Improvements in the Manufacture of the Material or Composition known as "Dental Rubbers."
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left. 15th Nov.. 1890-Accepted, 24th Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of the Material or Composition
known as "Dental Rubbers."
I CHARLES SAMUEL LEADBETTER of 71 New Bridge Street Manchester in the County
of Lancaster Registered Dentist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
"
"
وو
This invention relates to the manufacture of india rubber compositions used for
dental and similar purposes and usually known as "dental rubbers" and composed of
vulcanite 66 ebonite " coralite or other similar india rubber composition the
object of the invention being to strengthen and increase the durability of such dental
rubbers.
For this purpose I propose to combine therewith in the manner hereinafter described
perforated metal plates, or metal wire woven or other wise reticulated.
The metals which I propose to employ for this purpose will be gold, platinum,
aluminium, nickel, or other precious metals or alloys such as are by their nature
consistent with the objects of dentistry, and not liable to be corroded or otherwise
injuriously affected by the acids of the mouth and which are at the same time incapable
of producing any noxious effect whatever.
"
These metal plates or pieces of woven meshed or reticulated wire I propose to coat
on both sides with the "vulcanite " ebonite or coralite (or other india rubber
composition suitable for dental purposes) in such a way that the rubber will entirely
cover both sides thereof to the required thickness, and that the coatings of the two
sides thereof will be united together by the composition passing from one side to the
other through the perforations, meshes or reticulations of the metal so that the product
will be externally the same on both sides as the "dental rubbers" now in use, but it
will be materially strengthened by the presence in the interior thereof of the perforated
metal plate or the woven or otherwise reticulated metal fabric.
The rubber or composition may be applied to the metal by compression or by
spreading or by any other known process, and may be vulcanized onto the metal or
otherwise as may be found preferable.
The purposes to which these metalised dental rubbers are applicable are for the
manufacture of frames for artificial teeth, artificial gums, palates, and for other similar
purposes connected with dentistry.
1000
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of the Material or Composition
known as "Dental Rubbers."
I, CHARLES SAMUEL LEADBETTER formerly of 71 New Bridge Street now at
61 Great Ducie Street, Strangeways, Manchester in the County of Lancaster,
Registered 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 the manufacture of the india rubber composition used for
"dental rubbers and composed
dental and similar purposes and usually known as
of "vulcanite," "ebonite" "corolite or other similar india-rubber composition the
object of the invention being to strengthen and increase the durability of such dental
rubbers or other similar india rubber compositions.

page_text: For this purpose I propose to combine therewith in the manner hereinafter
described perforated metal plates or metal wire woven or otherwise reticulated.
The metal which I propose to employ for this purpose will be gold, platinum,
aluminium, nickel or other precious metals or alloys such as are by their nature
consistent with the objects of dentistry, and not liable to be corroded or otherwise
injuriously effected by the acids of the mouth and which are at the same time
incapable of producing any noxious effect whatever.
"
These metal plates or pieces of woven, meshed or reticulated wire I propose to coat
on both sides with the "vulcanite,"
"
*"* ebonite" or corolite or other india rubber
composition suitable for dental purposes-in such a way that the rubber will entirely
cover both sides thereof to the required thickness, and that the coatings of the two
sides thereof will be united together by the composition passing from one side to the
other through the perforations, meshes or reticulations of the metal so that the product
will be externally the same on both sides as the "dental rubbers" now in use, but it
will be materially strengthened by the presence in the interior thereof of the perforated
metal plate or the woven or otherwise reticulated metal fabric.
The rubber or composition may be applied to the metal by compression or by
spreading or by any other known process, and may be vulcanised onto the metal or
otherwise as may be found preferable.
The purposes to which these metalined dental rubbers are applicable are for the
manufacture of frames for artificial teeth, artificial gums, palates and for other similar
purposes connected with dentistry.
In performing my invention I dissolve in the cold state and in a suitable shaped
vessel about three parts by weight of uncoloured or coloured manufactured dental
rubber in ten parts by weight of dissolving naptha or in oil of turpentine or in a
combination of the naptha and turpentine, say three parts of the former to one of the
latter or I dissolve the rubber in other known rubber solvents or combination of known
rubber solvents for from 12 to 24 hours, when, providing it has been well stirred at
intervals it will be ready for further use as hereinafter described. The dissolving may
be hastened by the vessel and rubber solution being heated during the process in any
suitable manner at or about boiling water temperature.
I then take pieces of manufactured dental rubber of the desired size and place them
on a suitable plate or other appliance heated to a temperature by steain or dry heat
to from 100 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit and when sufficiently softened I pass the
said pieces of rubber one by one quickly between a pair of rollers warmed, if con-
venient, by steam or hot water or by the application of a sponge or hot cloths or by
other known means until the rubber becomes as thin as ordinary writing paper.
I next take a sheet or shape of the dimensions to conform to the palate and gums
of the upper and lower jaw of woven or meshed or other wire fabric manufactured
from solid gold or platinum or other precious metal wire of the gauge required or
I take woven or meshed wire fabric manufactured from matals alloyed with gold
or platinum of the desired quality and gauge required or woven or meshed wire
fabric manufactured from metal wire inferior to gold or platinum of the desired gauge
required or woven or meshed wire fabric manufactured from metal wire alloyed with
precious metals inferior to gold or other precious metals or other similar combinations
of woven or meshed wire fabric manufactured from wire of the desired gange. Or I
take precious metal plate of the desired thickness perforated by hand or by machine
or precious metal plate alloyed with metals inferior to gold or platinum metal wire
alloyed with inferior metals or similar gold or precious metal wire or alloyed wire.
Or metals and alloyed metals manufactured into wire of the desired various thick-
ness and knitted by hand (and sometimes passed between pressure rollers to flatten
the stitches) or made into a metal fabric of the desired shape and size or similar
wire crotcheted into any shape or design or by other known processes wire as
aforesaid manufactured into a metal fabric and if desired electro-plate these fabrics
by the ordinary processes with gold, platinum or precious metals having an affinity
for vulcanised rubber. And dip into the aforesaid rubber solution (reduced by
evaporation to a thick pasty mass,) any one of the aforesaid wire woven. meshed,

page_text: knitted or crotcheted or reticulated metal fabric and then place it upon a sheet of
calico or linen to dry, or on a glass porcelain or enamelled metal slab (preferably
calico or linen covering the slabs) to dry from the cold, or the drying process may
be. hastened by heat of about 160 degrees of temperature in any suitable hoating
appliance, when dry repeat only taking off the calico or linen by soaking the said
calico or linen with water (and which if dry will readily peel off) then dip in the
solution again and again drying after each dipping until the metal fabric is
thoroughly coated on both sides and the required thickness is attained.
rubber is desired to have fancy or flesh coloured surface I finish it by dipping it
into the desired coloured dissolved rubber solution and when thoroughly dryed I
soften the surfaces by dry heat and pass it between two sheets of calico through a
pair of rollers imparting a slight pressure to give a smooth and even surface to
the metalined rubber, or I similarly take and heat a sheet or sheets of a flat
shape and thus I produce my improved dental rubbers incorporated with strengthening
material.
If the
In another modification of my invention I take a sheet or shape of the woven,
meshed or knitted or crotcheted or otherwise reticulated metal fabric as aforesaid
and having warmed it to a temperature of about 160 degrees in any suitable apparatus
I then cover both sides with a corresponding size and shape of manufactured dental
rubber as aforesaid and pass between a pair of pressure rollers and so compress the
rubber to the metal and through the reticulations until they are externally the same on
both sides. And if one or both sides is desired to be of a flesh or fancy colour I roil
ou that side a sheet of the fancy or flesh coloured rubber of the desired thickness or
the fancy or flesh coloured appearance may be produced by dipping in a corresponding
fancy coloured rubber solution as aforesaid until the desired appearance is obtained.
To "metaline" the rubber by spreading I take a sheet or shape, plain or of any
other form or forms of the average size of the upper and lower jaw of metal fabric
woven, meshed, knitted or crotcheted or otherwise reticulated as aforesaid and place it
on a suitable sized sheet or sheets of calico or linen wet with clean water and laid out
upon a glass, porcelain or enamelled metal slab of the requisite size, then spread with
a spreading brush or other similar spreading tool the aforesaid uncoloured or common
coloured or fancy or flesh coloured dissolved rubber over the laid out metal fabric
until every part thereof is completely covered, then dry it hastening the evaporation
of the solvents, if desired, by a dry heat of a temperature of about 160 degrees in
any convenient suitable appliance. When dry I wet the aforesaid calico or linen sheet
and peel it off the metalined rubber and spread it again on the reverse side repeating
the process on one and then on the other side until the desired thickness is reached,
other forms than flats being blocked in the usual manner, or I employ any other
known processes of spreading rubber for the purpose of my invention.
It will be apparent that any uncoloured or common coloured metalined rubber may
in accordance with my invention be enriched with a fancy or a flesh coloured rubber at
any time by spreading on one or both sides the fancy or flesh coloured rubber, or one
side fancy coloured and the other side flesh coloured rubber, and if a smooth finish is
desired this is effected by passing the product between two sheets of linen or glazed
calico and between rollers as aforesaid and other than flat shapes on a block.
The metalined rubbers so produced as aforesaid may be made up to the ordinary
sized dental rubber and be boxed and labelled in a similar manner and may also be
made up in shapes to suit the average sizes of the upper and lower jaws of the
human mouth.
I wish it to be understood that I am aware that gold and platinum wire gauze or
woven wire made from gold and platinum has hitherto been used for dental purposes
and also that perforated metal is also used for dental purposes and also that strengtheners
of other metals are sold to strengthen artificial dental plates made from rubber, but
these form no part of my invention as they are only applied to a part of the
surface and simply to enhance the appearance but being liable to spring when in
use and under repair are liable to injure the work.

page_text: Having thus 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. The improved manufacture of the material or composition known as dental
rubbers substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In the manufacture of dental rubbers the combination therewith of perforated
metal plate, or wire, woven, meshed, knitted crotcheted or otherwise reticulated and
formed as a metal fabric for strengthening and increasing the durability of the said
dental rubber substantially as herein before described.
3. The improved metalined rubber coated with dental rubber and of the desired
shapes and sizes to suit the average shape or form of the guius and palates of the
human mouth substantially as herein before set forth.
Dated this 13th day of November 1890.
CHARLES SAMUEL LEADBETTER.