IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE MANUFACTURE OF SPECTACLE FRAMES
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I SEBASTIAN ZIANI DE FEBRANTI of 5 Stanwick Road West Kensington in the
County of Middlesex Electrician do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING THE MANUFACTURE OF
SPECTACLE FRAMES and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
"
The apparatus hereinafter described is intended especially for the manufacture of
spectacle frames such as described in a former Specification Nº 4584 in the present
year.
In these spectacle frames three pieces of wire are employed; the main piece
constitutes the two side arms, the under side of each rim and the bridge; the other
pieces serve to complete the rims around the glasses.
The side arms are flattened near where they meet the rims to give the requisite
flexibility.
Spectacle frames can be made in this way by hand but they can be produced
better, more expeditiously and theaply by means of the special tools which I will
now proceed to describe.
One tool, that which I will first describe shapes the length of wire to form the
side arms, the nose piece and the lower part of each of the two rims of the spectacle
frame. This tool consists of a table upon the surface of which are carried six dies,
three of them are fixed and the other three are moveable and so arranged that they
can be caused to advance to and recede from the corresponding fixed dies.-There
is a pair of dies to form the bridge; between those the piece of wire (with a tube
of soft iron or other metal threaded upon it to give more substance to the Bridge
so that it may not cut the nose of the wearer) is laid.-The moving die is then
caused to advance up to the stationary die and in so doing it bends the wire and the
tube surrounding it to the proper form for the bridge of a spectacle frame.-The
moving die is worked by a lever actuated by a treadle.-Whilst the wire is held
between the dies which form the bridge the other moving dies are caused to
advance and in so doing they drive the piece of wire projecting from the bridge on
either side into recesses in the corresponding stationary dies.--By this means the
wire is shaped to the form of the under sides of the rims of the spectacle frame and
projecting beyond these there is left lengths of wire suitable to form the side arms
of the frame.
The upper part of each rim, is formed from another piece of wire which is
nrenared by a conerate tool consisting of thing nonta first aalin on holder in which

page_text: the wire can be securely held but which at pleasure can be released to admit of a
length suitable to produce a half rim being drawn forward; next is a cutter
between the blades of which the wire is led forward to the third part of the tool,
which is an appliance by which a small helical coil can be formed in the wire near
its end. This apparatus consists of a spindle carried in suitable bearings on the 5
bed of the tool. The spindle has a crank handle at one end by means of which it
can be turned, and a coil spring is provided which presses the spindle forward and
causes its end to abut against a conical stop.-A needle is fixed centrally into the
spindle at its end and this needle enters a perforation formed to receive it in the
stop. There is also a cross cut in the end of the spindle close alongside of 1
the needle. The wire to be operated upon is drawn forward and passed through
this cross cut and then whilst the wire is held by the clip or holder the spindle is
rotated with the result that the wire is lapped around the needle projecting from
the spindle. A spiral of three or four convolutions is thus formed; this being done
the jaws of the cutter are closed together and the piece of wire is cut off to the 1
length required. The clip is then released and the wire is then again drawn
forward and the operation is repeated.-So pieces of wire to form the upper part
of the rim are prepared in rapid succession.-Two such pieces are threaded on to
the main wire before it is bent to form in the manner already described.
The edges of the glasses are grooved to receive the rims.-To put in the glasses 2
and to close the rims around them another tool is employed.-The apparatus used
for this purpose consists of a vertical spindle with a passage through it from end
to end. There is an arm on the spindle and this carries a slider pressed outwards
from the spindle by a spring-On the slider there is a clamp.
The spindle can be rotated by means of a pinion upon it engaging with a toothed.
quadrant in connection with a lever handle.
This tool is used in the following way :-
One of the wires to form the side arm of the spectacle frame is threaded down-
wards through this passage until the bend of the rim comes against the pointed
upper end of the spindle.
The portion of wire to form the upper side of the rim which has been previously
threaded on to the main wire as described is now led around the glass against
the nose of the spindle to the clamp upon the slider and in this clamp the end is
made fast. Then by means of the lever quadrant and pinion the spindle is caused
to rotate and to rise at the same time by means of a screw bearing with the result
that the end of the wire held by the clamp is carried around the main wire and is
twisted upon it. This done the spectacle frame is automatically released from the
tool by reason of the spindle having risen sufficiently for the end of the clip lever
to hit a stop placed at the right height.-The superfluous wire end is afterwards
snipped off. It now only remains to finish the side arms of the spectacle frame by
flatteuing them out in the part adjacent to the rim to provide the requisite
flexibility. For this purpose a small spring hammer is employed. The hammer
which is rectangular moves to and from an anvil, it is lifted by a cam and brought
down by gravity aided by a coiled spring.
The spectacles are placed in a holder or carriage which is arranged to slide to
and fro upon the frame of the hammer in such manner as to carry the side arm
between the hammer head and the anvil. The face of the hammer head is slightly
inclined so that at the front where the work first enters beneath the hammer the
hammer head does not come against the anvil.-Consequently the flattening of the
wire is progressively effected commencing when the wire first enters beneath
the hammer head and the anvil at the front and the metal is beaten thinner and
thinner as the work is carried further beneath the hammer.-The hammer head is
also curved at the sides so that the transition from the flat produced upon the wire
to the original round or circular section may be gradual.
When the side arms of the spectacle frame have been thus flattened the finished
form is given to them by bending them by hand aided only by ordinary wire
liam

page_text: In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1, 2 and 3 represent a pair of spectacles such as the tools herein referred
to are intended to produce.
A is the main wire.-B a tube of soft iron or other metal threaded thereon to
give substance to the bridge CC are the wires forming the upper parts of the
rims. c c are small helices at the ends of the pieces C.-D D are the flattened
parts of the side arms.
Figures 4 and 5 show portions of the spectacles to an enlarged scale.
Figure 6 is a plan and Figure 7 is a longitudinal section of the machine in which
the main wire A is bent to form.
E is the stationary die or plunger into which the bridge is pressed by the moving
die or plunger F.
•
G is the lever through which the plunger F receives its movement from a
treadle. H H are the stationary dies for forming the lower parts of the rims..
KK are the corresponding moveable dies and L the lever by which they are
actuated; these also take their movement from a treadle.-HH are recesses in
the stationary dies H to accommodate the small helical coils C¹ of the pieces C at
the time when the main wire is being shaped.-These wires are afterwards shifted.
to their place close against the bridge.
Figure 8 is a plan (with parts removed) of the apparatus employed in the
preparation of the pieces C.
Figure 9 is an elevation partly in section and Figure 10 is a longitudinal section
on the line 1, 1, in Figure 8.-M is a clamp or holder for retaining the wire, it is
shewn separately by Figure 11 and consists of a lever pivotted to the bed at M¹, it
has a spring M³ attached to its longer end which presses downward its shorter end
and thereby nips the wire between the lever and a stationary surface beneath.
M³ is a catch for holding down the longer end of the lever when it is desired to
draw the wire forward. When this catch is liberated the wire becomes firmly.
held. N is the cutter it is shewn also separately at Figures 12 and 13.-The cutter
consists of a stationary lower jaw N' and an upper jaw N2 which is sustained by a
spring N³; the wire passes between the two jaws.—The upper jaw is depressed by
placing the hand upon a plunger N connected with it when it is desired to sever
the wire. O is a spindle capable of turning in bearings on the base plate and
provided with a crank handle O¹, and O2 is a spring which presses this spindle
forward and causes it to abut upon the blunt pointed cone P.-A needle not seen .
in the drawing projects centrally from the end of the spindle and enters a corre-
sponding hole in the cone P Alongside this needle there is a cross cut in the end
of the spindle through which the wire to be operated upon is passed.-The end of
the spindle is filed away forming an incline on one side of the needle and when the
spindle is turned it leads the wire to lap around the needle which it carries.-The
spindle recedes as the helical coil is formed upon the needle.-About four turns are
given to the handle, then the moveable blade of the cutter is pressed down and the.
wire cut off to the proper length.-The piece of wire is removed from the needle
and the short end is clipped off close up to the spiral.
The size of the needle employed is such as just to admit of the main wire A
being passed through the spiral coil which it produces. Z is a stop to throw the
coil off the needle when the spindle is drawn back.
Figure 14 is a plan and Figure 15 is a sectional elevation of a tool for completing
the-rims around the glasses. Q is a vertical spindle capable of turning in bearings
on the frame, it carries a long pinion Q¹ engaging with a quadrant to which
movement can be given by means of a lever handle R. The lower bearing of the
spindle Q has a screw thread cut within it, and there is a corresponding thread
upon the spindle so that the spindle as it turns when at work rises upwards
Blightly through its bearings,

page_text: S is an arm fixed upon the spindle Q and S¹ is a slider upon this arm pressed
outwards by a spring S². S³ is a clip consisting of a cam lever and stop carried by
the slider S¹.
The main wire A of the spectacle frame is also represented in this drawing, it
passes through a perforation in the upper end of the spindle Q and descends
through the spindle which is hollow.
The piece of wire C forming the upper part of the rim is also represented. It is
led around the upper part of the glass T being laid in a groove formed therein.
The wire passes close to the nose of the spindle and its end is held securely in the
clip S The parts being thus placed and the glass T being held between the
fingers, the spindle Q is caused to rotate with the result that the end of the wire C
beld in the clip S³ is carried around the wire A and made to embrace it in a close
helical coil.
The spindle at the same time rises until the clip lever S³ strikes the stop above
it and then the wire C is released.
This completes the rim with the exception of nipping off the end of the wire C
close to the coil.
Figure 16 is a sectional side elevation and Figure 17 is a front elevation of the
hammer like tool employed in flattening the side arms at the parts D. D.
U is a axis driven in any convenient manner carrying a fly wheel U¹ and also a
nam U
V is the hammer sliding vertically in guides V₁ is a spring by which it is pressed
constantly downwards. V is a flat pin passing through the hammer near its lower
end. The extremities of this flat pin work in guide slots and the pin at its inner
end is operated on by the cam U³.
The form of the cam inclines are clearly seen in Figure 17.
lifted and dropped twice for each rotation of the axis.
The. hammer is
W is the anvil and X is the sliding carriage in which the partly finished
spectacles are placed; they are held with the side arm (which at this time is in
the same plane with the glass) projecting over the anvil, so that by sliding the
carriage along the bed from front to back the side arm is passed beneath the
hammer and is so flattened to the required extent.
The face of the hammer is inclined as already described.
The subsequent operations for finishing the spectacles are as before stated, hand
operations, and these require no further description.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is-
(1) The tool for shaping the main wire consisting of three pairs of dies closing
together in succession substantially as described.
(2) The tool for preparing the pieces to complete the rims forming helical coils
at their ends and cutting them to the proper length as described.
(3) The tool for closing the rims around the glasses consisting of a perforated
spindle capable of being rotated and with arm spring slider and clip substantially
as described.
(4) The tool for flattening the side arms consisting of a reciprocating hammer
with inclined face and anvil and sliding carriage for the work substantially as
described.
Dated this Eighth day of December 1884.