Improvements in Spectacle and Eye Glass Bows, and similar Articles, and Mechanism for Making the same.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 30th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 24th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 24th Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Spectacle and Eye Glass Bows, and similar
Articles, and Mechanism for Making the same.
I, FREDERIC ECAUBERT, of No. 434 Vanderbilt Avenue, Brooklyn, in the
County of Kings and State of New York, United States of America, Machinist,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Spectacle bows have usually been made of wire of uniform size sectionally
throughout, and to these bows the nose piece and the joint blocks have been
soldered, brazed, or otherwise secured, but the wire has been most liable to
injury and breakage adjacent to the nose piece, or to the joint blocks, and this
is especially the case where the bows are stretched slightly to make them of
uniform size and shape previous to the reception of the glasses, because in such
stretching operation the wire that has become softened in the act of soldering
or brazing, is stretched to a greater extent than the other portions of such bows.
In the present improvements the spectacle or eye glass bows are made of wire
that is thickest where there is the greatest strain, and reduced in size where there
is less strain, thereby unifying the strength of the wire and also lessening the
expense of the frame or bow, especially when such frame or bow is made of silver
or gold.
In carrying out this invention, I have found that where a wire is rolled between
two rollers, one of which is not truly cylindrical, in order that the artical rolled
may be thicker at one place than it is at another, the rollers are liable to slip
upon the wire or rod, and hence such wire or rod is not uniform in its measurements
between one thickened portion and the next.
To obviate this difficulty, I make use of a form roll that is adapted to leave
the wire thicker at one place than it is at another, and this form roll acts in
conjunction with a plain roll, or a rubbing device such as a burnisher, and the wire
is drawn along by a positive motion in harmony with the form roll after it has been
reduced, thereby ensuring uniformity in the measurements between the thicker
portions, hence when the wire is cut up into lengths for the manufacture of spectacle
bows, or similar articles, the thickened portions come in the correct positions for
receiving the joint blocks, bridge-piece, or other connections, and I find it
advantageous to wind up the wire in a coil upon a form or mandrel in the act of
drawing such wire along in harmony with the action of the reducing rollers or
devices, and the positive mechanism that draws along the wire or other material,
moves as fast or slightly faster than the wire would otherwise be delivered by the
reducing rolls, thereby keeping a tension on the wire and preventing buckling.
The winding-up device can be changeable to suit different sizes of frames for
spectacles, or other articles, and the reducing rolls can be adjusted to vary the
extent of the reduction.
Dated this 20th don of Ma- 1902

page_text: Improvements in Spectacle and Eye Glass Bows, and similar
Articles, and Mechanism for Making the same.
I, FREDERIC ECAUBERT, of No. 434 Vanderbilt Avenue, Brooklyn, in the
County of Kings and State of New York, United States of America, Machinist,
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 :-
Spectacle bows have usually been made of wire of uniform size sectionally
throughout, and to these bows the nose-piece and the joint-blocks have been
soldered, brazed or otherwise secured, but the wire has been most liable to injury
and breakage adjacent to the nose-piece or to the joint-blocks, and this is especially
the case where the bows are stretched slightly to make them of uniform size and
shape previous to the reception of the glasses, because in such stretching operation
the wire that has become softened in the act of soldering or brazing is stretched
to a greater extent than the other portions of such bows.
In the present improvements the spectacle and eye-glass bows are made of wire
that is thickest where there is the greatest strain and reduced in size where there
is less strain, thereby unifying the strength of the wire and also lessening the
expense of the frames or bows, especially when made of silver or gold.
In carrying out this invention I have found that where a wire is rolled between
two rollers, one of which is not truly cylindrical, in order that the article rolled
may be thicker at one place than it is at another, the rollers are liable to slip upon
the wire or rod and hence such wire or rod is not uniform in its measurements
between one thickened portion and others.
To obviate this difficulty I make use of a form roll that is adapted to leave the
wire thicker at one place that it is at another, and this form roll acts in conjunction
with a plain roll or a rubbing device such as a burnisher, and the wie is drawn
along by a positive motion in harmony with the form roll after it has been reduced,
thereby ensuring uniformity in the measurements between the thicker portions,
hence when the wire is cut up into lengths for the manufacture of spectacle bows
or similar articles, the thickened portions come in the correct positions for receiving
the joint-blocks, bridge-piece or other connections.
In the drawing,
Fig. 1 is an elevation illustrating the mechanism employed by me. Fig. 2 is a
plan view of the same.
Fig. 3 represents the spectacle bows with the wire made by the present
improvements.
Figs. 4 and 5 are sections in larger size of the wire.
Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic plan view, and Fig. 7 an elevation of a modification in
the form roll.
Fig. 8 is an elevation, Fig. 9 a side view, and Fig. 10 a plan view of the form
roll and the appliances in which the wire is delivered without being wound up.
The form roll A in all of the devices represented is to be adapted to producing
the wire of the proper sectional shape, and hence it is grooved and there are
depressions or recesses in the form roll at the bottom of the groove, as represented
at 2, so that the wire is left thicker at these places, and the groove may be made
wider at any places where desired, and marks or indentations may be applied to
the form roll, as shown at 4, Fig. 8, so that as the wire is rolled into the groove of
the form roll A it assumes the shape of the groove.
In Figs. 1, 2, 8 and 9, the roll B is represented as having a rib upon it adapted
to roll into the groove of the wire represented sectionally in Figs. 4 and 5, but in

page_text: Figs. 6 and 7 the groove is represented in the roll B and the rib upon the form
roll A, hence it will be apparent that it is immaterial what shape the groove or the
rib may be sectionally, but where spectacle wire is to be rolled, the depressions or
recesses 2 in the form roll are to be at the proper distances apart to leave the wire
thicker where the nose-piece P, Fig. 3, is connected and where the joint-blocks Q
are connected for the temple bows, and a slight depression or projection in the
surface of the form roll at 4 will mark the wire as it is rolled through between the
form roll and the presser roll B so as to indicate the places where such wire is to
be cut off or where the nose-pieces or temple-blocks are to be connected therewith.
Any suitable devices are made use of for rotating the form roll or mandrel A
and the presser roll B. In Figs. 1 and 2 the pulley is represented as adapted
to the reception of a belt, and gear wheels G and H are shown as connecting
the shaft of the form roll A to the shaft E of the winding roll D, and usually it
is not necessary to apply gearing for rotating the wheel B as the same revolves
by the contact therewith of the wire; and where it is desired to wind up the wire
as it is rolled through between the rolls A and B, I employ the cylinder or roll D
upon the shaft E, there being a feather that connects the shaft and the roller but
allows the roller D to move end wise as the winding progresses, and this end wise
movement is effected by the screw I at one end of the roller D coming into contact
with the segmental nut K, and in effecting the winding up of the wire a hook at
the end thereof may be passed around the pin 3 ou the roller D; and it will be
apparent that the surface speed of the roller D must be as fast as the wire is
rolled through between the roller B and the form roll A, in order to keep the
wire tight and wind it upon the roller D, but in cases where the surface speed of
the roller D is greater than the speed given to the wire by the rollers A and B,
the wire will be drawu along with regularity so that the distances between the
thickened portions will be greater and thus the apparatus may be adapted to
spectacles or eye-glasses of slightly different sizes without changing the form roll A,
the wire being pulled slightly through between the rolls A B.
When the wire has been wound upon the cylinder D so that the same is full,
the clamp nut N that holds the lever L may be slackened and the segmental uut K
thrown out of contact with the screw on the roller D, so as to allow such roll to be
taken off for the wire coil to be removed, and then such roll D is replaced on the
shaft E to the position indicated in Fig. 2 and the operations repeated.
Where the form roll A is made similar to a screw, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7,
the wire may be shaped by the action of the roll B and simultaneously wound upon
the form roll A, the end of the wire being attached at 3, and when the form roll A
is full of wire, marks may be applied in a line parallel with the axis of the form
roll so as to indicate the places where the wire is to be cut off or where the nose-
piece or temple blocks are to be connected.
In Figs. 8, 9 and 10, the same form roll A is represented, and the presser roll B
or equivalent device such as a burnisher is employed to act upon the wire and give
to the same the sectional shape required with portions of the wire thicker at
regular intervals than other portions of the wire, but the wire instead of being
wound up is passed around the form roll and delivered substantially straight.
With the apparatus in this form it is only necessary to keep the wire in the
groove of the form roll for a sufficient distance around the form roll for the recesses
or enlargements of the groove to prevent the wire slipping upon the roll or the
roll slipping upon the wire, so that the depressions in the form roll may be
compared to gear teeth in causing the wire to move along with regularity, and
this improvement is available in the manufacture of wire for spectacle and eye-glass
bows and for the manufacture of metallic measuring tapes and similar articles
where the wire or strip requires to be thicker at one part than at another or to
be divided up in regular intervals.
In carrying out this improvement a shoe D' may be applied around a portion
of the periphery of the form roll A with its edge in contact with the exterior
surface of the wire as it is within the groove of the form roll, so as to prevent

page_text: the wire from springing or becoming loose in such groove; and I have represented
a roller at E to aid in holding the wire into the groove, and the shoe D' is
represented in two parts with the roller E' between the two parts.
The wire after it passes from beneath the shoe D' may be drawn off by hand
either in the direction indicated by the full lines or in the direction indicated by
the dotted lines H', but I prefer to employ the roll F over which the wire runs,
and there may be a switch or lifter G₁ with the point running in the groove to
raise the end of the wire and cause it to pass over the roll F; and I remark that
the wire might be held in the groove of the form roll A by hand and drawn off in
the direction indicated by the dotted lines H¹ and the same will be accurate in the
distances between one thickened portion and the other, because the wire is
effectually prevented from slipping in the groove of the form roll and hence
receives and retains the shape that is given to the wire by the groove of the
form roll.
It will be understood that where the spectacle wire is round or nearly so and
passes into a groove in the edge of the glass, the shape of the grooves in the rolls
will be made accordingly, and where the form roll is adapted to the marking of a
strip or tape of metal or other material to form a measure, the periphery of the
form roll is to be sufficient for containing all the divisions that may be required,
and this improvement is adapted to other articles, the form roll being properly
shaped for the production of the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, declare that what I
claim is :
First. The combination in an apparatus for drawing or rolling wire that is
thicker at intervals, of a mandrel or form roll flattened or recessed at proper
places on its circumference and thereby adapted to the different thicknesses to be
produced, a presser or roller to reduce the wire in thickness against the form roll,
and means for moving the reduced wire along in exact harmony with the form
roll, so that the thicker parts will be in exactly the proper places, substantially as
specified.
Second. The method herein specified of reducing the thickness of wire with
accuracy at intervals along its length, consisting in forcing the wire against a roll
flattened or recessed at proper places on its circumference, to reduce the same
in thickness at some places more than at others, and drawing the reduced wire
along by a positive movement in harmony with the form roll, so that the reductions
are accurately at the required places, substantially as specified.
Third. The spectacle or eye-glass bows herein specified, having the wire of the
bows thickest where the joint blocks or connections are made to the same, substan
tially as specified.
Fourth. The combination with a pressure roller, of a form mandrel having a
groove that is recessed or flattened at intervals, and means for holding the wire in
the groove of the form mandrel, whereby the wire is shaped longitudinally by being
pressed into the groove of the mandrel and the wire is thicker at the regular
intervals where such mandrel is recessed, substantially as specified.
Fifth. The means herein specified of rolling spectacle wire or other material,
consisting in a reducing roll and a form roll having recesses adapted to roll the
material with the parts that are thicker at regular intervals along its length, in
combination with a device with which the reduced wire is positively connected, and
gearing between the form roll and such connected device, whereby a positive
progressive movement is given to such reduced material as fast or faster than the
said material is delivered by the rolling operation for insuring uniformity in the
distance between the thicker portions, substantially as set forth.
Sixth. A presser roll and a form roll having recesses by which the material
passing through between the rolls is reduced and portions left thicker than other
portions, in combination with a drawing roll, means for connecting the reduced wire

page_text: to the drawing roll, a shaft for revolving the drawing roll and upon which such
drawing roll is free to move end wise, substantially as set forth.
Seventh. The means herein specified of rolling spectacle wire or similar material,
consisting in a reducing roll and a form roll having recesses adapted to give to the
wire the proper shape, in combination with devices with which the reduced wire is
positively connected, and means for giving to such connection a positive and
unvarying motion slightly faster than the surface speed of the form roll, whereby a
regular tension and progressive movement are given to the reduced material for
insuring uniformity in the distance between the thicker portions thereof, substantially
as set forth.
DL:
1
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent,
78, Fleet Street, London, and 6, Victoria Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicant.