Improvements in Eye and Face Protectors for the Use of Sea-faring Men and other Persons Exposed to the Weather.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 2nd July, 1896-Accepted, 29th Aug.,
1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Eye and Face Protectors for the Use of Sea-faring
Men and other Persons Exposed to the Weather.
I, CHARLES SINCLAIR ELLIOT, Commander, Royal Navy, of The Villa
Waterlooville, Cosham, Hants, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
:-
The object of my invention is to protect the eyes and face of all persons exposed
to the weather. It is especially applicable for use by all sea-faring men who have
to remain on the bridge of a steamer, when going against a gale of wind accompanied
by hail, rain, or snow.
At present there is no nautical instrument or appliance that enables one to
face weather of this kind, and many years experience has shown me the futility
of attempting to do so, ones face is cut by the hail, and it is necessary to make a
small telescope of your hand to enable you to keep even one eye open.
These remarks apply in a lesser degree to coachmen, omnibus, cab and engine
drivers and others of a similar class. Nothing which has glass in its construction
(binoculars for instance) is of the slightest use in such cases as above mentioned,
the glass becomes damp and renders the binoculars worse than useless,
The difficulties to be met were that no water should get between the pro-
tector and the face; that the mouth should be exposed so that orders could
be distinctly given; that the hearing should not be interfered with and that no
water should get in between the lower edge of the protector and so into the
eyes.
My invention to meet the above requirements consists of a spectacle frame of
peculiar construction, joined to a half mask of oil skin silk, which reaches from
the top of the head (under the cap) to the spectacle frame.
The holes in the frame for the eyes to see through instead of being filled with
glass like ordinary spectacles are made with a female screw, into which are
screwed two cone-shaped tubes open at each end, the ends of the tubes furthest
from the eyes being of the lesser diameter, and the length of each tube being
considerably more than the diameter of the larger end. The cone shaped tubes
being thus of small diameter at the outward ends present a very restricted
entrance for either wind or wet.
The spectacle frame may be of metal or other suitable material and is hinged at
the part which goes across the nose, so that the two eye-pieces can be adjusted to suit
the eye of various users. The lower part of the mask is attached to the upper part
of the eye frames and across the bridge piece and the whole appliance is furnished
with two strings or the like for holding the appliance close to the users face.
The lower parts of each eye piece, and the nose piece of each frame is covered
with strips of india rubber to prevent water getting underneath.
Dated this 3rd day of October 1895.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23 Coleman Street, London, E.C., Agents for Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Eye and Face Protectors for the Use of Sea-faring
Men and other Persons Exposed to the Weather.
I, CHARLES SINCLAIR ELLIOT, Commander, Royal Navy of The Villa,
Waterlooville, Cosham, Hants, 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 my invention is to provide means for protecting the eyes and face
of all persons exposed to the weather. It is especially applicable for use by all
sea-faring men who have to remain on the bridge of a steamer when going against
a gale of wind accompanied by hail, rain or snow. At present there is no nautical
instrument or appliance that enables a person to face weather of this kind, and
many years experience has shewn me the futility of attempting to do so: the person's
face is cut by the hail, and it is necessary to make a small telescope of the hand to
enable even one eye to be kept open.
The
These remarks apply in a lesser degree to coachmen, omnibus, cab and engine
drivers and others of a similar class. Nothing which has glass in its construction
(binoculars for instance) is of the slightest use in such cases as above mentioned,
the glass becomes damp and renders the binoculars worse than useless.
difficulties to be met were that no water should get between the protector and the
face of the wearer that the mouth should be exposed so that orders can be
distinctly given that the hearing shall not be interfered with, and that no water
shall get in between the lower edge of the protector and so into the eyes.
In describing my invention I make reference to the accompanying sheet of
drawings in which Fig. 1, is a front view, Fig. 2, a section through A. B of Fig. 1,
and Fig. 3, a back view of half of Fig. 1.
A spectacle frame a of suitable construction, is joined to half a mask or hood b
of oil skin, silk or other suitable material which reaches from the top of the wearers
head (under the cap) to the spectacle frame. The holes in the frames for the eyes
to see through instead of being filled with glass like ordinary spectacles are made
with a female screw with which are screwed two cone-shaped tubes c (open at each
end) the ends d of the tubes furthest from the eyes being of the lesser diameter,
and the length of each tube being considerably more than the diameter of the larger
end. The coned shaped tubes being thus of small diameter at the outer ends present
a very restricted entrance for either wind or wet. The spectacle frame may be of
metal or other material or materials and is hinged at the part e which rests across
the nose, so that the two eye tubes may be adjusted to suit the eyes of various users.
The lower part of the mask is attached in any suitable manner to the upper part of
the eye frames and across the bridge piece and the whole appliance is furnished at /
with two strings or the like for holding the appliance close to the users face. The
lower part of each eye aperture and of the nose piece of each frame is covered with
strips or tubes of indiarubber or other suitable material to prevent water getting
underneath. The rubber strips or tubes may be held in place by a metallic or
other plate i, g are holes by which the mask is fastened to the nose piece of the
spectacle frame, the mask or hood being pleated at this point to facilitate the
attachment of the two parts together. If desired the mask or bood may be
continued below the lower edge of the eye apertures and nose piece instead of ending
there as shewn in the drawings.
I do not restrict myself to the precise configuration, relative proportions or dis-
position of parts as described in the above specification or exemplified in the
accompanying drawings as any or all of them may be considerably varied without
departing from the spirit of my invention.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Protectors for the eyes and face of persons exposed to the weather, the said
protectors consisting essentially of two eye frames connected by a hinged nose-piece,
each eye aperture of the said frame having projecting therefrom a conical tube open
at each end, the larger end being attached to the circumference of the eye aperture,
the said frames and nose-piece having attached to them a mask, hood or the like
for protecting the wearers face against which it is held by a string or other means,
the whole substantially as described in the above specification and exemplified in
the accompanying drawings.
2. Protectors for the eyes and face of persons exposed to the weather, and
constructed substantially as described in the above specification and exemplified in
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 25th day of June 1896.
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23, Coleman Street, London, E.C., Agents for the Applicant.