CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPLYING AND ATTACHING ARTIFICIAL AND NATURAL TEETH
Year: 1839

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE
RESEN
SHALL COME, 1, ILLIAM
LUKYN, of Lower Cowley House, near the City of Oxford, Dentist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-ninth day of January, in the second year of Her
reign, and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and thirty-
nine, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Lukyn, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said William Lukyn, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, and such others as I, the said William Lukyn, my executors, adminis-
.trators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times during the term of years therein mentioned, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPLYING AND ATTACHING ARTIFICIAL AND NATURAL TEETH;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging me, the said William
Lukyn, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Lukyn, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of improvements in applying and attaching artificial and
natural teeth consists, firstly, in adapting a spring or spring catch to hold or
retain artificial or natural teeth in their required situation in the mouth of the
person using such teeth, which spring catch or spring is adapted and applied
either to the artificial tooth or to the stump or fang remaining in the jaw
of the person using them, or to the metal or bone plate or frame commonly
used and applied for holding or carrying such teeth.
And, secondly, in an improved spring fastening or connection, or method of
attaching the gold plates or bone or ivory frames of artificial teeth of the
upper and under jaws together.
And in order that my Invention may be more clearly understood, I will first
describe the ordinary method of attaching engrafted or pivotted teeth to the
stump in the jaw.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 represents the ordinary method of
attaching such teeth. a is the fang or stump remaining in the jaw bone, and
b is the artificial tooth to be applied. Now in this method a gold pivot c is
nsed, which is screwed or otherwise fastened into the tooth, and a hole dis
drilled in the stump remaining in the jaw; a small quantity of fine silk is then
bound round the pivot c, which is forcibly pressed or driven up the hole d in
the fang into the position shewn in Fig. 2. Now the inconvenience arising
from this mode of proceeding is very great; sometimes considerable pain is
occasioned by the necessity there is of driving the pivot up the hole in the
fang with sufficient force to make it remain there, and it will be found that
after wearing a tooth attached in this manner some time, the hole or socket
in the fang will become enlarged and the tooth will drop out. This method
also allows disagreeable secretions to collect and become a source of annoyance,
and sometimes the fang is broken during the operation of attaching or pivotting
the tooth. Now, the object of my Invention is to avoid or prevent these
inconveniences, and in order to effect this I attach the teeth to the fangs or to s
the metal plate or bone frame in such a manner that they may be removed,
changed, or cleaned, and be again returned with facility to their proper
position. I effect this object by means of springs or spring catches or spring
fastenings, as before mentioned, which may be either fixed to the stump, the

page_text: tooth, the metal plate, or to the bone frame, as will be readily understood by:
dentists. Fig. 3 represents the simplest form of one of my spring fastenings
attached to an artificial tooth, the fang or part remaining in the jaw and the;
tooth being shewn separate; Fig. 4 represents this construction and application
of spring fastening with the tooth attached to the fang; Fig. 5 represents a
tooth attached to the fang by a double spring; Fig. 6 represents a tooth with
a spring catch fixed to it, which when passed into the socket in the fang
prevents the tooth from being removed until a small catch at the lower end of
the spring is pushed back; Fig. 6* represents another description of spring
fastening. In this Figure the fang and tooth are shewn both separate and in
connection, and although the spring is represented as being attached to the
tooth, yet it may be applied either to the fang or to a metal plate or frame.
Fig. 7 represents a tooth attached to a gold plate by a single spring similar to
the one shewn in Figures 3 and 4. It will be seen by reference to the
Drawing that in this instance the spring is fixed to the gold plate, and the
hole or socket for receiving the spring is made in the tooth. Fig. 8 is a
similar mode of attaching a tooth to a gold plate; Fig. 9 is also a mode of
attaching a tooth by means of a spring catch. In this instance the spring
bears against a small gold pin e, which is fixed in the tooth and passes through,
it, as seen in Figures 9 and 10. It must be understood that in Figures
7, 8, 9, and 10, the springs are permanently fixed by soldering to the gold
plate, but as they may be accidentally broken off, and as such an accident
might occur at some distance from any dentist's, and where it could not be very
readily repaired, I have invented a contrivance by means of which the wearer
himself can replace a spring, should any become broken or injured. Fig. 11
represents a section of a tooth attached to a gold plate by a spring catch, but
in this instance the spring catch may be removed from the plate if broken and
be replaced by.another, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 12,
which represents the different parts detached. a is the gold plate,. having a
square socket 6 formed on its under side, and the head of the spring catch c
being inserted therein, it is steadily retained in its proper position by a small
pin, which is passed through the socket and head of the spring catch for that
purpose. The person wearing the teeth may be supplied with several of these
spring catches c, so that should he accidentally break one, the broken parts
may be removed by withdrawing the pin, that is passed through the socket
and a fresh spring substituted in its place. This method of attaching or
connecting the pivot to the plate or frame may be applied to the common
pivot, as seen in Fig. 13.
In order that the second part, of, my Invention (viz.), the method. of

page_text: attaching the frames or plates of the upper and under jaw together, may be,
better understood, I will first explain the method usually pursued to effect
this object, and I will then describe my improvement.
In the ordinary method the frames or plates of the upper and lower set of
teeth are connected together by spiral or helical springs, in the manner shewn
in Fig. 14, which represents the jaws with a set of teeth in a closed position ;
Fig. 15 shews the jaws open. It will be seen that when the mouth is opened:
the springs become straightened, and it sometimes happens when the wearer
opens the mouth to an extraordinary degree, the springs will have a tendency to.
collapse and bend the wrong way, as is shewn by dots in the Drawing, when.
the mouth. is being closed again, and the set of teeth will be forced out of
their proper position. Now. I remedy this and other inconveniences that.may,
arise from the use of these springs by attaching the upper and under jaw.
together by means of nearly quiescent spiral or helical springs, which are?
attached to the jaw or bone frame by connecting pieces or small levers. Fig. 16.
represents this method of connecting the jaws, the mouth being closed; and.
Fig. 17 represents the same when the mouth is open. a, a, are the connecting:
pieces or levers referred to, which I prefer to be made of a slightly undulating:
curved form, as seen in the Drawing. The under connecting piece or lever is.
kept in its position by a small staple b, or by means of two pins, studs, or
stops. The connecting pieces or levers a, a, are attached to the bone or
metal frame in any convenient or proper way, as will be well understood by
dentists, or they may be attached to the jaw by any of my springs, spring.
catches, or spring fastenings before described, the other ends being attached:
to, the spiral or helical spring. In this adaptation of spiral or helical springs.
to connect the upper and under jaw together, it will be seen that the spring.
itself moves but slightly, the motion of the lower jaw being transferred to the
upper connecting piece or lever a, which turns upon the pivot c.
Having now described my Invention, I wish it to be understood that I do
not claim any of the parts. that have been before known and in use for
applying or attaching teeth, nor do I confine myself to the metals or substances
of which the springs. or frames may be composed; but I claim as the Inven-
tion secured to. me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent,—
Firstly, the application, adaptation, and use of springs, or spring catches, or.
spring fastenings to attach or connect artificial or natural teeth to the fang
or stump or to a metal or bone frame, as above described, and also the
method of attaching the said springs, or spring catches, or spring fastenings,
and also the common pivot to the metal frame, as described. in Figs. 11, 12,
and 13, by means of which the said springs, or spring catches, or pivots, or
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