Improvement on Dental Clamps.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Jan., 1895-Accepted, 30th Mar., 1895
VUMILELE OFECIFICATION.
Improvement on Dental Clamps.
I, ROBERT. RICHTER, Doctor, Dentist of Berlin in Germany, Victoria
Strasse 23, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improvement on dental clamps, intended to hold
wadding-rolls firm and in place to keep the teeth dry while filling.
This improvement consists of soft flexible metallic wire, such as platinum,
copper, etc., being soldered, riveted or in any other manner attached to the ends of
the shanks of any clamp in use (or on the market) for the purpose aforesaid.
My claim also includes curved wire hooks on each of the shanks of the clamp
for the assistance of the wire prolongment as hereafter described.
This wire prolongment is so arranged as to receive, pierce or in any other way
retain wadding-rolls for the adjustment to the teeth.
My invention affords to the operator incalculable assistance in filling teeth,
especially such as are infected at or in places where the adjustment of rubber dam
or the application of another clamp is impossible.
In the accompanying drawing, Figures 1, 2 and 3 represent some specimens of
clamps in use heretofore; Fig. 2 simply differs from 1 and 3 in that the shanks
are longer and contain more curves designed to clasp more than one tooth at the
same time; but being made entirely of steel, the shanks are to stiff and
consequently totally devoid of flexibility, which I claim for my wire prolongment
or clamp improvement.
Fig. 4 represents my improved clamp having the prolonged wire shanks, b, b, as
aforesaid in any manner attached to the ends of any ordinary clamp (as for inst.
the clamp shown in Fig. 1), and the bows or hooks, a, a, on either of the clamp-
shanks.
The wire-shanks, b, b, being bent backwards and pointed as indicated by
dots, pierce into wadding-rolls, c, c, bent back under the bows or hooks a, a, where
the same are firmly held.
My clamp can be applied to a more distant tooth and the wire prolongment will
extend far enough along the arch of the teeth, to keep the tooth requiring
treatment thoroughly dry.
In
The softness and flexibility of the wires, b, b, makes it possible to adjust the
shanks so as to suit any row of teeth or curves of the jaws, especially also in
cases of lower wisdom teeth, where, very often, on account of the raised buccal
sides of the lower jaw it is impossible to apply rubber dam or any stiff clamp.
such cases the wire shanks can be so bent as to accommodate the ascending ramus
on any side of the lower jaw before carrying the appliance to place; the wadding-
rolls can always be snugly held against the teeth and thus protect the same from
moisture.
The same effect will be attained when the wires of my improved clamp are
straight instead of being bent backwards and pierced, about from the middle of
the length of the wadding-rolls, into the same.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
invention and the manner in which the same is or may be employed, with great
success, 1 do not limit my construction simply to the act of piercing the wadding-

page_text: rolls, because the same may and can also be fastened by twisting them on the
wires. What I claim is:
1. Prolonging attachments of the shanks of any ordinary clamp, consisting of
soft, flexible metallic wire, such as copper, platinum, etc., soldered, riveted or in
any other way fastened to the ends of the said clamps, which, wire-attachments
may be straight, bent backwards or take on any other form or curve found
necessary for the purpose of holding and securing wadding-rolls, pierced or
twisted on the same, against the teeth in the mouth, to protect the latter from
moisture.
2. Curved wire hooks on either side of the shanks of any ordinary clamp,
prolonged by the attachment of flexible wire as set forth in the first claim and for
the purpose described.
Dated this 28th day of January 1805
DR. ROBERT RICHTER,
By his Agent,
F. H. Haase.