like Articles or instruments.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1889
Specification Accepted, 16th Mar., 1889
like Articles or instruments.
I GABRIEL PLESSY of 44 rue Oberkampf Paris in the Republic of France Engineer
do hereby declare the nature of this Invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This Invention relates to handles for opera glasses binoculars quizzing glasses
and other like articles or instruments and the object of the invention is to provide
a jointed handle made in two parts capable of being readily folded together so as
to occupy a small space and presenting great rigidity and firmness when opened for
use the joint being rendered rigid by means of a sliding arrangement. The handle
may be permanently attached either to opera glasses specially constructed for its
reception or to opera glasses of ordinary construction by means of a removeable
clamping device as hereinafter described.
This arrangement of handle made in two or more parts connected by a hinge
enables the part of the handle directly connected to the opera glass to be con-
veniently made of metal and the other part which is in contact with the hand of the
person using the opera glass to be made of or covered by a material that is a bad
conductor of heat and inoxidisable for example.
In lieu of the joint or hinged connection with the opera glass the handle may be
attached to the said glass by a species of clamping device hereinafter described
embracing the frame or other part of the glass and the joint is provided with
suitable stops which retain the opera glass handle in the folded or unfolded position
without the employment of springs set screws or other complications being always
ready for action and never requiring tightening or readjustment.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents in elevation an opera glass
provided with a folding handle according to this invention and Figure 2 is a side
elevation of the same showing the handle in the open position.

page_text: Figure 3 is a plan showing the handle folded.
Figures 4 and 5 are enlarged details hereinafter described and Figures 6 and 7
illustrate a modified arrangement herein after described.
Figures 8 and 9 illustrate a folding handle according to this invention constructed
for use in combination with an ordinary opera glass that is to say a glass unprovided
with special means for connecting it to the handle.
The handle in the example illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 is constructed in two
parts A and B connected by a double hinge joint a a' Figures 2 and 4 which facilitates
the folding action. One of these parts namely the part A which is grasped by the
hand of the person using the opera glass is constructed of or plated with ivory,
tortoiseshell, leather or other suitable inoxidisable material acting as a non conductor of
heat. The other part (B) is made of metal in open or perforated work or otherwise. This
part which may be varnished, nickel, gold, or silver plated or otherwise decorated is
provided with a sliding piece (which when brought over the joint as indicated in
Figure 4 renders the joint rigid and maintains the two parts of the handle in position
so that they act as one piece. By pushing the slide C along the part B up to a stop
Figure 2 so as to clear the joint the part A is enabled to be folded against the part B
as indicated in Figure 3 and in dotted lines in Figure 2. The part B is hinged to
the opera glass which is provided with a bent arm D Figures 2, 3 and 5 forming part
of the frame or the said part B is provided with a clamp E Figures 8 and 9 constructed
as hereinafter described in order to enable the handle to be attached to existing opera
glasses of ordinary construction.
The handle is jointed to the opera glass by means of a stud or pin Figure 5 passed
through the end of the part B of the handle and through the arm D being secured by
a screw bearing on a washer c. A projection prevents the stud from turning in the
handle.
This joint which is free to move is constructed with stops which retain the opera
glass in the required positions. With this object the metal part B of the handle is
provided with a circular groove Figure 5 in which are riveted two pins e and e¹
acting as stops being arranged at an angle of about 90 degrees. In this groove
works a third pin attached to the arm D which pin is capable of moving between
the stops e el against one or the other of which it bears so as to maintain the opera
glass either in the open position (Figure 1) or in the closed position (Figure 3).
When the handle is attached to the middle part of the transverse bar of the
frame it is jointed or hinged to the opera glass as indicated in figures 6 and 7 a
plain binge joint m being employed to connect the part B of the handle to the frame
between the barrels.
A sliding piece C₁ slidden over the joint (as indicated in figure 6) prevents it from
moving when the handle is unfolded or opened for use and is prevented from
slipping out of place accidentally by means of a small spring r'.
By simply pushing down this sliding piece until it is stopped by the screw a
the joint is uncovered and is then free to move and allow the part B of the
handle to be folded against the opera glass as indicated in figure 7. The part A
of the handle falls against the part B as in the arrangement hereinbefore described.
By means of this arrangement the opera glass although permanently attached to
its handle can be placed in an ordinary case. With this arrangement the parts A.
and B are necessarily made shorter than in the other arrangement as shown in the
drawing but they are of sufficient length to enable the glass to be used with
comfort.
In order to enable the improved handle to be attached to glasses of ordinary
construction the clamp E figures 8 and 9 is employed. This clamp is composed of
a fork made in one with the metallic part B of the handle the extremities of the
parallel legs of the said fork being in the form of hooks d. A plate p is capable
of being caused to slide on this fork by means of a screw v¹ working in a nut
connected to the said sliding plate p which is provided with an extension or jaw p
bent slightly outwards so as to conveniently clamp a part of the frame between the
said extension and the hooks d as indicated in figure 8.

page_text: I do not limit myself to the forms and dimensions of the improved handle illustrated
in the drawings in combination with an opera glass and the said handle may be applied
to or employed in combination with other like articles or instruments requiring a
folding bandle permanently or removeably connected thereto.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. For opera glasses, eyeglasses and other like articles or instruments the arrange-
ment of a handle constructed in two parts A. and B made of different materials and
connected together by a double hinge joint a. a¹ enabling the handle to be folded for
carriage in combination with a sliding piece C for rendering the handle rigid when in
use substantially as herein before described and, illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
2. Connecting a jointed or folding or other handle to an extension D on an opera
glass or other instrument or article specially constructed for the purpose by means of
a loose joint acting in combination with two fixed stops e and e¹ and a pin f working
in a circular groove r and bearing against one or the other of the said stops in such
a manner as to maintain the opera glass or other instrument or article in the required
position for use and limiting the amplitude of the movement when folding the handle
for carriage substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
3. Connecting the folding handle to the central part of the frame of an opera glass
by means of a hinge joint m and a sliding piece in combination with the joint a a¹
of the handle so as to enable the latter to be folded under or between the barrels of the
glass in such a manner as to admit of placing the glass in an ordinary case for
carriage and of unfolding the handle and maintaining it rigidly in a position perpen-
dicular to the plane of the barrels substantially as herein before described with reference
to figures 6 and 7 of the accompanying drawings.
4. Connecting the folding or other handle to existing opera glasses not provided
with special attachments for this purpose by means of a clamp composed of two
fixed hooks d d. and a moveable extension or jaw p' moved towards the said hooks
so as to press against the frame of the opera glass being operated by means of a
screw in the manner and for the purpose substantially as herein before described with
reference to figures 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings.
5. The combinations and arrangements of parts constituting the improvements in
handles for opera glasses eye glasses and the like substantially as hereinbefore
described.