spring-fingers G, to which are attached the inner ends of the stretchers H. The swell in the staff and the spring-fingers on the runner allow the stretchers to shorten when the runner is moved upward past the swell in the act of adjusting the parts to shorten the umbrella and allow the same to eollapse,whereby the stretchers are shortened by compressing the spring-fingers inwardly upon the staff above the swell thereon. The swell Ct in the staff may be made larger in diameter than the diameter of the notch or crown-piece, which allows the stretchers to be made shorter than the length of the rib between the notch and the joint d, thus enablin g the runner to pass upwardly above the swell a with less friction, as a part of the length of the stretcher is assumed by the swell in the staff.

The runner consists of a metallic thimble or ,sleeve and the series of spring-fingers G, which extend upwardly from the solid part of the thimble or sleeve. The body of the runner has a slot, as described, to receive either of the catches Z) or Z2 to hold the runner in place on the swells a a of the staff either when the umbrella is opened or closed. The body of the runner and the fingers may be made or struck up from a single piece of sheet metal, or the fingers may be made separate from the body, to which they are united or fastened in any approved way. There are as many of these spring-fingers as there are stretchers; but each finger is separate and distinct from every finger, so that it has free movement or play. The tendency of the spring-fingers is to incline inwardly toward the axial line of the runner and toward the staff, but this tendency is counteracted to some extent by the pull of the stretchers and by the internal pressure of the swell of the staff. These fingers and the peculiar form of the staff enable the stretchers to be drawn inward around the staff to such an extent that the fingers and the inner ends of the stretchers may be brought within compass to be thrust into the bell-shaped notch in order that the latter may house the same and pro tect the fabric or cover from wear due to the rubbing or friction of the stretchers thereon.

In case of wind it is possible that the inner end of the stretcher would pull away from the staff when the umbrella is opened, due to the fact that the stretcher is pivotally attached at g to the free end of one of the elastic fingers of the runner, and in this event the cover, with the ribs and stretchers, would become inverted or turned upward. To overcome this objection, I have provided means which when the umbrella is in service operate to hold the springs in rigid relation to the staff; but this locking means may easily be adjusted by hand to free the spring-fingers and enable the latter to give under the pressure of the stretchers and ribs, so that the runner may partially collapse to fold with the stretchers into the umbrella-notch. In the preferred embodiment of this part of my invention (shown by Fig. 5) the locking means for the fingers consists of a slidable ring I, which is arranged within the spring-fingers and which is slid ably connected therewith, as by an outside keeper 2', which is attached to the ring I and is shaped to individually embrace the fingers. Such construction enables the lock to be moved endwise away from the body of the runner up to the free ends of the fingers, so that the lock will prevent the fingers from having lateral movement either toward or away from the staff. Consequently the fingers cannot be pulled outward by the stretchers when the wind blows against the cover in a direction to invert or turn the umbrella inside out. The slidable locking-ring may re main in its raised position under normal conditions of use of the umbrella; but it may be lowered toward the runner to free the springs when the umbrella is to be folded in its compact form. The other embodiment of the runner (shown by Figs. 6 and 7) is somewhat simpler and easier made in that it is not slidably connected to the fingers. In this case the fingers are made of tapering form, which increases their strength and gives thereto a tendency to lengthen the runner, which in creased length tends to keep the runner in line with the staff. The sliding ring is simply fitted around the outside of the fingers to slide upward thereon, so as to keep them from spreading outward under the pull of the stretchers when the wind blows; but such a ring as shown by Figs. 6 and 7 does not keep the fingers spaced apart, although the width of the springs, where attached to the runner, tends to overcome in a measure this objection In case it is required to hold the locking-ring in place a catch can be provided or the ring can be made to fit tight 011 the fingers.

One feature of this umbrella is to have the barrel of the runner stop as far from the notch as possible when the umbrella is opened, so that when the umbrella is closed short the stretchers do not have to break so short over the barrel of the runner to allow the lower IIO ends of the upper section of the ribs to lie close to the staif. In this case it is necessary to lengthen the spring, and such a construction is provided for in Fig. 7 of the drawings, in which the runner is shown as having a conical lower end It, adapted to go up to and fit on the staff-swell a when the umbrella is closed short. This form of the runner is such that it does not pass above the swell in the staff, and this is advantageous in that it is not necessary to make the handle-section A as large as the swell a and enables a reduction in the length of the swell. It will be seen that the conical lower end h of the runner would be the length of the fingers below the swell when the umbrella is open, and the fingers would have to be as long as the distance from the swell to the crown, so that when the conical end h was forced up the staff to the swell the ends of the fingers and stretchers would be inclined within the crownpiece. This enables the swell a, in the staff to be very short.

The runner shown by Fig. 7 has the slidable locking-ring to hold the spring-fingers rigid when desired.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings I have shown another construction of the runner which enables the staff to be of any size from the bottom end or handle-section to the point where the top ends of the runner-fingers stop when the umbrella is opened; but from this point to the notch or crown-piece the staff should be as small as possible and allow the inner ends of the stretchers to cluster around it as they pass up to the staff in closing the umbrella short. This is advantageous. in that the staff from the notch to the point where the runner shown by Fig. 7 stops when the umbrella is open should be as small as possible; but from this point downward the staff may be of any size. The runner of Fig. 7 affords a long barrel is, which helps to keep the runner inline with the staff, and, as explained, the whole staff can be made large or small and ornamented to suit the taste or appearance. This runner has the elongated barrel united to an enlarged flanged rim 7a, to which the lower ends of the spring-fingers are united,and said runner has a slidable locking-band consisting of a perforated plate a rim 70 and a short sleeve 70, the whole arranged so that the sleeve will fit on the barrel of the runner and the spring-fingers will be held apart by the plate 70 of said locking device. This locking device can be allowed to remain at the upper ends of the springfingers while the umbrella is in general use and only adjusted to the bottom of runner when the umbrella is closed short.

The stretchers H are pivoted individually to the upper ends of the spring-fingers, as at g, and the outer ends of the stretchers are pivoted to the rib-sections D at points within the joints d between the rib-sections, so that the outer ends of the stretchers may be engaged with the arms d of the lower rib-sections .D to lock the sections D D in alinement with each 7 other. The outer end of each section is provided with an enlarged headh, a part of which is cut away to make it occupy an eccentric relation to the pivothole therein, and this head 72, is fitted between cars it, provided on the rib-section D at a point above the joint (1 between the sections D D the stretcher-head 72/ being pivotally attached to the cars it by a transverse pin h'. The pivotal attachment of the stretcher to the ribsection Dis a point above the joint cl nearly equal to the length of the arm 61 on the lower rib-section, and when the rib-sections D are turned down into line with the section D the eccentric head it on the stretchers bears against the arms cl of the rib-sections D thus holding the parts in alinement an d against collapsing, to enable the umbrella to be used in the ordinary way. When, however, the umbrella is to be closed short, the runner is forced up the staff past a swell a thereon, and the stretchers force the fingers Gr inward, thus bringing the heads h of the stretchers in such position when the stretchers fold inward on or toward the staff as to enable the arms cl to clear the heads 72. of the stretchers and to permit the rib-section D to fold outward and upward over upon the ribsection D, thereby compactly folding the umbrella.

In ordinary umbrellas the covers are drawn taut from end to end of the rib, the result of which is that the latter act has a bow to have a tendency to force the-center of the rib toward the staff. This may not be observable in an umbrella each rib of which is continuous; but it will be seen that in an umbrella the ribs of which are jointed the points in the cover at which it can be fastened to the ribs would or could change position on the rib when the device is folded short-that is, the cover could slip along the rib away from the hinge clin which event the cover would prevent the ribs from turning to their normal positions until the fastenings were each slipped back to its proper place. To overcome this objection, I provide the rib with eyelets 7' j, attached to the rib-sections D D on opposite sides of the joint cl, and to these eyelets are fastened the cover by threads or any other suitable means, as at j This construction enables the cover to be drawntaut from the lower end of sections D to the eyelet j below the joint cl and likewise drawn taut from the eyelet j on' section D to the crown-piece, thus leaving a short slackspace at 7' in the cover between the eyelets j j and over the joint d. This slack space 3' is sufficient to lie smooth and put under proper tension when the umbrella is opened and the cover stretched thereby.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by ferentially from the cylindrical part of the staff and is situated below the crown-piece, a runner formed of flexible members which constitute the inner surface of the runner and are adapted to ride upon and be pressed outwardly by contact with the staff-swell, and stretchers attached to the flexible members of said runner, as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination of a staff having an annular swell or enlargement at the point where the runner is arrested when the umbrella is opened, a runner provided with a series of yieldable fingers forming, in part, the inner surface of the runner and adapted to ride upon the swell or enlargement of the staff, a series of jointed .ribs, and stretchers pivoted to the ribs and to said fingers of the runner, the whole arranged and combined for service, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

3. In an umbrella, the combination of a staff having a swell or enlargement intermediary of its length, a hollow notch secured to said staff a prescribed distance from or above said swell, a runner having a portion of its length adapted to yield or spread outward by the action of said swell or enlargement at a certain point in the upward movement of said runner, ribs connected or pivoted to said notch, and stretchers connected to said ribs and to the yielding portion of said runner, to enable said stretchers and runners to lie closely to the staff as the runner is moved said flexible fingers and adapted to move radially as said flexible fingers are acted upon by said swell, to exert pressure upon said ribs, and a slidinglocking band or ring adapted to act upon said fingers, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presenceof two witnesses.

ERNEST E. MALLORY,

Witnesses:

W. CLAY, GEo.-O. RINGS.