AN IMPROVED DENTAL FORCEPS-GUARD, OR PROTECTOR, FOR THE PREVENTION OF INJURY TO THUMB AND FINGERS OF THE OPERATOR, WHILST EXTRACTING OR OTHERWISE OPERATING
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM LOMBARDI, of 4 Argyll Place Regent Street, in the County of
Middlesex Dentist, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED
DENTAL FORCEPS-GUARD, OR PROTECTOR, FOR THE PREVENTION OF INJURY TO
THUMB AND FINGERS OF THE OPERATOR, WHILST EXTRACTING OR OTHERWISE
OPERATING and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
-
:
Having found in my long practical professional experience, that, whilst operating,
the thumb especially and very often the fingers, are also exposed to be seriously
injured, I provide the forceps at its branches with a protecting blade or projecting
piece, which I call the guard, through which, according to extended series of
experiments, I have succeeded to prevent any such injury. Such injury occurs
principally in cases of sudden closing of the forceps, which is caused through the
breaking of the crown, or the root of the tooth, or through a sudden shooting out
of the tooth, or by a sudden expulsion of the tooth or the root, while pressing the
forceps home. The aforesaid guard or projecting piece or protecting blade is either
attached to one or to both branches sitting either in front or at the back or in front
and at the back of the forceps or it can also be attached to the sides or at the
inside of the branches; then crossing through a corresponding slot of the opposite
branch. It is put at the most convenient place for the thumb and fingers of the
operator. This protecting plate or projecting piece or guard is either worked
directly out of the branch or branches and thus forms entirely part of it, or it can
also be adjusted to it. The former arrangement would apply to forceps, which are
new; the latter method to the transformation of old ones into those provided with
my protector or guard. For a clear and precise understanding of the subject under
consideration I join herewith drawings and description of some of the principal
types of forceps with which I am operating and to which my guard or hand or
finger protector is most usefully applied.
Fig A, represents the front and side elevation of a pin-joint forceps for upper or
lower jaw (Upper bicuspid) with its guard or thumb or finger protector. The
guard is forged or cast or otherwise worked out from the inner side of the branch,
below the jaws, at the most convenient position for the thumb and projects inwards

page_text: ."
and downwards of sufficient length to provide the necessary protection. It passes
through the corresponding slot of the other branch; thus preventing the thumb or
fingers of the operator to be pinched or otherwise injured, between the two
branches, whilst operating.
Fig A, represents the front and side elevation of a Lower Roots forceps provided
with my guard, used for lower stumps, incissors and bicuspids.
Fig Ag represents the front elevation of an upper bicuspid pin joint forceps, but
transformed into one provided with my guard. The protecting plate, which can
be made of any suitable, material is adjusted to it on the inside of the inner
branch, below the jaws, and the corresponding slot in the outer branch is accordingly
lengthened to allow the protecting plate to pass through it.
Fig B. represents the front and side elevation of a newly made Box-joint forceps,
with prolonged box, which forms the guard. To adopt the guard to the box-joint
forceps I make the box proportionately longer, by keeping the pin or the fulcrum
at the top part of the box, close to the jaws. The box is chequered to prevent the
thumb from slipping, when pushing the blades towards the apex of the root.
Fig B, represents the front elevation of an ordinary box joint forceps, trans-
formed into one with prolonged box, forming the guard. To transform the existing
box joint forceps into one provided, with the guard, I make the inner branch
thinner, for the required distance and lengthen the sides of the box, by adjusting
an additional corresponding piece.
In the lap-joint forceps, I form the guard by making the branches project or lap
over one another for the required distance, going downwards from the pin or screw
joint. The part of the other branch laying underneath the projecting lap, forming
the guard, is made accordingly flat, to give free passage to the projecting blade or
piece, formed directly from the branches in the front and back of the forceps.
Fig O represents the front and side elevation of such a lap joint forceps, with so
formed guard.
To transform the existing lap joint forceps into one, provided with my guard,
I adjust the guard to both sides of the branches of the forceps, by cutting away
such part from the corresponding underlaying part of the branch as is necessary
for the free passage of the adjusted lap or guard.
The portion from the pin or screw joint downwards is also in both cases of the
lap joint chequered, to prevent the thumb or fingers from slipping as aforesaid, as
represented in fig C₁. In similar manner is my guard formed in the round joint
forceps, by causing the branches to lap over one another to the required distance
as represented in the front and side elevation of Fig D. whilst also the adaptation
of my guard to an existing round joint forceps can similarly and easily be carried
out as in the former cases.
Fig E represents the front and side elevation of a Right-hand Lower Molar
forceps provided with my guard.
Fig E, represents the side elevation of a Left-hand Lower Molar forceps. The
adaptation of my guards to new ones and the transformation of existing ones into
those, with my guard are similarly carried out as before described.
The guard can be made of any suitable material, according to the requirements
of the operation, and is generally chequered, in the box, round, and lap joint; but
which can be extended to any kind of joint if found necessary.
Having now particularly herein described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
'
1. The introduction of a protecting blade, or protecting plate, or a projecting
piece, as an additional part to the formation of the branches of new dental forceps
and which plate passes, either through the opposite branch of the forceps or over-
laps it, and is placed either on the inner side or outside the branches and is
situated, where, according to the requirements of the operation the thumb or
fingers of the operator must be placed while operating, hereby forming a guard

page_text: or protection against injury to thumb or fingers of the operator, as herein before
described and represented in the adjoined drawings.
2. The transformation of the branches of ordinary dental forceps into those
provided with the aforesaid guard, by means of suitable adjustement, as herein before
described and represented in the adjoined drawings.
3. The disposition, arrangement, and form of the protecting blade or plate, or
projecting piece, forming the guard and its position at such places of the branch
or branches of the dental forceps, as the different operations require, and to serve
as a protection to the thumb or fingers of the operator, as herein before described
and as represented, in the adjoined drawings.
Date:
WILLIAM LOMBARDI.