AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTING, MAKING OR MANU- FACTURING OF SPECTACLES
Year: 1834

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
RICHARDS ELKINGTON, of Birmingham, in the County of Warwick, Optician,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King William the
Fourth, by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain,
bearing date at Westminster, the Tenth day of October, in the fifth of
year
His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Richards Elkington, His especial licence, full power,sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said George Richards Elkington, my
exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Richards
Elkington, my exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein mentioned,should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town cf Berwick-upon-Tweed,my Invention
of "AN IMPROVEMENT OR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTING, MAKING OR MANU-
FACTURING OF SPECTACLES ; " in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso,
that I,the said George Richards Elkington, shall cause a particular description
of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
George Richards Elkington, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, that is
to say:-
My Invention of an improvement or improvements in the constructing,
making, or manufacturing of spectacles is fully illustrated and explained by
means of the Drawing hereunto annexed, and by the following explanation
of the several parts thereof.
Figure 1 represents a pair of spectacles constructed according to my
improvements. These spectacles are chiefly intended for near-sighted persons,
and have two pairs of lenses of differeut powers. The upper pairl marked a, a,
have a focal length suited for distant objects and used when walking, &c.
The lower pair, marked b, b, have a focal length suited for near objects, as in
reading, &c. &c., and are inclined about forty-five degrees from the perpen-
dicular of the upper lenses, as seen in Figure 2 at c, by which means the
whole of the lower lenses B, B, are made subservient to the eye in viewing
near objects, and their refracting surfaces being made perpendicular to the
line of vision in that direction, the evil arising from the distortion of objects
when viewed obliquely through a refracting medium is thereby prevented.
The lenses employed in these spectacles are ground singlyin the usual way.
Each lens having its axis in the centre, a single lens cut in two would not
answer the purpose so well. Spectacles constructed on this principle possess
also a great advantage over those commonly made when used as preservers,as
the inclined lens encloses the eye more perfectly, and protects it from wind and
light.
Figure 4 is another pair of spectacles constructed according to my improve-
ment, and are adapted to long-sighted persons, who only require the aid of
glasses to view near objects. These spectales have the upper part of the eye
rim flattened, or made straight, to allow the eye to look over the frame without
inconvenience when viewing distant objects, and the lenses have the same
inclination, as shewn and described in those at Figure 2, before mentioned, and
as seen also at Figure 5.
Now, the manner in which I give the inclined position to the lens varies
with the nature of the materials of which the frames are made. In all frames
made of the different metals, and having one pair of lenses only, the inclined
eye rim is soldered obliquely on the square of the joint, as shewn at Figure 6
where D is the square end of the joint, and e, e, the eye rim; and in those with
two pairs of lenses the joints are soldered, as shewn at Figure 3, where f is the

page_text: rim for the upper lens, which is soldered perpendicular; and G, the rim for
the lower lens, which is soldered obliquely on the square of the joints at H,
and the joints are divided through the middle, and in all other respects the
same as those made in the spectacles in common use.
Having now described the manner in which spectacles are constructed
according to my improvement (and which I have denominated and intend to
vend under the term "pantoscopic spectacles," I would have it understood
that I lay no claim to those parts of spectacles already made and in use; but
what I claim as my Invention is, the application of the inclined lenses either
singly or in combination with other lenses of different power, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Richards Elkington, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-five.
GEO. RICHARDS (L.S.) ELKINGTON.