United States patent 725069

To all whom it may concern,

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. GILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Body-Attachable Sunshades; and I do declare the following to be. a full, clear, and eruct description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my device is to provide for bicyclists, railroad-trackmen, shovelers, bricklayers, oarsmen, fishermen, farmers, teamsters, tinners, carpenters, letter-carriers, and men who labor in excavations on streets or elsewhere, and for all persons of either sex who may be exposed during the hot season of the year to the rays of the sun a light and easily-adjusted protector that can be supported by the body without inconvenience. I attain my object by the mechanism shown in the accompanying drawings, in which&mdash;

Figure 1 is an illustration of the device as seen from the back of a person; Fig. 2, a similar illustration seen from the side; Fig. 3, a detail side view of the shaft, plate, socket, set-screw, and attached suspender-straps. Fig. 4 is a rear view of the device with part of shaft and sunshade broken away; Fig. 5, a side view vertical section of the shaft with its lower end broken away, the horizontal arm at the tipper end of said shaft and the thumbscrew therein, the movable socket supported on the stem of said thumb-screw, and the set screw for holding the shade-handle rigidly in said movable socket at the height desired, said shade-handle being shown partly broken away; Fig. 6, a side view of the entire device; Fig. 7, a front view of the plate on the shaft and the attached suspender-straps, and Fig. 8 is a view illustrating how the device can be use in connection with a belt.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

My device consists of a shaft A, provided with an arm B at its upper end which is adapted to extend horizontally forward to a point central over the head of the person using it. The tubular end of this arm is threaded. Set vertically against the end of the arm there is a movable socket C, the upper end of which is tubular. Its bottom or base C' is cut out, so as to present a flat surface against the end of arm B, as well as an outer flat surface. Through this cut-away portion of the movable socket there is an aperture corresponding in diameter with the tubular threaded end of arm B. Said movable socket C is held in position at the end of arm B by means of a thumb-screw D, threaded at the end and extending through said aperture into the end of said arm, its stem d serving as a pivot upon which said movable socket may be oscillated and the head of the screw holding the movable socket tightly in its normal vertical or other position against the end of the arm. The handle E of the shade extends only a short way below the point where the radiating frame, with its canopy H, connects, and the tubular end of movable socket C is adapted to receive and hold said handle. A set-screw I assists in holding handle E rigidly in the upper end of movable socket C. A light plate J, on the inside of which suspender-straps J' J' are. adapted to be riveted or otherwise fastened, is provided upon its outside with a vertically and rigidly set socket K, through which shaft A can be raised and lowered and which also holds the shaft upright. The shaft is held rigidly at any height on the wearer's person by means of the set-screw L, operating against it through said socket. An elastic belt M, adapted to extend around the body of the wearer and be buckled or otherwise fastened at the front, is provided with a loop O; through which the shaft at its lower end is inserted. When riding over rough places or at other times, the shade will sometimes wave or dip to right or left or backward or forward; but the elasticity of the belt will at once draw the shaft and shade right back to a normal position. The elastic belt also permits the wearer to stoop or' take any attitude without inconvenience. It will be readily seen that the device is adapted to protect the person not only in the middle of the day when the sun is in the zenith, but likewise earlier or later in the day, for by a single turn of screw D, a downward turn of movable socket C to the desired angle, and an opposite turn of screw D to hold the movable socket rigid the shade is quickly tilted against the rays of the sun to a protecting position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The device can be taken apart or adjusted in a moment. A single turn of set-screw I releases handle E from connection with movable socket C, and the shade may be closed and put in the pocket. A turn of set-screw L releases shaft A from the socket in plate J, and it can be. instantly withdrawn from said socket and loop 0 and carried in the hand as a cane or shoved down in the socket and loop and carried at the back of the person.

Preferably I construct the shaft, arm, and movable socket of metal, circular and tubular, thus securing strength and lightness. The shaft is ordinarily about twenty-six inches in height and the arm about six and one half inches long. The diameter of the shade when expanded is preferably about twenty-four inches. Hence when closed it occupies only about twelve inches in space.

It will be seen that the wearer can regulate the height of the shade above the head by. simply raising or lowering. the shaft and can, if he prefers, dispense with the use of cap or hat, as the shaft can be lowered so that the shade may set but slightly above the head. The circumference of the shade being small, its use will not in the least interfere with the wearer thereof entering street-cars or houses or passing through crowded thoroughfares. The-shade may be used in connection with suspender-straps as ordinarily attached to the clothing, or by using a belt P, -as shown in Fig. 8, it may be adapted to the costume of ladies, bicycle-riders, or others, the suspender-straps being attached to said belt in any convenient way.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is&mdash;

The combination with a body-attachable sunshade, of shaft and the arm projecting at a right angle therewith, a thumb-screw having a threaded end adapted to operate in the end of the arm of the shaft, a movable socket pivoted to the end of said arm on the stem of said screw and bold in position by the screwhead, and a set-screw operating in the upper part of the movable socket and adapted to, hold the sunshade-handle rigidly in the tubular end of the movable socket, substantially as described and shown.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. GILL.

Witnesses: