Improvements in Eye Glasses.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 16th Sept., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Eye Glasses.
We, RUDOLPH CONSTANTINE HINES, of 1323, G Street, Northwest, Washington,
D.C., United States of America, Watch Maker, and HERMAN BALDWIN WADDEY,
of 1323, G Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., United States of America,
Salesman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to provide eyeglasses with means whereby the
user or wearer may with one hand easily and conveniently adjust the nose-pieces
or pads in placing or positioning the eye-glasses upon the nose.
The invention consists in eye-glasses of ordinary or common construction
provided with an adjusting band or spring comprising a continuous strip of
suitable material secured at one end to one of the lenses and extending over the
bow to the other lens and having a sliding connection with the bow and said last
mentioned lens and terminating in a finger-piece in proximity to the thumb-
piece of the eye-glasses, whereby the nose-pieces may be adjusted, substantially
as we will proceed now more particularly to set forth and finally claim.
In the accompanying drawings illustrating our invention, in the several figures
of which like parts are similarly designated:-
Fig. 1, is a side view of a pair of ordinary eye-glasses with our invention
applied, in normal position.
Fig. 2, is a similar view, showing the bow and nose-pieces distended or adjusted,
the normal position of the eye-glasses being shown in dotted lines.
Fig. 3, is a plan view, and
Fig. 4, is a side view of the flexible band or spring detached.
As shewn in the drawings, the lenses a a¹, the bow b, the nose pieces c c,
and thumb piece d are of usual or ordinary construction.
In carrying out our invention we provide a continuous thin, flat strip or
band of steel or other suitable rigid material provided at one end with a
perforation or eye e¹, and at its other end with a finger piece e², and adapted
to be attached to the eye-glasses in a manner hereinafter described.
The lens a of the eyeglasses is provided with a hook f, the bow b is provided
with a guide g, and the lens a¹, is provided with a guide h.
In applying the adjusting band e to the eyeglasses the perforated end e¹, thereof
is first passed through the guide h on the lens a¹, then through the guide g on
the bow b, and the perforated end is then secured over the hook f on the lens a.
The finger piece e, of the band or spring e by this arrangement being located
in proximity to the thumb piece of the eyeglasses for a purpose presently
appearing.
By this construction and arrangement, it will be observed that the band e
becomes rigidly secured to the lens a, that is to say, rigidly secured against
longitudinal pull on the band by the finger piece e², and said band also has a
sliding connection with the bow b and the lens a¹, of the eyeglasses, thereby to
permit such longitudinal pull.

page_text: In the preferred form of our invention, the band e is constructed of a con-
tinuous piece or strip of spring steel, and it is made of a curvature substantially
as indicated in Fig. 4, so that when it is applied to the eyeglasses it will be
slightly distended or put under tension and assume the position or curvature
indicated in Fig. 1, and thereby enhance the springiness of the eyeglasses by
adding its tension to the tension of. the bow. However it is obvious that the
adjusting device or band e may be constructed of other than spring material,
that is to say, it may be constructed of a material of sufficient rigidity to sustain
it in position, and of sufficient flexibility to permit of the manipulation or adjust-
ment of the eyeglasses.
The operation of the machine is as follows:
:-
The user or wearer of the eyeglasses simply takes hold of the thumb-piece d
between the thumb and a finger and by an intermediate finger engages the finger-
piece e², of the band or spring e and exerts pull thereon, whereby the band or
spring, being rigidly connected to the lens a, causes said lens to move and thereby
effect an adjustment of its nose-piece with relation to the nose piece of the lens a¹,
as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and the eyeglasses thus easily adjusted and positioned
on the nose of the wearer and the spring or band released, and, by the operation
of one hand.
As shown in the drawing and in the preferred form of our invention, the
band or spring e is made detachable for purposes of renewal in case of breakage,
by simply disengaging the perforated end thereof from the hook on the lens a
and sliding or drawing the band or spring through the guides on the bow b
and lens a¹. However, it is within our invention to otherwise secure the band
or spring to the eyeglasses, that is to say, it may be permanently secured thereto.
Furthermore, we have herein shown our invention as applied to eyeglasses having
rimmed or framed lenses, but the invention is equally applicable to rimless eye-
glasses, suitable provisions being made for the attachment of the hook f and
guide h, to the rimless lenses, and, furthermore, our invention can be applied to
eyeglasses already in use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The combination with eyeglasses of ordinary construction, of an adjusting
band constructed of a continuous strip of material secured at one end to one of
the lenses and extending over the bow to the other lens, and having a sliding
connection with said bow and last-mentioned lens, and terminating in a finger
piece, substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. Eyeglasses of ordinary construction provided with an adjusting band con-
structed of a continuous strip of material secured at one end to one lens and
extending over the bow to the other lens and having a sliding connection with said
bow and last mentioned lens, and terminating in a finger-piece in proximity to
the thumb piece of the eye-glasses, substantially as described.
3. Eyeglasses of ordinary construction provided with an adjusting band con-
structed of a continuous strip of spring material secured at one end to one lens
and extending over the bow to the other lens and having a sliding connection
with said bow and last mentioned lens and terminating in a finger piece in
proximity to the thumb piece of the eyeglasses, said spring adjusting band
exerting tension on said lenses, substantially as described.
4. In eyeglasses, the lens a provided with a hook f, the bow b provided with
a guide g, and the lens a¹ provided with a guide h, combined with an adjusting
band e adapted to engage said hook and guides whereby a rigid and sliding
connection between said lenses is secured, and a finger piece on said adjusting
band to effect the adjustment of the lenses and their attached nose-pieces, sub-
stantially as described.
5. In eyeglasses, the lens a provided with a hook f, the bow b, provided with

page_text: a guide 9, and the lens a¹, provided with a guide h, combined with a detachable
adjusting band, e, adapted to engage said hook and guides, whereby a rigid and
sliding connection between said lenses is secured, and a finger-piece
adjusting band to effect the adjustment of the lenses and their attached nose-
pieces, substantially as described.
Dated this 10th dox of Suo 1800
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on said