Improvements in Dental Tools.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Mar., 1896-Accepted, 9th May, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Dental Tools.
We, ANDREW JOHN BROWN, of 912 14th Street in the City of Washington,
County of Washington, and District of Columbia, United States of America,
Doctor of Dental Surgery and Inventor, and ROBERT SPAIN ANDERSON, of
West End Hotel in the City of St. Louis, State of Missouri, United States of
America, Gentleman, both citizens of the United States of America, 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 :-
This invention relates to a new and novel device adapted for attachment to the
shaft of a dental engine or other motor, and which through the operation of the
shaft imparts a reciprocating movement of greater or less rapidity and range to an
article, as for instance, a saw, suitably held in or by an actuated part.
The object of the invention is to supplant the laborious and difficult hand
operations in dentistry such as sawing, or the abrading of the teeth, by an
automatically actuated tool which will accomplish all of the results desired in a
manner much more satisfactory and expeditiously, and incidentally at a great
reduction of labor on the part of the operator, and at proportionately less
discomforture to the patient.
The nature of the invention will become clearly apparent by reference to the
following detailed description, and in connection therewith attention is called to
the accompanying drawing before referred to in which
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a dental tool embodying my invention.
Figure 2 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view.
Figure 3 is a horizontal, longitudinal sectional view.
Referring to the said drawings by letter, A denotes a metallic casing having a
perforated extension a at one end, and at the other end a bearing sleeve b in which
is journaled a spindle c, having a thrust collar c¹ keyed thereon. The exposed end
of the spindle is adapted for connection with a dental engine, not here shown, and
said end is enclosed by a cylindrical extension a' of the casing A. At the other
end of the shaft and within the casing is a cam d fixedly secured at right angles
thereto. In the other portion of the casing is pivotally secured what we term the
holder, to which is attached in practice the blade or other operating article. This
holder is preferably in the form of an arm e perforated at one end to receive a
bearing or pivot screw f, and having at the other end two projecting flanges el el
which are arranged in proximity to the cam d, referred to, in a manner and for a
purpose presently to be explained. From the arm, beyond the pivotal connection,
extend two fingers g g which are preferably bent at their ends and there provided
with any suitable means for receiving and holding an article, such for instance as
the saw blade h shown.
In the perforation of the extension a is arranged a binding screw i which
adjustably secures to said extension, a tooth clamp or holder j, slotted to receive
said screw and provided with two tooth-engaging jaws j¹ j. In order to adjust the
clamp or holder to teeth of varying sizes, the jaws are provided with set screws
which by being turned inward or outward provide a proper hold on the tooth to be
operated upon, regardless of its size or shape.
In practice the device is connected in any suitable manner with a rotative shaft
which being set in motion in turn rotates the spindle and the cam carried thereby.
The flanges el on the end of the arm a are arranged in the path of the cam, and

page_text: are thereby alternately engaged and moved. A conversion of motion is consequently
produced, the cam having a rotary motion, and the arm a vibrating motion in
approximately right lines, and this latter motion is magnified in range at the blade
by employing fingers having a length in excess of the distance between the pivotal
point of the cam and the flanged end engaged by the cam. The fingers preferably
employed have a spring or resilience sufficient to permit of the attachment and
secure connection with the blade, and this feature also permits of the curving of
the blade by pressure to or from the tooth, to obtain a cut or incision or abrasion
on curved lines. It will be understood that in operating with the device a portion
of the tooth is held by the clamp thus insuring steadiness and precision, and the
slotted end of said clamp or holder enables the operator to hold the tooth at
various distances from the line of cut, or even to steady the device by clamping a
tooth adjacent to the seat of operation. The adjustable nature of the clamp jaws
permits of the use of the device in operations on teeth of varying sizes and shapes
and thereby obviates the necessity of employing a different size device or even
clamp for each tooth.
Our device though very efficient and reliable in operation is very simple in
construction and has few parts. Moreover the means for permitting adjustment
are such as enable the operator to quickly modify the relative positions of the
parts to suit the work in band.
While we have shown and described a construction capable of carrying our
invention into effect, we do not wish it understood that we confine ourselves thereto,
as many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the
invention.
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 dental tool comprising a tooth clamp, a blade holder pivotally arranged
an operating shaft and means connecting said shaft and holder for imparting a
vibrating movement to the latter.
2. A dental tool comprising a spindle adapted for connection with a rotating
shaft and carrying a cam, a pivoted arm having a flanged end engaging the cam
and at the other end two blade holding fingers, and a tooth clamp or holder, the
jaws of which are in proximity to the ends of said fingers.
3. The combination of a mounted blade and means for vibrating same, a tooth
clamp or holder adjustable to or from said blade and provided with adjustable jaws.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1896.
ANDREW JOHN BROWN.
ROBERT SPAIN ANDERSON.