Nov. 15, 1960
`
`S. N. SMALL
`SOLAR ACTUATED UMBRELLA RAISING MECHANISM
`Filed Dec. 3, 1957
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`2,960,094
`
`—F. G.-Z.
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`
`
`INVENTOR.
`5/7/70/EZ /V 5A1A//
`BY
`24-2&zº-,
`ATTorvey
`
`Yotrio Ex. YOT-1008, Page 1
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`

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`United States Patent Office
`
`2,960,094
`Patented Nov. 15, 1960
`
`2,960,094
`SOLAR ACTUATED UMBRELLA RAISING
`MECHANISM
`Samuel N. Small, Valley Stream, N.Y., assignor to Alfred
`G. Cohen and Paul Weiss, both of Flushing, N.Y.
`Filed Dec. 3, 1957, Ser. No. 700,501
`3 Claims. (CI. 135–22)
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`gear 21 against the action of a spring 26 disposed between
`the gear and the housing 19. It will thus be apparent
`that upon detaching or uncoupling the drive through the
`crank 23, the gear 21 will automatically be moved into
`operative position by the spring 26.
`Arranged within the housing 19 is a break drum 27
`including spring means 28 which normally supports the
`break drum in operative position retaining the shaft 17
`against rotation. No detailed reference will be made
`to the break mechanism as in itself it forms no specific
`parts of the present conception.
`Supported on the post 10 adjacent the housing 19 is
`a motor, diagrammatically shown at 29, and the shaft of
`this motor has a protruding elongated pinion 30 meshing
`with the gear 21, as diagrammatically noted. The pinion
`30 is sufficiently long to permit the sliding movement of
`the gear 21 on the shaft extension 20 for the purposes
`previously described, and it might be noted at this time
`that when the gear 21 is in non-driving position the end
`20 of the shaft 17 is free to be rotated by the crank 23.
`Suitably supported on the post 10 is a box or casing 31
`containing a double pole switch, as diagrammatically
`seen at 32 in Fig. 3 of the drawing, and an electric auto
`matic cutout 33, also diagrammatically shown in Fig. 3.
`In Fig. 2 of the drawing, 32' illustrates the switch lever
`by means of which the switch 32 can be manually op
`erated.
`Now considering Fig. 1 of the drawing, at the top cen
`ter of the umbrella, and preferably supported on the upper
`end of the post 10, is a solar battery, diagrammatically
`shown at 34, and at 35 is illustrated a storage battery.
`The position of this latter battery may be anywhere along
`the post as its association adjacent the solar battery 34 is
`not essential and it can be arranged externally of the post
`rather than internally, as diagrammatically shown in
`Fig. 1.
`The circuit as diagrammatically seen in Fig. 3 of the
`drawing is a circuit including a grounded side noted at
`36. The circuit wires from the battery extending to one
`pole of the switch, as indicated at 37, the ground side
`extending to the other pole of the switch.
`The switch controls circuit wires 38, 39 extending to
`switch contacting terminals 40, 41, respectively, the wires
`38, 39 having branches 38', 39', extending to another
`pair of switch contacting terminals 41', 40', respectively.
`This construction provides a reverse drive of the motor
`29 so as to provide operation of the umbrella in move
`ment into open and closed positions. It will be under
`stood, in this connection, that upon the completion of
`each operation of the umbrella the switch 32 will be
`thrown into its off position or, in other words, the posi
`tion diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing.
`With a structure of the type and kind under considera
`tion, it will be apparent that when the umbrella is in
`use, particularly on a Sunny day, the solar battery 34
`will be automatically charged to in turn charge the bat
`tery 35, and in this operation the cutout 33 is in opera
`tive position. However, when the solar battery is not
`in operation the circuit through the cutout 33 is auto
`matically broken, thus obviating the drainage of power
`from the storage battery and at all times providing a re
`serve power for initial movement of the umbrella into
`operative position, the solar battery serving to maintain
`this storage Supply in the battery 35.
`If at any time the umbrella should remain out of use
`for a long period of time and the power of the storage
`battery is insufficient to operate the umbrella through
`the reduction gearing diagrammatically shown, then the
`crank 23 can be put into operation to mechanically open
`the umbrella and after a reasonable length of use the
`solar battery 34 will again recharge the storage bat
`tery 35.
`
`This invention relates to what are generally referred
`to as lawn and beach umbrellas usually employing a
`manually operated mechanical lift for moving the umbrella
`into open position. More particularly, the invention deals
`with an umbrella of the character defined of the solar
`actuated type, that is to say, employing a conventional
`battery in combination with a solar battery arranged
`upon the top of the umbrella, providing an electrical
`source of supply for actuating a drive motor for moving
`the umbrella into open position.
`25
`Still more particularly, the invention deals with a
`structure of the character described, employing manual
`ly actuated means for operating the umbrella, which
`means automatically moves the electrical drive means
`into inoperative position when in use.
`The novel features of the invention will be best under
`stood from the following description, when taken together
`with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodi
`ments of the invention are d’sclosed and, in which, the
`separate parts are designated by suitable reference char
`acter in each of the views and, in which:
`Fig. 1 is a small diagrammatic illustration of an upper
`portion of an umbrella indicating the arrangement of
`batteries thereon and diagrammatically showing part of
`the umbrella in open position.
`Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail view of the lower
`post or shaft of the umbrella illustrating the electric
`motor drive in operative position and the manual drive
`in inoperative position, parts of the construction being
`shown in elevation; and
`Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic diagram of the wiring system
`employed.
`Considering Figs. 1 and 2 jointly, 10 represents the
`tubular post or pole of the umbrella having a conven
`tional collapsible top 11 with the brace stays or rods 12
`coupled with the runner 13. In the upper end portion
`of the tubular post is supported a pulley 14 around which
`the lift or operating cord or cable 15 passes with one
`end fixed to the runner 13, as diagrammatically seen at
`16. The lower end of the cord or cable 15 is secured
`to a drive shaft 17 and wound thereon, as indicated at
`15’ in Fig. 2 of the drawing.
`Mounted in one side of the post 10 is a bearing block
`18 for one end of the shaft 17. Mounted in the opposed
`wall of the post 10 is a break box or housing 19 through
`which the shaft 17 passes. The shaft 17 has a reduced
`protruding end 20 on which is slidably mounted a large
`drive gear 21 having a pin coupling with the shaft 20, as
`indicated by the pin 22, the gear being shown in coupled
`or clutched engagement with the shaft in Fig. 2 of the
`drawing. Mounted on the outer end portion of the exten
`sion 20 is a manually operable crank 23 normally free
`on the shaft extension 20 and the hub portion 24 of
`which has bayonet slot couplings 25 at opposed sides
`adapted to engage the pin 22 in providing a drive con
`nection between the crank 23 and the shaft 17.
`70
`In this manual drive of the lift mechanism it will ap
`pear that the hub portion 24 pushes on the surface of the
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`Yotrio Ex. YOT-1008, Page 2
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`3
`I claim:
`1. In umbrellas of the character described employ
`ing a tubular post, an umbrella top, a runner slidably
`engaging the post, a shaft mounted in connection with
`the lower portion of the post, an operating strand wound
`on said shaft and coupled with said runner for move
`ment of the top into open and closed positions with
`respect to the post, a combination manual and elec
`trical drive for said shaft, said electrical drive compris
`ing a forward and reverse drive electric motor and switch
`both mounted on said post and a gear slidably mounted
`on said shaft and keyed thereto in one position, said
`gear being in operative engagement with a pinion driven
`by said electric motor, tensional means normally sup
`porting said gear in keyed position with said shaft, said
`switch controlling operation of said electric motor, a
`manually operated crank on said shaft, and said crank
`in manual operation of said umbrella being adapted
`to move said gear into inoperative position in coupling
`the crank with the means keying the gear to said shaft.
`2. In umbrellas of the character described employing
`a tubular post, an umbrella top, a runner slidably en
`gaging the post, a shaft mounted in connection with
`the lower portion of the post, an operating Strand wound
`on said shaft and coupled with said runner for movement
`of the top into open and closed positions with respect
`to the post, a combination manual and electrical drive
`for said shaft, said electrical drive comprising a forward
`and reverse drive electric motor and switch both mount
`ed on said post and a gear slidably mounted on said shaft
`and keyed thereto in one position, said gear being in
`operative engagement with a pinion driven by said elec
`tric motor, tensional means normally supporting said
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`2,960,094
`4
`gear in keyed position with said shaft, said switch con
`trolling operation of said electric motor, a manually op
`erated crank on said shaft, said crank in manual opera
`tion of said umbrella being adapted to move said gear
`into inoperative position in coupling the crank with the
`means keying the gear to said shaft, a battery supported
`on the post for driving said electric motor, and means
`at the top of said post for charging said battery.
`3. In umbrellas of the character described employ
`ing a tubular post, an umbrella top, a runner slidably
`engaging the post, a shaft mounted in connection with
`the lower portion of the post, an operating Strand wound
`on said shaft and coupled with said runner for move
`ment of the top into open and closed positions with re
`spect to the post, a drive for said shaft comprising a
`forward and reverse drive electric motor and switch both
`mounted on said post adjacent said shaft, said motor be
`ing in operative engagement with the shaft for rotating
`the shaft in forward and reverse directions in operation
`of the umbrella top, a battery supported on the post for
`actuating said electric motor, and means on the post
`outwardly of the umbrella top for charging said battery.
`References Cited in the file of this patent
`UNITED STATES PATENTS
`Peck ---------------- Dec. 17, 1940
`Mader -------------- Mar. 10, 1953
`Kampf et al. ---------- Dec. 8, 1953
`Portail -------------- Apr. 13, 1954
`Militano –––––––––––– Oct. 25, 1955
`Chapin et al. ---------- Feb. 5, 1957
`
`2,224,882
`2,630,779
`2,661,752
`2,675,490
`2,721,569
`2,780,765
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`Yotrio Ex. YOT-1008, Page 3