IMPROVEMENTS IN SPECTACLE FRAMES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, SEBASTIAN ZIANI DE FERRANTI of 5 Stanwick Road West Kensington in the
County of Middlesex Electrician do hereby declare the nature of my invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SPECTACLE FRAMES "to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object to construct the frames of spectacles at less cost
and to make them lighter than is now usual. For this purpose in place of the side
arins of the frame being jointed by hinge joints to the rims which surround the
glasses I form them in one piece with a portion of these rims and in order that
they may either be folded down so as to lie parallel with the glasses and allow of
the spectacles being placed into an ordinary spectacle case or bo allowed to spring
outwards into a position at right angles to the glasses (as they have to do when
being worn) I flatten each arm near to the rim from which it springs so that at
this point the arın may readily bend. Or in place of flattening the arm it might.
be bent into a small spiral to effect the same object. This way of forming the side
arms might be adopted whether the rims which surround the glasses be made in
any ordinary manner or whether they be made of wire. When I form the rims of
wire I make the glasses with a groove around their outer edge as is now commonly
done and I make the wires which form the rim to lie in this groove.
One half of each rim I form in one piece of wire together with the bridge piece
which is to be over the nose of the wearer-The other half of each rim I form in
one piece of wire with one of the side arms. Where the arm springs from the rim
I form it into a small helical coil and outside this coil flatten a short length of the
wire or bend it into a spiral so that it may readily bend as above explained.
The outer extremity of each arm may be straight or made with a bend in it to
hook behind the ear of the wearer as desired.
The ends of the length of wire out of which one half of both rims is made aro
bent outwards radially to the glasses in order that they may be inserted into the
small helical coils above mentioned formed at the base of the side arms.
When one end has been inserted into the coil formed at the base of one of the
side arms the half rim which is formed in one piece with this arm and the half rim
which is opposite to it and which is formed in one piece with the bridge for the
nose are made to embrace between them one of the glasses; the two half rims then
lying in the groove formed around the edge of the glass. The extremity of the

page_text: wire forming the half rim which is in one piece with the arm is then twisted
around the wire of the other half rim in between the rim and the curve or bend
which is to fit over the nose. The other glass is similarly embraced between the
other two half rims.
In this way the frame is composed entirely of thin wire pressed or bent into the
required shapes and can so be made at much less cost than heretofore.
In place of the two side drums being in separate lengths of wire each in one
piece with one half rim the two half rims and the two side arms might all be
formed together in one length of wire.

page_text: I SEBASTIEN ZIANI DE FERRANTI of 5 Stanwick Road West Kensington in the
County of Middlesex, Electrician do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPECTACLE FRAMES "and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention has for its object to construct the frames of spectacles at less cost
and to make them lighter than is now usual-For this purpose in place of con-
necting the side arms of the frames by hinged joints to the rims which surround
the glasses I form them in one piece with a part of the rim and I flatten each arm
near to the rim from which it springs in order that the side arms may either be
folded down so as to lie parallel with the glasses (allowing of the spectacles being
placed in an ordinary spectacle case) or permitted to spring upwards to a position
at right angles to the glasses as they have to be when worn. I also increase the
flexibility of the side arm by forming it where it meets the rim into a small spiral
or helix-One piece of wire forms half of each rim together with the bridge which
lies over the nose of the wearer and also by preference the two side arms-The
other half of each rim is a separate piece which is prepared with a small helical
coil at one end-Through this coil the wire forming the other part of the rim is
threaded and the rim is completed by twisting the former wire around the latter in
Buch a manner that the two parts together embrace the glass.
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 with frames constructed in
accordance with my invention.
In these Figures A is the continuous main wire which is preferably of steel-B is
the small tube of soft iron (or it may be other metal) which is threaded on the
wire to give substance to the bridge-0 C are the wires forming the upper part of
the rim which are threaded on to the main wire before this is bent to shape-C is
a small helix at the end of the piece C through which the main wire passes fitting
it accurately-D is the flattened part on the side arm bent to a helical form to give
the requisite flexibility.
Figure 4 shews to an enlarged scale the junction of the wires at the end of the
bridge piece-Figures 5 in like manner shew to a larger scale the part where the
side arms are connected with the rim and where the wire C is lapped around the
main wire to complete the rim and enclose the glasses.
The several parts above shewn and described may be fashioned and put together
by hand with the aid of pliers only but it is better and more expeditiously done by
the aid of apparatus which I will now describe and which forms the subject of
another application lodged by me in the Patent Office N° 16127.
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 move-
ment from a treadle-H H are the stationary dies for forming the lower parts of
the rims-K K are the corresponding movable dies and L the lever by which they
are actuated; these also take their movement from a treadle-H¹ H¹ are recesses in

page_text: the stationary dies H to accommodate the small helical coils C' 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
shown separately by Figure 11 and consists of a lever pivotted to the bed at M¹-
it has a spring M attached to its longer end which presses downwards 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 fimly held.
N is the cutter, it is shewn also separately at Figures 12 and 13-The cutter
consists of a stationary lower jaw N¹ and an upper jaw Na which is sustained by a
spring N. 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 aro
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 has a scrow 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 slightly
through its bearings.
S is an arm fixed upon the spindle Q and S' is a slider upon this arm pressed
outwards by a spring S-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 C passes close to the nose of the spindle and its end is held securely in
the clip S³. 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 O
held 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.

page_text: U is an axis driven in any convenient manner carrying a fly wheel U¹ and also a
cam 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 is clearly seen in Figure 17-The hammer is lifted
and dropped twice for each rotation of the axis.
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.
I would remark that the part of my invention which relates to the connection of
the side arms without joints and obtaining the requisite flexibility by flattening
and helically coiling is applicable where the spectacle frame is not otherwise con-
structed as herein before described-For example Figures 18 shew this part of the
invention applied to spectacles having holes drilled through the glasses-The end
of the wire forming the side arm is inserted through the hole and is made fast by
rivetting or clenching the end of the wire. Although I prefer to both flatten the
wire and to coil it helically still it is not essential that both methods of obtaining
flexibility should be resorted to for on the one hand the unflattened wire may be
helically coiled or on the other hand the wire may be flattened and the coiling
dispensed with.
I would remark also that other variations in the construction are possible thus
one piece of wire may be continuous from rim to rim and form a part of each
whilst two other pieces of wire each form the side arm and complete a rim.
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 construction of spectacle frames of wire in three pieces and one of these
continuous along the two glasses and the bridge and the other pieces completing
the frame.
(2) The construction of spectacle frames of wire with one continuous length of
wire forming the two side arms and passing along the two glasses and the bridge.
(3) The construction of spectacle frames of wire with the piece of which the
side arm is composed continuous along the glass to the bridge.
(4) The construction of spectacle frames of wire with the side arms without
joints either flattened or helically coiled or both.
(5)-The construction of spectacle frames with the rim composed of two pieces
of wire one of which is prepared with a helical coil and threaded on to the other.
Deted this 8th day of December 1901
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.