American Optical History
Safety Products
American Optical's contributions in the field of Safety products include:
*
First
Safety Goggle
*
First
Heat Tempered Glass Lens (added impact resistance lens strength)
*
Invented
Calobar and Cruxite absorbtive glass
*
Fulvue
Frame (first with temples attached at the top)
*
Executive
Bifocal Safety lens
AO Safety info from 1954 letters to Arthur Keeney by George Schauweker
AO Safety firsts - 1981 summary
1925 Catalogue
AO Brattleboro Super Armorplate Lens Plant
AO's Byron Zeigler, who later started Omintech which became Gentex is shown in a 1944 Cover feature on Scientific American
1948 Sunglasses
Dave LaMarre / Wes Reed Article on AO Sunglass History (1975)
Wes Reed shown in 1943 booklet on AO Main Plant rooftop testing
materials
for outdoor weathering
Example
Spectral
Transmission
Curves of the Eye compared with Glass types - 1948
AO Polycarbonate Saftey lens - ~1983