Umbrella-stick.

(Application filed. May 18, 1901.)

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THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D C.

United States Patent Office.’

THOMAS H. SMITH, OF LANSFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

UMBRELLA-STICK.

SPECIFICATION forming· part of Letters Patent No. 706,352, dated August 5, 1902.

Application filed May 18,1901, Serial No, 60,847. (No model,)

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, Thomas H. Smith, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lansford, in the county of Carbon and 5 State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and.Improved Umbrella, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of my invention is to provide an umbrella which may be compactly folded io and quickly and conveniently brought in position for use, and, furthermore, to construct such an umbrella in a simple, durable, and economic manner and so that the strength of the umbrella will not be lessened or the rigid^T5 Ry of ds frame, and, further, so that the umbrella may be readily manipulated by any person of ordinary intelligence.

The. invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several 20 parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indi25 cate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through an umbrella-frame constructed in accordance with my invention, the stick being shown in position for use and the ribs as 30 folded to the stick. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating the stick and its accompanying parts in a folded position and reduced in length practically to the length of the ribs of the umbrella. Fig. 3 is a trans35 verse section taken practically on the line 3 3 of Fig..2. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the rod which is connected with the cam adapted to.hold the runner in its raised position. Fig. 5. is a partial side elevation and partial sec40 tion through a curved handle, illustrating the handle constructed in sections capable of being folded up close to the stick; and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of another form of the handle, also constructed in sections, one of said 45 sections being capable of folding upon the other.

The stick of the umbrella is constructed in sections, comprising a main tubular section A, a ferrule-section B, which is solid, and a 50 tubular handle-section C, terminating in any form of ornament—as, for example, a knob 10, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a curved handle, as shown at D in Fig. 5, or an angular handle, as shown at D' in Fig. 6.

At the upper end of the main or body sec- 53 tion A of the stick of the umbrella-frame a vertical slot 11 is made, provided with an upper horizontal section 12 and a lower horizontal section 13, and at the slotted portion of the main or body section A of the said stick 60 of the umbrella-frame the ferrule-section B is adapted to slide, said ferrule-section having a lug 14, projected from one side, which travels in the slot 11 in the body or main section A of the umbrella-stick and is adapted 65 to enter either the upper or the lower extension of the slot. When the lug 14 of the ferrule-section B enters the upper section 12 of the slot 11, the ferrule-section is carried out to a great extent beyond the main section 70 and is held in such position by reason of the lug 14 being in the upper branch 12 of the slot 11. When the umbrella is in folded position, the ferrule-section B is within the bodysection A, as shown in Fig. 2, and the lug 14 75 is in the lower branch 13 of the said slot 11, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

A cap 15 closes the lower end of the main or body section A of the stick, and this cap extends beyond the outer face of the said 80 body-section, forming practically a flange which engages with the inner face of the handle-section C, which handle-section is of greater diameter than the diameter of the body of the main section and slides upon the 85 said main section. The main or body section is provided with an opening 16 near its lower end, for a purpose to be hereinafter described, and when the stick of the umbrella-frame is drawn out to its full length the opening 16 in 90 the main or body section is opposite an opening 17 in the handle-section, as is shown in Fig. 1.

The crown 18 is preferably screwed upon the exterior of the main or body section A at 95 the top, and one or more washers 19 are placed upon the top of the crown. A cap 20 is likewise screwed upon the upper end of the main or body section A of the stick to an engagement with the uppermost of the said washers ico 19, and when the cover is placed upon the frame said cover is secured between the cap and crown. Preferably a washer is provided both above and below the cover, where it is

706,352 secured, so as to prevent the metal from wearing the cover.

The ribs 21 are pivoted to the crown 18 in the usual manner, and each rib is provided 5 with a stretcher 22. These stretchers, which may be of the ordinary type, are pivotally attached at their lower ends to a runner 23, which runner is provided with a downwardlyextending outwardly-flaring apron or sleeve io 24, having, preferably, an interior annular groove produced therein, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This runner is made, preferably, quite small and is of such diameter that it may readily travel upon the handle-section C 15 of the stick of the frame.

An inwardly-extending flange 25 is formed at the upper end of the handle-section C of the stick, which flange engages with the body or main section A, and when the handle-sec20 tion is drawn down to its full extent this flange 25 is brought in engagement with the collar 26, which is formed upon the main or body section, as shown in Fig. 1. It will be observed that this collar limits the downward 25 and outward movement of the handle-section.

In order that the handle-section C may travel upon the main or body section A without danger of turning, the handle-section is provided with interior ribs 27, and these ribs 30 27 may be made to enter grooves 26^a in the exterior of the body-section A or simply enter grooves produced in the collar 26 and the outwardly-extending or flange portion of the cap 15 at the lower end of the body-section of the 35 stick.

Near the upper end of the body or main section A a bridge or arched spring 28 is located within the said section, slightly below the lower end of the slot 11 therein, as is shown 40 in Figs. 1 and 2, and the members of this spring at their lower ends are provided with feet 29; which extend out through openings in opposite sides of the main or body section, and these feet are preferably more or less eon45 vexed at their outer edges and are provided with horizontal extensions 30 at their upper portions. These extensions 30 limit the upward movement of the runner 23^: when the umbrella is to be opened, and the curved por50 tions of the feet 29 enter the groove in the sleeve or apron 24, having gentle frictional contact with the runner. A second arched orbridge spring 31 is located within the main or body section A below the upper spring 28, 55 and the feet 32 of this lower spring 31 extend out through openings in the main or body section A of the stick and engage with the upper portion of the handle-section C when said handle-section is drawn outward or downward, 60 holding the said handle-section in its adj usted position. When the handle-section 0 is to be carried upward, as shown in Fig. 2, in order to decrease the length of the umbrella-stick, the foot portions 32 of the arched or bridge 65 spring 31 are pressed inward by the fingers sufficiently to permit the upper portion of the handle-section C to pass them.

The runner 23 is held in its upper position by means of a cam-support 33, which is pivoted in an opening made in a side of the main 70 or body section A at a point slightly below the upper arched or bridge spring 28, and this cam-support 33 is pivotally attached to a rod 34, which rod extends down and through the bottom portion of the main or body section A 75 of the stick, as is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. In order that the rod 34 may have free movement within the main or body section of the stick, it is provided between its ends with a loop-section 35, which spans the arched or 80 bridge spring. The lower end of the rod 34 is usually made to terminate in a head 36, and a plate 37 is attached to the lower portion of the rod 34 above the bottom of the main or body section A of the stick, which plate has 85 bearing against a spring 39, which is coiled around the rod 34 and has bearing on the cap 15 at the bottom of the body-section of the stick, as is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. A link 38 is pivotally attached to the rod 34 90 just above the plate 37, and this link is likewise pivotally attached to a latch 39^a, having spring attachment to the inner face of the main or body section A. This latch 39^a extends out through the openings 16 and 17 in 95 the main and handle sections of the stick when the umbrella is in position for use, and when the runner is carried upward to an engagement with the upper bridge-spring 28 the runner will force the cam-support 33 inward 100 as it passes said support, and the said camsupport is then forced outward by its spring, so that the runner may rest thereon. When the runner is to be drawn downward, the latch 39^a is forced inward by pressing on a 105 button 40, forming a portion of the latch, and by means of the link connection 38 between the latch and the rod 34 said rod 34 is carried downward and the cam-support 33 is drawn within the main or body section, enabling the 110 runner to pass it. When the runner is in its lowest position, the latch 39^a, engaging with the sleeve or apron 24 thereof, serves to hold the runner in such lower position.

When the sections of the stick are to be 115 folded up, the ferrule - section B is drawn within the body-section A, as described and as shown in Fig. 2, and the latch 39^a is forced entirely within the body-section, as shown in the same view. The handle-section is then 12c forced upward or outward on the main or body section, the feet 32 of the lower or retaining bridge-spring 31 having been' carried inward. In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a slight groove 40^a in the handle-section C, which re- 125 ceives the knob 40 of the latch 39^a when the handle-section is being adjusted on the main or body section of the stick.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a curved handle for the stick, wherein the handle is construct- 130 ed in a series of sections 40^b, and these sections have a hinged connection 41. The sections are normally held together by springbuttons 42 or equivalent fastening devices, so

706,352 that when an umbrella is to be folded up to be placed in a trunk or to occupy a small space the handle maybe broken, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, and said sections may 5 then be folded up close to the main portion of the stick.

In Fig. 61 have illustrated an angular or Lshaped handle, in which the horizontal member 43 is connected with the vertical member io 44 by a hinge 45, and the two members are locked together, as shown in Fig. 5 or by other approved means. Thus in the form of handle shown in Fig. 6 the horizontal member 43 of the handle may be folded up against the 15 vertical member 44, as is shown in dotted lines in the said Fig. G. It will be observed that an umbrella constructed as above set forth is exceedingly simple, durable, and effective and that it may be quickly reduced 2o in length and as readily extended for use.