AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MOULDING AND MODELLING PALATES, TEETH, AND GUMS FOR DENTAL PURPOSES
Year: 1863

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Batchelour at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th October
1863.
I, WILLIAM BATCHELOUR, of Finsbury Pavement, in the County of Middle-
sex, Doctor of Medicine, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR MOULDING AND MODELLING PALATES, TEETH,
AND GUMS FOR DENTAL PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists, firstly, of an improved tray or holder whereby gutta
percha, wax, or any other simple or compound plastic material suitable to the
purpose may be inserted into the mouth of a patient, in order to receive by
pressure thereon the form or impression of the teeth and gums suitable for the
dentist to manufacture false teeth. The tray is so constructed as to be
adjustable to different dimensions of jaws or mouths. This object is accom-
plished by forming the tray and its handle in two divisions or halves, the
handle opening and closing in a manner analogous to nippers or pliers which
have springs to open them. The handles of the tray are not controlled by
springs, but are opened or closed and set in position by the operator. The
inner side or flange of the tray to which the handles are attached works on a
central hinge, but the outer sides or flanges of the tray mould are so formed
that one flange shall overlap the other, and admit of the opening or closing of
the tray, and the maintenance of the curvilinear exterior form of the mould.
That portion of the tray which has an extension of its curvilinear flange or
side must also be formed with an extension of its base, which travels through

page_text: a slot formed by a slip of metal rivetted and soldered from the opposite handle
to the centre or hinge of the tray. So also to control or guide the extended
flange a projection or fixed or set screw is fixed on its outer edge, running in
a channel or curvilinear opening in the other flange. By these arrangements
it will be obvious that the tray may be inserted into the mouth of the patient,
and its width varied by the operator to suit the size of the mouth, after which
the patient may impress the form of the teeth and gums upon the plastic
material contained in the tray, whereby the dentist will procure an exact
mould from which to prepare a set of artificial teeth. When the handles are
closed a catch spring will fix them. The tray may be made of silver, zinc, or
other suitable material. The tray as now described is suitable for taking
moulds or impressions of the teeth and gums, but in order to render it adaptable
for including the mould of the palate, the inner flanges of the tray must be
bent over, so as to form a plate or roof, and that flange of the tray which is
extended beyond the central point must likewise have its roof or plate ex-
tended beyond the central line or division of the opposite plate.
In order to fix the tray in the required position, I propose to adjust in one
side of the handle a quadrant or segment having a male screw cut thereon;
this screw passes through and beyond the opposite half of the handle, and a
milled-edged female thumbscrew is placed on the quadrant, whereby the
opening of the handles may be accurately regulated and controlled.