AN IMPROVED INSTRUMENT FOR ENABLING DEAF PERSONS TO HEAR AND DISTINGUISH SOUNDS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Laké,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"
AN IMPROVED INSTRUMENT FOR ENABLING DEAF PERSONS TO HEAR AND
DISTINGUISH SOUNDS." A communication from abroad by Richard Silas
Rhodes, of Chicago, Illinois, United States of America, Publisher.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th August 1879.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED INSTRUMENT FOR ENABLING
DEAF PERSONS TO HEAR AND DISTINGUISH SOUNDS." [A communication from
abroad by Richard Silas Rhodes, of Chicago, Illinois, United States of America,
Publisher.]
The object of this Invention is to produce for practical use an instrument which
will receive, respond to, and communicate sound-waves to the brain or acoustic
nerves when in contact with the teeth.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a thin sheet or plate of
vulcanized or hard india-rubber commonly called vulcanite, or of metal, or other
suitable sonorous material, and subject it to a sufficient strain or tension to cause it
to respond to sound waves, or to cause sound-waves to give such plate or sheet
their own vibrations, and I provide attachments to be used therewith as hereinafter
more fully described.
The said plate may be made fan shaped or in other forms that will not affect its
vibrations. It is made thin so as to be sensitive to sound-waves and considerable
surface is desired, as the smaller it is the weaker is its effect or result. The said
plate will be found useful without straining cords, as the strain may be given to it
by pressing it upwards against the teeth, and this will be found sufficient for
ordinary conversation; but as this operation would be wearying to the wearer
under some circumstances, for instance, when at church, lectures, concerts, plays, or
the like, I have provided the plate with a handle and straining cords to hold it in
proper tension. The strain is given by placing enlargements or knots under clamp
Pmine fdI

page_text: hooks or over a pin, or the cord may be drawn down and placed in a notch, or it
may be fastened in any other substantial manner. When the plates are specially
prepared the lower or handle edge may be thickened so as to dispense with
strengthening bars, and the handle may be made an integral part of the device.
Proportions are not essential; the size which I deem best for the plate is a surface
of about eighty square inches, but for special purposes they may be made larger or
smaller. In use the best result is obtained by placing the edge of the device
against the teeth to be used in conveying the sound, instead of placing any part of
the surface against such teeth; and by such use the tones of an ordinary
conversation are distinctly conveyed by the teeth through the bones to the brain,
or acoustic nerves, so that deaf persons who have once learned to distinguish words
by sound can readily carry on conversations, and those who have never heard can
learn in time to distinguish sounds and converse.
.
The large vibrating surface of the plate on the receiving surface for sound-waves
not only intensifies the sounds to be received by the holder, but it also increases
the tones or intensifies the vibrations given out by the holder, making them
louder, and communicates them back, so that the deaf person may hear his own
words and also enables others to hear more distinctly.
In a modified construction there is an extension of the front edge of the plate,
or an attachment which may be made removable for easily communicating sound
through the molars when the incisors or front teeth are missing.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
5th February 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "AN IMPROVED INSTRUMENT FOR ENABLING
DEAF PERSONS TO HEAR AND DISTINGUISH SOUNDS." A communication from
abroad by Richard Silas Rhodes, of Chicago, Illinois, United States of America,
Publisher.
The object of this Invention is to produce for practical use an instrument which
will receive, respond to, and communicate sound-waves to the brain or acoustic
nerves when in contact with the teeth.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a thin sheet or plate of
vulcanized or hard india-rubber commonly called vulcanite, or of metal, or other
suitable sonorous material, and subject it to a sufficient strain or tension to cause it
to respond to sound waves, or to cause sound waves to give such plate or sheet
their own vibrations, and I provide attachments to be used there with as hereinafter
more fully described.
Figure 3 is an edge view showing the said device strained.
Figure 4 shews a modification of my Invention.
Figure 5 is a plan or face view of a further modification of my improved instru-
ment, and
Figure 6 is an edge view of the same.
Figure 7 is an edge view shewing the said instrument strained.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
In Figures 1, 2, and 3, a indicates the plate; b, a handle; c, a cord; d, a clamp
or hook for holding the cord when the device is strained; e, a strengthening band
or bar, and f, enlargements or knots on the straining cords.
The plate a as shewn is nearly square, but no especial form is necessary, as it
may be made fan-shaped or in other ornamental forms that will not affect its
vibrations. The said plate a is made thin so as to be sensitive to sound-waves, and
considerable surface is desired, as the smaller it is the weaker is its effect or result.
The said plate will be found useful without straining cords, as the strain may be
given to it by pressing it upwards against the teeth, and this will be found
sufficient for ordinary conversation; but as this operation would be wearying to
the user under some circumstances, as for instance, when at church, lectures,
concerts, plays, or the like, I have provided the plate with a handle and straining
cords to hold it in proper tension. The strain is given by placing the enlargements
or knots funder' the clamp-hooks or over a pin, or the cord may be drawn down
and placed in a notch, or it may be fastened in any other substantial manner.
When the plates are specially prepared the lower or handle edge may be thickened
so as to dispense with the strengthening bar e, and the handle may be made an
integral part of the device. The form shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, however is the
one that I deem best for an inexpensive device. Proportions are not essential, the
size which I deem best for the plate is a surface of about eighty square inches, but
for special purposes the plate may be made larger or smaller. In use the best
result is obtained by placing the edge of the device against the teeth to be used in
conveying the sound, instead of placing any part of the surface against such teeth ;
and by such use the tones of an ordinary conversation are distinctly conveyed by

page_text: the teeth through the bones to the brain or acoustic nerves, so that deaf persons
who have once learned to distinguish words by sound can readily carry on
conversations, and those who have never heard can learn in time to distinguish
sounds and converse. The large vibrating surface of the plate on the receiving
surface for sound-waves not only intensifies the sounds to be received by the
holder, but also increases the tones or intensifies the vibrations given out by the
holder, making them louder and communicates them back so that the deaf person
may hear his own words, and also enables others to hear more distinctly.
In the modification illustrated in Figure 4 there is an extension of the front
edge of the plate or an attachment g, which may be made removable for easily
communicating sound through the molars when the incisors or front teeth are
missing.
In Figures 5, 6, and 7, I have shewn my improved device provided with a
series of thin plates or sheets a', a², a³, instead of a single plate as herein before
'described. This device is especially applicable for the use of very deaf persons,
and for use at concerts, theatres, lectures, and the like. The said sheets or
straining plates are arranged in such a manner that there is a space between
them for the entrance of the sound-waves when the plates are strained. It will
be seen by reference to these Figures that when the plates are not strained the
outer plate a¹ is the longest, but when strained the plates a² and a³ project beyond
the plate a¹ as shewn in Figure 7, so that each plate may be in contact with a
separate tooth when in use. The outer ends of the said plates do not come in
contact with each other, suitable buttons or pieces being arranged between the
same on the cord, or otherwise, to keep the plates apart at their ends. The plates
a², as, may be formed narrower than the plate a¹ when desired, and any desired
number of such plates may be used, so that the edges of the same may be placed in
contact with any or all of the teeth of the upper jaw. If desired the straining
cords may be arranged to strain in the opposite direction to that shewn, so that the
plates.a, a³, will be bent over instead of under the plate a¹. The device may be of.
any suitable form which will not affect the vibrations injuriously, and its
dimensions may be varied.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that this Invention is based upon the discovery of the possibility of communicating
sound through the medium of the upper teeth independently of the Eustachian
tubes by means of a strained sonorous plate, which I deem preferable to any device
heretofore used for conveying intensified sounds to the broken, impaired, in-
operative, or imperfect organs of the ear, and I claim,―
First. A vibrating sonorous plate, or series of such plates strained or capable of
being strained to be responsive to sound waves, and adapted to communicate sound
by contact with the teeth, substantially as specified.
Second. The instrument consisting chiefly of the plate or plates in combination
with one or more straining cords, substantially as above set forth and for the
purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.