Improvements in Dental Apparatus.
Year: 1893

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dental Apparatus.
I, ALVAN STEWART RICHMOND, of 3, Union Square, New York, United States
of America, Dentist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention 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 dental apparatus designed more especially for use in the
application or introduction of heated air or gases, either medicated or not, to the
tooth which is under treatment, for obtunding sensitive cavities in teeth in their
preparation for filling, and for similar or analogous uses.
It has for its object to improve and simplify this class of apparatus, and to
provide means whereby the heated air or gas may be readily and easily medicated
with different medicaments, or may be used without medicaments. To these ends
my invention consists in a device constructed, arranged, and having the mode of
operation, substantially as hereinafter more particularly pointed out.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a general plan view of the device embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing the valve and its connection and the
cylinder.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged view showing the tube with its heater, together with the
enclosing cylinder, and means for medicating the air or gases.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of a preferred form of valve.
The advantages of obtunding the sensitive portion of a tooth by subjecting it to a
jet of warm or hot air before being operated upon, or subjecting it to the action of
some therapeutic agent alone, or in connection with hot air or gas, are well known
to those skilled in the art and need not be recited herein, and it is the object of my
present invention to supply a device which is simple and effective and which may
be used either with the heated air or gas alone, or may be quickly and readily
adjusted and adapted for use in connection with some medicament, and in both
instances to be able to regulate and control the flow of the gas. Further to
provide means whereby an exceedingly light and highly inflammable gas be used
without danger.
In carrying out my invention, I have shown a preferred embodiment having a
tube A, which is preferably in sections a, a', the free end of one of the sections,
as a², being bent to the desired point. These sections of the tube are secured in
any desired manner to a bulb, bushing or swell B, which is preferably made of
copper, as I find that this material will receive and retain its heat and impart it to
the air a longer time, than any other substance. It will be seen that by making
the tube in sections, different forms of tube may be used, by simply removing one,
and replacing it with the form desired.
To the end of one of the sections, as a, I secure a cylinder, as C, which is
preferably of metal, and adapted to fit this cylinder is a tube D, preferably of
glass, which is adapted for the reception of the medicament, and while this
medicament may be applied in any desired way, I find it preferable to use cotton or
similar absorbent material placed within the tube, forming a loose body or packing
through which the air is forced, and it will be readily seen that by having a
number of tubes, these may be differently medicated, and any one desired can be
readily inserted into the cylinder C, according to the purposes for which the
apparatus is to be used, and if no medicament is desired, the tube D, can be removed
and the cylinder alone be used. This cylinder C, is arranged to fit into an outer
cylinder E, which is also preferably of metal, and these cylinders are provided
with a bayonet joint coupling device, in order that they may be quickly and easily

page_text: connected and disconnected. Further in order that some medicaments may be used
which are highly explosive or volatile, it is necessary that this joint should be gas
tight so that there will be no danger of igniting the gas while heating the device,
which is usually done in an alcohol lamp, and for this purpose I make the coupling
device F, with tapering parts. Thus the inner end of the cylinder E, is preferably
tapered a short distance, as shown at f, while the plug F', connected to the
cylinder C, is also tapered, and is provided with a stud or projection f¹, taking into
make the
the slot, in the cylinder E. Further to insure a tight fitting joint,
extension f, of the slot at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder. It
will thus be seen that the two cylinders can be readily connected or disconnected,
and that an air or gas tight joint can be obtained by simply rotating one or the
other of the cylinders slightly, and withdrawing it or inserting into the other as
the case may be. The plug F, preferably has an extended surface, which should
be accurately fitted to the socket in the cylinder E.
Connected to the cylinder E, is an extension or handle G, which may be of any
suitable material, preferably of non-conducting substance, and this handle is
provided with a regulating cock H, which is shown in the present instance as a
tapering plug cock H', having an opening h through it, secured in position by the
set screw h², and in order that the cock may be conveniently moved, I provide a
handle or bail I, which is held in position by the set screws h², ³, and one end of
the bail forms a bearing on the handle, by means of which the cock can be
accurately adjusted by tightening or loosening the set screw ². The cylinder E
may be connected to the handle G, in any suitable way, but preferably by screwing
the same therein. Also connected to the handle is a coupling y, one end of which
is screwed into the handle, while the other is provided with a projecting boss j, and
connected to this coupling is an elastic tube K, the other end of which is connected
to the resistance bulb L, which is preferably provided with a netting M, to prevent
undue and dangerous explosion, and connected to which is the force bulb N.
With this construction, the operation of the device will be readily understood
from what has been stated above, and it will be seen that the resistance bulb can be
filled with air and held under pressure, and its passage through the device controlled
by the valve H, which is in a convenient position to be moved by the hand of the
operator, and as it passes through the cylinders and tube, it becomes heated and
operates to remove the moisture from the tooth.
When, however, it is desired that the air shall be medicated, the inner cylinder
can quickly be removed from the outer cylinder, and a medicated tube D, placed
within the inner tube, and the parts restored to their normal condition and the joint
made gas-tight, so that if, for instance, an inflammable gas like chloroform or ether
is used as a medicament, there will be no danger of explosion from leaking gas
while the device is being applied.
The whole apparatus it will be seen is simple, convenient, compact and not liable
to get out of order, while it is capable of many and varied uses in dental operations,
and can be readily and quickly adjusted to suit these varied uses.
While I have thus described and illustrated the preferred embodiment of my
invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the details of
construction may
be varied without departing from the principles thereof, and I do
not limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim, is-
1st. A portable dental instrument of the class described, comprising a force bulb,
a resistance chamber, a tube connected to the latter, a handle provided with a
regulating valve, the cylinders detachably connected, the detachable tube for the
cylinder, and the sectional delivery tube connected to the heater, substantially as
described.
2nd. In a portable dental instrument of the class described, the combination of

page_text: the inner and outer cylinders, to one of which is connected an air pressure device
and valve, and to the other of which is connected a delivery tube, the cylinders
being united by a beveled bayonet coupling device, substantially as described.
3rd. In a dental apparatus of the class described, the combination with the outer
cylinder and the inner cylinder, of a gas tight coupling for the cylinders, and a
removable medicament holding tube arranged to fit the inner cylinder, substantially
as described.
Dated this 5th day of June 1893.
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
4, Corporation Street, Manchester, Agents to Applicant.