9/12/2016

Howumbrellaismadematerial,manufacture,history,used,components,product,machine,RawMaterials

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Background
Theumbrellaasweknowittodayisprimarilyadevicetokeeppeopledryinrainorsnow.Itsoriginalpurposewastoshadeapersonfromthesun
(umbraisLatinfor"shade"),afunctionthatisstillreflectedintheword"parasol,"(derivedfromtheFrenchparare,"toshield"andsol,"sun")asmaller
sizedumbrellausedprimarilybywomen.Thereisanabundanceofreferencestotheusageofparasolsandumbrellasinartandliteraturefromancient
Africa,Asia,andEurope.Forexample,theEgyptiangoddessNutshieldedtheearthlikeagiantumbrellaonlyhertoesandfingertipstouchedthe
groundthusprotectinghumanityfromtheunsafeelementsoftheheavens.AlthoughtheEgyptians,liketheMesopotamians,usedpalmfrondsand
feathersintheirumbrellas,theyalsointroducedstretchedpapyrusasamaterialforthecanopy,therebycreatingadevicethatisrecognizablyan
umbrellabymodernstandards.
About2,000yearsago,thesunumbrellawasacommonaccessoryforwealthyGreekandRomanwomen.Ithadbecomesoidentifiedasa"woman's
object"thatmenwhouseditweresubjectedtoridicule.InthefirstcenturyA.D.,Romanwomentooktooilingtheirpapersunshades,intentionally
creatingumbrellasforuseintherain.Thereisevenarecordedlawsuitdatingfromthefirstcenturyoverwhetherwomenshouldbeallowedtoopen
umbrellasduringeventsheldinamphitheaters.Althoughumbrellasblockedthevisionofthosebehindthem,thewomenwontheircase.
Itwasnotuntil1750thattheEnglishmanJonasHanwaysetouttopopularizetheumbrella.Enduringlaughterandscorn,Hanwaycarriedanumbrella
whereverhewentnotonlywastheumbrellaunusual,itwasathreattothecoachmenofEngland,whoderivedagoodportionoftheirincomefrom
gentlemenwhotookcabsinordertokeepdryonrainydays.(Inthelate1700sandearly1800s,anothernameforanumbrellawasa"Hanway.")
Bravingsimilarridiculein1778,JohnMacDonald,awellknownEnglishgentlemen,carriedanumbrellawhereverhewent.
DuetotheeffortsofHanway,MacDonald,andotherenterprisingindividuals,theumbrellabecameacommonaccessory.Innineteenthcentury
England,speciallydesignedhandlesthatconcealedflasksforliquors,daggersandknives,smallpadsandpencils,orotheritemswereinhighdemand
bywealthygentlemen.Theumbrellabecamesopopularthatbythemidtwentiethcentury,ifnotearlier,etiquette(/knowledge/Etiquette.html)
demandedthattheuniformoftheEnglishgentlemanincludehat,gloves,andumbrella.
Amongthequalitiesonemightlookforinanumbrellaisthecomfortofthehandle,theeasewithwhichtheumbrellaisopenedandclosed,andthe
closenesswithwhichthecanopysegmentsareconnectedtotheribs.

RawMaterials
Materialsusedtomanufactureumbrellashave,ofcourse,improvedthroughtheyears.Oneofthemostimportantinnovationscameintheearly1850s,
whenSamuelFoxconceivedtheideaofusing"U"shapedsteelrodsfortheribsandstretcherstomakealighter,strongerframe.Previously,English
umbrellashadbeenmadefromeithercaneorwhalebone(/knowledge/Baleen.html)whaleboneumbrellasespecially

Modernumbrellasaremadebyahandassemblyprocessthat,exceptforafew
criticalareas,canbedonebysemiskilledworkers.First,theshaftwhether
wood,metal,orfiberglassismade,andthentheribsandstretchersare
assembled.Next,thenylon(/knowledge/Nylon.html)canopyishandsewnin
sections(atypicalumbrellahas8sections).

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werebulkyandawkward.Roundedribsandstretchersarefrequentlyseentodayonlyonparasolsandpatioumbrellas.Advancementsinmetal
producingtechnologyhavemaderoundedmetalribsandstretchersmorefeasible,however,andsomemanufacturersproduceumbrellaswiththese
components.Modernrainumbrellasaremadewithfabrics(/knowledge/Textile.html)(nylon,mostcommonly)thatcanwithstandadrenchingrain,dry
quickly,foldeasily,andareavailableinavarietyofcolorsanddesigns.

TheManufacturing
Process
Modernumbrellasaremadebyahandassemblyprocessthat,exceptforafewcriticalareas,canbedonebysemiskilledworkers.Choicesof
materialsandqualitycontroloccurthroughoutthemanufacturingprocess.Althoughawellmadeumbrellaneednotbeexpensive,almostevery
purchasingdecisionimpactsdirectlyuponthequalityofthefinalproduct.
Collapsiblerainumbrellasthattelescopeintoalengthofaboutafootarethemostrecentinnovationsinumbrellas.Thoughmechanicallymore
complicatedthanstickumbrellas,theysharethesamebasictechnology.Amongthedifferencesbetweenastickumbrellaandacollapsibleumbrellais
thatthecollapsibleusesatwopieceshaftthattelescopesintoitself,andanextrasetofrunnersalongthetopoftheumbrella.Thissectionwillfocuson
themanufactureofastickumbrella.

Theshaft
1Thestickumbrellawillusuallybeginitslifeasashaftofeitherwood,steel,oraluminum,approximately3/8inch(.95centimeter)thick.
Fiberglass(/knowledge/Fiberglass.html)andotherplasticsareoccasionallyused,andinfacttheyarecommoninthelargergolfumbrella.Wood

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Thefabricforthecanopyisusuallyanylontaffeta(/knowledge/Taffeta.html)
withanacryliccoatingontheundersideandascotchguardtypefinishonthe
top.Thecoatingandfinishareusuallyappliedbythefabricsupplier.Other
fabricsbesidesnylonmightbeusedaccordingtoneedortasteapatio
umbrellaattachedtoanoutdoortabledoesnothavetobelightweightand
waterproofasmuchasacustomermightwantittobelarge,durable,and
attractive.

fromvarioustypesofashtrees,includingRowanwoodfromAsia,isamongthepopularchoicesforasturdywoodshaft.Whilewoodshaftsare
madeusingstandardwoodshapingmachinessuchasturningmachinesandlathes,metalandplasticshaftscanbedrawnorextruded
(/knowledge/Extrusion.html)tothepropershape.

Ribsandstretchers
2Theribsandstretchersareassembledfirst,usuallyfrom"U"shapedorchanneled(/knowledge/Mediumship.html)steelorothermetal.Ribsrun
underneaththetoporcanopyoftheumbrellastretchersconnecttheribswiththeshaftoftheumbrella.Theribsareattachedtotheshaftofthe
umbrellabyfittingintoatopnotchathin,roundnylonorplasticpiecewithteetharoundtheedges,andthenheldwiththinwire.Thestretchers
areconnectedtotheshaftoftheumbrellawithaplasticormetalrunner,thepiecethatmovesalongtheshaftoftheumbrellawhenitisopenedor
closed.
3Next,theribsandstretchersareconnectedtoeachotherwithajoiner,whichisusuallyasmalljointedmetalhinge(/knowledge/Hinge.html)as
theumbrellaisopenedorclosed,thejoineropensorclosesthroughanangleofmorethan90degrees.
4Therearetwocatchspringsintheshaftofeachumbrellathesearesmallpiecesofmetalthatneedtobepressedwhentheumbrellaisslidup
theshafttoopen,andagainwhentheumbrellaissliddowntheshaftforclosing.Metalshaftsareusuallyhollow,andthecatchspringcanbe
inserted,whileawoodshaftrequiresthataspaceforthecatchspringbehollowedout.Apinorotherblockingdeviceisusuallyplacedintothe
shaftafewinchesabovetheuppercatchspringtopreventthecanopyfromslidingpastthetopofumbrella,whentherunnergoesbeyondthe
uppercatchspring.

Canopy
5Thecoverorcanopyoftheumbrellaishandsewninindividualpanelstotheribs.Becauseeachpanelhastobeshapedtothecurveofthe
canopy,thecovercannotbecutinonepiece.Panelsaresewnattheouteredgesoftheribs,andtherearealsoconnectionsbetweentheribs
andthepanelsaboutonethirdofthewaydownfromtheouteredgeofthecanopy.Eachpaneliscutseparatelyfrompilesofmaterialscalled
goresmachinecuttingofseverallayersatonceispossible,althoughhandcuttingismoretypical.Thetypicalrainumbrellahaseightpanels,
althoughsomeumbrellaswithsixpanels(children'sumbrellasandparasolsusuallyhavesixpanels)andasmanyastwelvecanoccasionallybe
found.Atonepoint,thenumberofpanelsinanumbrellamayhavebeenanindicationofquality(oratleastoftheamountofattentionthe
umbrellamakerpaidtohisproduct).Today,becauseofthequalityofthematerialavailabletotheumbrellamaker,thenumberofpanelsisusually
amatterofstyleandtasteratherthanquality.

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Thefabricusedinagoodqualityumbrellacanopyisusuallyanylontaffetaratedat190T(190threadsperinch),withanacryliccoatingonthe
undersideandascotchguardtypefinishonthetop.Thecoatingandfinishareusuallyappliedbythefabricsupplier.Fabricpatternsanddesigns
canbechosenbythemanufacturer,orthemanufacturermightaddhisownpatternsanddesignsusingarotaryorsilkscreening
(/knowledge/Screen_printing.html)process,especiallyforaspecialorderofalimitednumberofumbrellas.Similarly,otherfabricsbesidesnylon
mightbeusedaccordingtoneedortasteapatioumbrellaattachedtoanoutdoortabledoesnothavetobelightweightandwaterproofasmuch
asacustomermightwantittobelarge,durable,andattractive.
6Thetipoftheumbrellathatpassesthroughthecanopycanbecoveredwithmetal(aferrule)thathasbeenforcedoverandperhapsgluedto
thetip,orleftbare,dependingonthedesireofthemanufacturer.Thehandleisconnectedtotheshaftattheendoftheprocess,andcanbe
wood,plastic,metal,oranycombinationofdesiredingredients.Thoughhandlescanbescrewedon,betterqualityumbrellasusegluetosecure
thehandlemoretightly.
7Theendtipsoftheumbrella,wheretheribsreachpastthecanopy,canbeleftbareorcoveredwithsmallplasticorwoodendcapsthatare
eitherpushedorscrewedon,orglued,andthensewntotheendsoftheribsthroughsmallholesintheendcaps.
8Finally,theumbrellaispackagedaccordinglyandsenttocustomers.

WhereToLearnMore
Books
Crawford,T.S.AHistoryOfTheUmbrella.TaplingerPublishing,1970.
Stacey,Brenda.TheUpsandDownsofUmbrellas.AlanSuttonPublishing,1991.

Periodicals
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"HowtoChooseaGoodUmbrella,"ConsumerReports.September,1991,pp.61923.
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"NylonRibsToughenUmbrellaFrame,"DesignNews.June16,1986,p.49.

1500

Jones,Arthur."PersonalAffairsSticksofDistinction,"Forbes.February24,1986,pp.11618.

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Sedgwick,John."LetItPour:GettingaHandleontheBestUmbrella,"Gentlemen'sQuarterly.March,1992,p.51.
WelcomeBonus
Shenker,Israel."Yoicks!Yoicks!AndBrollyHo!RahfortheParapluie!"Smithsonian.November,1989,p.130.
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AlsoreadarticleaboutUmbrella(/knowledge/Umbrella.html)fromWikipedia

UserContributions:
1

JohnClarke

(/Volume

Mar4,2006@9:21pm

Hi,
Thereasonumbrellacanopiesarenotcutfromonepieceofclothisnotbecauseofthematerialhastobeshapedtofittheribsit'sbecausethe
panelshavetofollowthethreadpatternoftheweave,otherwisethematerialwillpullonthebiasandcreatepuckers.
John
2

Jeff

(/Volume

Aug20,2006@5:17pm

Howareventedtopumbrellasmadedifferentlyfromstandardandhowcouldthisventbeincorporatedintoasunshadetype,butstillbeawater
protectantaswell?

Commentaboutthisarticle,askquestions,oraddnewinformationaboutthistopic:
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