US2373388A - Seal for spaced goggle lenses - Google Patents

Description

April 1 c. FISCHER SEAL FOR SPACED GOGGLE LENSES Fild'Jan. 8, 1942 NVENTOR Charles Escher Bt/M A ORNEY' Patented Apr. 10, 19 45 UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE SBAQED GQGGLEI DENSEQ' Charles Eisghe r, New York, N. Application. January- 8, 1942; Serial Np.. 42535 1 Clams,

This invention relates to the -double lenses of goggles such as aviators and the like goggles, and particularly relates to the means for sealing the space between the lenses against the access of extraneous air or vapors;

The present invention is an improvement overmy prior Patent No. 2,130,127, dated September 13, 1988, for-Goggles. reference being herebymade to said patent.

, My invention contemplates the provision of an efiective sealing; member composed of a prefabri sated ring offlexible resilient material substantially u-shaped in cross-section and a separately pref-abri'cated membercomparatively wide andthin and preferably of non-resilient metal in-. sertedinto the ringbetweenthe flanges thereof to shape the resilient ring and thereby to permit the quick and easy assembly of the lenses-with the thus assembled sealingmember; and the easy insertion of the assembled lenses and sealing member into the goggle frame.

The various objects of the invention will beclear from the description which follows and from the drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a front view of the lens assembly, partly broken away to show the component parts of the sealing member;

2 is a fragmentaryvertical section of= thesame taken on the line 2 2 of-'Fig. 1.

Fig.- 3 is a similar vertical section taken on the line 3--3 of- Fig. 1

Fig. 4: is a front view of the flexible resilient ring as it appears in its prefabricated form and beforethe shaped metallic member has been inserted thereinto.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the same takenent. The ring isdistorted longitudinally and;

transversely by the metal' member when they are assembled, and is also distorted laterally when assembled with the lenses in a manner later to be described in detail.

Preferably, the ring I0 is made of rubber and. isprefabricated to assume a, generally circular form as shown in Fig; 4. In cross-section, the

ring-is U -shaped havinga pair of spaced legs orflanges t5, t6- joined= integrally b the web lr'l.

The flanges are preferably, though not neces-' sarily, somewhat reduced in thickness at their.

free edges l8 so that their outer walls may'taper slightly while their innerwal'ls l9, 2!) ar pref erably parallel in the original or undistorted form of the ring. Consequently, the overall thickness of the ring at the web is greater-than the overall thicknessof the ring at the normally free edges of theflanges, thereby providing excess material: at the web fordistribution under compression in, the propen mannerto form an adequate seat as will appear from Figs; 2. and 3; Said ring being flexible and resilient may. readily be distorted into the same shape as that of the lenses l2 and: I 13: which are usually of the cylindrical type and whicharealso shaped: in the general form ot an oval.

The member tlz, as has been hereinbefore in.-

dicated, is preferably made of sheet metal, theform 'even after it has been assembled with the ring Ht. The final shaping may be. left to. the time when the thus assembled sealing member is-arranged inv the. space H between the lenses and: compressed by the. lenses which perform the, shaping of the sealing. member to. conform; tothecylindrica-lishape of thelenses, v

The diameter-of thepreformedring ID in its original circular form isless than the longestdiameter of the oval shaped member II. It will! nowbe understood'thatwhen the metallic. member- I I is inserted; intothe space 22' between. the

= flanges; [5' and: t6 of the, ring I O; said ring is distorted late the same generally oval shape asthat of; the member H and isstretched around: the membeixl l and is trictional lyselt-held: thereon: in its; stretched condition, without the necessityfor using adhesive'o'r any othen holding or securing means whatever; It will also be understood that the metallic member may quickly and; easily be insertedbetween the flangesof' the rubber ring IDeand' into the space 2 21:0 form a completeassembly therewith in a; much easier mannerand with much lessexpenditure Off time and labor than when said memberis-made in the form of a core surrounded by rubber, as is disclosed in my said prior patent. It will, further be seen that the rubber ring It] may be prefabricated in .its simple circular form with the proper space sembled sealing member being reinforced and self-maintained in its proper shape does not lose its shape when handled or lifted and for this Y reason permits economical assembly with the lenses. i

To arrange the sealing member in place, .it is merely laid on the outer surface 23 of the inner lens l3, occupying the peripheral portion of said outer surface and flush with the edges thereof,

whereafter the lens I 2 is laid on the sealing memeber. The assembled lenses with the sealing member therebetween is then handled as a unit and inserted into the groove 24' provided therefor in I the frame I. To do this, the lenses are squeezed. together against the yieldable ysealing member.

The assembled lenses easily snap past the edge 25 of the frame and into the groove provided,v

thereby to hold the assembly in place. i

It will be noted that on the compression of the sealing member in its operative position in the frame, the free edgeportions ofv the flanges l5 and I6 projecting beyond the metallic-mem ber H are pressed together intosthe position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, since said walls are of greater width than. that ofth member H. It will further be noted that owing to the customary bevelling of the edges 26 of .the lenses,-

the space 2i at the peripheries of th lenses is enlarged as compared with the remainder of said space. However; since the thickness of the ring l0 measured across the outermost part of the web thereof is greater than that of the space M,

the web I! is nevertheless compressed to a substantial extent and forcibly pressed against the bevelled edges .26, thereby forming a perfect seal therewith regardless of the irregularities which may exist at said edges. While the'outer surface 21 of the web I! tends to assume a convex position under compression of the, web, th wall-of the frame limits the outward bulging of said web and aids incausing it to spread laterally. The

sealing member thereforenot only seals the spaceat the peripheral adjacent surfaces of the lenses l2 and I3, but if the sealing member is of sufficient diameter, it is forced against the wallof the frame groove and also seals the space between the frame M and the bevelled: edges 26 of said lenses. 1

From the above, it will be seen that I have provided a simple sealing member consisting of a prefabricated rubber ring provided with a space for the reception of a'thin metallic reinforcing member of i the desired outline to be given the ring, which member distorts the ring into its proper shape and permits the easy handling thereof by stiffening and reducing the flexibility of the assembly, whereby the assembly may be easily positioned between the lenses. It will also be seen that upon such movement of the lenses toward each other, which is usual and customary in inserting the'rings into the frame of the goggles, the ring is nevertheless compressed at its inner part and forced at its outer part against the frame and against the bevelled edges of the lenses sufficiently to take up any irregularities in the formation either of the frame or of the lenses and thereby provides an efiicient sealing member readily manipulated with the lenses as a unitary device when the parts are assembled into the goggle frames.

Any variation or modification of the invention described above which does not depart from the spiritof the invention is intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

. l. A sealing member adapted to be arranged between a pair of spaced goggle lenses to seal the space therebetween, said member comprising a prefabricated rubber ring of U-shaped cross-section having a pair of substantially parallel spaced flanges and a web integrally joining the flanges,

and an annular relatively thin sheet metallic member, the width of the metallic member being a pluralityof times greater than the thickness thereof, the shapes of the inner and outer edges of :the metallic member, being different from the normal undistorted shape of the ring, said metallic member being arranged in the space between the flanges of the rubber ring and in frictional contact with the weband distorting said ring to-conform the shape of the ring to the shape of the metallic member.

2. A sealing member adapted to be arranged in contact with the peripheral portions of the adjacent faces of a pair of spaced goggle lenses. said sealing member comprising a normally circular rubber ring of U-shaped cross-section, and a comparatively thin but wide and laterally flexible and imperforate annular and non-circular metallic member of less width of material than that of the ring, the unstretched circumferential length of the ring being less than the corresponding cigcumferential'length of the metallic member, said ring beingstretched over the metallic member to increase its circumferential length and concealing said metallic member, and said metallic member reinforcing and stiffening the ring.

flexible resilient material and of U-shaped crosssection having a pair of spaced flanges and a web integrally'joining the flanges, and an annular metallic member arranged frictionally between the flanges and with the outer edge thereof adjacent the web, said metallic member having a greater circumferential length than that of the inner edge of the web and stretching and distorting the ring member and thereby holding the ring member thereon.

4. A normally circular ring of flexible resilient material and of U-shaped cross-section having a pair of spaced flanges and a web integrally joining the flanges, and an annular non-circular metallic member arranged betweenthefianges and with the outer edge thereof adjacent the web, the overall length of said member being greater than the normal inner diameter of the web of the ring, and the width of the material-of the metallic member measured between the inner and outer'peripheral edges thereof being less than the width of the flanges, whereby the free inner edge portions of said flanges extend past the metallic member in theassembled positions ,of said ring and metallic member.

5. In a sealing member, a normally circular rubber ring of U-shaped cross-section having normally spaced flanges, and a non-circular metallic reinforcing member having a length greater than the outer diameter of the ring, said mem- 3. A normally circular sealing ring member of ber being arranged frictionally and removably in the space between the flanges and distorting the ring into a shape other than circular and maintaining the ring in its distorted shape.

6. In a sealing member, a rubber ring of U- shaped cross-section having a pair of spaced flanges integrally joined by a web, and an annular metallic member of approximately oval shape having its length greater than the outer diameter of the ring, said metallic member beinginserted frictionally within the ring between the flanges and against the web and thereby distorting the ring from its normal shape to approximately the oval shape of the member, said metallic member stretching the ring to hold the ring assembled with the metallic member solely by friction and for manipulation thereof as a unit.

7. In goggles having a grooved frame and a pair of spaced lenses of approximately oval shape, a sealing member for the edge portion of the space between the lenses, said sealing member comprising a metallic annular member of approximately oval shape, a ring of normally circular shape and of U-shaped cross-section stretched lenses.

8. In goggles, the combination of a pair of spaced lenses and a grooved frame for the reception .of the lenses, a sealing member comprising a compressible rubber ring having a pair of spaced flanges, and an annular metallic member of flexible sheet material of less width than that of the flanges, and of less thickness than that of the flanges, said metallic member being loosely inserted between the flanges and against the web, said flanges being compressed by the lenses against the metallic member when the lenses with the sealing member therebetween are inserted in the groove of th frame, the remainder of the ring being spread against the edges of the lenses and against the frame to seal the space between the lenses. I

9. In goggles, a frame provided with a lensreceiving groove, a pair of lenses arranged in laterally spaced relation within the groove, each of the lenses having bevelled edges, and a compressible sealing member arranged between the lenses to seal the space therebetween, said sealing member comprising a rubber ring having a pair of normally spaced flanges when the ring is fre of compression, and a preformed annular metallic member of substantially the same shape as that of thelenses, the material of said metallic member being of less width than that of the flanges and being arranged frictionally between the flanges, said flanges being compressed on the insertion of the lenses and sealing member in the groove, and the remainder of the ring engaging the bevelled surface of the lense and the adjacent surface of the frame groove. 7

10. The combination with a goggle frame having an annular lens receiving groove therein, of a pair of laterally spaced lenses having bevelled edges fitted into the groove, an elastic sealing member between the peripheral portions of the lenses, said member having a pair of normally spaced flanges each having a free edge and a web integrally joining theother edges of the flanges, the web being spread against the bevelled edges of the lenseswhen the lenses and the member are assembled in the groove, and a thin flexible annular metallic member removably inserted between the flanges, the normally free edge portions of the flanges extending beyond the metallic member. I

11. The combination with a goggle frame hav ing an internal lens receiving groove therein, of a pair of laterally spaced lenses of the cylindrical type fitted into the groove, bevelled edges on the lenses, a rubber sealing member between the peripheral portions of the lenses, said member having an outer web and .a pair of normally spaced flanges provided with normally free edge portions, the web being spread against the bevelled edges of the lenses when the lenses and the member are assembled in the groove, and a second normally flat laterally distortable member of annular form arranged between the flanges and against the web and stretching the rubber member and thereby holding the rubber member thereon, the second member and the rubber member being bent as a unit by said lenses out of the normal planes of said members.

CHARLES FISCHER.

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