Improvements in Pneumatic Pluggers for Dental Work.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 19th Sept., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pneumatic Pluggers for Dental Work.
We, ABRAN PELHAM, Dentist, and ROSWELL ROOT, Capitalist, both of
Plymouth, County of Wayne, State of Michigan, 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 pneumatic plugger for dental work, and consists of
the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth and pointed out
particularly in the claims.
The particular kind of instrument to which this invention relates, consists in a
hollow, cylindrical handle or body provided with a suitable chuck for holding the
tool, by means of which the filling of a tooth is solidified or compact within the
cavity, the cylindrical handle of the instrument having a plunger therein which
is caused to travel back and forth in said cylinder by means of an alternating air
current connected therewith, causing said plunger to reciprocate rapidly and
imparting the impact of its blow through the end of the tool to the filling in the
cavity of the tooth against which the tool is held.
The objection to the ordinary instrument of this character is, that inmediately
the alternating air current is started, the reciprocal plunger begins the operation
of striking before the tool can be placed in position upon the filling where it is
desired to deliver a blow. The vibration of the plunger renders it difficult for the
operator to place the tool carefully in position, and the continual pounding of the
plunger is annoying to the patient and conduces generally to unsatisfactory results,
besides, there are times when it is desirable to place the point of the tool upon the
filling without striking a blow, to better place the filling in position; but, with
the continual vibration of the plunger this cannot be done.
To overcome these objections and to provide a pneumatic plugger of such
construction as to place the reciprocal plunger at all times under the control of
the operator so as to cause said plunger to operate only when desired, is the object
of this invention. This object is attained by the mechanism illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, in which,-
air
Fig. 1 is a general view of my improved device, showing its connection with an
which
pump may be of any suitable construction.
Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the cylinder and exterior
housing, the plunger in said cylinder appearing in elevation.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of Fig. 2.
Referring to the letters of reference, A dosignates a cylinder having at its outer
end a suitable chuck B in which the tool C is secured. Communicating with
the opposite end of the cylinder is a tube b to which an air hose d may be
attached, and which in turn communicates with an air pump D of any suitable
construction and adapted to run at a high rate of speed.
Located within the cylinder, and filling closely the diameter thereof, is a solid
plunger E which is adapted to reciprocate longitudinally of the cylinder when
actuated by the alternating air current.
Mounted upon the exterior of the cylinder is a housing F which communicates
with said cylinder only through an aperture a formed in the wall of the cylinder
near the upper end thereof, said housing being closed oxcept at its lower end

page_text: where a vent aperture c is located which passes through a boss G formed in the
wall of said housing.
Formed in the lower end of the cylinder A are a series of vent apertures e
through which the air is alternately drawn and expelled as said plunger is caused
to reciprocate. The lower end of the plunger E is rounded, so that when lying at
the bottom, of the-cylinder it does not close. the air vents e.
With the arrangements of parts as shown, an operation of the pump D will cause
an alternating air current to pass through the air hoso d, which, being connected
with the cylinder A, will cause a reciprocal air current to pass into and out of the
cylinder through, the opening a and through the vent opening c of the housing F;
these openings being of large area, provide a free passage for the air which is
driven from the pump by the downward stroke of the piston, and afford ample
passage for the return current of air which passes backward through said openings
to supply the vacuum caused by the upward stroke of said piston. Thereforo,
while the rent opening c remains open, the operation of the pump does not move
the pluuger E within the cylinder, but, immediately said vent opening is closed,
the escape of air is cut off so that the inflowing air current will impiugo upon said
plunger and force it downward in the cylinder so that it will strike with force upon
the lower end thereof, imparting the impact of the blow to the filling of the tooth
through the tool C. A reverse of the air current will exhaust the air from said
cylinder, causing the pressure of the air upon the lower end of the plunger which
enters the cylinder through the small openings e, to drive said plunger to the
upper end of the cylinder, when a reverse current of air will again force said
plunger downward striking another blow upon the tool C and so the plunger is
caused to reciprocate by the action of the pump, which reciprocation may be made
as rapid as desired.
When in the use of the instrument it is desired to cease striking for a time, the
vent c is opened, which permits the air to pass to and from the pump through said
opening and the opening a, the plunger E remaining stationary.
The vent opening c is controlled by the finger of the operator, and is located at
such a point on the instrument as to enable tho.finger of the operator to be placed
over, or removed from said opening at will, without changing the position of the
hand, so that the tool may be used to place the filling in position in the cavity of
the tooth, and, when properly arranged, it may be solidified therein through the
operation of the plunger by closing the vent c, and at any time during the operation
of filling the tooth, the blows of the plunger may be caused to cease by simply
raising the finger from the vent opening c, making a plugger of universal utility,
and one by means of which a tooth inay be quickly and perfectly filled.
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. In a pneumatic plugger, the combination of the cylinder carrying an instrument
at one end and connected at the other end with a device for creating an alternating
current of air, the plunger in said cylinder, said cylinder having a vent oponing
at its lower end below the plunger and a vent opening at its upper end above the
plunger whereby the air current will pass in and out of the cylinder through the
upper vent aperture when said aperture is open, but will act upon and cause a
reciprocation of said plunger when said aperture is closed.
2. In a pneumatic plugger, the combination of the cylinder carrying at one end
the plugging or filling tool, and connected at the other end with an air pump for
oreating an alternating current of air, the plunger in said cylinder, said cylinder
having a vent opening at its lower end below the end of said plunger, and a
larger vent opening at its upper end adapted to be closed by the hand of the
operator.
3. In a pneumatic plugger, the combination of the cylinder, the tool attached
thereto, said cylinder communicating with a pump for supplying an alternating

page_text: air current, and having a vent opening at the lower end thereof, and a larger vent
opening at the upper end thereof, the housing embracing said opening in the
upper end of the cylinder, said housing being closed and having a vent opening
only at its lower end, and the reciprocal plunger within said cylinder.
Dated this 18th day of August 1896.
ALLISON BROS.,
Agents for the Applicants.