IMPROVEMENTS IN SPECTACLES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Newman and John Frederick Newman, both
of 122, Regent Street, in. the County of Middlesex, Opticians, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPECTACLES."
Sealed the 25th September 1858, and dated the 27th March 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. John Newman and John
Frederick Newman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 27th March 1858.
I, JOHN NEWMAN, and I, JOHN FREDERICK NEWMAN, both of 122,
Regent Street, in the County of Middlesex, Opticians, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPECTACLES,"
be as follows:-
In spectacles or hand frames as some kinds are termed, we make each
eye in two parts, the one (or lower part) is fixed as in ordinary spec-
tacles, the other (or upper part) is jointed and attached to the top of the fixed
or lower part, so that it can be thrown inwards towards the face, be folded flat
against-the lower part, or be placed in the same plane, as, circumstances may
require.

page_text: For persons with weak eyes who require protection from the glare of strong
light, glasses of neutral tint or any other material or colour may be placed in
the upper or folding part of the frame, which can be thrown inwards towards
the face, and so form a complete shade to the eyes from strong upper light, or
they may be thrown outwards for the same purpose, or may be folded flat
against the lower part of the frame, and so protect the eye from direct light,
or may have coloured glass placed in both the upper and lower parts, and so
protect the sight from upper or direct light.
For distant and near objects great inconvenience is caused to persons
wearing spectacles, by their not being able to discern objects at a distance
with the same magnifying power as they require for near objects, and are
consequently obliged to have two pairs of different powers, and are obliged to
change them continually as circumstances may require. In this frame the
glasses can be so arranged that objects far or near can readily be distinguished
without the inconvenience of removing them from the face; a low power glass
is placed in the lower portion of the frame by which objects at a distance can
be seen, the upper or folding portion contains different (or the same power
glass), which when folded down over the lower portion makes up the extra
power which is required for near objects, and can be readily thrown up when
distant objects are to be viewed; a shade of any material instead of coloured
glass may be fixed to the folding part of the frame.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Newman and John Frederick Newman in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 27th September 1858.
TO. ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
NEWMAN and JOHN FREDERICK NEWNAN, both of 122, Regent Street, in the
County of Middlesex, Opticians, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent,, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said John Newman and John Frederick Newman, Her special licence
that we, the said John Newman and John Frederick Newman, executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Newman
and John Frederick Newman, executors, administrators, and assigns, should

page_text: at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland; the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man,. an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN SPECTACLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said
John Newman and John Frederick Newman, executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said In-
vention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that J, the said John Frederick Newman, on behalf of
myself and the said John Newman, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say): =
Our Invention relates to improvements in spectacles as follows, with refer-
ence to distant and near objects:-
Great inconvenience is caused to persons wearing spectacles by their not
being able to discern objects at a distance with the same magnifying power as
they require for near objects, and are consequently obliged to have two pairs
of spectacles of different powers, and are obliged to change them as circum-
stances may require. In this improved frame the glass may be so arranged.
that objects far or near can readily be distinguished without the inconvenience
of removing them from the face; a low power glass is placed in the lower
portion of the frame, by which objects at a distance can be seen; the upper
or folding portion contains a a different (or it may be the same power glass),
which when folded down over the lower portion makes up the additional
power required for near objects, and which folding part can be readily thrown
up when distant objects are required to be viewed; a shade of colored glass or.
other suitable material may be fixed in the folding part of the frame.
In spectacles or hand frames as some kinds are termed, we make each eye
in two parts, the one (or lower part) is fixed as in ordinary spectacles, the
other (or upper part)' is jointed and attached to the top of the fixed or lower
part, so that it can be thrown inwards towards the face, folded flat against the
lower part placed in the same plane, or in any intermediate position as circum-
stances may require.

page_text: For persons with weak eyes who require protection from the glare. of strong
light, glasses of neutral tint or any other material or color may be placed in
the upper or folding part of the frame, which can be thrown inwards towards
the face, & so form a complete shade to the eyes from strong upper light, or
they may be thrown outward for the same purpose, or may be folded flat
against the lower part of the frame, and so protect the eye from direct light,
or may have colored glass placed in both the upper and lower parts, and so
protect the sight from upper and also from direct light.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING.
Fig. 1 represents a front view of a pair of spectacles constructed according
to our Invention, the glasses being expanded to their full extent; Fig. 2, a
similar view with the upper half or portion of the glasses folded down; Fig. 3,
an end view of Fig. 1, while Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 2. The frames
a, a, a, are made, and the glasses fitted much in the ordinary manner, which
with the lower part of the eyes b, b, are very similar to ordinary half spectacles
but having the straight side formed with hinge or joint parts c, c, whereby the
hinge or joint parts of the upper and moveable. halves or parts d, d, may be
hinged or jointed thereto. Fig. 5 represents one of the upper parts d detached.
The jointing is of the ordinary kind, each part being furnished with knuckles
which fit between the knuckles of the other part, a pin being pressed through
both. The end view Fig. 4 shows. distinctly the upper glass. folded down
against the lower glass as affording the greatest power, and as used for near
objects, while the dotted positions in Fig. 3 show the same view, and also as
thrown towards the face to protect the eyes from upper light.
Instead of carrying the joints c, c, across the straight parts of the frame, we
sometimes construct the frames without such straight parts, and form the
joints at the extremes of such straight parts, in which case the straight parts
of the glasses will abut against each other, and will not offer any obstruction
to the sight which to sensitive persons might be disagreeable. The motion
of the movable part on its joints, and its purposes, will be precisely as before
described, and requires no further description.
The half glass, if semicircular, will be retained in position by the circular
frame alone, but if the glasses are more than a half circle, then it may be
necessary to carry the frames partially along the straight parts between the
glasses; it may also be further necessary to carry a slight wire across between.
the glasses to keep the sides of the frames & joints in position.---
Having described the nature of our Invention and the manner of performing

page_text: the same, we declare that what we claim as of our Invention of improve-
ments in spectacles, to be protected by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is, the combination of glasses as and for the purposes herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Frederick Newman, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
W. CLARK, Patent Agent,
J. FRED. NEWMAN. (L.S.)
53, Chancery Lane, London.