Improvements in Cases for Spectacles and Eyeglasses.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1899-Accepted, 5th Aug., 1899
[Communicated from abroad by ORIENT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, of 102, Pearl
Street, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America, Manufacturers.]
Improvements in Cases for Spectacles and Eyeglasses.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates to eye-glass cases. It has for its object to provide an
improved spring-hinge for such articles, and it consists in the improvements
which will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.
Of the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 represents a perspective view of an eye-glass case constructed in
accordance with my invention, and opened out to expose the hinge.
Figures 2 and 3 represent vertical sectional views of the same, in closed and
open positions, respectively.
The two
The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.
Referring to the drawings, in which is represented an eye-glass case composed
preferably of a metal body, which is here shown without the usual leather or
ornamental covering, a and b represent the two members or lids of the case,
of which a may be considered the body part and b the lid or cover.
members are hinged together at c, the hinge being formed by bending up cars
or lips on the edge of each member, and passing the rod or pintle through
the bent portions, in well-known manner. The spring part of the hinge, which
is constructed' so as to hold the case in either an open or a closed position, com-
prises, in the present instance, two flat metal strips d and e, secured to the two
members of the case, respectively, preferably by means of rivets d¹ de¹ el. The
strip d is formed as a cam member, and its lower or operating end is curved or
bent behind and around the pintle cof the hinge, and is so shaped as to present
a face portion 3 and an edge portion 2 to the action of the spring e. The latter
is preferably composed of tempered steel, and its free resilient end portion presses
against the face portion 3 of the cam strip & when the case is open, as shown in
Figure 3, and thus exerts a rotative action on the lid b, which tends to hold the
case in this open position. When the case is closed, as shown in Figure 2, the
spring e presses against the edge 2 of the cam-strip, and exerts a rotative action
on the lid bin an opposite direction, tending to hold the case closed.
The bending of the operative end or lip of the cam back upon itself forms a
recess, partly occupied by the pintle, and into which the end of the spring passes as
the case is closed. The tendency of the case to spring open when opened beyond
a certain point is produced by making the operative portion of the cam d recede
from its terminal edge toward the axial line of the hinge; but obviously the
said operative portion could he made concentric with the axial line, if it were
desired to dispense with that tendency, thus providing only for the self-closing

page_text: of the case on the other side of this point, which is the essential result that I
desire to attain by means of my invention.
A hinge of the described construction is simple and effective in its action, and
can be cheaply made. It is, moreover, compact, taking up but little room in
the case, and having its operative portions completely enclosed by the case.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is:-
.1. An eyeglass-case comprising the members a hinged together, a cam on one
member consisting of a sheet-metal lip bent back on itself to form a recess for
the reception of the spring end and terminating in a cam edge, and a spring on
the other member, whose free end lies on the outside of the cam when the case is
opened out, said spring end passing over the said cam edge as the case is closed,
and finally lying inside of the said recess, whereby the case is held closed.
2. An eyeglass-case comprising the members a b, a hinge connecting the two,
a cam on one member consisting of a sheet-metal lip bent back on itself to form a
recess for the reception of the spring-end and terminating in a cam edge, the
outside of said cam receding from said edge toward the axial line of the hinge,
and a spring on the other member, whose free end lies on the outside of the cam
when the case is opened out, whereby said case is held open, said spring-end
passing over the said cam edge as the case is closed, and finally lying inside of the
said recess, whereby the case is held closed.
-
3. An eyeglass-case comprising the members a b, a hinge connecting the two
and having the pintle c', a cam ou one member consisting of a sheet-metal lip
bent behind and around the said pintle c and terminating in a free cam edge,
there being a recess formed between said free edge of the cam and its opposite
end, and a spring on the other member whose free end lies on the outside of the
cam when the case is opened out, said 'spring end passing over the said cam edge
and inward toward the pintle c¹ as the case is closed, and finally lying inside of
the said recess, whereby the case is held closed.
D. J
A
T 1 1000
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant...
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant...