GB2159976A

GB2159976A - Method for manufacturing facepieces for spectacle frames

Info

Publication number: GB2159976A
Application number: GB08430231A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Vittorio Tabacchi; Vincenzo Viel
Original assignee: Safilo SpA
Current assignee: Safilo SpA
Priority date: 1984-06-04
Filing date: 1984-11-30
Publication date: 1985-12-11
Also published as: FR2565364A1; IT8421238A0; SE8502082D0; ES8801445A1; IT1176251B; ES537884A0; IT8421238A1; SE8502082L; GB8430231D0; JPS6123117A; DE3443105A1

Abstract

A method for the manufacture of facepieces for spectacle frames comprises a step of cutting from a sheet a semi-finished face piece with lens-holding rims (2a, 2b) each having, on its outermost part, a projection (9a, 9b) integral with the corresponding rim (2a, 2b) and projecting outwardly therefrom. The projections (9a, 9b) are then apertured (7) and bent to form corresponding box-shaped bodies each constituting a lug (10) for the hinging of the spectacle legs (13). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Method for manufacturing facepieces for spectacle frames The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing spectacle frames with a facepiece which includes a pair of lens-holding rims each having, on its outermost part, a lug for the hingeing of a leg, the lugs being fixed to the corresponding rims.

The most critical point in spectacle frames, particularly flexible frames, is constituted by the connection between the facepiece of the frame and the legs. This connection takes place at a point commonly referred to by the term lug in this particular field.

In most cases, the lugs are connected to the outermost parts of respective lens-holding rims of the frame by welding, brazing or similar processes involving the application of heat to the lens-holding rims.

This causes local weakening of the rim and hence the possibility of permanent deformation or breakage thereof at one of its zones most subject to stress, that is, in correspondence with the attachment of the lug.

Several known solutions which attempt to avoid these disadvantages are constituted by lugs attached by coupling or clamping to the lens-holding rims.

To this end, the known method proposed for the manufacture of spectacle frames provides for the separate working of the lens-holding rims and the parts fixed thereto, and a subsequent step of attaching the lugs by separate machines on separate production lines.

This solution, although avoiding the disadvantage of weakening of the rim in the zone of attachment of the lug, involves numerous disadvantages of which the main one, considering the small dimensions of the lug and the need to attach it precisely, lies in the small tolerances to which the lug and the corresponding rim must be manufactured.

Furthermore, since the piece being considered is separate from the lens-holding rim and is subsequently fixed thereto, problems of loss of rigidity in the lug-rim coupling may arise in time, with the resulting deterioration in the effectiveness of the spectacle frames.

The need to make the lugs separately from the remaining parts of the facepiece is a considerable burden on economics of frame manufacture, due both to the aforesaid different production lines and machines and to the need for an additional step of assembly of the lugs and the lens-holding rims.

The technical problem behind the present invention is that of devising a method of manufacturing face-pieces for spectacle frames which overcomes the disadvantages mentioned with reference to the prior art.

In broad terms, the solution to this problem lies in the formation of the lug integrally with the corresponding lens-holding rim.

More particularly, the method according to the invention is characterised in that it comprises the following steps: -cutting from a sheet a semi-finished facepiece with lens- holding rims each having, on its outermost part, a projection formed integrally with the corresponding rim and extending outwardly therefrom,the rims and their projections being symmetrical relative to a central transverse axis of the facepiece, and the projections being in alignment and opposition on a longitudinal axis thereof;; -bending each projection along a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the facepiece to form a pair of substantially parallel spaced-apart cheeks extending in the same direction at right angles to the plane of the facepiece, and -bending each projection along a line substantially parallel to the transverse axis of the facepiece to form a box-shaped body constituting the lug of the spectacle frame.

To advantage, each of the projections is cut along a substantially median line dividing the corresponding rim and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the facepiece.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of a spectacle frame and of the sequence of working steps carried out in its manufacture, given purely by way of non- limiting example with reference to the appended drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of a semi-finished facepiece for spectacle frames according to the invention; Figures 2 to 6 are perspective views of a detail of the facepiece of Figure 1 in successive working steps in the manufacture of a spectacle frame.

The method according to the invention includes a first operation of cutting a semi-finished, substantially flat facepiece of the type generally indicated 1 in Figure 1 from a sheet by a known method, such as blanking or with the use of a laser beam.

The facepiece 1 is cut from a sheet of suitable material, for example, stainless spring steel, and has a pair of lens-holding rims, each indicated 2, which are joined by bridges 4a, 4b and have, on the outermost part of each rim, a respective projection 3 integral with the corresponding rim.

The rims 2 and their projections 3 are symmetrical about a central transverse axis A of the facepiece 1, and the projections are in alignment and opposition on a longitudinal axis B thereof perpendicular to the axis A.

Each projection 3 includes an enlarged portion 4 spaced from and joined to the corresponding rim 2 by means of a bridging portion 5.

The enlarged portion 4 is substantially quadrilateral with rounded tabs 6 at its corners, extending in opposite directions on lines parallel to the axis B.

Each tab 6 has a through-hole 7 the function of which will be more fully explained later in this description.

The working of the spectacle facepiece according to the invention includes a further step of cutting the projections 3 parallel to the longitudinal axis B, substantially in the middle of the projections themselves, and dividing the corresponding rim 2 as illustrated in Figure 3.

The rim 2 is thus separated into a pair of arms 2a, 2b each of which is integral with a corresponding portion 3a, 3b of the projection 3.

The portions 3a, 3b are symmetrical about the axis B.

A subsequent step in the working comprises the bending of each of the portions 3a, 3b at right angles along a line substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis B of the facepiece 1 to form corresponding cheeks 8a, 8b and respective backs 9a, 9b.

Thus, at the end of this working step, the ends of the arms 2a, 2b of the rim 2 are integral with respective half-backs 9a, 9b extending in the plane of the facepiece and cheeks 8a, 8b projecting in the same direction at right angles to the plane of the facepiece.

With reference to Figure 5, the half-backs 9a, 9b are then bent in the same direction along a line substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis B in the plane of the facepiece, to form two halflugs 10a, 10b.

Corresponding holes 7 in the respective cheeks 8a, 8b are aligned coaxially and a pair of screws 11a, 11b, respectively, are then inserted through them.

The screws 11a closest to the rim 2 clamps together the two half-lugs 10a, 10b and the corresponding arms of the rim 2; The screw 11b acts as a hinge pin for an eyelet 12 fixed to one end of a leg 13 of the spectacle frame.

A box-shaped lug 10 is thus formed integrally with the rim 2 of the facepiece 1.

The lug 10 forms a shoulder 14 acting as a stop for the opening of the leg 13 at the end of the halfbacks opposite the rim 2.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing facepieces for spectacle frames, comprising the following steps; -cutting from a sheet a semi-finished facepiece with lens- holding rims each having,on its outermost part,a respective projection formed integral} with the corresponding rim and extending outwardly therefrom, the rims and their projections being symmetrical relative to a central transverse axis of the facepiece, and the projections being in alignment and opposition on a longitudinal axis thereof;; -bending each projection along a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the facepiece to form a pair of substantially parallel spaced-apart cheeks extending in the same direction at right angles to the plane of the facepiece, and -bending each projection along a line substantially parallel to the transverse axis of the facepiece to form a box-shaped body constituting a lug for the hingeing of a respective leg of the spectacle frame.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, in which each of the projections is cut along a median line substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis and dividing the corresponding rim.

3. A method as claimed in Claim 1, in which each of the projections includes an enlarged portion spaced from and fixed to the corresponding rim by a bridging portion.

4. A method of manufacturing facepieces for spectacle frames, comprising the following steps; -cutting from a sheet a semi-finished facepiece with lens- holding rims each having,on its outermost part,a respective projection formed integrally with the corresponding rim and extending outwardly therefrom, the rims and their projections being symmetrical relative to a central transverse axis of the facepiece, and the projections being in alignment and opposition on a longitudinal axis thereof; -piercing the projections close to one or more corners thereof; -cutting each projection along a substantially median line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the facepiece to divide the corresponding rim and separate each projection into two portions;; -bending each portion along a line substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the facepiece until the bent portions are parallel to and face each other and extend at right-angles to the plane of the facepiece, and -bending the projections again in the same direction perpendicular to the plane of the facepiece along a line substantially parallel to the transverse axis, to form from each projection a corresponding box-shaped body defining a lug for the hingeing of a leg of the spectacles.

5. A spectacle frame with a facepiece comprising a pair of lens-holding rims each having, on its outermost part, a lug for the hingeing of a leg of the frame, the lug being fixed to the corresponding rim, in which each of the lugs is formed by the bending of a respective projection of the facepiece integral with the corresponding rim and is boxshaped.

6. A method for manufacturing facepieces for spectacle frames, substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.

7. A spectacle frame with a facepiece substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.