Improvements in Holders for Rubber Dams used in Dentistry.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Aug., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 28th May, 1897-Accepted, 3rd July, 1897.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Holders for Rubber Dams used in Dentistry.
We, LAWRENCE READ, Chairman of The Dental Manufacturing Company, Limited,
of 6 Lexington Street, Golden Square in the County of Middlesex and GEORGE
SAMUEL BONNALIE, Dental Surgeon, of 4 Abbey Square in the City of Chester, do
hereby declare the nature of our Invention to be as follows :-
What are known as "rubber dams" are used in dentistry to prevent the saliva of
the mouth from reaching the tooth or teeth under operation. The "rubber dam"
consists of a thin sheet of indiarubber having a small hole or teeth in it through which
the tooth or teeth are passed the edges of the sheet being brought outside the mouth
and there held by clips or other devices.
The holder forming the subject of the present invention cousists of a pair of levers
hinged together like tongs. One arm of each of these levers is curved outwards and
its end is rounded whilst the other arm is straight. When about to be used the
two rounded ends are brought as near together as the curved form of the arms
admits and the rubber is held on to them, they are then separated by pressing the
straight arins together so stretching the rubber the tension causing the rubber
to curl around the ends and so be firmly held. A loop free to slide on the straight
arms is then pushed to their ends which are thereby held together. At the end
of one of the straight arms is a ring to which one end of an elastic band is fixed its
other end being similarly fixed to another holder. When in use the band passes
round the back of the head the holders at its ends being one on each side of the
mouth.
In order to prevent the rubber from covering the tooth an arm is provided to
press against the rubber and hold it away from the teeth its end being suitably
curved or shaped for this purpose. The other end of this arm is passed through
the loop of one of the holders and abuts against the ring to which the elastic
is fixed. A lug is also provided on the arm which abuts against the hinge the
pressure of the rubber preventing this lug from rising over the hinge so that the
arm cannot come forward out of place.
LAWRENCE READ.
G. S. BONNALIE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Holders for Rubber Dams used in Dentistry.
We, LAWRENCE READ, Chairman of The Dental Manufacturing Company Limited,
of 6 Lexington Street, Golden Square, in the County of Middlesex, and GEORGE
SAMUEL BONNALIE, Dental Surgeon, of 4 Abbey Square, in the City of Chester, 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 state-
ment :-
What are known as "rubber dams" are used in dentistry to prevent the saliva of

page_text: the mouth from reaching the tooth or teeth under operation. The "rubber dam
consists of a thin sheet of indiarubber having a small hole or holes in it through
which the tooth or teeth are passed the edges of the sheet being brought outside
the mouth and there held by clips or other devices,
Figure 1 is a front view of a pair of holders forming the subject of the present
invention. Each holder consists of a pair of levers a a hinged together at b like
tongs. One arm of each of these levers is curved outwards whilst the other arm
is straight. The ends of the curved arms are rounded and may be in the forin of
discs or balls and are preferably milled or roughened to enable them to get a good
grip of the rubber. When about to be used the two rounded ends are brought
as near together as the curved form of the arins adınits to the position shown by dotted
lines and the rubber is held on to them, they are then separated by pressing the
straight arms together so stretching the rubber the tension causing the rubber to
curl around the ends and so be firmly held. A loop c free to slide on the straight
arms is then pushed to their ends which are thereby held together. At the end
of one of the straight arms a is a ring d to which one end of an elastic band e is
fixed its other end being similarly fixed to another holder. When in use the band
passes round the back of the head the holders at its ends being one on each side of
the mouth.
In order to prevent the rubber from covering the tooth an arm is provided to
press against the rubber and hold it away from the teeth its end being suitably curved
or shaped for this purpose. The other end of this arm is passed through the loop of
one of the holders and abuts against the ring to which the elastic is fixed. Figure 2
is a view of this arm detached from the holder and Figure 3 shows the arm in position
in the holder. A lug is also provided on the arm which abuts against the hinge
the pressure of the rubber preventing this lug from rising over the hinge so that the
arm cannot como forward out of place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim
is :-
1. A holder for rubber dams consisting of a pair of levers hinged together sub-
stantially as described.
2. Holders for rubber dams consisting of a pair of hinged levers with a loop sliding
upon them substantially as described.
3. The curved armadapted to hold the rubber in position and itself kept in
position on the holder by the tension of the rubber substantially as described.
4. Holders substantially as described and shown in the drawings.
Dated this 27th day of May 1897
LAWRENCE READ.
G. S. BONNALIE.