CERTAIN SPECTACLES UPON AN ENTIRE NEW PRINCIPLE
Year: 1797

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DUDLEY
ADAMS, of Fleet Street, in the City of London, Optician, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twenty-third day of January, in the thirty-seventh year
of His reign, did give and grant unto me, the said Dudley Adams, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, during the term of fourteen years, to make, use,
exercise, and vend, within that part of Great Britain called England, the
Dominion of Wales, and tho Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"CERTAIN SPECTACLES UPON AN ENTIRE NEW PRINCIPLE;" in which said Letters
Patent there is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said Dudley Adams, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and scal, particularly to describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within one calendar month next and immediately after the
date of the said recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same (relation being
thereunto had) may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Dudley Adams, in pursuance of and
compliance with the said proviso in the said recited Letters Patent contained,
do (by this Instrument under my hand and seal) particularly explain and
describe the nature of my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is
to be performed, by the Drawing, references, and explanations herein contained
and set forth (that is to say):-

page_text: The principle and utility on which my new Invention on spectacles is
founded, is in the relieving the temples and nose from any kind of pressure
whatsoever when in use, and also that the spectaclo eyes may be varied or
moved to any direction, as occasion may require. They likewise act as
substitutes for goglers, from the facility of placing the glasses close to the eyes,
by which means they are defended from dust and wind; and they also act as
a remedy for the strabismus or squint in young children, or in recent contrac-
tions of the muscle of the eye. This is effected by inserting in the rim that
contains the spectacle eye a black piece of metal or ivory, &c., and perforating
asinall holo in the center thereof, by which micans the axis of vision acquires
its natural and proper direction. I form the component parts of these new
invented spectacles from various materials, such as gold, silver, metal, steel,
iron, tortoise-shell, turtle-shell, horn, ivory, bone, metal plated with gold or
silver, platina, or from any substance or substances that their component may
be capable of being constructed into; and further, that these new-invented
spectacles are termed by the best and common, according to the manner and
form of their construction or mounting. The construction of the component
parts of these new-invented spectacles consists of as follows:-First, of a
front; second, of sockets; third, of stems and rims of the spectaclo eyes
which contain the glasses; and fourth, of sides or branches, which are all
connected or joined to each other by various means, of which I shall describo
and explain their nature and forms regularly in their order.
DESCRIPTION AND EXPLANATION OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BEST-CONSTRUCTED
SPECTACLES.
I construct the front after various forms, such as straight, curved, or of a varic-
gated form. Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, represent four different shaped fronts of these
new-invented spectacles, variously constructed; and I further vary the con-
struction of the form of the front at pleasure. On the front of these new-
invented spectacles are two sockets a, a, Fig. 5, which are made to slide along
the front, and also to turn upon it as occasion may require, and to these
sockets are united two others b, b, in the same Fig. 5, by means of a pin, center,
or axis, and theso are made to move in different directions upon that axis, and
are for the purpose of holding the stems of the spectacle eyes, see Fig. 7,
where the stem of the spectacle eye is inserted in its socket, and which socket
is united to that socket that slides on the front. Fig. 6 is a view upon an
enlarged scale of the two sockets when united. A slides along the front of
the spectacles, B receives the stem of the spectacle eye, and C acts as a check
to prevent the socket B from turning outwards beyond its perpendicular

page_text: direction; I also annex or fasten by rivets or screws a socket to each end of
the front (see Fig. 5, c, c), so that each socket forms one side of each hinge,
which hinges are for the purpose of uniting the front to the sides or branches.
Note. All the sockets, both in the best and common mounted spectacles, except
those that are attached to the hinges, are slit or slung across, by which means
they will yield to the front and to the stems of the spectaclo eyes, let the wear
theroof be ever so great.
-
Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13, represent the stems and likewise the
rims or frames of the spectacle eyes, which are represented of various
shapes, and their glasses inserted within them. From the external parts
of these rims or frames proceed the stems, which are formed cylindrically,
so as to pass into those sockets which are made to receive them. Those stems
I also make of different lengths or sizes, and I also fashion them of different
shapes at pleasure, see Figs. 13, 14, and 15,
Figs. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30, represent
single and double different shaped sides, springs, or branchos which are con-
structed by me, and which said single and double sides, springs, or branches I
further vary in form and size as occasion may require. The end springs are
annexed or joined to the side springs by means of a hinge joint, single pin, center,
or axis, and these sides constitute those parts which embrace the head, which
they do, according to their form and length, at different distances and in various
directions. Note. The place of these sides I occasionally supply or substitute, if
necessary, with a ribband, wire, spiral spring, string or cord of silk, or otherwisc.
Fig. 31 represents a pair of these new-invented spectacles compleat and
shut or folded together; Fig. 32 represents them with one side extended
open but half way, and the other side intirely opened. The former, when only
half spread, may be used under the hat; the latter as in common. Fig. 33.
represents the manner they should be placed on the head.
DESCRIPTION AND EXPLANATION OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE COMMON-MOUNTED
SPECTACLES.
Figs. 34, 35, 36, 37, and 38, represent various constructed fronts, with
parts of the stems inserted in their different formed sockets; Fig. 38 is selected
for general use, and it appears opened and compleat in all its parts. It differs
only from those that I term mounted in the best manner in that the bar or
front is not round, and of course has no action on it, and the socket that
receives the stem of the spectacle eye is rivetted or screwed to the front; this
socket may be united to the front in various ways, by means of a vertical or
borizontal joint, by a hinge, simple joint and axis, or otherwise. Fig. 39
represents a socket that might be substituted for any of those already

page_text: described to hold the stem of the spectacle eye; and, indecil, the construction
and form of these and the other sockets may be varied considerably, according
to fancy, though these that I have adopted and explained here have been
preferred by reason of their simplicity, they answering every purpose of a
more complicated contrivance. I also make a single or double hinge in the
stem of the spectacle eye, see Fig. 41, Letter a, a, which shows its construc-
tion, and is for the purpose of shutting or folding them compactly, which they
will do by only turning the stem a little in the socket that it is inserted in;
and they will by that means shut or fold together in the same compass as
those I have before described, see Fig. 42, where they appear shut or folded
together. I also unite the stem of the spectacle eye to the front by means of
hinge in the room or stead of a socket that holds the stem in, and I also cause
the stem to move on a center or axis annexed thereto, see Fig. 40. Fig. 41
also shews that I either annex or screw the rim of the spectacle cyo into the
stem, and by either of those means I also cause the spectacle eye to move in
various directions. Instead of a socket being attached to the end of the
front of these spectacles to form one side of the hinge, as described in the
best-mounted spectacles, both sides of the hinges are made alike. One side
of the hinge is rivetted or otherwise fastened to the end of the front, and the
other side of the hinge is rivetted to the side or branch in its proper place.
I make the sides of these according to the form of those described in the best-
mounted spectacles.
Note. Should a variation be made in spectacles by any person, and the
principle of any part of this Invention be retained in them, those cannot
constitute a new species of spectacles. Any person or persons therefore
making and vending such, as new-constructed spectacles, without the consent
of me as the Patentee, he or they will be deemed by me an infringer or
infringers on the right of my Patent, and thereby he or they will incur the
consequences attendant on such a proceeding.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh
day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred
and ninety-seven

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eleventh day of February, in
the year of our Lord 1797, the aforesaid Dudley Adams came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt according
to the tenor of the Statutes made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Eleventh day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven.