Improvements in Eye-glasses.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1892-Accepted, 18th Feb., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Eye-glasses.
I, ANTHONY JOSEPH BELLATI, a subject of the King of Italy, having declared
my intention of becoming a citizen of the United States, and residing at
No. 1504 South Eighth Street, in the City of Philadelphia, in the County of
Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, Optical Instrument Maker, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN EYE-GLASSES, and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statements:-
My invention relates in general to eye-glasses; and more particularly to the
construction and arrangement of the parts co-operating for retaining the same to
place upon the nose of the wearer and for supporting the lenses in proper position
with respect to the eyes.
Ordinarily the requisite pressure for retaining an eye-glass frame to place upon
the nose of the wearer is obtained by means of a bow-spring connected at its
respective extremities with the lenses and adapted to act upon the nose of the
wearer through the instrumentality of nose-guards connected respectively with the
lens-frame. Inasmuch as the size of the nose and eyes and also the location of
these organs with respect to each other are not uniform in persons it has hitherto
been customary to connect the respective parts of eye-glass frames together in such
manner that the frame could be more or less perfectly accommodated to different
persons. This result, generally speaking. has been attained by the employment of
two separate adjustments, one relating to the bow-spring and the other to the nose-
guards. For the sake of perspicuity these two adjustments will be considered
separately although it must be borne in mind that they co-operate in practice for
the production of a common result, namely--that of permitting of the accom-
modation of the frame to different persons. In spectacles it has been customary to
provide a malleable nose-bridge disposed obliquely with respect to the plane of the
lenses in order to fit and rest upon the nose of the wearer and provided at its
respective extremities with arms. These arms were either integrally connected
with the lens-bows, so that the frame could be adjusted by bending the arms, or
were adapted to work in slots ranging in the plane of the lenses and to be clamped
to place therein, so that the lenses could be adjusted upward or downward in their
own plane. In the first instance, the nose-piece was necessarily constructed of
malleable metal, and therefore, could not be applied to eye-glasses. In the second
instance the adjustment of the lenses was confined to movements in a plane lying at
right angles with the line of normal vision. In eye glasses use has been made of
an upwardly and forwardly extending spring-bow constructed to fit and rest upon
the nose of the wearer. However, the contact of this spring-bow with the nose of
the wearer greatly impaired the efficiency of the spring as a means for retaining the
glasses to place and also caused pressure to be exerted upon the nose by means of
the bow-spring instead of by means of the nose-guards, thus causing discomfort
and injury to the skin of the nose.
In eye-glass frames inadjustable nose-guards having arms integral therewith
have been used and various means have been employed for permitting of certain
adjustments of the nose-guards. Such adjustments have been of two general types:
first, those in which the nose-guards were afforded a range of rotary motion about
a fixed pivot, and hence were incapable of rectilinear movement as a whole, either
toward or away from the plane of the lenses; and, second, those in which the nose-
guards were permitted a range of rectilinear or rotary movement in the plane of
the lenses.
In an eye-glass frame embodying features of my invention use is made first, of a

page_text: .
resilient bow-spring disposed obliquely with reference to the plane of the lenses
and having the respective extremities thereof curved inward and extending forward
through the arch of the bow to form arms ranging substantially perpendicular to
the plane of the lenses and adapted for rigid attachment to the lens bows or posts;
second, of nose-guards connected with the lens-bows or posts by means of slotted
connections adapted to afford the guards a range of rectilinear movement in a
direction perpendicular to the plane of the lenses and without involving any rotary
movement of the guards or of their supporting arms.
The principal objects of my present invention are first, to provide a light, neat
and durable eye-glass frame which may be conveniently and accurately adjusted in
all the directions that are requisite for accommodating it to different persons and
which in use will remain firmly in position upon the nose of the wearer without
exerting undue pressure thereon; second, to increase the efficiency and resiliency
of the bow-spring and to locate the same out of contact with the nose, forehead, and
eyebrows of the wearer, so that the glasses cannot be accidentally removed by
changes in the facial expression of the user; third, to permit of the adjustment of
the lenses toward or away from the eyes of the user in order to shift them out of
range of the eyelashes and without otherwise changing the position of the lenses ;
fourth, to permit of the bending or spreading of the nose-guard arms to adjust the
glasses to noses of different widths without injuring the nose-pads; and fifth, to
afford the nose-guards a range of slight movement for permitting of their adjust-
ment to the peculiarities in the formation of the noses of different users.
My present invention consists of the improvements in eye-glasses hereinafter
described and claimed.
The nature and characteristic features of my present invention will be more
fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the
accompanying drawings forming part hereof; and in which
Figure 1, is a perspective view of the front of an eye-glass frame embodying
features of my invention.
Fig. 2, is a similar view of the rear of an eye-glass frame, showing a modified
form of my invention.
Fig. 3, is a detached view drawn to an enlarged scale in order to illustrate the
set screw securing the nose guard to the nose guard arm and as illustrated in
Fig. 1.
Fig. 4, is a top or plan view of the nose guard arm illustrated in Figs 1 and 3
and showing the same provided with a recessed or offset extremity; and
Fig. 5, is a top or plan view partly in section illustrating the detail construction
of the pivotal connection between the nose guard arm and nose guard illustrated in
Fig. 2.
In the drawings a and a', are the lenses. b, is the bow-spring. c, are the nose-
guards. d, are the nose-guard arms, and e, are the posts.
The bow-spring, is constructed of resilient or spring metal and disposed
obliquely with respect to the plane of the lenses. The respective extremities 6, of
the bow-spring are curved inward, as at 62, and extend forward through the arch of
the bow, to form arms 63, ranging substantially perpendicular to the plane of the
lenses. Each of the arms 63, is provided with an aperture by means of which it
may be connected to the other parts of the frame. One extremity of the nose-guard
arm d, is provided with straight parallel sides or edges d', and with an oblong
slot d², ranging longitudinally of the arm; and the other extremity is offset or
recessed as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4 at d³, or this extremity has a straight or
flat surface with a pivot as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5 at d. Moreover, the
respective extremities of the nose-guard arm d, are preferably inclined with respect
to each other in order to permit the nose-guard to connect with the lower portions
of the bridge of the nose of the wearer. The face of the nose-guard is provided
with a nose-pad c³, of cork, celluloid, or other preferred material.
The post e, Fig. 1, is provided with longitudinal ways e', adapted for the recep
tion of one of the arms 6³, of the bow-spring b, and the slotted extremity of the

page_text: nose-guard arm d, has a range of movement at right angles with respect to the
plane of the lenses. e², is a binding-screw adapted to be inserted into a tapped
orifice in the post e, for a purpose to be presently described.
The described parts are coupled together in the following manner to constitute
an eye-glass frame embodying the features of my invention. The posts e, are
riveted to the retaining rims or frames surrounding the lenses a and a', or, if
preferred, these posts may be secured directly to the lenses themselves as illus-
trated in Fig. 2. It being understood that care should be exercised to arrange the
ways el, so as to be at right angles with respect to the plane of the lenses. The
arms 3, of the spring-bow b, are then fitted into the ways e¹, (Fig. 1,) and the
longitudinally slotted extremities of the nose-guard arms d, are superposed upon
the arms 63, whereupon the shanks of the binding screws e², are inserted through
the slots d², and the apertures in the arms 63, of the bow-spring b, and screwed
into the posts e.
The lips or walls of the ways e¹, Fig. 1, not only serve to prevent
accidental rotation of the lenses with respect to the bow-spring, but also serve
another purpose to be presently described. The nose-guard c, in Figs. 1 and 3, is
placed in contact with the offset or recessed extremity d³, Fig. 4, of the arm d, and
the binding screw c², Fig. 3, is secured to place in the nose-guard for holding the
same in the required position. In Fig. 2, the post e, instead of being provided
with ways e', having side walls or lips, is simply provided with an end shoulder e',
but in other respects the post e, is the same as that illustrated in Fig. 1.
In the use of my improved eye-glass frame, the peculiar form and disposition of
the bow or saddle-shaped spring b, are productive of the following important
advantages and results, first, the bends 62, serve to increase the resiliency and
efficiency of the bow-spring, and to permit the same to grip the nose with a firm,
yet sufficient yielding pressure for the intended purposes; second, the inclination of
the bow-spring to the plane of the lenses permits the former to escape the eyebrows
and forehead of the wearer, without contacting with the bridge of the nose, whereby
accidental removal of the glasses due to changes of facial expression of the user is
avoided; third, the shape or general construction of the bow-springs, as illustrated in
the drawings, enables the optician to readily adjust the glasses to the proper plane
of vision; fourth, such type of bow-spring affords ready means for increasing or
decreasing the tension of the same on the nose of the person, so that far greater
comfort is obtained than has heretofore been possible in the use of nose-springs
such as heretofore used in connection with eye-glasses; and fifth, the saddle-shaped
spring b, is much more sightly and far less conspicuous on the nose, which is a
desideratum with many wearing or using eye-glasses.
It frequently happens that eye-glasses require adjustment in order to accommodate
them to different persons. My improved eye-glass frame is susceptible of the
following adjustments :-First, the nose-guards may be adjusted in order to accom-
modate noses of different widths by bending the nose-guard arms d, towards or
away from each other. This operation could be performed by means of pliers or
other similar instruments, but the application of pliers or other similar instruments
to the pads c³, of the nose-guards, would tend to injure the pads. By my invention
the nose-guards and their pads may be detached by loosening the set-screws e, and the
detached arms d, may by means of pliers be bent until the required adjustment has
been obtained, whereupon the arms of the nose-guards are again secured to place
by means of the set-screws e²; second, the nose-guards may be separately actuated
or adjusted with reference to the arms d, in order to accommodate them to any
peculiar formation of the bridge of the nose, by slightly loosening the set-screw c²,
in Figs. 1 and 3 or slightly turning the nose-guard c, on the pivot d³, thereof as
shown in Figs. 2 and 5, until the adjustment required has been obtained; and third,
the lenses a and a¹, may be independently shifted in a direction perpendicular to
their plane and to the normal line of vision in order to place them out of range of
the eyelashes of the user, by loosening the set-screws e², and then shifting the
arms d, either backward or forward, as may be required. During this operation
the lips or walls of the ways e¹, Fig. 1, engage the parallel edges d', of the nose-

page_text: guard arms d, and insure the movement thereof in a direction at right angles with
the plane of the lenses, and the slots d², serve to limit the range of movement of the
arms or the slotted extremities of the arms d, may be slightly shifted on the posts e,
away from their end shoulders e, as illustrated in Fig. 2. After the required
adjustment with reference to the arrangements as illustrated in the drawings has
been attained, the nose-guard arms d, may be clamped to place by means of the
set-screws .
It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains
that some of the improvements mentioned may be employed with certain well
known types of eye-glass frames and that modifications may be made as to certain
minor details, without departing from the spirit of my invention.
Having now particularly ascertained the nature and objects of my invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what I claim is
-
1. An eye-glass frame provided with lenses having nose-guards suitably connected
with said frame and provided with a bow-spring disposed obliquely to the plane of
the lenses and having its extremities curved inward and extending forward, forming
arms connected with the lenses, substantially 'as and for the purposes set forth.
2. An eye-glass frame provided with lenses having posts provided with transverse
ways with nose-guards having slotted arms adapted to said ways and with means
for clamping the slotted arms to position in said ways and with a bow-spring
arranged obliquely to the plane of the ienses and having its respective extremities
curved inward and extending forward through the arch of the bow to form arms
connected with the lenses and ranging substantially perpendicular to the plane
thereof, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. An eye-glass frame provided with lenses having posts provided with rear
shoulders, nose-guards provided with slotted arms adapted to said posts and
secured thereto by binding screws, and a bow-spring disposed obliquely to the
plane of the lenses and having its respective extremities curved inward and con-
nected with said ways, the construction being such as to permit of the increase or
decrease of the tension of the glasses on the nose, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
4. An eye-glass frame provided with lenses having posts with transverse ways
adapted for the reception of the slotted arms of the nose-guards, and a bow-spring
disposed obliquely with respect to the plane of the lenses and out of range of the
nose and forehead of the wearer and having the extremities thereof curved inward
and forward through the arch of the bow to form arms engaging in the ways of
said posts and held to position by means of binding screws penetrating apertures in
said arnis and engaging in said posts, substantially as and for the purposes set
forth.
5. An eye-glass frame provided with lenses having a saddle-shaped nose-piece or
spring occupying a position obliquely to the plane of the lenses and curved inward
and extending forward to form arms in connection with the lenses, substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
6. An eye-glass frame provided with lenses and shouldered posts, nose-guards
provided with slotted arms connected with said posts and a saddle shaped nose-
piece or spring normally occupying a position obliquely to the plane of the lenses,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 10th day of November A.D. 1892.
ANTHONY JOSEPH BELLATI.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.