Improved snap-on umbrella patented

On May 6, 1924, Henry was granted U.S. Patent 1,492,725, an improvement upon her earlier snap-on cover parasol design. This refined umbrella patent was assigned to the Henry Umbrella & Parasol Company of New York, the firm she had founded in 1921 to manufacture and market her accessory inventions directly.

The improvement addressed practical shortcomings of the original detachable-cover mechanism, enhancing its durability and ease of use for consumers who wanted to change umbrella covers to match seasonal fashions or damaged fabric without replacing the entire frame. By this point, Henry had moved beyond simply licensing her inventions to others — she was actively running her own manufacturing enterprise, a rare position for a woman in American business during the 1920s.

This patent reflects an important stage in her career: the transition from independent inventor to inventor-entrepreneur, controlling both the intellectual property and the commercial production of her designs. It also demonstrates her ongoing commitment to iterative improvement, refining commercially successful ideas rather than resting on a single design. The Henry Umbrella & Parasol Company continued to be closely associated with her name and reputation as 'Lady Edison,' reinforcing her standing as one of the era's most productive and versatile women inventors.