Evening star., 1901-04-02
AN INTRICATE PROCESS
NtNTFiCTJRE OF EYEGLASSES RE
CURES MANY wOIskMEN.
In the Making of Gold SDectacIes
There Are OEe Hundred and
Four Operations.


FROM the Worcester Telegram.
In making gold spectacles there are 10+
operations. and they pass through ffty-one
hards. In gold eyeglasses there are 105
operations, and they pass through thirty
four hands. In steel spectacles there are
eighty-seven operations and sixty-seven
different persons handle them. Steel eye
glasses pass through eighty-three different
hands and there are ID operations In them.
In the lens department at Lensdale all
styles of spectacle and eyeglass lenses,
spht trical. cylindrical, prisms. pebbles, col
ored lenses. &c, are made. The lens stock
is not made in this country, but is import
ed in the rough from Germany, England
and France. 1t comes in oblong plates,
squares, rounds or ovals. 1t is gauged as
to thickness by running through a gauging
ma chine, which separates the sizes to
within a variation of one-hfth of milli
meter. The stock is deposited in large
bins and then goes to the blockers These
blocks are cast iron, varying in diameter
from three to twenty-five inches The
company makes its own laps, and $3.50
different kinds are required. The blocks
are heated in an oven. then passed TO q
cement kettle to receive a covering of
cement. which soon cOols when the block
is taken out with the cement sticking to
ii in the desired curve. 1t then passes to
the blocking bench. which has a steam
plate covered with the desired thickness
of glass. The glass is taken from the
steam plate and attached to the block.
Grinding the Lenses.
The future value of the lens is determined
by the skill with which these operations
are done. After the cement is cooled it is
ready for the grinding machines. These ma
chimes were constructed by this company
from models designed especially for the
purpose. and are the largest for this work
ever built. The laps are in upright condi-
ton and revOlvS in conjunction with the
block with a peculiar compound motion
whereby the desired service on the lens Is
obtained. The lens is thus roughed out
after which it is washed. then returned to
the machine to be ground with a finer
grade of emery. This process is repeated
several times before it receives its final
polish
a thick coat of felt covers the polishing
lap. which is constantly fed with rouge and
water.
Much care is required in this process, as
the lens at this point receives it's finishing
touch, and II proper care is not taken Ii
will lose its spherical alteration. The
block is then inspected, and IL found
rect the glass is picked off with a sharp in
strument, cleaned of cement and then
ground and polished on the reverse side
When completed the lenses are placed in
separate receptacleS, washed thoroughly
and go to another department for final in
SpeCtlOil MS Is by girls, who
examine them as to quality, dividing them
into two grades. The lens is then placed in
a focusing machine TO determine the focal
power. They are then wrapped in papers
each paper containing six pairs, and are
ready for the market.
c. E. Wilson, superintendent of the lens
department, has been with the company
twenty years He is thorough mechanic
and has been employed at lens grinding
since boyhood There is probably no other
man in the world whose knowledge of the
various processes is so minute and accu-
rate.
Use of Gold.
In the gold spectacle and eyeglass de-
partment the first process through which
the gold goes is aiioying. for the purpose
of reducing the gold to the desired karat
This is done in the customary way after
melting the gold and pouring it into bars
of different sizes, and is passed through
tollers, hammers and drawplates until 1t
comes out in the desired size and shape
either in sheets or wire. The fiat stock is
used for the bows and end pieces of spec
tacles, and handles, ears and catches for
eyeglasses. which are form, i by punching
dies. The wire Is made for nose pieces and
springs and also groDscd for eyest c
. n separate room for this gold material Is
guarded oy Q wire grating, and contains