To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, William Purdy Hellings, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Hamilton and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Temple-Bar, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mustache-guards and the like; and the object thereof is to provide an improved temple-bar, which will permit the mustache-guard proper to have its proper movements upon the mustache of the wearer as he opens and closes his mouth.

The improved temple-bar is also applicable to spectacles and to other devices intended to be worn upon a moving part of the face, and the same consists in the specific construction of part, as hereinafter more fully described, and as illustrated in the drawings, in which—

Figure 1 is a front view of my improved temple-bar, showing the manner of using the same when applied to a mustache-guard. Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear elevation of the guard for the mustache, showing my improved temple-bars folded within the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective detail of one of the temple-bars. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3, showing parts broken away.

In the drawings, A represents the body of the mustache-guard, which may be of any suitable construction, and, although I have not illustrated the same, this mustache-guard may be a pair of spectacles or any other device intended to be worn upon a moving part of the face, the present invention relating more particularly to the temple-bar, which is to be used in connection with the mustache-guard or other device. It is well known that as the wearer moves his jaws in masticating his food the distance between the upper lip and the ears varies slightly, and I have discovered that when a mustache-guard is supported by rigid temple bars or hooks embracing the ears such movement of the jaws and lips causes the hooks to cut behind the ears or the mustache-guard to drop down in front of the mouth. In order to avoid this, I have devised the following improved temple-bar, wherein a certain amount of movement is permitted between the parts, in order that this cutting will be obviated.

My improved temple-bar comprises a rod 3, having a hook 7, adapted to pass behind the ear and having a slightly-bent inner end 1. This rod passes loosely through the coiled spring 4, to the outer end of which it is connected, as at 5, and into a sheath 6, having a slot 8 along its lower edge, in which the bent end 1 moves freely. The outer end of this sheath is cylindrical, as at 9, where it surrounds the body of the rod 3, and over this cylindrical portion the spring 4 is forced and soldered thereto, as at 10. The ends of the slot 8 limit the outward and inward movements of the bent end 1 of the rod 3, as will be clearly understood, and the said rod is drawn normally inwardly toward the sheath 6 by the contractive force of the spiral spring 4 between these members. The inner end of the sheath 6 is continued in an extension 11 and forms a part of the hinge 2. The other member of the hinge is composed of two pieces 12, detachably connected by a screw 13, and each piece carries a curved arm 14, which is adapted to be secured to the mustache-guard A, to the bow of the spectacles, or to any other device in a suitable manner.

With a temple-bar of the above construction the two curved arms 14 may be connected to a mustache-guard or pair of spectacles and the same used in the ordinary manner. As the wearer's upper lip and mustache move, the guard moves therewith, and the spring 4 of the temple-bar allows the sheath 6 to move with the guard as the hooks 7 of the rods 3 engage the ears of the wearer.

This improved temple-bar may be of silver, gold, or any other suitable material, but preferably such that it will not irritate the face of the wearer.

Considerable departure may be made from the details of construction above described without necessitating a change of the principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and of my invention is—

In a temple-bar, the combination, with the rod 3, having an ear-hook 7 at its upper end and a bent lower end 1 and a coiled contractile spring 4, secured at 5 to said rod and surrounding its body, of the sheath 6, provided with a cylindrical upper end 9, surrounding said rod loosely and soldered within the lower end of said spring, said sheath having a cut in one side, whose edges are opened to form a slot 8, within which the bent lower end 1 of said rod moves and by whose ends its play is limited, the whole constructed as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

William Purdy Hellings.

Witnesses:

A. J. Stenson,

L. W. Shuman.