IMPROVEMENTS IN ADJUSTABLE BRACKETS FOR USE IN DENTAL OPERATIONS, SUPPORTING READING AND WRITING DESKS AND THE LIKE, AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1873

page_text: ETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ADJUSTABLE BRACKETS FOR USE
IN DENTAL OPERATIONS, SUPPORTING READING AND WRITING DESKS AND THE
LIKE, AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES."-A communication from abroad
by James B. Morrison, of Brooklyn, New York, United States of
America
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 13th September 1873.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
5 Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ADJUSTABLE BRACKETS
FOR USE IN DENTAL OPERATIONS, SUPPORTING READING AND WRITING DESKS

page_text: one or both of which is provided with a curved slot, a locking pin, and
a sliding bar. And in the combination with the said arms of a head
block and pin, whereby the bar or the device supported by the said pin
may be revolved or swung around.
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 12th March 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, William
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-.
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors, administrators, and 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 ADJUSTABLE BRACKETS FOR USE IN DENTAL OPERATIONS,
SUPPORTING READING AND WRITING DESKS AND THE LIKE, AND FOR OTHER SIMILAR
PURPOSES," a communication to me from abroad by James B. Morrison,
of Brooklyn, New York, United States of America, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, 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,

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, 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
Drawing which form a part of this Specification:-
The object of this Invention is the production of a simple, strong, and
ornamental bracket which shall possess the capability of being swung
to the right or left of being adjusted to any required altitude, and of
being extended or lengthened.
The said Invention has reference more particularly to a bracket for
dentists' use, for holding his tools and articles in the most convenient
position while he is operating upon the teeth of a person, but it is also
useful for supporting writing and reading desks, work tables, drawing
boards and the like, and for performing the various other duties required
of movable brackets in general.
The said Invention consists in the combination with a swinging or
-stationary back plate of two supporting arms, one or both of them
provided with a curved slot through which passes a pin for locking
the said arms together, so as to cause them to remain at the required
altitude.
It also consists in providing such back plate with an outwardly
extended portion having a curved or are like slot in it for receiving the
same pin which locks the arms together, whereby much additional
strength is given to the apparatus.
It also consists in the combination with the said back plate and arms
of a sliding bar, whereby the length of the bracket may be increased or
decreased, provision being made for constructing the said sliding bar in
such a manner that it may be caused to serve as a reservoir for containing
liquid for supplying an attached wick tube, or as a duct for conveying
gas to an attached burner.
It also consists in so connecting the said sliding bar to the said
supporting arms that the bar may have in addition to its extensible
feature, the capability of being revolved or swung round to the right
or left, in which case the back plate of the bracket could be stationary
if so desired. The Drawing shews a perspective view of my Invention..

page_text: A, designates the back plate of the device, and it is provided with
trunnions a, a, which enter eyes or bearing boxes affixed to the wall or
other vertical object to which the device is to be attached, hence the
bracket is allowed to be swung around to the right or left in a well-
known manner; B, B¹, designate the supporting arms. These arms are
pivoted at their rear ends to the back plate A, and are so constructed
and arranged as to overlap each other for a suitable distance of their
length, and to accomplish this overlapping I preferably increase the
width of the arms as shown at b, b. Each arm is provided with an.aro
shaped slot c, d, cut through the said arms where they overlap each
other. The curve of the slot c of the one arm running in a reverse
direction to that of the slot d of the other arm. A binding screw or
pin C is passed through these slots for holding the arms together. In
the present instance the head of such pin is larger than the width of the
slot, so that it will overlap and bear upon the outside of the arm, and its
other end is provided with a screw thread upon which screws a thumb
nut in a well-known manner. The aforesaid back plates are provided
near their forward edges with a slot f in the form of the arc of a circle.
The point or centre from which the arc is described may be midway
between the two points at which the arms B, B', are respectively pivoted
to the back plate, or a point or centre occupied by the rivet which holds
the arm B¹ to the back plate A.
I may modify the said Invention by providing only the arm B with a
slot c, the pin being stationary or passing through a simple hole in the
arm B¹. The pin C passes through the slot f of the back plate, and
whilst this feature in no respect interferes with the up and down on
vertical motion of the arms B, B¹, by employing it I am enabled to
produce a much stronger device because I thus have an additional
support acting in fact as a brace projecting at some distance beyond the
points where the arms are pivoted to the back plate, and in such cases
it will be seen that by tightening the pin or screw c, that is to say, by
screwing its nut up against the opposite side of the slot f, the friction of
the parts will be sufficient to cause the arms to remain in either of the
two positions shown in the Drawing or in any intermediate position as
may be desired.

page_text: any given position by the friction produced by drawing the arms close
together with the pin C passing through the slots c, d, in said arms.
I will here remark that cither one of the arms B or B¹ may be pivoted
on the opposite side of the back plate, so that one arm, say B, shall be
located on the one side, and the arm B¹ on the opposite side of the back
plate; in other respects the relative position of the parts need not be
changed. And I will further remark that where most strength is
required two back plates one on each side of the rear ends of the arms
may be employed.
The forward ends of the supporting arms B, B¹, are pivoted to a
head block D; this head block is designed to receive a sliding extension
bar E. This bar as shown passes through loops at 9, 9; projecting from
the head block a pin carrying a sleeve through which the sliding bar E
passes may be inserted through the said loops; and I will remark that
when this arrangement is adopted if the said pin be round short
arms B, B¹, may be employed and the back plate may be stationary.
When as is obvious the sliding bar E instead of the bracket would be
swung around horizontally to the right or left, and whenever occasion
should require it the said sliding bar could be set angularly with respect
to the arms B, B', which is a very desirable additional function given to
the bracket as a whole. A thumbscrew m or other suitable device may
be employed for holding or locking the sliding bar E after it has been
moved backward or forward the required distance.
I have shown the said sliding bar so constructed as to answer a double
purpose. It is made tubular to serve as a reservoir which may be filled
at h with oil or spirit for supplying a wick which may be passed down
through a tube h¹ at its outer end, or as a means for conveying gas to a
burner at ³, and the tube h¹ will also serve as a pivot for steadying
a revolving tray or platform G for dentists' use. Upon the top of the
said platform the dentist can lay the tools with which he may be
operating, and the drawers k, k, from convenient receptacles for the tools
and articles which a dentist must necessarily have close at hand. The
said drawers k are preferably arranged so that they can be pushed out
from either one or two of two of the edges of the platform as will be
clearly understood by examining the Drawing.
If not desired to construct the sliding bar E so that it may serve as a
reservoir for an illuminating liquid, it may be a simple tube or solid bar

page_text: made of any material possessing the required strength, and in such case a
plain pin in place of the tube h¹ would serve as a journal around which
to turn the platform G, or as a ready means for the attachment of a.
lamp or otherwise in using this part for a kerosene lamp, I solder the
bowl of the said lamp to the outer end of the extension bar E, and fill it
ath to prevent explosion.
My Invention as herein above described produces a bracket in which
great strength coupled with lightness is combined, a bracket which is
ornamental and attractive, and cheap to manufacture, one that is easily.
adjusted to any required elevation, and held securely, one that can be
swung to any required position to the right or left, and which is
rendered extensible by the employment of the sliding bar. It will also
be seen that these brackets are useful for a great variety of purposes
other than for dentists' use, for instance, as supports for writing desks,
instrument cases, work tables, drawing boards, and boards for displaying
textile fabrics and other articles in store or shop windows and the like.
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 I claim,-
First. The combination with a swinging or stationary back plate of
supporting arms, one or both of the said arms being provided with a
curved slot through which is inserted a locking pin, whereby the altitude
of the device carried by the outer ends of the said arms may be regulated
as desired, as herein specified.
Second. The combination with the said arms of a stationary or
swinging back plate provided with the curved slot, as and for the
purposes herein specified.
Third. The combination with the said arms of the sliding bar either
tubular or solid, as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Fourth. The combination of the platform having sliding drawers with
the said sliding bar arms and back plate, as herein specified.
Fifth. The combination of the back plate either with or without the
slot, the arms, one or both, provided with a curved slot, a locking pin,
and a sliding bar arranged and operating as herein specified.

page_text: Sixth. The combination with the said arms of the head block and pin
whereby the bar or the device supported by the pin may be revolved or
swung around, as herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of March, in the 5
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
Witness,
H. J. NOONE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)