US3051168A - Spectacle supported nasal pressure-applying device - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 28, 1962 e. AUFRICHT 3,051,168

SPECTACLE SUPPORTED NASAL PRESSURE-APPLYING DEVICE Filed Oct. 11, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l G. AUFRICHT Aug. 28, 1962 SPECTACLE SUPPORTED NASAL PRESSURE-APPLYING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 11, 1961 3,051,168 SPECTACLE SUPPORTED NASAL PRESSURE- APPLYING DEVICE Gustave Aufricht, 1009 Park Ave, New York, N.Y. Filed Oct. 11, 1961, Ser. No. 144,494 13 Claims. (Cl. 12876) The present invention relates to devices associated with spectacles for applying treatment and shaping pressure controllably and selectively to peoples noses, and it is an improvement of the devices disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,965,099 of December 20, 1960, for Spectacle Supported Nasal Clamp, the application for which Serial No. 423,443, filed April 15, 1954, was copending with my application Serial No. 762,573, now abandoned, filed September 22, 1958, of which the present application is a continuation-impart; and my prior Patent No. 2,843,115 for Combined Spectacle Frame and Nasal Clamp, which issued July 15, 1958.

A general object of the invention is to provide such a device which may be attractively embodied in rather otherwise conventional spectacles that will apply effectively controlled pressure to one or more selected areas of a persons nose by one or more engaging pad means each of which is supported in a simple manner by a resilient supporting member that is adjustably mounted to the frame of such spectacles, the parts being readily and economically constructed by mass manufacturing procedure and assembled in a simple manner while allowing easy and sure manipulation and adjustment thereof.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide embodiments of such a device which adjustably carry the pressure applying nose pad means on resilient depending leg means with the latter being adjustably mounted to the spectacle frames in a desired, easily adjustable way to assure attainment in an efiicient manner of the correct amount of pressure at the proper localities dictated by the surgeons skill.

Another object of the invention is to provide an embodiment of the device which permits ready mounting thereof to a pair of spectacles of conventional design.

A further objectof the invention is to provide such nasal pressure-applying corrective devices in forms which feature in each elongated depending leg means having an upper section, a bottom pad-supporting section and an intervening appreciably resilient section, means connecting the upper leg section to the transverse nose bridge section of the spectacle frame in a predetermined depending position urging laterally inward swing of the lower pad-supporting section to cause the pad carried by the latter effectively to apply corrective pressure to a localized area of the patients nose with the intervening section causing the pad to apply yielding steady traction, there being efficiently associated with the depending leg means and located to one side thereof laterally adjustable stop means which is in the path of lateral swing of the leg means with the stop means being manually adjustable to a predetermined lateral fixed position effectively to limit the resiliently urged swing of the pad.

Still another object of the invention is to provide such nasal pressure-applying corrective devices in structural forms which assure that the upper section of the elongated depending leg means is of appreciably less resiliency than the intermediate section which intervenes it and the lower pad-supporting section with manually adjustable means mounting the relatively stiffer upper section to the nose bridge section of the spectacle frame for at least transverse swing to a manually adjusted and temporarily fixed lateral position so that this stiffness assures substantial maintenance of the depending orientation thereof while the resiliency of the intervening section effectively 2 assures application of yielding steady traction by the pad carried by the lower section.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a pair of spectacles which may consist of a frame of rather conventional design, except for means to attach an embodiment of the nasal pressure-applying device of the present invention thereto, and the usual temple pieces or bows, an embodiment of the nasal pressure-applying means of the present invention being shown mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is anenlarged elevational view, with parts broken away, of a portion of the transverse bridge structure intervening the two lens rims of the spectacle frame illustrated in FIG. 1 and showing one of the nasal pressureapplying devices illustrated in FIG. 1 mounted thereon;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 33 of FIG. 2, with parts broken away;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are enlarged sectional views respectively taken substantially on line 44 and on line 5-5 of FIG. 2, with parts broken away;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 2. illustrating the use thereof in applying steady gentle traction to an exaggerated illustration of a swelling or misshaped protuberance on the side of a patients nose, part of which is broken away and shown in section;

FIG. 7 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 6, with parts broken away and in section, showing a modified 'form of the nasal pressure-applying device depicted therein, and illustrating similar use thereof;

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view, with parts broken away, similar to FIG. 2, showing a further modification of the nasal pressure-applying device of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective of an adjustable stop member of the FIG. 8 embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 1010 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged front elevational view, with parts broken away, showing a further modified form of the nasal pressure-applying device of the present invention removably mounted upon the transverse bridge structure or bar of a spectacle frame;

FIGS. 12 and 13 are enlarged sectional views, with parts broken away, respectively taken substantially on line 1212 and line 1313 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged perspective front view, with parts broken away and in section, of left side portions of a spectacle frame and of a further embodiment of the device of the present invention which is removably clipped to the transverse nose bridge or bar structure thereof, one of a pair of opposed depending leg structures thereof being illustrated;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view to smaller scale of the embodiment of the device shown in FIG. 14, with parts broken away and in section, illustrating a part of one of the pair of depending legs thereof and its adjustment;

FIG. 16 is a plan View, also to smaller scale, of a sheet blank which is incorporated in the form of the device illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15; and

FIG. 17 is a back elevational view of the embodiment of the device shown in FIGS. 14, 15 and 16.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals identify similar parts throughout, it will be seen from FIGS. 1 to 6 incl. that an embodiment of the present invention may be in a form supportable upon the frame 21 of a somewhat conventional pair of spectacles except for minor revision to permit the mount thereon of the device. The pair of spectacles 20 may comprise a substantially rigid molded plastic frame 21 and a pair of internally reinforced plastic temple pieces or bows 22, 22 pivotal-1y connected thereto in the usual manner. The spectacle frame 21 may comprise a pair of lens rims 23, 23, each of which carries a lens 24, and with these rims connected transversely together by a bridge structure which may be in the form of a lateral bar 25.

In accordance with the present invention one form of nasal pressure-applying device may be mounted upon the bridge structure or bar 25 laterally to one side thereof adjacent one of the lens rims 23. This device may be in the form of an elongated depending leg means 26 having an upper section or top end 27, a lower padsupporting section 28 and at least an intervening resilient section 29, as will be best understood from FIG. 2. It may be preferred to form the major portion of the do pending leg means 26 from a piece of spring wire, such as spring steel, spring bronze and the like. The intervening resilient section 29 may, if desired, be provided with one or more helical turns, such as that illustrated at 30 in FIG. 2, to increase the resilient action thereof.

The upper section 27 of the depending leg means 26, above the intermediate resilient section 29, is stiffened by providing a part thereof in the form of a relatively short, depending rigid arm 43 having a hole 31 (FIG. 4) extending laterally through its top end from front to back. The top end of the major portion wire element of the depending leg means is turned over to define an eye 131 arranged in a plane normal to the transverse bridge structure 25 and the axis of hole 31. The top end of upper leg section 27 and its eye 131, and including a part of the wire element depending from the eye, are lapped or abutted against a side face 143 of the stiff depending arm 43. An internally threaded blind hole 44 in the side face 143 threadably receives externallythreaded shank 45 of a headed screw 46 extended through the eye 131, as will be understood from FIG. 5, thereby securing these parts of the upper leg section 27 together.

Means are provided for adjustably mounting the upper leg section or top end 27 of the depending leg means 26 to the spectacle frame bridge structure 25 for transverse swing of the leg means to an adjusted and temporarily fixed position. For this purpose, the lateral hole 31 in the stilf arm 43 of the upper leg section 27 receives clampable pivot means, which may be in the form of a headed screw 32, for swinging mount in a transverse plane of dependent leg 26. For example and as will be seen from FIG. 4, an internally-threaded blind hole 33 may be formed in the outer face of the transverse bridge structure or bar 25 threadably receiving therein externally-threaded shank 34 of the headed screw 32 with this screw shank extending through the eye 31. It will be understood that when each screw 32 is loosened, the depending leg means 26 mounted thereon may freely swing in a transverse plane to any desired adjusted position and may then be fixed or clamped in this position by tightening up this screw.

The lower pad-supporting section 28 of each depending leg element 26 carries a pressure-applying nose pad means 35. Each nose pad means 35 may consist of a plate 36 suitably shaped or-convexed to apply pressure to an area of the side of a persons nose without undue discomfort. Such shaped pad plate 36 may be faced, if desired, with comfort contributing material. Each pressure-applying nose pad plate 36 is suitably mounted upon means to support it on the lower pad-supporting section 28 of the depending leg means 26, which may be in the form'of a collar or sleeve 37 having a through hole 38 through which is slidably mounted this lower pad-supporting leg section, as will be best understood from FIG. 3. An internally-threaded lateral hole 39 in collar or sleeve 37 extends to its bore 3% and threadably receives therein the externally-threaded shank 46 of a set screw 41, so as to fix this sleeve in a selected one of a plurality of adjusted longitudinal positions upon the depending leg means 26. A lateral arm 42 mounted on one side of sleeve 37 may carry the pad plate 36. It will thus be understood that by loosening the set screw 41 the elevation of the pressure-applying pad plate 36 may be adjusted by slide up or down of the sleeve 37 on the depending leg element section 28, and it can likewise be radially adjusted thereon by rotation of sleeve 37. Tightening of set screw 41 will then temporarily fix the pressureapplying nose pad means 35 in the adjusted position to overlie a side area of a patients nose, or a swelling or misshapen protuberance thereon, selected by the plastic surgeon for corrective treatment of a fracture or congenital distortion, as the case may be. A provision of the pair of the transversely-spaced pressure-applying devices, as proposed in FIG. 1, permits application of opposing pressure on opposite sides of the nose.

It may be desired to provide a nasal pressure-applying device of the present invention in a form which permits swing of the depending leg means forward and back as well as transversely. The embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 incl. permits such adjustment. Loosening screw 32 permits the position of the stiff suspending arm 43 to be adjusted in the transverse plane to a selected position and then fixed therein by tightening of this screw, and the position of the depending leg Wire element mounted thereto may be adjusted either forward or back in a plane normal to the transverse plane by loosening screw 46, allowing either forward or back swing of the depending leg element to a selected position in which it then may be fixed by tightening screw 46. The embodiment of the device illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 incl. is thus characterized by a forwardly-extending pivot means in the form of screw 32 and transversely-extending pivot means in the form of screw 46, both of which are tightenable to hold the depending leg wire element in an adjusted position of transverse and forward and back swing.

It will be seen that in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 6 incl. the upper section 27 of the depending leg means 26 is of appreciably less resilience than the intermediate section 29, thus assuring substantial maintenance of its depending orientation when adjusted to a predetermined fixed lateral position of transverse swing by the adjustable mounting means. In FIG. 6 is illustrated the action of this depending leg means 26 in a mounted position which applies by its pressure-applying nose pad means 35 yielding steady traction to a swelling or a misshapen protuberance on one side of a patients nose, diagrammatically illustrated therein to an exaggerated scale for clarity at MN). The plastic surgeon will by virtue of his skill and experience adjust the depending lateral orientation of the stiff arm 43 and the forward swing of the wire element of depending leg means 26 so that, with the nose pad 36 located and bearing against the selected localized area of treatment at 100, the amount of traction he wishes applied will be produced. Since the top end of the wire element in the upper section 27 of the depending leg means 26 is lapped or abutted against the side face 143 of the depending stiff arm 43 the bottom edge at 243 of this side face serves as stop means located to one side of the wire element and in the path of its lateral swing. Since this stop means 143 is a part of the depending stifl arm 43 which is adjustably mounted to the transverse nose bridge structure 25 by screw 32 manual adjustment thereof to a predetermined lateral fixed position is permitted by loosening screw 32 and then tightening it after the stifi arm is swung to the desired position that locates the stop provided by it where desired, so that it will limit the resiliently urged swing of the pad 36 as the swelling or size of the protuberance at is reduced to the extent judged by the surgeon to be proper and desirable. It will be understood that at the beginning of a treatment, as is illustrated in FIG. 6, the effective length of the top section portion of the wire element between the resilient mid-section 29 and stop 243 is shorter than it is when after a period of treatment the swelling at 100 reduces until the top end of the wire element depends substantially parallel to the side face 143. In the latter case the effective length of the top portion of the wire element is the distance between its mid-section 29 and the screw-anchored eye 131. Thus the over-all effective stiffness of the wire element of depending leg means 26 is greatest at the beginning of a treatment and is reduced as the treatment progresses, so that there is a desired gradual reduction in the amount of applied traction over the period of treatment due to the cooperation of this characteristic and the fact that gradually less pressure is applied as the bottom pad-supporting section 28 swings laterally nearer to alignment with the side face 143 of stiff arm 43.

A simple reversal of parts of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 incl. may enhance the limiting action of the stop means thereof, as is illustrated in FIG. 7. Upon removal of the mounting screw 32 the stifi depending arm 43 may be turned over and the screw reinserted through its hole to mount it to the transverse nose bridge structure 25, so that its face which was the back thereof in the FIGS. 1 to 6 incl. embodiment now is the front thereof and the side face 143, to which the eye 131 at the top end of the depending wire element is anchored by screw 46, is now on the laterally outward side of the stiff arm. This laterally outward side face 143 and its bottom edge stop 243 limit laterally inward swing of the wire element and pad 36 carried thereby while permitting laterally outward resilient yield thereof away from these abutted portions of the depending stifi arm 43. Since the mid-section 129 of the wire element has natural resilience due to the resilience of the wire and the remote location thereof from the force applying bottom end portion at the pad 36 and from the anchoring point at screw 46, with the greater resilience at this remote intermediate location resulting from laws of leverage, it may not be necessary to provide therein one or more spring turns, such as that at 30 in the FIGS. 1 to 6 incl. embodiment. The straight wire intermediate section 129 has greater effective resilience than the bottom section 28 and the relative stifi top section 27 which includes stilf arm 43 and the eyeequipped top end of the wire element.

These desirable features may be provided by a ball and socket joint means utilized to mount the depending leg means to the spectacle frame and an associated stop means carried by the latter. For example, as is illustrated in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, the transverse nose bridge structure or bar 25 may have an indentation, preferably in the form of an approximately semi-spherical recess 47, molded or cut into the outer face thereof and overlaid by clamping means, such as a clip 48 shaped to provide in the back side thereof a complementary indentation, such as a substantially semi-spherical recess 49. Clip 48 may be provided with a lateral hole 50 through which the externallythreaded shank 51 of a headed clamping screw 52 may extend into an internally-threaded blind hole 53 in the face of nose bridge structure 25.

Depending leg element 226 of FIG. 8 has an upper end section 227, a lower pad-supporting section 228, and an intervening resilient section 229, which may be similar to the resilient sections 29 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to '6 incl. The top end of the depending leg element 226, which may be a length of resilient metallic wire, is suitably provided with a ball 54 seated in the socket provided by the opposed complementary semi-spherical recesses 47 and 49. Although this ball 54 may be formed of metal more secure clamping action may be obtained by providing it as a plastic body which may have some elasticity, such as a ball of polyethylene molded about a laterally turned tip 55 of the upper leg section 227.

The structure of the upper leg section 227 of the FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 embodiment includes means to promote the relative stiffness thereof, in the form of laterally adjustable stop means 343. The stop means 343 may be in the form of an elongated arm 75 constructed of a relatively stiif strip of metal or rigid plastic, having an inturned bottom end 76 and an eye 77 at its top end. The shank 51 of the screw 52 is inserted through hole 78 in the eye 77 and then through the hole 50 in the clip 48 for securement of both to the spectacle frame transverse bridge structure 25. When so mounted, the inturned end 76 of the stop arm 75 is in the path of the lateral swing of the depending wire element which constitutes the major portion of the depending leg means 226. The stop provided by the inturned end '76 of stop arm 75 may, if desired, engage the wire element either below or above the resilient coil 30 in the mid-section of the depending leg means 226.

It is to be understood that the structural embodiment of FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 provides lateral swing stop means which permits manual adjustment thereof to a predetermined lateral fixed position to limit the resiliently urged swing of the pressure-applying pad 36 mounted upon the bottom section 228 of the depending leg means 226. When the clamping screw 52 is slightly loosened, the recessed end of the clamping clip 48 is permitted to move out away from the outer face of the nose bridge structure 25 slightly for increasing the size of the socket space, so that the ball 54 may be easily turned in the socket for both transverse swinging and forward and back swinging adjustment of the depending leg element 226. Simultaneously, the eye 77 of the stop arm 343 is freed so that it may be swung laterally to an adjusted position of limit of lateral swing of the wire element of the depending leg means 226. When the pad means 235 supported on the lower section 228 of the depending leg means 226 has been moved to the desired location of application of pressure to one side of a patients nose by such swing of the depending leg element, and the stop means provided by the arm 343 has been manually adjusted to a position adjudged by the plastic surgeon to be the proper terminus of the gentle traction applied by the pad 36, they are tightly clamped in their relative positions by tightening up the clamping screw 52. For the purpose of permitting both transverse swinging and forward and back swinging adjustment of the wire element of the depending leg means 226, the lower edge of the clamping plate 48 may be notched, such as is proposed at 56 in FIG. 8, to assure freedom of such swinging motions when the screw 52 is loosened so as to attain the desired depending orientation of the wire element.

It will be understood from FIG. 8 that, although it may be desirable to mount the pressure-applying nose pad means 135 adjustablry on the wire element of the depending 'leg means 226, such adjustable mount is not essential to practice of the present invention since the pad plate 36 may be carried by a lateral arm 242 provided as a laterally bent lower end of the depending leg wire element in the lower section 228.

It will thus be seen that the ball and socket joint means illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 10 has means temporarily to fix the depending leg element in an adjusted position as a result of the clamping action of clamping plate 48 and clamping screw 52. Although part of such ball and socket joint means may be provided as a portion of the nose bridge structure or bar of the spectacle frame, the socket structure may, if desired, be carried by a separate body disengageably clamped on the nose bridge structure by suitable clamping means. Such an embodiment of the nasal pressure-applying device of the present in vention is illustrated in FIGS. 11 to 13 incl. In this embodiment, the transverse nose bridge bar receives thereabout a U-shaped clip 57 having a pair of laterallyspaced arms 58, 58 which receive the nose bridge bar therebetween, and which are provided with aligned holes through which a headed clamping screw 59 extends to permit secure mounting thereon or disengagement therefrom upon removal of this screw. Since it is preferred that for the sake of attractive appearance, the top ends of the clip legs 58, 58 do not extend above the top edge of the nose bridge bar 125, the latter is provided with an enlarged hole 60 freely to receive shank 61 of screw 59, with the hole 62 in the rear'leg 58 preferably being internally threaded threadably to receive the threaded end 63 of screw shank 61, as will be understood from FIG. 12.

The U-shaped clip 57 has suitably mounted thereto a transverse body 64 which, if desired, may be soldered or welded thereto, as is proposed at 65, 65 in FIG. '12. The supporting body 64 may be rabbeted at 66, as is indicated in FIGS. 12 and 13, to receive a clamping plate 67 secured thereto in any suitable manner by tightening means which may be loosened, such as a pair of screws 68, 68.

As indicated in FIG. 13, the bottom face of the rabbet 66 may have formed therein apair of transversely-spaced indentations, preferably semi-spherical recesses 147, and the back face of clamping plate 67 is provided with complementary indentations, such as substantially semispherical recesses 149. The wire element of depending leg means 326 preferably is suitably formed from spring metal, and its top end 327 carries a ball 154 which, if of metal, may be swaged thereon or suitably fastened there-.

to by any equivalent means. Ball 154 seats in the spherical space provided by complementary semi-spherical recesses 147 and 149 and a suitable enlarged opening, such as conical hole 156, provided by a pair of opposed complementary notches in the opposed faces of the rabbeted portion of body 64 and clamping plate 67, permits freedom of adjusting swing of depending leg element 326 in a transverse plane and also forward and back. Thus when screws 68, 68 are loosened, each of the pair of depending leg elements 326 may be swung transversely or forward or back, or in a plurality of such directions, to an adjusted position of the pressure-applying nose pad means 35 carried thereby and, upon tightening of the screws 68, 68 the depending leg elements will be temporarily clamped in their adjusted positions.

If it is desired to adjust in the FIGS. 1:2 to 13 incl. device each of the wire elements of the depending leg means 326 separately without loosening the other, clamping plate 67 may be made in two parts, such as by severing it medially between the pair of screws 68, 6'8, with one part being clamped in position by one of these screws and the other being clamped in position by the other of these screws. Each clamping pad means 35 may be suitably supported by adjustable means carried by each depending leg wire element, such a sleeve 137 having a set screw 41. Such sleeve means 137 should at least be vertically slidable on the lower section of the depending leg element but need not be rotatable thereon since radial adjustment may be attained by the ball and socket mounting means. Thus, the depending leg element may be polygonal in cross-section with the hole through each mounting sleeve 137 being shaped complementary thereto to permit vertical sliding adjustment without relative rotation.

'Each of the depending leg means 326 of the FIGS. 11 to 13 incl. embodiment desirably includes adjustable stop means in the path of lateral swing of the resilient wire element thereof for stiffening the top section thereof. For example, such stop means 443 (-FIG. 13) may be a relatively stiff rod 69 of metal or other manually adjustable or bendable material suitably fastened to the supporting body 64 and depend therefrom on the inward side of the wire element of one of the depending leg means 326. As will be seen in FIG. 13 the bottom end of each stop rod 69 is turned transversely to provide a stop bar 70 in the path of lateral swing of the adjacent depending wire element of the associated depending leg means 326. The effective stop position of this stop means 443 is manually adjustable since the rod 69 is bendable,

for example from the dotted position 169 to the full line position 69 shown in the right side of FIG. 11. Each of the stop means 443, i.e., each stop rod 69 and its transverse bottom end 7 0, performs a function similar to that of the stop arm 343 of the FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 embodiment. If desired the screw 59 may be omitted and resilience of clip legs 58, 58 relied on removably to hold the clip structure 57 on the transverse no se bridge bar 125.

It will be understood that the present invention contemplates embodiments of the type illustrated in FIGS. 11 to 13 incl. which are of such structural dimensions and design as to be :locatable in substantially hidden fashion behind the nose bridge bar 125 to which the supporting body, such as a variation of that shown at 64, will be removably fastened in any suit-able manner. For example, the vertical width of the transverse supporting body 64 may be substantially that of or less than the vertical width of nose bridge bar 125 and one or more holes through the top portion of such body above its clamping plate 67 may be aligned with similar holes through the nose bridge bar to receive removable fastening screws. In such case, this transverse supporting body may be turned around so that its clamping plate may be on the rear side rather than on the front side thereof. Such a structure may be further simplified by providing the substantially semi-spherical recesses149 in the rear face of the nose bridge bar 125 which may, if desired, be fiat, and in such case the complementary semi-spherical recesses 147 may be formed in the forward flat face of a supporting body which may be in the form of a fiat strip removably bolted to the nose bridge bar rear face or demountably fastened thereto by any suitable disengageable clip means.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 14 to 17 incl. the spectacle supported nasal pressureepplying corrective device is in the form of a clip which readily can be demountably mounted upon a conventional spectacle frame 20, thus being a modification of the type of embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 11 to 13 incl. Clip device 457 of FIGS. 14 and 17 comprises an elongated transverse strap 464 having on the rear side thereof in the vicinity of the opposite ends of the latter upwardly bent spring fingers 458, 458, as will be best seen in FIG. 17. The clip device 457 may thus be applied readily to the transverse nose bridge bar 25 of the spectacle frame 20 by inserting the nose bridge bar downwardly between the back of the transverse strap 464 and the spring clip fingers 458, 458.

As will be understood from FIG. 16, the transverse strap 464, the spring clip fingers 458, 458, and other parts of the embodiment of FIGS. 14 to 17 incl. may be simply provided as unitary parts of a sheet metal stamping, with projecting tabs thereof then subsequently being bent to proper shapes. The spring clip fingers 458,

458 thus initially extend downwardly from the bottom edge of the transverse strap 464. The sheet metal from which the stamping of FIG. 16 is formed is of such character and thickness as to permit the various projecting tabs thereof to be bent to the required shapes while assuring that these tabs in the narrow widths provided will have some resiliency for assuring spring clip action of the fingers 458, 458 when bent upwardly to the rear of the transverse strap 464. The transverse strap portion 464 preferably is cut out with a slight longitudinal curvature so as to conform more generally to the conventional bowing of transverse nose bridge structure 25 of the spectacle frame 20.

On the top edge of elongated transverse strap 464 are provided tabs 88, which extend upwardly and may be in substantial alignment with the tabs which are to form the spring clip fingers 458, 458. Elongated depending leg tabs 81, 81, which are to form parts of upper-sections of depending leg means, extend downwardly from the bottom edge of the transverse strap 464 inward of the tabs 458, 458 and, by virtue of the slight longitudinal arcuate shape of the transverse strap, may converge slightly toward each other, as will be seen from FIG. 16. The bottom end of each elongated leg tab 81 is T-shaped to provide a pair of transversely-extending tabs 82 and 182, which extend from opposite sides of the main body thereof and are made integral therewith. Preferably, from the top edge of the transverse strap 464, and in general alignment with the depending leg tabs 81, 81, extend integral L-shaped tabs 83, 83, defining with adjacent portions of the top edge notches 84, 84, but these are not essential. The stamping of FIG. 16 is then shaped in production to provide the following functional parts.

Spring clip fingers 458, 458 are bent rearwardly and up behind the transverse strap 464. The elongated top tabs 80, 80 are bent forwardly and down in .front of the front face of the transverse strap 464, each being then bent out again along an intermediate transverse line 85 so that its end portion 86 extends laterally forward, as will be best seen from FIG. 15. Each tab 83 is bent forward and down and then up laterally forward again to form an anchorage lug, as will be understood from FIGS. 14 and 15. Each depending leg tab 81 is bent forward and upwardly and then along a transverse line 87 downwardly again so that the base portion 88 thereof which extends upwardly is spaced forward of the front face of transverse strap 464 to define therebetween U-shaped space 89 receptive of the end of a wire element, as will be explained later. Each elongated leg tab 81 is then given a 90 twist transversely outward beyond the transverse bend line 87 in the area 94 and the side tabs 82 and 182 thereof are bent transversely outward to general parallelism to form a fork having a U-s'haped receptive space on the outer side, as will be seen from FIGS. 14 and 15.

The remaining portion of each depending leg means 426 may be provided in the form of an elongated piece of resilient wire having one or more spring turns formed therein at 91 positioned over the portion 86 which extends laterally forward so that the latter may serve as a pivot support therefor. After mounting the spring turns 91 over the forwardly extending pivot portion 86 the tip end 92 thereof may be bent upwardly, as will be seen in FIG. 14, to hold the spring turns upon this pivot portion more securely. The terminal end 93 of each resilient leg wire element 426, beyond the spring turns 91, may be engaged in the U- shaped space 89 for anchorage. The depending spring wire element, in the vicinity of its mid-section 429, will be snapped into the U-shaped space of the fork provided by the tabs 82 and 182, so that the bottom end of the depending leg tab '81 provides a stop, and the top section 427 of the depending wire element will be stifiened by the depending leg tab. As in the preceding embodiments, pressureapplying pad 36 of FIGS. 14 and 17 may be mounted by lateral arm 42 and its mounting eye 137 to the bottom section 428 of the depending wire element, with set screw 41 clamping it thereto.

Let it be assumed that the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 14 to 17 incl. is to be applied by a rhinoplastic surgeon to the frame 20 of spectacles normally used by a certain patient. The transverse nose bridge section of the spectacle frame is forced down into the space between the clip arms 458, 458 and the back surface of the transverse strap 464, so as removably to mount this embodiment of the device to the spectacle frame in the manner indicated in FIG. 14. The surgeon will adjust the elevation of the pressure-applying pad 36 longitudinally on the depending leg wire element 426 to the proper location which will assure application of gentle traction to the localized side area of the patients nose which is to be desirably treated. The surgeon will then determine the proper position of the stop means which will assure reduction of the gentle traction applied by the pad 36 as the depending leg wire element gradually springs inwardly to engagement thereof, manually bending the depending leg tab 81 laterally to the selected position, such as from the full line position to the dotted line position indicated in FIG. 15. He will also adjust the forward or backward position of the pressure-applying pad 36 relative to the swelling or protuberance to be treated by manually bending the depending leg tab 81 outwardly forward or backward along the transverse bend line 87, as may be required. This may be done with respect to only one of the depending leg means if the treatment is to be applied to only one side of the patients nose, the other leg means being omitted if desired, or both depending leg means may be employed if the treatment so demands for application of general traction to opposite sides of the patients nose.

In the initial mount of the FIGS. 14 to 17 incl. device and adjustment to the patients nose, the wire element of each depending leg means may 'have its mid-section 429 located appreciably transversely outward of its associated stop means provided by depending'leg tab 81, but still within the space between parallel tabs 82 and 182 thereon, and the latter may be provided initially in greater length, if desired. Gentle traction is applied by pad 36 to the localized area of the side of the patients nose by virtue of the spring biasing of the resilience of the mid-section 429 of the depending leg wire element. This is supple mented by the action of the spring turns at 91. In the event that it is desired to have greater traction initially applied by resilient action, the terminal end 93 of the leg wire element may be swung upwardly to be caught over the top anchoring tab 83 within the notch 84. During the treatment, as the size of the protuberance or swelling is reduced by the applied gentle traction, the depending leg wire element gradually swings inwardly until it engages the bottom end of the stop tab 81 between parallel side tabs 82 and 182, causing a material reduction in the resilient biasing force which, thereafter, is largely applied by the resilience of the mid-section of the depending leg wire element. After such laterally inward swing of the depending leg wire element of leg means 426 has brought its midsection 429 to stop engagement with the bottom end of the stop tab 81, the top portion of the composite depending leg means, including the top section 427 of the wire ele ment and the stop tab 81, is automatically made stiffer and the tractive force is reduced. Thus, in the initial portion of a treatment, the gentle traction which is applied may be desirably greater than that which is applied during the terminal period thereof, and this may be altered at will by the sur eon due to the manual adjustment which he initially gives to the various parts, or may be changed by him during a period of treatment as his judgment dictates.

It will thus be seen that the structure of the embodiment of FIGS. 14 to 17 incl. provides laterally adjustable stop means which is mounted to the nose bridge structure of the spectacle frame on the inward side of each of the depending leg means in the path of its lateral swing. This stop means permits manual adjustment thereof to a predetermined lateral fixed position to limit the resiliently urged swing of the pressure-applying pad while permitting laterally outward resilient yield of the depending leg wire element away from the abutted portion of the relatively stiff depending means to attain a desired differential in applied traction during the initial and terminal periods of the treatment. It is to be understood that the illustrations in FIGS. 14 to 17 incl. are greatly exaggerated as to dimensions for clarity and that the parts thereof may be so proportioned and formed as to permit forms of this embodiment to be turned about and mounted to the back side of the transverse nose bridge structure of the spectacle frame, suitable provision being made to prevent laterally projecting portions from giving discomfort.

It is to be understood that when a localized area of the side of a nose of a patient requires general traction treatment only on that side, any of the embodiments of the present invention which for many treatments may include duplicate depending leg means located on opposite sides, may be revised in a simple manner to concentrate the corrective traction to one side. This may be readily accomplished by disabling or omitting the depending leg means and its pressure-applying pad on the opposite side. However, in such a case it may be desired to assure that appreciable traction be applied to the affected localized area on one side, and in such a case the depending leg means on the opposite side may be retained, but fitted with a nose side-contacting pad of wide contact area, 'which may have its wide contact area shaped substantially complementary to the surface of the unaffected side. As a result, the relatively small traction applying pad, which is to perform the corrective treatment in opposed relation to such a wide pad-bearing area, will apply the corrective traction to the localized affected area. The wide bearing area on the opposite side which is shaped complementary to the normal surfaces and the depending leg means on which it is mounted will balance the corrective traction pressure to avoid any undue cocking or tendency to displace the spectacle frame on which the device is mounted.

It will thus be seen that the embodiments of the improved nasal pressure-applying device disclosed herein are of particular advantage in rhinoplastic surgery. Support of the pressure-applying means on spectacles minimizes the prominence thereof or makes them practically inconspicuous; they are appreciably less noticeable than if provided as separate complicated clamping devices. The simplicity of the present construction and arrangement of parts also assures a minimum of attention directed thereto while permitting design thereof in forms detracting little if any from the aesthetic appearance of spectacles which may be substantially or actually of conventional designs. Such devices are particularly useful in the corrective treatment of laterally deflected noses in which differential side pressure is a requisite. There is a physiological advantage in having the pressure applied gently but persistently to a fractured nasal bone rather than strongly and painfully, and steady traction treatment stimulates healing as contrasted with sudden and forceful impact which tends to tear newly formed tissue. Children with nasal deformities and greenstic or incomplete fractures can be treated advantageously and easily in the years preceding their late teen ages when initial corrective surgery is deemed acceptably proper, and many of those for whom corrective spectacle lenses are indicated, as well as those who can be persuaded to wear harmless plain lenses, frequently can have such difiiculties completely corrected before they have reached the proper operative ages by use of the quite inconspicuous and not unduly uncomfortable devices of the present invention. Conspicuity and appreciable discomfort quite frequently cause children to resist vigorously and abandon when not under immediate parental control otherwise acceptable and advisable corrective treatments, and these difficulties are avoided or minimized to a degree of acceptance assuring appreciable treatment success.

It will thusbe seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A spectacle supported nasal pressure-applying corrective device comprising, in combination with a spectacle frame having a pair of lens rims and an intervening connecting substantially rigid transverse nose bridge structure determining by contact with the 'bridge of a patients nose and adjacent face structure the distance of the spacing of the spectacle frame forward of his eyes; an elongated depending leg means having an upper section, a bottom pad-supporting section and an intervening appreciably resilient section from which said lower pad-supporting section depends; a pressure-applying nose pad means mounted on the transverse inner side of said lower pad-supporting leg section below said intervening resilient section; means connecting said upper leg section to said nose bridge structure in a predetermined depending position urging laterally inward swing of said lower pad-supporting section and the pad carried thereby to cause said pad to apply corrective side pressure to a localized area of the patients nose with said resilient intervening section causing said pad to apply yielding steady traction; and laterally adjustable stop means mounted to said nose bridge structure to one side of said depending leg means in the path of its lateral swing, said stop means permitting manual adjustment thereof to a predetermined lateral fixed position to limit the resiliently urged swing of said pad.

2. The nasal pressure-applying corrective device as defined in claim 1 characterized by said manually adjustable stop means being located on the inward lateral side of said depending leg means to limit swing inward toward the patients nose of said pad and limit the extent of steady traction applied by the latter.

3. A spectacle supported nasal pressure-applying corrective device comprising, in combination with a spectacle frame having a pair of lens rims and an intervening connecting substantially rigid transverse nose bridge structure determining by contact with the bridge of a patients nose and adjacent face structure the distance of the Spacing of the spectacle frame forward of his eyes; an elongated depending leg means having a top section, a bottom pad-supporting section and a resilient intermediate section above said bottom section connecting the latter to said top section for resiliently urged lateral movement of said bottom section relative to said top section; means pivotally supporting said top section on said nose bridge section for lateral swing of said depending leg means; relatively stiff elongated means depending from said nose bridge structure along side of said top leg section; and means adjustably connecting said relatively stiff means to said nose bridge section for manual adjustment of said relatively stiif means to one of a plurality of predetermined relatively fixed lateral positions in each of which said leg means is engageable with the latter to limit the lateral swing of said bottom pad-supporting section.

4. A spectacle supported nasal pressure-applying corrective device comprising, in combination with a transverse nose bridge structure of a spectacle frame, an elongated depending leg means, said leg means being suspended from said nose bridge structure and having a top section, a bottom pad-supporting section and an intervening section with the latter two sections and at least a portion of the top section being in the form of integral portions of a resilient wire element, and a relatively stiff elongated depending means connected in a laterally adjustable manner to said nose bridge structure with at least a part of the top portion of said resilient wire element being laterally abutted against a lower portion of said relatively stiif elongated depending means to limit lateral movement of the upper portion of the intervening section of the resilient wire element to an adjusted position of lateral movement.

5. The nasal pressure-applying device as defined in claim 4 characterized by said wire element being abutted to the laterally outward side of said relatively stiff depending means thereby limiting laterally inward swing while permitting laterally outward resilient yield of said wire element away from the abutted portion of said relatively stiff depending means.

6. A spectacle supported nasal pressure-applying corrective device comprising, in combination with a spectacle frame having a transverse nose bridge bar, a removable clamp having means disengageably clamping said clamp to said bridge bar, an elongated depending leg means having an upper section, a lower pad-supporting section and an intervening appreciably resilient section from which said lower pad-supporting section depends, a pressure-applying nose pad means mounted on said lower pad-supporting leg section, and separate manually adjustable means mounting said upper leg section to said removable clamp for at least transverse swing of said depending leg means to a manually adjusted and temporarily fixed lateral position, said upper section being of appreciably less resiliency than said intervening section assuring substantial maintenance of its depending orientation when adjusted to a predetermined fixed lateral position of transverse swing by said adjustable mounting means, said appreciably resilient intervening section providing means for applying yielding steady traction by said pressure-applying nose pad means after adjustment to said predetermined fixed lateral position of said upper section.

7. The nasal pressure-applying device as defined in claim 6 characterized by said upper section including an elongated depending portion integral with said intervening resilient section and another relatively stifi depending elongated member mounted to said removable clamp on the inward lateral side of said integral elongated depending portion, said intervening section being abutted to the outward lateral side of a lower portion of said relatively stiif depending elongated member to limit laterally inward swing while permitting laterally outward resilient yield of said intervening section.

8. A spectacle supported nasal pressure-applying corrective device comprising, in combination with a spectacle frame having a pair of lens rims and an intervening connecting substantially rigid transverse nose bridge structure determining by contact with the bridge of a patients nose and adjacent face structure the distance of the spacing of the spectacle frame forward of his eyes, an elongated depending leg means having an upper section, a lower padsupporting section and an intervening appreciably resilient section from which said lower pad-supporting section depends, a pressure-applying nose pad means mounted on said lower pad-supporting leg section below said interven ing resilient section, and means adjustably mounting said upper leg section to said nose bridge structure for swing of said depending leg means both transversely in a lateral direction and also substantially normal thereto forward and back to one of a plurality of adjusted and temporarily fixed positions, said upper section being of appreciably less resiliency than said intervening section assuring substantial maintenance of its depending orientation when adjusted to a predetermined fixed position of transverse swing by said adjustable mounting means, said appreciably resilient intervening section providing means for applying yielding steady traction by said pressure-applying nose pad means after adjustment to said predetermined fixed position of said upper section.

9. The nasal pressure-applying device as defined in claim 8 characterized by said adjustable mounting means having a forwardly-extending pivot means for transverse swing and transversely-extending pivot means for forward and back swing of said depending leg means, both of said pivot means being tightenable to hold temporarily said depending leg means in adjusted positions of transverse and forward and back swing.

10. The nasal pressure-applying device as defined in claim 8 characterized by said adjustable mounting means being in the form of ball and socket joint means having means temporarily to fix it in an adjusted position.

11. The nasal pressure-applying device as defined in claim 10 characterized by said adjustable mounting means comprising a body carrying said ball and socket joint means, and clamping means disengageably clamping said body on said nose bridge structure.

12. A nasal pressure-applying corrective device to be supported on the transverse nose bridge bar of spectacles comprising, in combination, a clamp to be disengageably clamped to said bridge bar, structure carried by said clamp defining the socket of ball and socket joint means, an elongated depending leg element having a top end provided with a ball of said ball and socket joint means rotatably and swingab-ly mounted in the socket, means releasably to clamp said ball in the socket in an adjusted position, said leg element having -a lower pad-supporting section and at least a resilient section intervening its ball-carrying top end and said lower section, and a pressure-applying nose pad means adjustably mounted on one side of said lower leg section for location in a desired vertical position thereon.

13. A nasal pressure-applying corrective device to be supported on the transverse nose bridge bar of spectacles comprising, in combination, a clamp to be disengageably clamped on said bridge bar, means carried by said clamp having an open-sided portion of a substantially spherical socket therein, ball clamping means overlying the open side of said socket portion, tightening means fastening said ball clamping means to said socket means, an elongated depending leg element having a top end provided with a ball seated in the socket portion beneath said ball clamping means for rotation and swing therein when said tightening means is loosened and temporarily to be clamped therein in an adjusted fixed position when said tightening means is tightened, said leg element having a lower pad-supporting section and at least a resilient section intervening its ball-carrying top end and said lower section, sleeve means slidably mounted on said lower leg section and having means temporarily to fix it in an adjusted position thereon, and a pressure-applying nose pad carried by said sleeve means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,825,266 Kleinman Mar. 4, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 76,055 Germany Nov. 28, 1893

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