An Improved and Adjustable Spring Gag or Mouth Prop for Dentists' Use
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Oct., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 28th July, 1900-Accepted, 22nd Sept., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved and Adjustable Spring Gag or Mouth Prop for
Dentists' Use.
We, ARTHUR FRY, Dental Surgeon, and LEO PATRICK BARRY, Assistant Dental
Suigeon, both of No 402, London Road, in the City of Sheffeld, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows,-
Our invention relates to improvements in instruments used in connection
with dentistry for the purpose of gagging on proping open a patient's mouth
duning operations performed by the aid of anasthetics, and has for its object the
production of a more reliable instrument which adjusts itself to variations in
size of mouth and yet is capable of being instantaneously released and removed
by the operator
8
According to our invention we form out of flat spring steel a C shaped frame,
to one limb of which we fix a sliding joint frame, fixed by
acrew, for the purpose of acting as a fulcium f01 one end of a steel
prop hinged thereto, the said prop may be swung backward in the main fiame
to facilitate insertion into the patients mouth and so soon as the operators finger
is removed the prop falls by gravity assisted by a suitable auxilary sping and
the free sharn end engages one or more of a series of detent teeth formed or
fixed on the inner face of the second limb of the fiame thereby preventing
possibility of its being closed until desued, by sliding the joint nearer to or
further from the closed end of the spring frame the instrument may be readily
adjusted to suit any size of mouth
Near the free ends of the spring frame we attach by means of swivel pins a
pair of pads to obviate metallic contact with the patients teeth or mouth, and
thereby also obtain freedom for swinging the instrument to one or the other
side of the mouth without movement at the points of contact.
Deted the 30th day of October 1800
An improved and Adjustable Spring Gag or Mouth Prop for
Dentists' Use.
We, ARTHUR FRY, Dental Surgeon, and LFO PATRICK BARRY, Assistant Dental
Surgeon, both of No. 402, London Road, in the City of Sheffield, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
[Price 8d.1
18 to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Our invention relates to improvements in instruments used in connection
with dentistry for the purpose of gagging o. propping open a patient's mouth
during operations performed by the aid of anasthetics, and has for its object the
production of a more reliable instrument easily adjusted to variations in size
of mouth, and yet is capable of being instantaneously released and removed by
the operator
We will more particularly describe our invention by reference to the annexed
drawings wherein Fig 1, presents by side elevation a complete gag Fig 2,
18 an end view of the same, one limb of the fiame being in section. Fig. 318 a
top view of upper portion of fiame Fig 4 is a side elevation of a complete gag,
fitted with a jointed strut piece, released Fig 5, illustrates construction of
said jointed stiut piece. Like letters indicate like parts in all the figuies.
In carrying oui invention into practical effect, we form out of tempered flat
spring steel a shaped frame A, to one linib of which we fix a sliding joint
frame B, having a slotted opening into which a screw C passes for fixing B
upon A at any desired position, through the cars projecting from B, a sciew or
pin, a, is passed upon which is placed, or hinged, a steel prop 1) or D¹, the said
prop may be swung backward in the main frame until it is clear of the teeth H,
formed or fixed internally upon the lower limb of fiame A, in which position,
the fame A will partially close as shown in Fig 4, to facilitate introduction
into the patients mouth, the prop D being allowed to fall until its lower end
engages one of the teeth II, which action is assisted by a suitable auxiliary spring
as E, capable of resting against A at one end and of pressing upon D, until, if
necessary, the prop D may pass hom an oblique into a vertical position, thereby
expanding the open ends of frame A, until the pads I, forming part of the
swivelling pieces F, press firmly against the patients teeth or gums, the operator
18 thus enabled to swing the frame A out of his way, without slacking oft or
altering position in the patients mouth
For some sizes an hinged prop as D', having a rule joint at about half its
length, will be more convenient, in which case the sping E may be dispensed
with, the lower or sharp end of the prop being dropped into a tooth H, the lever
may be straightened until as in Fig 5, when it will be perfectly ugid, while
the necessary movement will, by a toggle action, also expand the inam frame A
as required
It will be perfectly clear that whenever the prop D or D¹ is removed from the
detents H, the frame A, will partially close and become removable instantane-
ously
Having now particularly described and ascertamed the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim 18.-
The method of construction and combination of parts together forming an
adjustable sping gag for dentists use, as herein described and illustrated
Dated this 27th day of July 1900
ISAAC BECK, FSPA,
Agent for the Applicants,
Haymarket Chambers, 17, Haymarket, Sheffield