US377835A - Signobs to themselves and henby n - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

F. H. LYMAN & A. JQJO-HNSON.

HOODWINK. I No. 377,835. Batented Feb. 14', 1888.

UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK H. LYMAN AND ANDREW J. JOHNSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AS-

SIGNORS TO THEMSELVES AND HENRY N. ANABLE, OF SAME PLACE,

HOODWINK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 377,835 dated February 14, 1888.

Application filed December 24, 1886. Serial No. 222,491. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, FRANK H. LYMAN and ANDREW J. JOHNSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements'in Hoodwinks, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to hoodwinks such as are used for blindfolding persons in certain games and amusements and on the stage and in secret-society work.

The object of our invention is to provide a hoodwink wherewith to enable the conductor of the blindfolded person to easily and conveniently restore such blindfolded person to light from time to time, as may be desired, without at the same time removing the hoodwink. This object we obtain by means of the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a View of ourinvention with the sight-aperture covered. Fig. 2 is a view of the same with the sight-aperture open. Fig. 3 is a detailed view showing the structure and relation of the eye piece to the hoodwink proper.

Like parts are indicated by the same letters in all the figures.

A is a piece of opaque material, preferably elastic, and molded or fashioned so as to conform in general outline to the form of the human face about the eyes. It is provided at each end with keepers B B, in which the securing-strap O is secured. This strap is provided with a buckle, D, and is adapted to be buckled about the head of the person wearing the hoodwinlgso as to secure the same in position. In'the front of the part A are two eye or sight apertures, E E, in such a position as to fall in line with the eyes of the wearer, and when open to permit him to look through them. About this sight-aperture are raised ribs or feathers F F, inside of which'and along the narrow margins of the sight-aperture are narrow ledges.

G G are eye-pieces, adapted to rest on the ledge about the sight-aperture and forwardlyprojecting covered center portion. These two eye-pieces are connected together by a somewhat-flexible band, J, which passes over the nose-piece of the hoodwink proper. Each of these eye-pieces is connected at its outer end,

by a flexible band, J, to the keepers, which also secure the strap of the hoodwink proper, and somewhat above the nose thereof is the hook H.

The use and operation of our invention are as follows: The hoodwink is strapped upon the head of the person to be blindfolded, audit is to such a degree elastic as to conform to the 6c outlines of the face of the wearer. It fits closely upon the wearer, and does not .permit any light to reach his eyes from about its edge. The eye-pieces are now brought-down so that their edges rest upon the margins of the sightapertures, and thus entirely exclude the light from the eye of the wearer. If, now, it should be desired at anymoment to temporarily restore the blindfolded person to light, and yet to leave the hoodwink in such a shape that he could be again-immediately and without diffi- -culty-put into darkness, the eye-pieces are lifted outof the sockets between the ledges or feathers where they rest, and are carried upward toward the forehead and suspended on thehoodwink at the hook H. The piece which connects them may be of any desired strength, and, while being flexible, should at the same time be strong enough to enable the conductor to easily lift the two eye-pieces from over the 7 eye and suspend them on the hook above. The ledges or feathers keep the eye-pieces from slipping out of place on the hoodwink.

It will be observed that this hoodwink,when the eye-pieces are in position, can be readily packed forshipment and for storage.

We areawarethathoodwinks have been heretofore made and patented wherein a tube or eye-piece projects forwardly some distance from the sight-aperture and has the blinder or 0 eye-piece on the end thereof; and our invention is designed to dispense with these projecting parts, which in many instances where the hoodwink is used are extremely inconvenient.

Having thus described our invention, what we desire to claim and patent is as follows:

1. A hoodwink consisting of a soft fabric conforming to the features of the-face about the eyes, provided with sight-apertures, in combination with eye-pieces which set over zc'o the apertures and-directly upon the surface of the pad.

2. The combination of the fabric pad, concured to the pad by elastic straps, and adapted forming to the features about the eyes and to rest on the pad between the eyes and over having sight-apertures with surrounding ribs, the apertures. and eye-pieces secured to the pad by straps and In witness whereof we have hereunto set our 1 5 5 secured to each other and adapted to cover hands, this 4th day of December, 1886, at Ohithe sight-apertures. cago, Illinois.

3. The combination of a soft-fabric pad, FRANK H. LYMAN. which conforms to the features about the eyes ANDREW J. JOHNSON. and having sight-apertures and surrounding Vvitnesses:

x0 ribs, with a strap to secure the pad on the FRANCES W. PARKER,

head, and eye-pieces connected together, se- L. A. GARDINER.

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