U.S. patent number 3,765,434 [Application Number 05/215,494] was granted by the patent office on 1973-10-16 for umbrella with foldable staff.
Invention is credited to Royal W. Riggs.
United States Patent |
3,765,434 |
Riggs |
October 16, 1973 |
UMBRELLA WITH FOLDABLE STAFF
Abstract
An umbrella having a staff consisting of bottom, intermediate
and top sections, the intermediate section being pivotally
connected to the bottom section so as to extend either parallel to
and coextensively with, or at right angles to the bottom section,
and the top section being pivotally connected to the intermediate
section so as to extend either coaxially therefrom or at right
angles thereto, a standard foldable canopy mounted at the upper end
of the top staff section and extending along the top and
intermediate sections when folded, the canopy being operable by a
slide movable along the top and intermediate staff sections, and
mechanism operable by movement of the slide to secure the
respective staff sections in desired relative positions.
Inventors: |
Riggs; Royal W. (Sedalia,
MO) |
Family
ID: |
22803194 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/215,494 |
Filed: |
January 5, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
135/20.1;
135/16 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16M
11/2057 (20130101); F16M 13/022 (20130101); F16M
11/10 (20130101); A45B 7/005 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A45B
7/00 (20060101); F16M 13/02 (20060101); A45b
011/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;135/16,2A,2M,46F
;248/226A,221,231 ;287/14,96,98,99,103,104 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Caun; Peter M.
Claims
What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:
1. A foldable umbrella comprising:
a. a staff consisting of bottom, intermediate and top sections,
b. first pivot means interconnecting said bottom anc intermediate
staff sections for pivotal movement between a closely spaced,
parallel, coextensive relation and a right-angled relation,
c. releasable latch means operable to secure said first pivot means
at a position with the associated staff sections in right-angled
relation,
d. second pivot means interconnecting said intermediate and top
staff sections for pivotal movement between an axially aligned
relation and a right-angled relation, said second pivot means being
lockable in a position with the associated staff sections in
right-angled relation.
e. an umbrella canopy carried by said top staff section
concentrically therewith and being foldable about said intermediate
and top staff sections when said staff sections are disposed in
axially aligned relation, said canopy being folded and extended by
means including a slide movable along said intermediate and top
staff sections, said slide traversing the pivotal connection of
said staff sections at an intermediate position of its
movement,
f. first locking means operable when engaged to lock said first
pivot means with said bottom and intermediate staff sections in
right-angled relation,
g. second locking means operable when engaged to lock said
intermediate and top staff sections in axially aligned relation,
said canopy slide
h. means being operable by movement thereof to respectively
operatively engage and disengage said first and second locking
means as said canopy slide is moved in a direction to extend said
canopy, and to respectively operatively engage and disengage said
second and first locking means as said canopy slide is moved in a
direction to fold said canopy.
2. A foldable umbrella as recited in claim 4 wherein said first
locking means comprises:
a. a locking pin operable when engaged to lock said first pivot
means with said bottom and intermediate staff sections in
right-angled relation,
b. a second slide movable on said intermediate staff section and
operably connected to said locking pin, whereby said locking pin is
engaged when said second slide is moved away from said first pivot
means, and disengaged when said second slide is moved toward said
first pivot means, and
c. a spring biasing said second slide away from said first pivot
means along said intermediate staff section, said canopy slide
being operable to engage and move said second slide toward said
first pivot means as said canopy slide is moved to fold said
canopy.
3. A foldable umbrella as recited in claim 2 wherein said second
locking means comprises:
a. a sleeve mounted slidably on said top staff section above said
canopy slide, and
b. a spring urging said sleeve downwardly along said top section to
a position in which it bridges the pivotal connection between said
top and intermediate staff sections to lock them against relative
pivotal movement in coaxially aligned relation, said canopy slide
being operable to engage and move said sleeve upwardly along said
top staff section as said canopy slide is moved to extend said
canopy.
4. A foldable umbrella as recited in claim 1 wherein said second
locking means comprises:
a. a sleeve mounted slidably on said top staff section above said
canopy slide, and
b. a spring urging said sleeve downwardly along said top section to
a position in which it bridges the pivotal connection between said
top and intermediate staff sections to lock them against relative
pivotal movement in coaxially aligned relation, said canopy slide
being operable to engage and move said sleeve upwardly along said
top staff section as said canopy slide is moved to extend said
canopy.
Description
This invention relates to new and useful improvements in foldable
unbrellas, and has particular reference to umbrellas having
horizontally offset staffs, that is, wherein the vertical axis of
the canopy is horizontally offset from the lower end of the staff.
Such umbrellas are commonly used when the lower end of the staff is
adapted to be mounted on a rigid structure so that it does not need
to be held by the user. For example, the staff may be secured to
the side wall or gunwale of a boat, so that the offset of the staff
positions the canopy over an occupant of the boat, or to the edge
of a table, so that the offset of the staff centers the canopy over
the table. There are of course many other uses for such umbrellas.
Generally, such umbrellas include staffs having three sections, a
generally vertical bottom section adapted to be mounted at its
lower end on a fixed support, a generally horizontal intermediate
section projecting from the upper end of said bottom section, and a
generally vertical top section projecting upwardly from the
extended end of said intermediate section, and carrying the
canopy.
The primary object of the present invention is the provision of an
umbrella of the general character described having novel means
whereby it may be folded neatly and compactly for greater ease and
convenience of storage, handling and transportation when not in
actual use. To this end, the canopy is not only foldable in the
usual manner of a hand-held umbrella, but also the staff sections,
which in total must inherently be much longer than the staff of the
usual hand-held umbrella, are pivotally related so as to be
foldable into longitudinal co-extensive relation.
Another object is the provision of a foldable umbrella of the
character described having novel means for securing or locking the
various pivotally related staff sections both in their positions of
usage, and in their folded positions.
A further object is the provision of a foldable umbrella of the
character described wherein the canopy is extended and folded by
means including a slide movable along the staff, in the manner of
the usual hand-held umbrella, and wherein operation of certain of
the locking means controlling relative pivotal movement of the
various staff sections is automatically responsive to movement of
said slide on said staff.
Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, and
efficiency and dependability of operation.
With these objects in view, as well as other objects which will
appear in the course of the specification, reference will be had to
the accompanying drawing, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partially broken away, of a
foldable umbrella embodying the present invention, shown fully
extended and operatively mounted on a rigid support,
FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on line
II--II of FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on line
III--III of FIG. 1, with parts left in elevation,
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line IV--IV of FIG. 3,
FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken on line
V--V of FIG. 1,
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line VI--VI of FIG.
5,
FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6, but showing the connection
between the bottom and intermediate staff sections released for
pivotal movement,
FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line
VIII--VIII of FIG. 1,
FIG. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line IX--IX of FIG.
8,
FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9, but showing the intermediate
and top staff sections secured in coaxial relation, and
FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing the umbrella fully
folded for convenience of storage and handling.
Like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the
several views, the umbrella staff being indicated generally by the
numeral 2, and the canopy by the numeral 4. Staff 2 consists of
bottom, intermediate, and top sections indicated respectively by
numerals 6, 8, and 10. Bottom section 6 consists of a lower tube 12
and upper tube 14 telescoped slidably into said lower tube and
projecting upwardly therefrom whereby the length of the bottom
staff section 6 may be adjusted. Adjacent the top of lower tube 12,
a latch lever 16 is pivoted thereto, and affixed in said lever is a
latch pin 18 which, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, normally
projects inwardly through a hole 20 of tube 12 and selectively
through one of a series of longitudinally spaced apart holes 22 of
tube 14, whereby to lock said tubes against relative movement. Said
lever is normally held in its operative position by a spring 24,
but can be manually pivoted against said spring to withdraw latch
pin 18 to permit adjustment of the length of staff section 6. A pin
26 fixed in tube 12 and engaged in a groove 28 formed
longitudinally in tube 14 prevents relative rotation of said
tubes.
The lower end of tube 12 of bottom staff section 6 is connected by
a pivot fitting 30 to a clamp fixture 32 consisting of a pair of
C-clamps 34 rigidly interconnected by bars 36. By means of said
clamp fixture, the umbrella may be mounted on the side wall 38 of a
boat hull or the like. Pivot fitting 30 has at its lower end a flat
disc 40 with a radially grooved face, secured by a bolt 42 to a
similar disc 44 fixed to one of bars 36. When said bolt is
loosened, the discs may be relatively pivoted to change the
inclination of staff section 6, but the connection is fixedly
locked by the interengagement of the surface grooves of the discs
when the bolt is tightened. Similarly, pivot fitting 30 has at its
upper end a disc 46 secured by bolt 48 to a disc 50 fixed to tube
12 of the staff. Bolts 42 and 48 are at right angles to each other,
so that as a result of the angling of the staff permitting by both,
the staff is universally adjustable relative to clamp fixture 32. A
disc 44a similar to disc 44, but at right angles to disc 44, is
also affixed to one of the bars 36 of the clamp fixture, to which
disc 40 can alternatively be affixed by bolt 42. Disc 44a is used
when it is desired to attach clamp 32 to the edge of a horizontal
member, such as a table edge, rather than to a vertical edge such
as boat gunwale 38.
Bottom and intermediate staff sections 6 and 8 are connected by an
angled bracket 52 best shown in FIGS. 5-7. It includes a straight
leg 54 in the outer end of which one end of intermediate staff
section 8 is affixed by pins 56, and a pair of parallel, spaced
apart planar legs 58 extending at right angles from leg 54 and
disposed at opposite sides of the upper end portion of tube 14 of
the bottom staff section. A pivot pin 60 is fixed transversely in
said tube, said projects outwardly therefrom through longitudinally
elongated slots 62 formed therefor in bracket legs 58, whereby the
bracket may be pivoted relative to tube 14. By virtue of said
slots, it will be seen that when bracket leg 54 is disposed
precisely at right angles to tube 14, the bracket may be lowered
relative to tube 14 to engage the upper end of said tube in a
socket 64 formed in the bottom of bracket leg 54, as shown in FIG.
6, whereby to secure said bracket non-pivotally on tube 14. When
the bracket is raised relative to tube 14, as shown in FIG. 7,
bracket socket 64 is freed from tube 14, and the bracket may be
pivoted relative to tube 14, in the direction indicated by arrow
66, whereby to dispose intermediate staff section 8 alongside and
parallel to bottom section 6, as shown in FIG. 11.
Extending slidably through bracket leg 54, parallel to and just
above staff section 8, is an elongated lock bar 68 which extends
outwardly from both ends of bracket leg 54. At the end of said
bracket leg distal from staff section 8, the extended portion of
the lock bar is bent downwardly and has affixed therein a lock pin
70, also parallel to staff section 8. Said lock pin, as shown in
FIG. 6, is adapted to extend through a hole 72 formed therefor in a
wall of socket 64, and through a hole 74 of tube 14 which registers
with hole 72 when said socket is engaged on said tube. When said
pin is so engaged, it prevents accidental disengagement of said
socket from said tube, and thus locks staff section 8 at right
angles to staff section 6. When said pin is disengaged from hole
74, as shown in FIG. 7, bracket 52 may be raised to disengage
socket 64 from tube 14 to permit pivotal movement of bracket 52 on
pin 60. The end portion of lock bar 68 opposite from lock pin 70
extends parallel to and adjacent staff section 8, and is welded or
otherwise affixed at its extreme end to sleeve 76 which is slidably
mounted on said staff section. A compression spring 78 is coiled
about staff section 8 between bracket 52 and sleeve 76, whereby to
bias lock pin 70 yieldably toward its operative position.
The outer end of intermediate staff section 8 is affixed by pin 80
in an externally cylindrical ferrule 82, the outer end of which is
bifurcated by a slot 84. A pin 86 is affixed in said ferrule and
extends across slot 84. Said pin is of flattened cross-sectional
contour with its major axis disposed transversely to staff section
8. The lower end of top staff section 10 is affixed by pin 88 in an
externally cylindrical ferrule 90 the lower end of which forms a
tongue 92 which projects into slot 84 of ferrule 82 and which has
formed therein a keyhole aperture 94 engaged on pin 86. Said
aperture has an enlarged circular portion 96, remote from staff
section 10, which is of sufficiently large diameter to rotate
freely on pin 86, and a narrower extension 98 projecting toward
staff section 10 which engages slidably, but non-rotatably, over
the minor dimension of pin 86. When so engaged, as shown in FIG. 9,
staff section 10 is locked in right-angled relation to staff
section 8. However, if staff section 10 is elevated to engage the
circular portion 96 of aperture 94 on pin 86, staff sections 8 and
10 may be relatively pivoted to a coaxially aligned position, as
shown in FIG. 10. When so aligned, staff sections 8 and 10, and
ferrules 82 and 90 present a cylindrical form of uniform
diameter.
Mounted at the upper end of top staff section 10 is a head member
100 to which the usual canopy ribs 102, carrying the flexible
canopy 104 of fabric, plastic, or the like, are pivoted. Said ribs
are movable between the extended use position of FIG. 1, to the
folded position of FIG. 11, in which the canopy is gathered closely
about the then coaxially aligned staff sections 8 and 10, by means
of struts 106 each of which is pivoted at one end to one of ribs
102, and at its opposite end to a tubular slide 108 movable along
the umbrella staff, all as common and well known in the umbrella
art. However, in the present case it is desired that the space
beneath canopy 104 be as unobstructed as possible for occupation by
the user. For this reason, bottom staff section 6 is offset to one
side, intermediate staff section 8 is disposed as closely as
practical to the bottom of the raised canopy, and top staff section
10 is quite short, its length being little more than the axial
depth of the bottom concavity of the canopy. Hence slide 108, in
raising and lowering the canopy, must move not only along the top
staff section, but also the intermediate section, and movement of
said slide from one section to the other is permitted when said
staff sections are coaxially aligned as described above.
As the canopy is folded as in FIG. 11, slide 108 depresses and
passes over a spring detent 110 mounted in and projecting outwardly
from staff section 8, said detent then snapping outwardly through a
slot 112 of the sleeve to secure the canopy folded, as shown in
FIG. 7. As the canopy is extended to the position shown in FIG. 1,
sleeve 108 passes over and depresses a spring detent 114 similar in
all respects to detent 110 but mounted in staff section 10, which
then snaps outwardly beneath said sleeve to secure the canopy in
its extended position. Detents 110 and 114 are also common and well
known in the art.
As sleeve 108 approaches its FIG. 7 position in the folding of the
canopy, it engages and moves lock sleeve 76 toward bracket 52,
against the pressure of spring 70, thereby disengaging lock pin 70
as already described. When slide 108 is raised to its FIG. 1
position, it pushes ahead of it a tubular slide 116 which is
slidably mounted on staff section 10, and which also depresses and
passes over detent 114. Said slide is affixed at its upper end to a
coil spring 118, as at 120 (see FIG. 10). Said spring is disposed
about staff section 10 above said slide, and is similarly affixed
at its upper end to head fixture 100. As slide 108 is moved
upwardly, it simply pushes slide 116 ahead of itself, compressing
spring 118. When slide 108 is moved downwardly to engage on staff
section 8, slide 116 follows downwardly until spring 118 is
completely relaxed, at which time slide 116 is disposed about
ferrules 82 and 90, in bridging relation to pivot pin 86 of said
ferrules, as shown in FIG. 10. This locks staff sections 8 and 10
against relative pivotal movement. The precise position of sleeve
116 is not particularly critical, and the selection of a spring 118
having a "relaxed" length sufficiently accurate to place the slide
with adequate accuracy is a simple matter.
In operation, presuming that the umbrella is fully raised or
extended as in FIG. 1, it is lowered or folded by first raising
staff section 10 axially upwardly relative to section 8,
sufficiently to engage the circular portion 96 of aperture 94 on
pin 86. Staff sections 8 and 10 are then pivoted into axially
aligned relation, and detent 114 is manually depressed to permit
slides 108 and 116 to move downwardly thereover. Spring 118 is also
of sufficiently large internal diameter to pass over said detent.
Slide 108 passes freely over pivot ferrules 90 and 82 onto staff
section 8, while slide 116 is moved onto the ferrules in bridging
relation to pivot pin 86, and stops at that point as spring 118
becomes relaxed, as already described, thereby locking staff
sections 8 and 10 against relative pivotal movement. This greatly
facilitates further handling of the umbrella during the folding
operation, since folding the canopy about a staff with freely
pivoted sections is a cumbersome operation at very best. As the
canopy is further folded, slide 108 continues its movement along
staff section 8 until it is engaged and secured by detent 110, as
shown in FIG. 7, thereby securing the canopy folded along staff
sections 8 and 10. As slide 108 approaches this position, it
engages and moves slide 76 against the bias of spring 78 to
disengage lock pin 70 of pivot bracket 52 from hole 74 of tube 14
of the bottom staff section. Bracket 52 may then be elevated to
disengage bracket socket 64 from the upper end of said tube, and
pivoted on pin 60 to dispose the folded canopy against bottom staff
section 6, as shown in FIG. 11. The canopy may be gathered snugly
about staff section 8 by a tie strip 122 secured by a snap fastener
124, as is common in the umbrella art. Said tie strip could also
encircle staff section 6 if desired. The umbrella is then very
compact, for convenience of handling, storage, and
transportation.
While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my
invention, it will be readily apparent that many minor changes of
structure and operation could be made without departing from the
spirit of the invention .
* * * * *