US784952A - Folding umbrella. - Google Patents

Description

No. 734,952. PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.

1) w. MABEB.

FOLDING UMBRELLA. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 15, 1904;

' zsHEBTs-sHEET 1.

No. 784,952. PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.

D. W. MABEE.

FOLDING UMBRELLA. APPLICATION FILED 0OT.16, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES Iatented March 14, 1905.

PATENT OE IcE.

FOLDING UMBRELLA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,952, dated March 14, 1905.

Application filed October 15. 1904:. Serial No. 228,546.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DELVENE W. MABEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invent ed certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Umbrellas; 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.

This invention relates to folding umbrellas; and it has for its object to provide a construction which will not only permit of folding the umbrella to occupy an extremely small space, but also to provide a construction wherein by actuating or moving a catch into releasing position the umbrella will be automatically opened.

Other objects and advantages of the invention have reference to details of structure, as will be understood from the following description.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a section taken longitudinally through the umbrella in open position. Fig. 2 is a view similar to .Fig. 1, showing the umbrella in folded position. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view showing the outer end portion of the inner end member of a rib and the connected end portion of a brace. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the end portions of two telescoping members of the stick and showing the latch for holding them when drawn outwardly. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the runner and connected parts.

Referring now to the drawings, the stick of the umbrella consists of three tubular members 10, 11, and 12, which are of graduallydecreasing diameters, so that the tube .11 may telescope into the tube 10 and the tube 12 may telescope into the tube 11. The ends of the tube 11 and12 nearest the handle 13 of the stick are provided with terminal spring- fingers 14 and 15, respectively, which when the tubes are drawn apart to their limit engage in perforations l6 and 17, respectively, in the tubes 10 and 11 and hold the tubes against telescop- 19 is a rib-section 20, which is bent up from sheet metal into a split tube and at one end of which are formed the spaced cars 23, which project through the longitudinal slot 24 of the split tubular rib-section 19 and receive between them the end of a stretcher 25, which is pivoted thereto in the usual manner. This second rib-section slides in the first rib-section, so as to project to a greater or lesser degree from the outer end of the latter, the ears serving to limit the outward movement of the section 20 by striking the unsplit outer end portion 19. To prevent accidental movement of the section 20 into the section 19, the section 20 is provided with a spring-linger 26 at its inner end, which engages yieldably in a perforation 27 near the outer end of the section 19. When force is applied to the section 20, it may, however, be pushed into the section 19, the spring-finger at such times being pressed from the perforation, which acts as a keeper for it.

l/Vithin the section 20 is slidably engaged an outer section 28, which telescopes into the section 20, and when drawn outwardly to its limit is held against accidental inward movement by a spring-finger 29, which engages a keeper in the form of a perforation 30 in the section 20. \Vhen proper force is applied, the spring-finger is pressed out of its keeper and the outer section moves into the section 20.

A cover 31 is disposed over the ribs and at the center is held between the notch and a tip 32, there being provided eyes 33 at the outer ends of the rib- sections 19 and 28, respectively, which receive threads in the usual manner to hold the cover in place. \Vhen the outer sec tions of the ribs are telescoped into the inner sections, the portion of the cover between the eyes is held in folded position, as shown.

A runner is provided, and consists of a tube 3 1, to which are pivotally connected the ribstretchers 25 in the usual manner, and the runner is provided with a thumb-latch 35, which is adapted for engagement in an opening 36 in the stick-section 12 to hold the umbrella in open position positively.

Upon the tube 34 of the runner is slidably mounted a sleeve 37, to which are pivotally connected links 38, which are pivotally connected at their lower ends between cars 39, which project upwardly from the stretchers 25 at points near the inner ends of the latter, so that when the sleeve is forced downwardly on the tube the stretchers will be forced outwardly and downwardly when the umbrella is in folded position, and as the stretchers move outwardly and downwardly the ribs will be moved outwardly or into raised positions. To force the sleeve downwardly on the tube, a helical spring 39 is disposed upon the tube and bears with its lower end upon the upper face of the sleeve and with its upper end against the under face of a collar or flange 40, iixed upon the tube above the sleeve. \Vhen the umbrella is lowered, the sleeve is shifted in' the direction of the collar or flange, and the spring is placed under tension, so that the tendency of the runner is to move upwardly along the stick. To hold the umbrella in lowered position, a retaining device is provided and consists of a tube s1, which slidably mounted upon the stick-section l0 and at the lower end has a circumscribing flange 4E2, while at its upper end. is a similar flange 43, provided with a continuous series of notches M one for each of the ribs in the umbrellaand in which the latter engage when the umbrella is closed, the tips of the ribs projecting below the flange a3 for engagement by the dished flange M at the upper end of a sleeve 45, which is slidably mounted on the tube 41. By engaging over the tips of the ribs the dished flange holds the latter against outward movement, and consequently holds the umbrella in lowered position. hen the sleeve is drawn in the direction of the handle of the umbrella, the ends of the ribs are released. The spring 39 then acts between the stop 40 and the sleeve 37 to force the sleeve downwardly on the runner so that the links 38 press the stretchers 25 so as to swing their upper ends away from the stick. This outward movement of the upper ends of the stretchers first serves to project the sliding rib-sections, and as the spring presses the sleeve further down the runner the links force the stretchers in the direction of a common plane that passes through the pivots of the stretcher where they are connected to the runner. This serves to raise the runner on the stick and move the ribs outwardly.

It will be understood that in practice modifications of the specific construction shown may be made and any suitable materials and proportions may be used for the various parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The extreme outer rib-sections must be drawn out by hand. It will be seen that the helical spring with the associate parts is a potential device for swinging the stretchers away from the stick in that When the runner is moved downwardly on the stick to close the umbrella energy is stored up by compression of the spring to be afterward given out, as above described, in raising the umbrella.

WVhat is claimed is 1. In an umbrella, the combination with a stick having ribs pivotally connected therewith, of a runner slidably mounted on the stick, rib-stretchers pivotally connected to the runner and to the ribs, a sleeve slidably mounted on the runner, arms pivoted to the sleeve and to the stretchers at points between the ends of the latter, a stop at the upper end of the runner, and a helical spring disposed upon the runner between the sleeve and stop and adapted to force the sleeve downwardly on the runner.

2. In an umbrella, the combination with a stick having a notch, of rib-sections pivoted to the notch, rib-sections slidably connected with the first-named sections and adapted to project from the ends thereof, a runner slidably mounted upon the stick, stretchers pivoted to the runner and to the slidable rib-sections, and spring-operated automatic means connected with the stretchers for moving them in a direction to project the slidable ribsections.

3. In an umbrella, the combination with a stick having a notch, of rib-sections pivoted to the notch, rib-sections slidably connected with the first-named sections, and movable to project from the ends thereof, a runner slidably mounted upon the stick, stretchers pivoted to the runner and to the slidable rib-sections, a sleeve slidably mounted upon the runner, links pivoted to the sleeve and to the stretchers at points between the ends of the latter, and resilient means for shifting the sleeve in one direction upon the runner, to swing the stretchers into active positions and project the slidable rib-sections.

ln testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DELVENE W. MABEE.

Witnesses:

Tiios. KELL BRADFORD, LIONEL Sonnrcna.

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