Improvements in Apparatus for Vulcanizing Dental Plates and other Rubber Articles.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Vulcanizing Dental Plates and other
Rubber Articles.
I, CHARLES ATWATER DAVIS, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe, State of New
York, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR VULCANIZING DENTAL PLATES
AND OTHER RUBBER ARTICLES" and in what manner the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus of the class employed by
dentists and others for vulcanizing dental plates and various articles of rubber, such
apparatus comprising, as essential features, an outer casing, sometimes made in a
single piece, and sometimes in sections, and constituting a support for the apparatus ;
a suitable heater within and at the base of said support; a pot or boiler of less
diameter than, and sustained within, the support, with a closed bottom located above
the heater, and having an open top to adapt it to receive the flasks containing the
rubber to be vulcanized; a lid or cover and packing for closing the boiler top;
means for forcing the cover down upon the boiler top to close it steam tight; and a
gauge to indicate the temperature within the boiler.
In such apparatus, as usually constructed, the covers have either been screwed
directly to the open tops of the boilers, or otherwise attached to or carried
thereby.
My object, mainly, is to provide a vulcanizer with the cover for the boiler connected
with and carried by a support surrounding the boiler, and to so construct and fit the
boiler within said support that it may readily be placed therein and removed there-
from, and be replaced by another without injury to or necessitating the loss of other
parts of the apparatus.
To this end, I have devised a novel organization of parts as hereinafter claimed.
In the accompanying drawings, which show a vulcanizer embodying my improve-
ments, Fig. 1, is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical central section.
Fig. 2 is a plan or top view, showing a slightly modified construction; Fig. 3 a
view in elevation thereof; Figs. 4 and 5 are views in vertical section in the planes
of the lines 4 and 5 respectively of Fig. 2 showing portions of the support and
boiler.
The casing or support A, which is shown as constructed in one piece, is male
thicker and stronger than heretofore usual, in order that it may withstand the strain
to which it is subjected by the clamping of the cover to the boiler, as further on
explained. A suitable heater is employed, as customary, to heat the open-topped pot
or boiler B, which is of a diameter sufficiently less than the internal diameter of the
support, for the greater portion of the height of the latter, to provide the usual heat
circulating space about the boiler. The boiler is adapted to be sustained within and
by the support in such manner that it may readily be placed therein and taken out
without removal of other parts of the apparatus, except such as may be contained
within the boiler; and the boiler when in place is adapted to be quickly and tightly
closed at the top by a cover and clamping mechanism wholly distinct and disconnected
from it.
The upper portion A³, of the support A, is thickened, and projects inwardly, thus
terminating the heat circulating space, and serving to sustain the boiler, which is
provided with a shoulder or flange a resting on a seat or supporting shoulder 6 of the
support.
The cover C and suitable packing c are adapted to be pressed down upon the boiler
top to close the boiler steam tight. The cover, instead of being attached to or connected
with the boiler, as heretofore, independent thereof, being connected with and
carried by the support A, A³, in manner now to be described.
_ED_027

page_text: An arched or centrally raised yoke H, with which the cover is connected, serves
to connect the cover with the upper end or portion A¹ of the support. The yoke is
adapted to swing horizontally to carry the cover over and upon and away from the
open-topped boiler, and is also adapted to be held firmly connected with the support
when the cover is in position for clamping upon and closing the boiler top. One end
of the yoke has a bearing or support f, fitted to turn on a pin d secured to the
support the other end of the yoke has a hook or open socket f, for engaging
with a pin at the side of the support opposite that to which the pivot pin for
the yoke is located. The thickening of the upper portion of the support adapts it
to have the pins d, d', secured thereto by screwing them in place, these pins being
in the form of screw bolts with heads g, g, serving to hold down the yoke. A
screw D passes through a threaded central opening of the yoke, and serves to
connect the cover with the yoke. This screw is provided at its lower end with
a ball that fits and turns in a socket of the cover, and allows the latter to adjust
itself properly upon the packing and boiler top. The ball is. held to the cover by a
divided cap k, as will readily be understood. The screw D is provided at top with
a hand-wheel 'n for turning it, and may have a hole o for the insertion of a lever to
turn it when great pressure is required. The cover provided with the usual gauge
and blow-off m.
With the yoke secured as in Fig. 1 it is only necessary to turn down the screw
with sufficient force to close the cover steam tight upon the boiler; and to inspect
or remove the boiler the screw is turned in the direction to move it upward and lift
the cover from the boiler, the yoke end f¹ is disengaged from the pin d', and the
yoke then swung around as indicated by dotted lines in the drawing, leaving the top
of the boiler entirely open and removing all obstruction to its removal.
From the above description it will be seen that when the cover is clamped in place
the boiler is confined between it and the seat provided by the support, the support
in reality constituting a part of the clamping mechanism; also that "by making the
cover and clamping mechanism distinct from and unattached to the boiler, the latter
can be taken out of the support at will, a longer or shorter boiler substituted for the
one before in use, and when a boiler is worn out or defective, another may be quickly
applied in its place without further loss or inconvenience, which obviously would
not be the case were the cover attached directly to or carried by the boiler. It will
further be seen that as the cover is attached to the horizontally swinging yoke, it
remains connected with the apparatus when swung to one side, with the gauge and
How-off maintained in their normal upright positions and not liable to injury.
The flasks E, each made in two parts which are slightly separated are placed in
the boiler in the usual way. For the purpose of holding the flasks firmly in place
and for gradually closing them as the rubber softens, I employ a stiff metallic spring r
enclosed within a telescoping casing or box G, made up of two parts p, p, one sliding
within the other. This box rests on the top of the flasks and when expanded stands
above the top of the boiler. When the cover is forced down to close the boiler steami
tight, it acts to compress the spring, thus exerting pressure on the flasks and main-
taining the rubber under constant pressure.
In the construction shown by Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 the support is thickened at
diametrically opposite points by projecting outwardly, as well as provided at top with
the inward projection which is however of less thickness than before shown. The
outward projections are provided by the columns L, L. In this way whilst the top
of the support is made of a thickness at opposite points sufficient to receive the
pins d, di, connecting the yoke with the support, it is also extended inwardly
sufficiently to form the shoulder b for sustaining the boiler and providing the heat
circulating space below this shoulder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is,
1st. The combination of the open-topped boiler provided with a fance or shoulder

page_text: the support provided with the seat upon which the shoulder rests, the cover for
closing the boiler-top, the yoke connecting with the support, and the screw connecting
the yoke and cover and serving to clamp the cover upon the boiler, substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
2nd. The combination of the open-topped boiler provided with the flange or
shoulder, the support provided with the seat upon which the shoulder of the boiler
rests, the cover for closing the boiler-top, the swinging yoke hinged to the support,
and the screw connecting the yoke and cover substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
3rd. The combination of the open-topped boiler, the support within which the
boiler rests, the cover for closing the boiler, the means for clamping down the cover,
a flask within the boiler, and the spring confined between the cover and flask and
borne upon by the cover for exerting constant pressure upon the flask when the boiler
is closed, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 4th day of March 1890.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicant.