Tensioning device for eyeglass frames

Claim 1

Eyeglasses, comprising: a substantially flat frame arranged for peripherally enclosing frontal lenses; a pair of substantially flat temple members; hinge members pivotally connecting front ends of the temple members to opposite ends of said frame, each of said hinge members comprising: a first flat hinge plate secured to an end of said frame, a second flat hinge plate mounted on an inner side of said temple member at its front end, and a hinge pin pivotally joining the hinge plates; temple tensioning means, comprising two springy bars each secured by fixed attachment means at one end thereof to outer sides of the temple members respectively at points spaced from front ends of the temple members so that other free ends of the bars are able to move toward and away from the temple members while the bars flex, each of said other free ends of the bars having an integral, Smooth, rounded form and extending forwardly beyond the front end of each temple member for sliding and pressing against a lateral end surface of the frame when the temple members are hinged open between positions perpendicular to said frame and at obtuse angles to the frame, whereby the springy bars yieldably contact the frame ends in tension when the temple members are manually moved sufficiently outwardly apart from each other to facilitate putting on the eyeglasses, so that the springy bars hold the temple members in tension when the temple members are released to press against the sides of a wearer''s head; and tension adjustment means, comprising: temple members, each having an angular bore spaced from its front end and extending transversely therethrough between inner and outer sides thereof and continuing through said second flat hinge plate, and a set screw turnably disposed in said bore, said screw having an inner end exposed at the inner side of said temple member to permit turning the screw, and having a free outer end bearing adjustably against the inner side of the spring tensioning bar at a point between opposite ends thereof for adjusting the tensional contact of the cylindrical free end of the springy bar with the adjacent lateral end of the frame at a selected open angular position of the temple member with respect to the frame.