Improvements in Artificial Teeth.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 28th May, 1892-Accepted, 2nd July, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Artificial Teeth.
I, MAX JOHANN FERDINAND KNEIFF, of No. 18 Neue Ross Street, Berlin S,
in the Empire of Germany 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 artificial teeth and the object of the same is to provide
and lower
an improved elastic or springy connection or joint for uniting the upper
jaw portions of a set of artificial teeth, in lieu of the spiral gold springs or other
similar means heretofore generally employed for the purpose.
These springs have heretofore proved objectionable for the reason that they press
the upper and lower portions of the set against the palate and gums with too much
force, more especially in the gold mounted teeth formerly more generally employed
in which such pressure could not be dispensed with, although the same is not
required in the teeth provided with suction plates, as now more generally used.
Other objectionable features of such springs are found in the fact that, hy
reason of their hardness, they will chafe the inner sides of the cheeks, that they
will allow remnants of food to settle therein which it will be found difficult to
remove therefrom, and that they are very liable to break suddenly, thus leaving the
user in a helpless condition.
In the accompanying drawing illustrating my invention,
Figure 1 is a side elevation and
Figure 2 a plan of a set of artificial teeth provided with my improvement.
a designates the upper and 6 the lower jaw portions of the set, both of which are
united by means of what I term my improved india-rubber "muscles," the saine
consisting of two pieces of india-rubber c c having a round or any other suitable
cross section and movably connected at their respective ends with the upper and
lower jaw portions a and b of the set by means of headed pins or the like inserted
into the latter at a and b, respectively, and loosely surrounded by collars or
eyes a² and 62 provided on the ends of the joints or muscles. The latter may either
be solid or hollow, or partly solid and partly hollow the end portions being formed
with a surrounding collar or portion d of comparatively non-yielding material, such
as vulcanized rubber or the like, extending a suitable distance away from the
ends and intended for securing a straight direction of movement of the muscle
vertically and thus preventing the same from yielding or bulging out laterally
when in use.
In some cases I may, in order to increase the rigidity of the muscle at or near
the centre thereof, that is to say, at the point where it bends, also provide a similar
surrounding collar d' at that point of its length, and by varying the length of such
central collar or portion I am thus enabled to regulate the spring action of the
muscle according to the requirements of each case. It is also obvious that, instead
of attaching the ends of the muscles to the jaw portions of the set of teeth, by
means of pins and surrounding eyes, I may employ any other suitable means for
the purpose.
It will be seen that my improved india-rubber muscles are free from the
objections usually found in the spiral springs heretofore generally employed and
that they possess numerous advantages over the same. They are soft and yielding
like the fleshy portions of the mouth and, therefore not liable to chafe the latter.
Substances which are subject to decomposition cannot permeate the same or settle
therein. They may be easily cleaned by brushing, they cannot break suddenly and
may be easily replaced when losing their springing qualities in the course of time.
Moreover, they may be made thicker than the spiral gold springs heretofore

page_text: employed, without thereby interfering in a disagreeable way with the inner sides
of the cheeks and will thus make the cheeks appear rounder.
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
=
1. In a set of artificial teeth one or more joints of elastic material attached with
one end to the upper and with the other end to the lower jaw portion of the set of
teeth and means as described for permitting the said joint or joints to move in a
vertical sense, substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. In a set of artificial teeth one or more joints of elastic material provided at
their end portions with collars of comparatively non-yielding material and having
their opposite ends connected with the upper and lower jaw portions, respectively,
of the set of teeth, substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. The improved elastic joint for artificial teeth constructed and arranged
substantially as hereinbefore described and shown in the drawing.
Dhoot 1
1003
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.