• 11 parts
  • Checked September 2026

Parts of an Umbrella

An open umbrella from just below, so every rib, stretcher and spring under the canopy shows.

Parts of an Umbrella

Name Date

Tap any part to read, rename or leave it out

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
More options

Write the name of each numbered part.Answer key

  1. Canopy
  2. Handle
  3. Shaft
  4. Ribs
  5. Stretchers
  6. Runner
  7. Ferrule
  8. Top notch
  9. Joint
  10. Top spring
  11. Bottom spring

Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-24. Licence: own work.

Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

Next step Next: the parts of a shoe

All 11 parts on the diagram

Show the list

Start here: 7 main parts 7

  1. Canopy The fabric, sewn to the ribs in panels.
  2. Handle The grip at the bottom of the shaft; a crook here.
  3. Shaft The central pole that carries everything else.
  4. Ribs Long rods that stretch the canopy out.
  5. Stretchers Short rods that push the ribs open from the runner.
  6. Runner Slides up the shaft to open the umbrella. Slides down to close it.
  7. Ferrule A metal cover on the tip above the canopy.

The frame 2

  1. Top notch Holds the top end of every rib.
  2. Joint A hinge where each stretcher is riveted to its rib.

Shaft and handle 2

  1. Top spring Holds the runner up, so the umbrella stays open.
  2. Bottom spring Holds the runner down, so the umbrella stays closed.

How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-24. (1) Wikipedia, Umbrella, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbrella : a folding canopy on ribs mounted on a pole, with a handle; stretchers and runner. (2) How Products Are Made, volume 1, Umbrella, https://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Umbrella.html : the shaft; ribs fitted into a top notch; stretchers joined to the shaft by the runner that moves along it; rib and stretcher joined by a hinged joiner; two catch springs in the shaft, pressed to open and again to close; the canopy or cover sewn in panels; the tip covered by a metal ferrule; the handle. (3) Bureau of Indian Standards (archive.org scans): IS 2917 (1981), Umbrella ribs, https://archive.org/details/gov.in.is.2917.1981 : main ribs that stretch the cloth, stretcher ribs that connect them to the runner, riveted at the joint; IS 2918 (1979), Umbrella tubes, sticks and handles, https://archive.org/details/gov.in.is.2918.1979 : the tube, its stoppers, which keep the runner from slipping back, and the handle; IS 2919 (1979), Umbrella fittings, https://archive.org/details/gov.in.is.2919.1979 : runner, notch, cap and ferrule. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-24. Licence: own work

How it works

An umbrella is a canopy stretched over ribs that meet at the top notch. Stretchers link each rib to the runner, which slides up the shaft to open it. Two springs in the shaft hold it open or shut.

Read the full guide

How it opens

Push the runner up the shaft and the stretchers push the ribs out until the canopy is taut. The top spring clicks out under the runner and holds it there. Press it and the runner slides down.

How it stays shut

Closed, each rib folds down beside the shaft, and the runner sits lower, at the dashed outline. The bottom spring catches under it so the umbrella cannot fall open.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of an umbrella called?

The canopy is the fabric. Under it, ribs run from the top notch to the edge, and stretchers join each rib to the runner on the shaft. The ferrule tops it, the handle ends it, and two springs lock the runner.

What is the runner on an umbrella?

The collar that slides along the shaft. The stretchers are hinged to it, so pushing it up opens the umbrella and pulling it down closes it.

What is the difference between ribs and stretchers?

Ribs are the long rods under the canopy, fixed at the top notch. Stretchers are the shorter rods that push each rib out from the runner, joined to it at a hinge.

More quizzes

Show 6 more

Browse Science Quizzes