An Improved Device for Protecting the Eyes of Ships' Officers of the Watch, Look-out Men and others, during Rain and other Storms.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application 18th June. 1892-Accepted, 23rd July, 1092
Date of Application 18th June. 1892-Accepted, 23rd July, 1094
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Device for Protecting the Eyes of Ships' Officers of
the Watch, Look-out Men and others, during Rain and other
Storms.
I, THOMAS COVENTRY, of Lindford, Standford S.O., in the County of Hants,
First Mate, 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 :-
My invention relates to an improved device or weather-mask for protecting the
eyes of officers of the watch, look-out men and others in such a manner as to
enable them to duly perform their duty during driving rain, hail or snow with
adverse winds.
It is well known to sea-faring men that, in many instances, on account of the
impossibility of facing the weather, practically no look out ahead is kept on board
ship in driving rain or hail or in snow-storms with a head wind, the officers of the
watch or look-out men to a great extent trusting to chance, while the vessel is
going ahead at full speed, that no obstacles will be met with.
Now the chief object of my said invention is to provide for enabling ships'
officers and men to keep their eyes on the look out notwithstanding driving rain,
hail or snow.
To this end, according to my said invention, I provide an improved device com-
prising a mask or covering for the upper part of the face, extending from beneath
to, or nearly
the inner edge of the front portion of the brini of the "sou-wester
to the tip of the nose, and having fixed in it, in a convenient position, one or more
windows of glass or other suitable transparent material, so that the wearer can use
The glasses
his eyes freely without exposure of the same to the rain, hail or snow.
may be plain, that is to say, flat on both sides, for the use of persons with normal
or ordinary sight, or they may have convex or concave surfaces for the use of long-
sighted or short-sighted persons, and they may be of any desired shape according
to the requirements of the wearer.
The said mask or covering is made of any suitable flexible or pliable material,
preferably waterproof material, for instance it may be made of cloth treated with
water-proofing composition; in this case, the material may with advantage be
stiffened with wire or other suitable material which can be bent to allow of the
said mask or covering being adjusted or adapted to the contour of different faces;
and proper ventilating channels of metal not liable to oxidation, may be formed, if
While it will always be
desired, between the covering and the face of the wearer.
advantageous that the mask should be made of waterproofed textile material, the
glasses may be mounted in metal having some pliability and not liable to oxidation,
such, for instance, as pewter, or vulcanite, whalebone, or horn would be equally
good mounting for the glasses.
For securing the said mask or covering in its proper position, whilst permitting
the wearer to slightly withdraw it from his face in order to rub or wipe from the
inner surface of the glasses any moisture that may accumulate thereon, I provide
the said mask or covering with a band which passes around the back of the head,
and is fastened to either side of the said mask or covering, and which is either
wholly or partially composed of suitable elastic material. This elastic band not
only enables the wearer to wipe the interior of the glasses when necessary without
entirely removing the mask or covering, but also effectually retains the latter in
the desired position. The said mask or covering is, moreover, preferably so con-
son-wester or other bat
structed that its upper edge may be passed under the
worn by the person using it.

page_text: I find it advantageous to provide the said mask or covering with one or more
channels of metal as above described in its interior surface, extending above the
eyebrows and open to the air at both sides at about the level of the ears, so that a
current of air may pass in beneath the eyes on either side of the nose and out
through the openings near the cars, for the purpose of keeping the face and eyes
cool and preventing the condensation of moisture on the inner surface of the glasses.
Other channels are provided, when necessary or desirable, for the same purpose.
I sometimes provide, in place of or in addition to these channels, suitably arranged
pipes or tubes connected to the mask or covering in any convenient manner for
ventilating purposes.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, and
Figure 2 a vertical central section of one form of my improved device made of
waterproof cloth or oil-skin.
Figure 3 is a vertical central section shewing another form of my improved
device with that part containing the glasses and the air-channels, made of pewter
or other flexible metal; and
Figure 4 is a view showing how my weather-mask is worn.
a is the-mask or covering; b, b are the windows or glasses; c is the elastic band
for retaining the said mask or covering in its proper position; d is a ventilating
channel formed in a metallic lining d secured to the interior of the mask or
covering a.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
The improved device comprising the mask or covering provided with the windows
or glasses and the elastic band, with or without the ventilating tubes or channels,
substantially as, and for the purpose, hereinbefore described.
Dated this 17th day of June 1892.
THOMAS COVENTRY.
D. Young & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.