Spectacle frames

BASIC PARTS
• The frame is that portion of the spectacles that holds the lenses
containing the ophthalmic prescription in their proper position in
front of the eyes.
• A frame generally consists of the front, which in one form or another
contains the lenses, and the temples, which attach to the front and
hook over the ears to help hold the spectacles in place.
• Frames occasionally do not have temples and are instead held in
place by pressure on the sides of the nose (pince-nez), by attachment
to another frame (clip-ons), or by being held in the hand (lorgnettes).
Frame Fronts
• That area of the frame front between the lenses that rests on the
nose is the bridge.
• The rim going around the lenses is known as the eyewire or rim.
• The outer areas of the frame front, to the extreme left and right
where the temples attach, are known as the endpieces.
• A few plastic frames may still have a metal shield on the front of the
endpiece to which rivets are attached to hold the hinge in place
• The hinges hold the temples to the front, and consist of an odd
number of interfitting barrels, the total number being three, five, or
seven.
• Hinges may vary in construction, but for simplicity are usually
classified by the total number of barrels they have when assembled,
such as a three-barrel hinge
• Some frames have nose pads, which are plastic pieces that rest on the
nose to support the frame.
• These may be directly attached to the frame or to connecting metal
pieces known as guard arms or pad arms.
Temples
• The portion of the temple that is nearest its attachment to the front is
known as the butt portion or butt end.
• The place on the temple where it first bends down to go over the ear
is called the bend.
• The portion of the temple between the butt end and the bend is
called the shank or shaft, and that portion beyond the bend and
behind the ear is referred to as the earpiece, bent-down portion, or
curl
CONSTRUCTION
Frames
• Frames without an eye wire going completely around the lens are
called mountings

• Lenses are “inserted” into frames, but “mounted” into mountings.

• Frames themselves can be classified in a simplified manner by one of

the following categories of frames or mountings.
Nylon cord frames
• Nylon cord frames, sometimes called string-mounted frames or nylon
supras hold the lenses in place by means of a nylon cord that fits
around the edge of the lens.
• This gives the glasses the appearance of being rimless.
• Usually the top of the lens is fitted into the upper rim of the frames.
• The rest of the lens has a small groove cut into an otherwise flat edge
Combination
• Combination frames are commonly frames having a metal chassis and
plastic top rims and temples.
• The chassis includes the eyewire and center or bridge section.
• Although this is the most common construction, technically any frame
with a combination of metal and plastic could be included in this
category, as in the case of a frame with plastic eye-wires and metal
bridge and temples.
 Half-eye
• Half-eyes are frames made especially for those who need a reading
correction but no correction for distance.
• They are constructed to sit lower on the nose than normal, and are
only half as high as normal glasses.
• This allows the wearer to look over the top of the glasses.
• They may be of plastic, metal, or even nylon cord construction.
• Less common are half-eyes for distant vision, which allow the wearer
to look under the lenses for reading.
Rimless
• Rimless mountings hold the lenses in place by some method other
than eyewires or nylon cords.
• Often screws are used, but cement, clamps, and plastic posts have
been used.
• Most rimless mountings have two areas of attachment per lens, one
nasally and one temporally.
• Rimless mountings are sometimes referred to as 3-piece mountings.
Semirimless
• Semirimless mountings are similar to the rimless except for a metal
reinforcing arm, which follows the upper posterior surface of the lens
and joins the centerpiece of the frame to the endpiece.
• The centerpiece of a mounting consists of bridge, pad arms, and pads
Numont
• Numont mountings hold the lenses in place only at their nasal edge.
They are seldom seen today.
• The lenses are attached at the bridge area and the temples are
attached to a metal arm that extends along the posterior surface
temporally.
• Thus there is only one point of attachment per lens.
Other Mountings
• Balgrip mountings secure the lens in place with clips attached to a bar
of tensile steel that fits into a nasal and a temporal notch on each side
of the lens.
• The lens can be easily removed by pulling the clips back from the lens.
• For this reason, this type of mounting can be used with more than
one pair of lenses for the same frame.
• Sunlenses, special purpose lenses, or tinted lenses could then be used
interchangeably with the patient’s regular lenses
Bridge Area
• The bridge area of a frame can be constructed of either plastic or
metal.
• Because of the variety of nose shapes, there is also quite an
assortment of bridge constructions in both materials.
Plastic Bridges
• The bridge area of a plastic frame is preformed and sits directly on the
bridge of the nose.
• It is important, then, in picking out a plastic frame that the frame fits
the nose well since adjustments to this part of the frame are
extremely difficult.
• Bridge adjustments for certain plastics, such as nylon, carbon fiber
and polyamide, are not possible.
• The saddle bridge is shaped like a saddle in a smooth curve and
follows the bridge of the nose.
• This spreads the weight of the frame evenly over the sides and crest
of the nose.
• In the modified saddle, the bridge area looks much the same as the
saddle bridge does when viewed from the front.
• The difference is that there are nose pads that are part of the back of
the bridge.
• These pads help to carry some of the weight of the frame
• The keyhole bridge is shaped like an old-fashioned keyhole.
• At the top, the bridge flares out slightly.
• The bridge rests on the sides of the nose, but not on the crest
Metal Bridges
• The bridge commonly used in metal frames is the pad bridge
• In the pad bridge, nose pads are attached to the frame by metal pad
arms.
• In this case, the pads alone support the weight of the glasses.
• When a metal frame is equipped with a clear plastic saddle-type
bridge, the bridge type is referred to as a comfort bridge.
• Metal and rimless frames were, and sometimes still are, constructed
with a metal saddle bridge and enjoyed widespread use for a period
of history.
• It may yet appear exactly as before or decoratively in conjunction with
nosepads.
• With rimless mountings, the crest of the bridge does not include the
pads or straps, but is the center most area.
Endpiece Construction
• Endpiece construction, like the bridge area construction, can be of
either plastic or metal.
Plastic Endpieces Construction
• There are three general types of endpiece construction in plastic
frames (Figure 1-16).
• The most common endpiece construction is the butt type, in which
the front is straight and the temple butt is flat, and both meet at a 90-
degree angle.
• The mitre endpiece causes the frame front contact area and temple
butt to meet at a 45-degree angle. In the turn-back type, the frame
front bends around and meets the temple end to end.
Metal Endpiece Construction
• The traditional metal endpiece has a construction similar to the turn-
back endpiece of the plastic frame.
• There are now a wide variety of metal endpiece designs.
• Endpieces are also noticeable by their absence. Instead of an
endpiece, some frame fronts and temples are made as one
continuous piece
Temple Construction
• Temples also vary greatly in their
construction. In general, there are five
major categories
• 1. Skull temples bend down behind the ear and follow the contour of
the skull, resting evenly against it. The bent-down portion is narrower
at the top of the ear and widens toward the end.
• 2. Library temples usually begin with an average width at the butt and
increase in width posteriorly. They are practically straight and hold the
glasses on primarily by pressure against the side of the head. They are
also known as straight-back temples.
• 3. Convertible temples were originally designed so they could be bent
down to take on the form of skull temples, and “converted” from the
straight-back to the skull design. Because this temple is versatile and
can be made to fi t people with a variety of temple length
requirements, it is commonly used. However, it now comes already
bent down for a certain temple fi t. If the bend is in the wrong
location, the temple may be easily straightened out and then re-bent
to fi t the wearer.
• 4. Riding bow temples curve around the ear, following the crotch of
the ear where the ear and the head meet and extend to the level of
the earlobe. They are sometimes used in children’s and safety frames.

• 5. Comfort cable temples are shaped the same as riding bow temples,
but are of metal construction with the curl, or behind the ear portion,
constructed from a fl exible coiled cable.