US2767723A - Tractor umbrella - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 23, 1956 I. SEARS, JR

' TRACTOR UMBRELLA Filed June 21, 1954 ATTORNEY L. WEIR SEARS. JR.

United States Patent TRACTOR UMBRELLA Isaac Weir Sears, Jr., Davenport, Iowa Application June 21, 1954, Serial No..438,117 3 Claims. (Cl. 135-21) The present invention relates to improvements in that type of construction known as a tractor umbrella. One purpose of this invention is to suspend the umbrella from the top, in order to avoid hitting the head of the user, as is common with umbrellas suspended from underneath, as shown by the patent to Ellis, No. 2,493,121, issued January 3, 1950. In this prior construction, the umbrella support must be extended far enough below the cover to permit said cover to close, which makes quite a little space below the umbrella top and, additionally, the drivers head is struck by the horizontal support, unless the umbrella top is raised considerably. With my present construction, there is very little projection below the top to interfere with the head of the driver. The support is bent outwardly beyond the edge of the cover to permit the umbrella to close without mutual interference between the cover and the support. Further, this has a new stay construction which will be described in detail hereinafter.

In the drawings annexed hereto and hereof,

Fig. 1 shows the umbrella opened and detached from the mounting;

Fig. 2 shows the umbrella closed and the stays in closed position;

Fig. 3 shows a top view of the center suspension;

Fig. 4 shows the underside of one stay to indicate how it is collapsed;

Fig. 5 shows a side view of the structure shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a partial section of a central portion of a modified support for the umbrella; and

Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the support shown in Fig. 6, taken substantially along the plane indicated by the line 77 in Fig. 6.

Reference will now be made in greater detail to the annexed drawings for a more complete description of this invention. The umbrella support 1 curves outwardly, upwardly, and inwardly, as shown at 2, to bring the cover or top 11 back far enough to shade the operator. The umbrella support 1 has at its free terminal upper end a fastening means 3 carrying a ball-and-socket joint 4 whereby the cover may be tilted to any desired angle to give the operator the protection needed, and it is held in tilted position by tightening the nut 5 which clamps the ball between the plates of the socket.

Extending downwardly from the socket joint 4 is a tubular or hollow stem 6 to which the ribs 7 and the stays 8 are pivotally connected. The stays are in two pieces, and are either slidably connected or pivotally connected. If they are slidably connected, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, there is a spring-pressed latch 9 which engages in a relatively slidable part 8a to prevent sliding thereof, and thus prevent collapsing of the umbrella. If the stays 8 are made up of foldable parts, it will be necessary to provide a holding latch which may be one forming a part of several kinds. Sleeves 10 are secured on the ribs 7 and are not slidable with the stays 8 and 8a.

Having adjusted the position of the umbrella and tightened the ball-and-socket joint 4 by tightening the nut 5, the ribs 7 are spread out and the latches secure the stays 8 and 8a against relative sliding motion which will hold the umbrella against collapsing.

The spring-pressed latch 9 keeps the umbrella from turning inside-out in a strong wind.

In Figs. 6 and 7 is shown a modified construction of the stem 6. In reality, this is the preferred construction and is referred to as 6a. To the lower end of this stem is secured a bracket 14, to which the inner ends of the stays 8 are pivotally secured. Tothe upper end of the stern 6a is rigidly secured a bracket 12. Above the bracket 12 is mounted a grommet 13 to which the top 11 is secured. This is held in place by a flange 15 which may be tightened in place to hold the grommet 13 and other parts secured. 1

The ball 4 and stem 6a, together, form a unit which will now be described in detail. To the outside of the stem 6a are secured the brackets 12 and 14, on which the ribs 7 and stays 8 are pivoted. The stem 6a, throughout the major portion of its length, is bored or tubular and, throughout the remainder of its length 17 is formed an angular or non-circular opening, preferably hexagonal. The plug 18 of ball 4 is shaped to fit in the hexagonal opening in the end 17 of the stem 6a, and it is drilled and tapped to receive the end 19 of the securing member or bolt 16. At its lower end, the stem 61: receives abutting means in the form of a washer 20, and a nut 21 the former which slips onto the bolt and abuts the bottom of the stem and the latter of which is screwed on the bolt 16 and holds the ball assembly in place as one form of means for drawing the plug 18 downwardly and securely into the stem 6a.

It is of course understood that the specific structure set forth above may be deviated from without departing from the spirit of this invention as disclosed and as defined by the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A structure of the class described, comprising: a generally upright support having a lateral extension terminating in a free oifset end; clampable socket means on said end; an upright tubular stem disposed coaxially below the socket means and having at its upper end an axially directed non-circular opening; a ball received in the socket means, said ball having rigidly depending therefrom a coaxial non-circular plug fitting the aforesaid non-circular opening in the stem; means passed upwardly through the stem and engaging the plug and further engaging the lower end of the stem to draw downwardly on the plug as respects the stem for securing the plug and ball in place on the stem; umbrella-supporting ribs attached to the exterior of the stem and radiating therefrom to free outer ends lying on a circle concentric with the stem; an umbrella concentric with the stem and supported on the ribs and having peripheral portions connected to the free outer ends of the ribs; and generally radial stays connected between the stem and ribs.

2. A structure of the class described, comprising: a generally upright support having a lateral extension ter minating in a free ofiset end; clampable socket means on said end; an upright tubular stem disposed coaxially below the socket means and having at its upper end an axially directed non-circular opening; a ball received in the socket means, said ball having rigidly depending therefrom a coaxial non-circular plug fitting the aforesaid non-circular opening in the stern, said stem having a coaxial downwardly opening tapped bore; a securing memher passed upwardly through the stem and having a threaded upper end received in said bore and having a lower threaded end just below the lower end of the stem; abutting means on the lower end of- 'the seeuring'member and engaging the lower endof the stern, said abutting meansrincluding a nut threaded on the lower threaded end of the securing member and operative to draw downwardly on the plug via said member to hold the plug in place in the stem; umbrella-supporting ribs attached to the exterior of the stem and radiating therefrom to free outer ends lying on a circle concentric with the stem; an umbrella concentric with the stem and supported onthe ribs and havingperipheral portions connected to the free outer ends of the ribs; and generally radialstays connected between the-stem and ribs.

4 3. The invention defined in claim 2, in which: each stay comprises relatively movable parts capable of lengthening and shortening the stay; and latch means on each stay latching the respective stay parts together and against shortening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 200,945 Smith Mar. 5, 1878 507,809 Grove et al. Oct. 31, 1893 540,098 Grove et a1 May 28, 1895 896,308 MacCready Aug. 18, 1908

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