Improvements in and in the Manufacture of Artificial Palates.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in the Manufacture of Artificial Palates.
I, JOHANNES AHASUERUS ANNE SCHOONDERMARK, of Weerd, Leeuwarden,
in the Kingdom of Holland, 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 an improved method of manufacturing artificial palates,
especially of gold, to which false teeth are secured. The object of my invention
is to produce an artificial palate which will closely adhere to the upper jaw,
without the employment of air chambers or clamps, which were indispensable
hitherto.
:
My invention consists in first taking an impression of the upper jaw and the hard
palate by means of a plastic mass, in producing a negative copy of the palate by
means of electro-deposition, in making hereafter a positive copy by impressing the
negative into molten metal, in taking thereupon a solid metallic negative copy, and
in pressing finally a plate or foil of suitable material, preferably gold, between the
positive and negative copy, which thus perform the function of dies.
My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which :
Fig. 1 shows the form of holder employed for applying a plastic mass on the
palate and upper jaw.
Fig. 2 represents the same with the plastic mass upon it, after the impression has
been taken.
Fig. 3 shows the impression-mould partly filled with wax.
Fig. 4 illustrates the manner of obtaining the positive copy.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the different views.
The artificial palate is manufactured as follows according to my improved
method:
I first take the holder represented in Fig. 1, and put on the same a lump of the
mass used by dentists for taking the impression of the palate and the upper
jaw. The holder is then inserted into the mouth of the patient and the plastic mass
applied on the palate and upper jaw, so that an impression-mould of these parts is
obtained, as shown in Fig. 2. The exterior edge of this mould, up to the impression
of the jaw, is then cut away, and the mould filled with wax on one side, so that it
assumes about the shape of a cone, as will be seen in Fig. 3. This conical body is
covered with graphite on its surface by means of a brush or in any other suitable
manner, hereafter a metallic wire, preferably a copper wire, is inserted in or passed
through said body, and the latter placed in a bath of sulphate of copper, where a
galvanic deposit is formed on the same by means of an electric current, in the usual
fashion. Thus I obtain an exact metallic copy of the impression-mould. When
this copper-mould is strong enough, it is taken out of the bath, an opening is made
at the top of the mould, and through this opening the impression-mould proper and
the wax are removed. The cavity in the copper-mould is then filled with gypsum,
and the outer surface of the mould strongly coated with tin. Thereupon the
copper-mould being a negative copy of the palate is pressed rapidly into molten
type-metal contained in the mould-box shown at Fig. 4. Thus a metallic positive
copy is obtained. Hereafter the gypsum is taken out of the copper-mould, and by
casting into the latter first type-metal and then lead I obtain two additional solid
negative copies. One of these negative copies, in combination with the positive
one obtained before, is employed for producing the artificial palate. The latter
consists of a thin plate or foil of gold, though I may employ other metals or

page_text: materials, and is produced by pressing the said gold foil between the mentioned
positive and negative copies.
The article manufactured according to my improvements is of a very superior
quality, as it fits quite exactly on the palate and against the upper jaw. Thus an
artificial palate made according to my improved method will be held firmly in place
without the employment of clamps or air-chambers which were used currently
hitherto. I prefer to make the artificial palate of gold, as this material is best
suited for this particular purpose on account of its high resistance to chemical and
mechanical action. The artificial palates made of rubber, which hitherto could be
made to fit better than those made of gold, were objectionable owing to their
occasioning complaints and diseases, one of which has become known under the
name of "rubber-sore mouths." The artificial palates manufactured according to
my invention fit very exactly, and have no noxious influence upon the mouth.
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 :-
The method of manufacturing artificial palates, consisting in pressing the plate
or foil which constitutes the material for said palate, between two moulds, the
positive being obtained by forming an electro-deposit of copper on an impression-
mould taken by means of a plastic mass, and by impressing this copper-mould into
molten metal, and the negative being obtained by casting some metal into the
copper-mould, substantially and for the purpose as described.
Dated this 20th day of June 1892.
JOHANNES AHASUERUS ANNE SCHOONDERMARK,
By Geo. Thos. Hyde,
4, Moorfields, Fore Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.