Wacky Patent of the Month (June 1998): U.S. Patent 850,978

<BODY BGCOLOR="#C0C0C0"> <center><b>NOSE-SHAPER<p>IGNATIUS NATHANIEL SOARES</b><p>Patented April 23, 1907<p></center> <hr size=2> TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:<p> BE IT KNOWN THAT I, Ignatius Nathaniel Soares, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Framingham, county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful improvements in Nose- Shapers, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.<p> This invention relates to a device for shaping and bringing into normal form, so far as possible, noses more or less deformed and is more particularly designed for shaping up-turned, one-sided, or flat noses or those with distended nostrils.<p> The noses of a great many persons are slightly deformed, and therefore because of the prominence of this feature the appearance of the face is more or less disfigured. Such deformity can frequently be remedied by a gentle but continuous pressure, and it is the object of this invention to bring about this result in a way that shall be painless to the individual.<p> The essential features of the invention will appear from the accompanying description and drawings and will be more particularly defined by the appended claims.<p> The drawings represent the preferred form of the device in position upon the wearer and illustrate the details of its construction.<p> In the drawings, <A HREF="850978/fig1.htm" TARGET="myfig">Figure 1</A> represents a three-quarters view of a woman with the device in place when securing its functions. <A HREF="850978/fig2.htm" TARGET="myfig">Fig. 2</A> is a side view showing the device particularly in cross-section. <A HREF="850978/fig3.htm" TARGET="myfig">Fig. 3</A> is a plan view of the device.<p> The device is made up of a body portion. A suitable resilient material capable of being bent into a desired shape and of retaining that shape, but in a slightly-yielding manner owing to the resilient quality of the material. A thin sheet metal properly tempered is best for this purposes. Since material of this sort would be unpleasant when placed upon the nose and would unless roughened not produce the necessary friction, a lining or casing B, of soft frictional material, such as chamois skin or fabric, is provided. It is only necessary that this lining should be on the side next to the nose; but it is preferable to make it in the form of a casing inclosing the material entirely. This may be best secured by cutting out two pieces of the shape shown in the outlines of Fig. 3, placing the resilient material A between the two pieces, and stitching the parts of the casing together on the lines indicated at a b.<p> The device is preferably provided with a projecting tongue C, which when bent into position rests on the bottom of the nose and aids in holding the device in place. The lining or casing should be cut to conform to this tongue, as indicated in the drawings. This tongue acts also to press up upon the cartilage between the nostrils when desired, and so to reshape the bottom of the nose.<p> The device is held in place on the nose preferably by means of bands or tapes, D E, and these may be secured in any desirable way to the body portion gently but firmly gripping the nose on the sides and the tongue C resting against the bottom of the nose. In the case of a one-sided nose one side of the body portion will be bent more or less than the opposite side, in accordance with the fault to be remedied.<p> In positioning the device the bands are brought down behind the neck and crossed and then carried up and buckled over the forehead. The result is that a slight but steady tension is produced on the nose compressed in the body portion of the device, and the nose is thus gradually but steadily brought into normal shape.<p> It will usually be found preferable to wear the device at night, but it can be worn any time, and a continuous use will soon be found to re-form or reshape the nose into its norma lines.<p> The gentle and steady action of this device without binding and being held in place by a means which exerts a gentle tension on the nose will be found to secure the desired result in a comparatively short space of time.<p> The friction of the bands D E when holding the shaper in place is such that the shaper can frequently be adjusted to press more on one side of the nose by simply slipping the bands while fastened slightly to one side, and thus reshape a one-sided nose.<p> Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is -- <p> 1. A nose-shaper comprising a body portion consisting of a central section adapted to overlie the bridge of the nose and two integrally-formed wing portions adapted to be bent into position to press upon the two sides of the nose, an integrally-formed depending tongue portion adapted to act upon the end of the nose and a soft chamois or fabric covering for the entire shaper, the entire shaper being constructed of metal of such character as may be readily molded into any desired shape by hand and will retain such shape against all normals trains exerted during its application and suitable means for fastening the shaper in place.<p> 2. A nose-shaper comprising a body portion and an integrally-formed depending tongue portion, said tongue portion being adapted to act upon the lower end of the nose, both said portions being formed of flexible metal of such character as may be readily molded by hand and thus given any desired shape, which shape said portions will retain against normal strains exerted in the application of said shaper a soft lining secured to the surface of said shaper to prevent contact between the metal portions of the shaper and the parts being treated, and means for securing said shaper in place. <p> In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. <hr size=2> <CENTER> <A HREF="wacky/wackyold.htm"><IMG SRC="image/shared/b5.gif" WIDTH=113 HEIGHT=28 ALT="Prior page" border=0></A> <A HREF="index.htm"><IMG SRC="image/shared/b1.gif" WIDTH=113 HEIGHT=28 ALT="Home page" border=0></A> <A HREF="links.htm"><IMG SRC="image/shared/b4.gif" WIDTH=113 HEIGHT=28 ALT="Inventor Links" border=0></A> </CENTER> </BODY>