GGO
PREPAR ATIOX OF FRAMER, STICKS, RIBS, &c.
[Class XXIX.
and whalebone ribs, is chiefly done by small masters inLondon , who employ lads to assist them; that the coveringis performed by women and girls at their homes; and thatin the lowest priced goods, the joint labour of an entirefamily is necessary to eke out a subsistence. The fixingof the handles and ferrules is often done at the ware-houses.
In order that the reader may better appreciate the smallamount of the wages paid for putting the frames together,the subjoined description of the various processes is given.The frame-maker requires a capital of from 3/. to 6/., inorder that he may erect a couple of very primitive-lookinglathes with a circular saw ; a rose-cutter for forming thetips, and several drills, all of which screw into the mandrilof the lathes ; also a paring-knife, a small vice, and threeor four pairs of pliers; and lastly, a“ weighing-board.”The circular saw, rose-cutter, and paring-knife are com-paratively modern improvements. He must rent a roomor shop, and pay for fuel and candles. lie has likewise toprovide all the iron-wire and brass-plate out of what hereceives in wages; but the stick, ribs, stretchers, andrunners are furnished to him. In order to work econo-mically lie must employ two lads, but he usually finds itmore to his interest to employ four, to whom he pays4s. per week.
1. Preparing the Stick. The stick, which is usually ofstained beech, is first sawn off to a length; one end istapered with the paring-knife, to prepare it for receivingthe ferrule; two grooves are cut in with the circular-sawin the direction of the length of the stick, in order toreceive the two springs, one for sustaining the umbrellaopen, and the other for keeping it closed. The springsare then made out of iron wire, and fastened one in eachgroove, the fastening being effected by simply driving oneend of the spring into the handle: the other is left free,but is prevented from flying out by means of a crosswire, the insertion of which requires two operations, viz.,drilling a hole and inserting and rivetting the wire. Astopper is formed by bending a piece of wire like a staple,and it is then inserted into two holes drilled above the topspring, in order to prevent the slider from going too far;lastly, two holes are drilled near the top of the stick,through these the cross wire is inserted, and when finishedit presents the appearance of a double staple, one loopbeing on one side of the stick and one on the other. Inpreparing the stick it has passed at least nineteen timesthrough the hand.
2. Preparing the Ribs. Each rib is roughly taperedwith the paring-knife at one end, and is rendered smoothand conical by holding it in the direction of its length inthe groove of a wheel lined with fish-skin, which wheelis made to revolve rapidly in the lathe; the taper end ofthe rib is then held across a steel fly-cutter or “ machine,”likewise running in the lathe, which cutter has a circulargroove of the proper radius of curvature formed on itsperiphery, By rotating the rib in the hand its “ tip” isrendered spherical; the tip is then varnished, and has ahole drilled in it, to admit of fastening on the covering;and each rib is cut to the proper length by sawing off" theopposite end: the “ head” of the rib is lapped with thinbrass-plate and rounded, and is then drilled, to admit ofthe “ head-wire,” on which it is afterwards hinged; therib is also lapped near its centre with brass-plate, anddrilled, in order to admit of fastening on the stretcher; and,lastly, the stretcher is attached by means of an axis ofwire, the ends of which are riveted. Each rib passes notless than thirteen times through the hand; and, as thereare eight ribs, the frame consequently passes one hundredand four times through the hand in this stage of the con-struction.
3. “ Weighing ” the Ribs. Unless every' rib be of equalstrength, the umbrella will not “ set round,” hence thenecessity for the “ weighing” process. This operation issomewhat analogous to that which engineers employ inascertaining the deflection of a beam, and is effected by avery simple instrument. The weighing-board is about3 feet 6 inches long and 2 feet deep, and is affixed to awall, the longer side being parallel to the horizon: andthere are in different parts of it a multitude of small holesfor the reception of wire pegs. The rib to be weighed is
placed over one peg close to its stretcher, and underanother peg, so far distant from the first as to reachnearly to the head of the rib; a small leaden weight isthen hung on to the tip, and of course deflects the rib;the amount of the deflection (indicated by graduations onthe arc of a circle affixed to the board) gives the relativestrength of the ribs, which are assorted out in sets accord-ingly. The weighing adds eight more operations to thosealready enumerated.
4. “ Threadling ” the Ribs. Each stretcher, which itwill be remembered is attached to the rib, is taken up inturn and threaded on to a wire, and is then inserted, eachone in its respective place, in the notches of the slider,and all are made secure by binding the wire round thetop of the slider, which is grooved for that purpose. Thehead-wire is now inserted through four of the ribs, and isthen passed through the two loops of the “ cross wire,”at the top of the stick: and now the four remaining ribsare threaded, and the head-wire secured by twisting itsends together with pliers. Reckoning that this adds fouroperations, the frame will have passed one hundred andthirty-five times through the hands of the workman orhis assistants.
All this labour is performed for hd. to | d. in the caseof parasols, and for frf. to Id. in that of umbrellas. Aworkman can, nevertheless, earn fair wages at theseprices, provided he is supplied regularly with work; buthe is frequently subjected to much loss by being keptwaiting about in the wholesale warehouses, which some-times occasions a loss of at least half a day to him. Theprices just quoted are those paid for the lowest descriptionof work, but for putting together the frame of an um-brella with whalebone-ribs the workman gets 2-d. Ofthe cheaper kinds of umbrellas, say those at Is. per dozen,a workman and four lads can make four gross per week,for which he receives 4Ss. After deducting the wages ofhis lads, 10s., and the cost of the materials he supplies,which is about 8s., it leaves him 24s. for himself.
Covering of Umbrellas. This is paid for according tothe description of work, the commonest at the rate ofIs. per dozen, and the best 4s. per dozen.
The frames, which are made of metal, are almost ex-clusively manufactured in Birmingham . The stick, ribs,stretchers, and ferrule, are all metallic, and require, aftercovering, merely the insertion of a long wood or ivoryhandle and the ferrule to complete the umbrella. Theseframes can be furnished at from Id. to 10<f. each, andalthough not so cheap as the cane-frames, they are con-sumed and exported in enormous quantities, in conse-quence of the small hulk which they occupy. Manyimprovements have of late years been made, not only inthe machinery used for making the metallic frames, butalso in the construction of the frame itself. Amongstthose most deserving of notice, may be cited the improve-ments of Mr. Holland (Xo. 131, p. 797) and Mr. Boss(No. 146, p. 798). Either of their constructions addsabout 2s. to the price of an umbrella. In conclusion, itmay be stated that the umbrella-manufacture in theUnited Kingdom is in a very prosperous condition, and israpidly increasing.
"\Vl7RTF.3IBURG.
There are Four Exhibitors of Umbrella-handles fromthis country, the carving on some of which is veryhumorous: the most important collection has been re-warded for other ivory goods which were exhibited atthe same time, and which formed the largest proportionof the contribution. (See Toys).
The number of Exhibitors of Parasols and Umbrellas,or their components, such as handles, sticks, and mountedframes, is Thirty-three ; of these, there are—
5 Holders of a Prize Medal.
2 “Who obtained Honourable Mention.
26 Unrewarded.
33
The number of Exhibitors from the various countriesis as follows:—