IMPROVEMENTS IN ARTIFICIAL PALATES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ARTIFICIAL PALATES."-A communication from
abroad by Jacob Peyer, of Berne, Switzerland, Doctor of Medicine.
Sealed the 19th January 1875, and dated the 1st December 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 1st December 1874.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ARTIFICIAL PALATES," a communi-
cation to me from abroad by Jacob Peyer, of Berne, Switzerland,
Doctor of Medicine, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to means of or appliances for compensating for
natural defects in or accidental injuries to the velum or curtain of the
palate, and consists in the employment of a peculiar arrangement of

page_text: obturator for the roof of the mouth, composed of hardened india-rubber
or vulcanite in combination with a valve or moveable portion of similar
material whereby a clear articulation is obtained, and the operation of
deglutition is effected with the same facility as if the velum or curtain
of the palate existed in its natural condition. This system of artificial
palate is applicable in all cases of injures to the velum or curtain of the
palate known under the denomination of rictus lupinus, that is to say,
whether such velum or curtain exists partially or is entirely absent.
In carrying out this Invention a piece of a suitable form and
dimensions of hardened india-rubber or vulcanite, herein-after termed
the "palate plate" is fitted in the roof of the mouth firmly against the
teeth, where it is secured by hooks composed of india-rubber, gold, or
other suitable material, such palate plate extending from the incisors to
the point at which the uvula is ordinarily situate, so as to be capable of
replacing a greater or less portion of the velum or curtain of the palate.
At the rear end of the palate plate there is provided a moveable portion
also composed of hardened indian-rubber or vulcanite, and forming a
species of valve which is designed to completely close the pharynx in
order to prevent the escape of air through the nose, and obtain a per-
fectly clear emission of sound. This valve is so arranged as to open
upwards at the time of deglutition, and close as soon as the food has
passed beneath it, and during the act of opening it also becomes shortened
or moves forward slightly into the cavity of the palate. This motion of
the valve is obtained in the following manner, viz. On the upper face
of the palate plate there is provided a hinge of gold, or platinum, or other
suitable material, to which is jointed a lever of gold or other suitable
material, which extends inside a sheath or casing composed of a similar
material to the lever and fitted within the body of the valve. This lever
is connected to the valve by means of a screw passing through a longi-
tudinal slot formed in the lever, by which means the requisite play is
obtained to admit of the to-and-fro or sliding motion of the valve, a
helical spring fitted in a groove or otherwise being provided for the
purpose of bringing the valve back into its normal position.
When the palate is entirely absent the valve is formed of three parts,
one of which placed centrally is made of an oval shape and provided
with the sheath or casing for the lever, whilst the other two parts which
are disposed laterally present the form of a uvula, and are furnished with

page_text: external flanges or rims corresponding to the shape of the sides of the
cavity of the palate in order to close the same.
The lateral portions of the valve which are jointed to the central
portion are connected together by means of a pin fitted on one portion,
and capable of sliding in a groove in the other, and also by a transverse
helical spring which tends to maintain the two portions constantly
apart.
•
When the defects or injuries are but trifling the valve is so arranged
as to exactly fill the openings or cavities, and the lateral motions are
dispensed with. In this modification it is not necessary that the
mechanical portions should be imbedded in the india-rubber (as is the
case where the injury is of greater extent), but they may be made to
project therefrom.
Nuts composed of gold or platinum are inserted in all cases wherever
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 28th May 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her.
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of December, in the year.
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the 38th
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto mc, the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I,
the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, admi-
nistrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ARTIFICIAL

page_text: PALATES,” a communication to me from abroad by Jacob Peyer, of Berne,
Switzerland, Doctor of Medicine, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
-declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say :-
The said Invention relates to means of or appliances for compensating
for natural defects in or accidental injuries to the velum or curtain of
the palate, and consists in the employment of a peculiar arrangement of
obturator for the roof of the mouth composed of hardened india-rubber
or vulcanite, in combination with a valve or movable portion of a similar
material whereby a clear articulation is obtained, and the operation of
deglutition is effected with the same facility as if the velum or curtain of
the palate existed in its natural condition. This system of artificial
palate is applicable in all cases of injuries to the velum or curtain of the
palate known under the denomination of rictus lupinus, that is to say,
whether such velum or curtain exists partially or is entirely absent.
The artificial palate consists of a plate designated, the palate plate
which is composed of hardened india-rubber and fits firmly against the
teeth where it is secured by hooks of india-rubber or gold. This palate
plate extends from the incisors to the back of the mouth, that is to say,
to the point. at which the uvula is situate in its normal condition in
such a manner as to be capable of replacing a greater or less portion of
the velum or curtain of the palate. The plate is provided at its rear end
with a moveable portion, also composed of hardened india-rubber or
vulcanite, and forming a species of valve which is destined to completely
close the pharynx in order to prevent the air from escaping by the
nostrils, and thus to render the emission of sound perfectly clear and
distinct. Moreover in order to obviate the pain and inconvenience
which might arise at the period of or during the deglutition of food of

page_text: either a liquid or solid nature, the valve is arranged in such a manner as
to open upwards and to close again immediately when the food has
passed beneath it. As also the back portion of the pharynx is narrower
in its upper part, corresponding with the cavity of the nose, the valve is so
arranged as to become shortened or contract slightly at the moment when
it opens, that is to say, at the same time that it is raised it is displaced,
moving forwards into the cavity of the palate. It is evident therefore
that with this arrangement the valve operates in exactly the same
manner as the velum or curtain of the palate in its natural condition.
This displacement of the valve is obtained by very simple mechanism
which is arranged in the following manner :-The upper surface of the
palate plate is provided with a hinge of gold or platinum to which is
jointed by means of a screw a flat lever of gold, which extends to the
interior of a species of sheath or slide composed of the same metal, and
fitted in the valve constituting the rear part of the apparatus. This sheath.
or slide has attached to its rear end a screw which is capable of traversing
or sliding along a longitudinal slot formed in the lever, by which means
the parts are connected together whilst the valve is free to move as
before-mentioned, the position of this screw and the dimensions of the
slot limit the extent of the recoil motion of the valve in such a manner
that it corresponds only with the regular working of the system.
.
A spiral spring of gold fastened by two screws, one of which is fitted
upon the hinges above mentioned, and the other upon the valve, is
employed for the purpose of causing the latter to resume its normal
position which it is to occupy, and from which it is removed in con-
sequence of the displacement produced by the act of deglutition.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a 'plan: Figure 2 is a:

page_text: further modification of apparatus constructed in accordance with this
Invention.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the obturator is
specially designed for patients in whom the uvula or a portion only of
the velum or curtain of the palate is attacked. The india-rubber palate
plate a is provided at its upper part as before mentioned with a hinge b,
having jointed thereto the lever c which enters the slide & fitted to the
india-rubber valve e, the spring of which is intended to bring back the
valve e constantly to its normal position is sunk or let into a groove
formed in the parts, so as not to meet or come in contact with the
sensitive portions of the palate, or cause them any inconvenience during
the working of the apparatus.
It is obvious that in constructing obturators on this system, every
facility is afforded for inserting teeth where they are missing as in other
systems.
In the arrangement of valve shown in Figure 7 which is more
particularly designed or adapted for patients in whom the palate is
entirely absent or defective, the apparatus consists as before of a palate
plate furnished with a valve, which in this case is composed of three
pieces, videlicet., an oval piece 9 in which the slide d is fitted and two side
pieces h, h, which present the form of a uvula as shewn in the Drawing;
the external edges of these side pieces are made to correspond exactly to
the shape of the sides of the cavity of the palate so as to close the same.
The two pieces h, h³, are hinged upon the piece 9 at 9', and united to
one another by means of a pin i carried upon the extremity of the piece
h, and capable of sliding in a slot i formed in the extremity of the piece
h', and also by means of a transverse spring; which continually tends to
maintain the pieces h, h¹, apart the one from the other. The apparatus
thus operates without causing pain to the patient by reason of the
displacement of which the parts are capable.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, the valve is
arranged in such a manner as to fill exactly the openings or cavities
which may exist in those cases in which the injuries to the palate are
only slight, and where consequently the lateral movements herein-before
described are unnecessary. The parts which constitute this apparatus
are then the same as those shewn in Figures 1, 2, and 3, only as in the
cases in which this arrangement is employed the upper part of the

page_text: palate is almost entirely wanting it is not necessary to sink or imbed
the mechanical parts in the thickness of the mass or body of india-
rubber of the palate plate a, the spring f is therefore arranged so as to
project from the palate plate, the hinge b, the lever c, the slide d, and
the valve e remaining however the same, and being placed in a manner
similar to that herein-before described with reference to Figures 1, 2,
and 3.
Whatever may
be the form and arrangements of the obturator nuts of
gold or platinum are inserted at all the parts of the piece of india-rubber,
at which fixing or uniting screws are to be placed in order to impart to
it perfect firmness at all its points of attachment and joints.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the
employment for defects in or injuries to the velum or curtain of the
palate of the peculiar artificial palate or obturator, having its rear
portion movable so as to constitute a valve which is fitted and com-
bined with the other portions in such a manner as to perform the
functions of the natural velum or curtain of the plate, and ensure a clear
articulation of the voice, the whole being arranged and operating sub-
stantially as and for the purposes herein-before described and as
illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this
my Specification set my hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day
of May One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.