in or applicable to respirators
Year: 1886

page_text: I, HENRY DIXON VARLO, of 6, Barnard's Inn, Holborn, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said 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 improvements in or applicable to respirators, the special
object of the Invention being to adapt such articles with improved means of
securing them in position in use.
The means of attaining this end with which respirators are at present adapted
consist of elastic or other looped cords which are passed around the ears, and which
besides being inconvenient in wear cause the wearer to assume such an unenviable
appearance as prevents respirators from being so generally used as is desirable.
The present Invention consists essentially in the application to respirators of
improved means which will permit of the respirator being instantly applied to and
removed from the mouth of the wearer, and will secure it in position by gently
pressing the corners or adjacent parts of the mouth between the respirator and such
means, without any discomfort to the wearer, and without such means being visible,
and which will effectually keep the respirator close against the lips all over the
surface thereof, and will permit of conversation being carried on freely.
The improved means may consist of hinged or spring acting contrivances, and
are adapted to the inner side of the respirator in such a manner as to be capable
of being closed towards each other by means projecting and casily accessible to
the fingers, to permit of their being inserted into the open mouth, and such means
upon being released from the pressure of the fingers automatically open out and
very gently press the corners of the mouth between them and the respirator and so
secure the latter in position.
One modification of carrying the Invention into effect is illustrated on the
accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1. represents a plan or edge view of the
respirator with such improved means attached thereto;-Fig. 2 represents an inner
side view thereof: and Fig. 3. represents the method of placing and removing the
respirator.
1, represents the respirator which may be made of any usual formation and of
any usual materials; to its inner side towards its opposite ends are adapted cross
wires or pins, 2, upon each of which one end of a helical spring, 3, is secured, the

page_text: remaining parts of such springs have freedom of action and the free ends thereof
bear against looped wires or flattened or broadened out pieces, 4, (each of which is
mounted upon one of the pins, 2,) and normally cause them to bear gently against
the inner edge of the end parts of the rim of the respirator. To the parts, 4, there
are preferably adapted outer projecting pieces, 5, with small terminal knobs, 6, so
disposed as that both of the knobs can be readily pressed in towards each other in
the manner shown in Fig. 3, and which thus similarly operate the parts, 4, and
permit of the placing and removal of the respirator in the manner above referred
to. The parts, 2, to, 6, are preferably made of platina, but they may be made of
any other suitable metal or material which will not be liable to corrode in or injure
the mouth.
It will be obvious that the same principle of operation may be carried into effect
in a variety of ways more or less analogous to that herein before described.
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
I claim is
1. The application to respirators of means for securing them in position in the
mouth of the wearer by gently pressing the corners of the mouth between such
means and the respirator, substantially in the manner herein before described.
2. The use of such means in combination with outer projecting parts for per-
mitting of them being readily operated in the manner required, substantially as
hereinbefore described.