Improvements in Artificial Eyes, and in Supporting the same in Position.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 10th May, 1894-Accepted, 16th June, 1894
Improvements in Artificial Eyes, and in Supporting the same in
Position.
I PRISCILLA SHAW of Coundon Street, Coventry in the County of Warwick,
Spinster do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Artificial eyes ordinarily made of glass are usually worn within the natural eye
socket of the wearer.
My invention consists in constructing artificial eyes and supporting the same in
position in the manner herein after described.
My improved artificial eye has the appearance of the front of the natural eye
and is so supported that it is worn outside and fits closely in front of the natural
eye socket, my improved artificial eye giving neither pain nor inconvenience to the
wearer.
My invention has the special advantage that the artificial eye can be worn when
the natural eye socket is closed or the parts have grown together.
In making and supporting an artificial eye according to my invention, I take a
metal plate, preferably of silver or gold, having an elliptical figure or the general
shape of the front of the natural eye and upon the face of this plate I fix or secure
my improved artificial eye having the figure and appearance of the front of the
natural eye. To one end of the supporting plate of the artificial eye I secure a wire
arm which is attached by soldering or otherwise to the frame of a pair of spectacles
in such a position that the artificial eye thus supported is situated on the inner side
of and is coincident with the eye glass of the spectacle frame. The said artificial
eye is arranged at such a distance behind the spectacle glass that when the
spectacles are in use, the base or supporting plate of the artificial eye is situated in
front of the natural socket of the eye so that the said socket is completely
concealed.
My improved artificial eye fixed to or secured upon the metal supporting plate
may be made of silver, pearl, ivory, bone, vulcanite, glass or other hard material,
the material of which the artificial eye is made being so moulded and shaped and
tinted or coloured as to resemble the front of the natural eye.
Although I have described my invention with respect to one eye only, yet I
wish it to be understood that my invention is applicable to both eyes. In this case
the parts described are duplicated.
1000
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Artificial Eyes, and in Supporting the same in
Position.
I PRISCILLA SHAW, of Coundon Street, Coventry, in the County of Warwick,
Spinster do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
Artificial eyes ordinarily made of glass are usually worn within the natural eye

page_text: My invention consists in constructing artificial eyes and supporting the same in
position in the manner hereinafter described.
My improved artificial eye has the appearance of the front of the natural eye
and is so supported that it is worn outside and fits closely in front of the natural
eye socket, my improved artificial eye giving neither pain nor inconvenience to the
wearer.
My invention has the special advantage that the artificial eye can be worn when
the natural eye socket is closed or the parts have grown together.
In making and supporting an artificial eye according to my invention, I take a
metal plate, preferably of silver or gold, having an elliptical figure or the general
shape of the front of the natural eye and upon the face of this plate I fix or secure
my improved artificial eye having the figure and appearance of the front of the
natural eye; or the supporting plate consisting of common metal may be embedded
in the artificial eye. To one end of the supporting plate of the artificial eye f
secure a wire arm which is attached by soldering or otherwise to the frame of a
pair of spectacles in such a position that the artificial eye thus supported is
situated on the inner side of and is coincident with the eye glass of the spectacle
frame. The said artificial eye is arranged at such a distance behind the spectacle
glass that when the spectacles are in use, the base or the supporting plate of the
artificial eye is situated in front of the natural socket of the eye so that the said
socket is completely concealed.
My improved artificial eye fixed to or secured upon the metal supporting plate
may be made of silver, pearl, ivory, bone, vulcanite, glass or other hard material,
the material of which the artificial eye is made being so moulded and shaped and
tinted or coloured as to resemble the front of the natural eye.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents in front elevation and Figure 2
in horizontal section an artificial eye made and supported in position according
to my invention; Figure 3 represents the attaching plate and wire arm of the
same detached.
A, B is the artificial eye made and supported according to my invention. The
part A of the said artificial eye is made preferably of opalescent and coloured glass
similar to ordinary artificial eyes, but the white portion in my improved artificial
eye (represented by a white space in the horizontal section Figure 2) is smaller
than the corresponding part of the ordinary artificial eye. The opalescent and
coloured part A of the artificial eye is set in and carried by a back plate or
backing B of flesh coloured plastic material, such as coloured india rubber or
dentists' wax, moulded around the edges of the eye part A, the said plate
or backing B being made to resemble the eyelids of the natural eye. The
artificial eye thus made has the figure and appearance of the front of the natural
eye and is supported in position by the spectacle frame D by means of the
supporting plate C and fine wire arm C¹ (shown separately in Figure 3) in the
manner best seen in the horizontal section Figure 2. That is to say, the plate C
is embedded between the two parts A and B of the artificial eye and the fine
wire arm C¹ projecting from the said supporting plate, is attached by soldering or
otherwise to the bridge part of the spectacle frame D, the said wire arm C
having such a position and length that the artificial eye supported by it is
situated on the inner side of and is coincident with the eye glass of the spectacle
frame and at such a distance behind the spectacle glass that when the spectacles
are in use, the base of the artificial eye is situated in front of the natural socket
of the eye so that the said socket is completely concealed. The fine wire arm C¹
may be tinted or coloured so as to be undistinguishable from the skin. The said
artificial eyes are necessarily smaller than the natural eye in consequence of the
sunken condition of the eye socket. In order that the appearance of my improved
artificial eyes shall resemble as closely as possible the natural eye I prefer to make
the spectacle glass behind which the artificial eye is supported magnify two or three
degrees more than that opposite the natural eye, whereby the artificial eye will
appear of the same size as the natural eye.

page_text: Although I prefer to make my improved artificial eyes having the appearance
of the front of the natural eye of the two parts A and B as described and
represented, yet the eye proper A and the artificial eyelids B may be made in one
piece of any of the hard materials hereinbefore enumerated, the said materials
being moulded and shaped and tinted or coloured so as to resemble the front of
the natural eye; and instead of embedding the supporting plate C between the
two parts of which the artificial eye is made as described and illustrated the said
artificial eye may be attached to the face of a silver or gold or ebonite plate,
the said plate having an elliptical figure or the general shape of the front of the
natural eye.
My improved artificial eye may be used with an eye glass instead of with a pair
of spectacles; and although I have described and represented my invention with
respect to one eye only yet I wish it to be understood that my invention is applicable
to both eyes.
In this case the parts are duplicated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
as my invention.of "Improvements in Artificial Eyes and in Supporting the same
in Position ";—
First. Making artificial eyes to be worn outside and fit closely in front of the
natural eye sockets substantially in the manuer hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawing, so that the said artificial eyes resemble in figure and
appearance the front of the natural eye, that is, the eye proper and the eyelids of
the same.
Secondly. Supporting in position artificial eyes of the kind referred to by
means of a supporting plate attached to or embedded in the material of the artificial
eye and a wire arm carried by the said plate the said arm being attached to the
spectacle or eye glass frame so that the artificial eye is situated behind the spectacle
glass or eye glass and is worn outside and fits closely in front of the natural eye
socket whether the said artificial eyes be used in combination with one or with both
of the spectacle glasses substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawing.
Dated the Eighth day of May 1894.