US1877690A - Dental X-ray unit - Google Patents

Description

4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 25, 192'? yF/G.

Sept. 13, 1932. RUSSELL DENTAL X-RAY UNIT Filed Feb. 25. 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 LTH L Sept. 13, 1932. RUSSELL 1,877,690

DENTAL X-RAY UNIT Filed Feb. 25. 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Sept. 13, 1932. P.' RUSSELL DENTAL X-RAY' UNIT 4 Shets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 25

@ff/w ci Y Patented Sept.` 13,v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TERCY RUSSELL, OF SWARTHMORE,- PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE `ASSIGN MENTS, TO RITTER DENTAL MANUFACTURING 'COMPANY INC., 0F BQCHESTER, NEW

`YORK, A CORPORATION F DELAWARE DENTAL X-RAY UNIT Application med February as; 1927. serial nu. 171,016.

This invention relates to dental X-ray units.

X-ray units are becoming increasingly more important in the dental field, furnishing a recognized and appreciable supplemental income for dentists who are properly equipped, despite which the use of such units in the past has been limited.

The tendency in furnishing dental operating rooms has been toward simplification and unification of equi ment, pursuant to which various items o equipment which were formerly disposed about. the room in scattered and detached relation have been concentrated and simplified-in the modern dental unit, such as is shown, for instance2 in U. S. Patent No. 1,537,140. The combining vof the several elements, as disclosed inthat patent, was valuable not only from the standpoint of eii'iciency in reducingthe number of steps and movements former necessary and because of the compactness o the whole, but also, incident to housinthe connections and instruments, the appre ensions of the patients are allayed. The removal of fear from patients is a psychological factor in the esteem and consideration that the patients feel for a dentist, and is no inconsiderable element in his success.

As X-ray units have been developed and used in the past, even in the dental field, they are bulky am1 .obtrusive, impossible to conceal when not in use; they comprise a constant mental menace to the patients who survey them in the operating room, and are also of hi h cost. As provided, even though disposer? against amore or less convenient'wall, there was a continual problem of adjustment, both of the X-ray head for direction against the desired portion of a patient and of the adjustment of the more frequently used items of equipment so as to be out of the way during X-ra Work. There was also a problem in the ispositionoof the conductors o f thel apparatus, whether supply or ground, as

, well as the conductors to the timing mechanism. The brackets andarms upon which the X-ray head was mounted involved accurate machining and the provision of a number of points of adjustment, and formed an important element in the cost of the conventional dental X-ray unit. Moreover, the construction of the brackets heretofore, necessarily caused the timing mechanism and control switch to be separate from the apparatus, only connected therewith b dangling wires, as an additional unsightly actor.

This invention contemplates that the present expensive dental X-ray unit represents largely a substantial duplication-of equipment already possessed b numbers of enterprising dentists, and t at utililzation of some, at least, of these facilities possessed by the dentist will simplify the dental X-ray unit, reduce its cost, provide a more com act c5 assembly, eliminate exposed wires, an alleviate the undue apprehensions of the patients as to this item of equipment.

Among the objects of the invention are; to provide a dental unit as a support for an X- ray unit; to provide an adjusta le support for an X-ray unit utilizing facilities already available to a dentist to provide as an article of manufacture an -ray unit arranged for removable attachment and support on a dental unit; to improve the construction of dental units; to provide a dental bracket table as a support for an X-ray unit; to provide a housing common to frequently used auxiliary dental apparatus and supplementary X-ray apparatus; to provide an X-ray unit and a support therefor in which all wiring is substantially concealed; to provide-a dental X- ray unit in which the timing mechanism is built into the bracket support; to provide a dental unit as a supportfor an X-ra unit and having a cuspidor, in which the -ray unit is grounded on the water supply for the cuspidor by concealed wiring; to provide an X-ray unit of reduced cost, of simplified construction and of reduced size; to eliminate s'uperuous apparatus in the use of X-ray units-for dental purposes; to provide means whereby X-ray units may be supported and adjusted on conventional dental apparatus;

to provide a simplified bracket support for X-ray units to reduce the size of X-ray units short, bracket, in which the timing and conthe .trol mechanism may be permanently mounted; the X-ray bracket is pivotally and removably engaged with the bracket table so as to b e adjsu'table relative thereto, but movable therewith to provide all of the necessary X- ray head adjustments in a horizontal plane, with which may be associated an adjustable dental chair to provide for relative vertical adjustments of the patient and the X-ray head.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1, represents a side elevation of an as- ;sembled dental unit, partially fragmentary as to the dental engine arm, an X-ray unit, and a dental chair, showing the X-ray head in dotted and full lines to indicate its rotative adjustment, with the head rest' of the chair in dotted and full lines to indicate vertical adjustments of the chair to accord with positions of the X-ray head.

Fig. 2, represents a top plan of anassernbled dental unit, X-ray unit and chair, showing in dotted lines several adjustments of the X-ray head relative the stationary portions of the dental unit and of the chair available by swinging the bracket table on the pedestal of the unit, and swinging the X-ray bracket on the bracket table.

Fig. 3, represents a side elevation similar to Fig. 1 in which relative vertical and horizontal adjustments of the patient and the X- ray head are indicated by dotted and full lines, as secured by horizontal adjustments of the X-ray head, and vertical and tilting adjustments of the chair. A

Fi 4:, represents a vertical section through -ray bracket socket mounted on the bracket.table and through the lower end'or` the X-ray bracket, disclosing the wiring therethrough and the insulation thereof.

Fi 5, represents a top plan of the pedestal of t e` dental unit, partially in section through the cuspidor standard, with a water suppl pipe in position therein, with awire exten ing through an opening in the pedestal to round on the water pipe.

Fig. 6, represents a section to show the detailed construction Aof the pedestal, and the disposition of the wires from the X-rayeunit.

Fig. 7, represents a section on line 7-7 of Fig. 6^, to show a detail of the attachment of the pressed metal walls of the pedestal.

Fig. 8, represents a section through a horizontal shelf. in the pedestal to show the fastending devices for the cover plates.

Fig. 9, represents a diagrammatic showing of the wiring of the X-ray head, bracket, timing mechanism, and pint of the bracket.

lAs disclosed in Patent-1,537,140, the pre= ferred form of dental unit comprises broadly a standard 10, supporting a cuspidor 11, having a water supply pipe 12. The standard 10 is mounted on an elongated base 13, on the opposite end of which the hollow pedestal 14: is supported. It is preferred to extend the base as at 15, to support a dental chair 16 of any desired construction, which is susceptible to vertical movements, has a and terminates in a conventional head rest 18. As it is desired that the transformers for the X-ray unit may be housed in the pedestal of the dental unit, the insertion thereof is facilitated by providing the pedestals with covers that can be easily removed and replaced, but which are rigid in place and not subject to covibration with apparatus in the pedestal.. To that end, as shown in Fig. 6,

the pedestal comprises a pair of side ribs 20, 35

20, and a front rib 21,-connected at their upper ends to a'flanged cast cover plate 22, and at their lower ends, to the base 13. At desired points on the side ribs, laterally extending and 7. Front and rear shells 24, with inturned flanges 25 are provided, which flanges have slots 26 arranged to register and cooperate with the pins 23 as shown. A horizontal shelf 27, arranged to receive desired apparnatus auxiliary to the apparatus of the dental unit, has flanges 28, 28, and 29, 29, the

latter two of which are connected to the side ribs 20, 20, by suitable instance, bolt 30, rigidly held to the flange by lock nuts 31 and 32. Each bolt 30 is arranged to extend through a suitable hole or opening 33 inan adjacent shell cover, and to engage the means, as by bolts for covers by the impingement of nuts 34, as will be clear.' In applying the shell covers to the pedestal the upper end of each shell is slid upwardly under the iange of the cast cover plate, in which position t e pins 23 enter the lower ends of the approprlate slots 26 of the 110 shell anges 25. The shells are then pushed toward the 'ribs and permitted to slide down until the pins 23 abut the upper ends of the slots and the holes or openings 33 register with the appropriate bolts 30, shellto slide inward on the olts until the flange faces of the shells, which are preferably covered with a vibration damper such as strips of felt, meet the rib faces. The nuts lied and the shells pulled up 120 34 are then ap into tight engagement with the ribs, with the lower edge of each shell in engagement with a flange on the base 13.

The foregoing effects a neat and compact assembly, which the insertion of such apparatus as it might be desired to house in the pedestal, not only for! those items of apparatus auxiliary to the electrical apparatus of the dental unit, such as an air compressor, motor generator, trans- 130 tiltable back 17, 75

ins 23 are mounted, as shown in Figs. 6 90 and the iianges 28, 28, carry each a 100 ermitting the 116 is readily disassembled for formers, fuse boards, etc., but also such transformers and indlcators as may be necessary for the proper functioning of the X-ray unit,

inwardly extending sockets 36 are provided,-

in which various items of dental equipment are pivotally mounted for the normal operation of the dental unit. Thus a dental engine 37, mounted on a hollow arm 38, is pivotally mounted by the insertion of the terminal pintle 40 in one of the sockets 36, as disclosed in said patent. In another socket a switchboard bracket table 4lis pivotally mounted, by means of an integral hollow arm 42, pivotally connected to a second hollow arm 43, terminating in a hollow pintle 44, the arms housing wires or conductors extending from within the pedestal to the bracket table. It is preferred that the bracket table be@ the type lmown as a switchboard bracket'table arranged with a number of contained but extensible electrical instruments, the voltage of which instruments is controlled b switches radially disposed about the table, as is now well known in the art. The X-ray unit to be described, may, however, be applied to any desired portion of the dental unit, or to an incomplete or plain bracket table, i. e. to a table without the instruments. l

There also may be other electrically actuatedl devicesassociated with the table, such as atomizer heaters. water glass heaters, radioscope, etc. (not shown). A feature of the bracket table disclosed which is of importance in the lpresent connection is that it is adjustable in all directions in a horizontal plane, and at the same time furnishes a rigid and in' iiexible su port, amplyv strong to sustain the relatively lieavy though compact X-ray unit to be described.

The attaching element interposed intermediate of the X-ray unit, and the support, obviously may assume many forms, and the specilic one disclosed is to be considered as purely illustrative. As shown in Fig.4, a longitudinally ribbed plate 47 has a hole 48 in registry with a hole 49 in the lower face of the bracket table 41, and is rigidly affixed thereto, as by means of screws 50. The outer end of the plate has a vertical socket 51, concentric with a second vertical hole 52 in the platel .between the ribs. An insulating bushin 53 extends into the socket abutting a shou der 54 therein, and a metal sleeve 55 is disposed within the insulating bushing in intimafte electrical contact with a ground conductor or wire A,lextending through a small bore 56 in the plate. A permanent axial contact 57, which may be resilient is insulatedly mounted in the hole 52, in contact with a supply conductor B. Conductors A and B extend from their ints of attachment along the lower face o 'the plate, between the ribs, which substantially conceal them, through the registering holes in the plate and bracket table, through the table, and the pivoted arms, into the edestal. From the pedestal the ground coni uctor A extends through the base to ground upon the water pipe l2. The supply conductor B is shown, in Fig. 6, as bein attached 'to the common fuse block C o the pedestal, although it may lead to such transformers or other devices as may be disposed in the pedestal, as desired.

In the preferred form, which is, the simplest and least costly, the X-ray, unit, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, comprises the X-ray head 58, containing the'X-ray tube, which'` head has a cone 60, and is rotatable' about aV horizontal pivot through trunnions 61, journalled in the ends of a yoke 62. The yoke has a shank 63 rotatable in a vertical socket 64 at the end of the horizontal portion of a hollow bracket arm 65, Which bends '65 or curves at 66 into a vertical arm 67, termina-ting in a7 pintle 68, having a shoulder 70. A contact 71 is axially disposed and insulated y in the end of the p-intle in posi-tion tcontact with the. axial contact 57 in the socket of the-.10@

enlargement 73 of the arm 67, in which it is permanently housed, as will be clear. The built-in time switch effects a compact bracket, simpliin the timing of exposures, eliminates t e dangling wires heretofor associat ed with such -Xfraypunits, and reduces the cost of the assembly; and at the same time provides the control mechanism in a position ofconvenience to the operator, in which he is shielded from the rays emanating from the head during exposures. Further it will be' noted that the X-ray unit thus described provides a compact, portable structure, comprising simply the head, the yoke, and the relative] short bracket arm.

The -ray tube is grounded to the bracketarm in which it is mounted, and rounded from the end of the bracket arm to t e water` pipe ofthe Ydental unit so that no harmful result may attach to either the operator, the

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described is readily attached or detached by the insertion of the X-ray bracket arm into or removal from the socket 51. It is readily .portable and can be removed from the bracket table whenever desired, and being relatively small and compact, it can be disposed in a convenientcloset or other receptacle, as by its insertion into a modied socket aixed to a convenient point in the receptacle, (not shown), and thus be out of sight during the normal use of the dental unit, and yet readily accessible and insertable when desired. Y

In use, it will be understood that the X-ray unit is brought from its closet, (if it is desired to remove it from the bracket table during non-use, which is not essential), and inserted vertically in the socket 5l, completinga circuit from the pedestal td the timing mechanism upon the engagement of the contacts, thenthrough the two pivots on the X-ray bracket, and the two lpivots on the bracket table arms, as Well as the tilting pivot of the X-ray head, such minute adjustmentsL of the head in a horizontal planeas may be required may quickly be made. The vertically adjustable chair in which the patient is disposed is used to effect vertical adjustments of the patient relative the X-ra head. Thus in a simple and economical orm the invention utilizes in a large measure those facilities al-I ready available to an operator and provides a compact, rigid and simple -ray unit that can be attached and detached easily and quickly'. v

If desired the X-ray bracket arm may be modified by including a vertical adjustment of the X-ray head, to suplement the vertical adjustments of the chair.

It will be understood that the X-ray bracket, and the attaching means, such as the socket, may both be provided for attachment to dental .units already in use.

I claim:

1. In a `dental X-ray unit, an X=ray head; a pivotal support therefor including a housed timing mechanism; a contact mounted in the end of the support in electrical connection with the timing mechanism. 2. As a unit in a dental X-rayapparatus, ari X-ray head; a hollow bracket arm-upon which the head is pivotally mounted, the arm l having an enlargement; a timin mechanism disposed in the enlargement 'of t e arm; and conductors connectedwiltli the timing mechanism and housed in the hollow bracke arm.

3. In a dental X-ray apparatus, in combination; a support; a socket. arranged or attachment to the support; contacts in the socket; an X-ray unit including a hollowl bracket arm provided with cooperating coiltacts and removably insertable in the socket and rotatable therein. A

4. In a dental X-ray apparatus, in combi# nation; a horizontally adjustable support; a l socket mounted thereon g; an arm having a p0rtion removably seated in the socket; an X-ray head pivotally mounted on the arm and electrically grounded thereto; a conductor leading to the head terminating in a contact in the seat portion of said arm; cooperating contacts disposed in the socket; and conductors extending from the cooperating contacts into the adjustable su port.

5. Ina dental -ray apparatus, in combination; a horizontally adjustable bracket table of-a dental unit; a vertical socket mounted thereon; a hollow arm having a vertical portion removably engageable in said socket; the vertical portion housing a timing and control mechanism and a Contact for a the head; contacts in the socket and conducf tors to the contacts leading into the bracket table to establish supply and ground conneclion between the dental unit and the X-ray ea i 6. A dental X-ray unit, comprising a support including a horizontally movable element; electric conductors concealed in the support and movable element; a bracket arm mounted removably on the lmovable element and concealing a supplemental electric conductor; an X-ray head carried by the bracket in electrical connection'with the supplementalconductor, the supplemental and one of said electric conductors being in contact upon mounting the bracket arm on the movabler element, the frame of saidbracket arm forming a .grounded return to the other of said electric conductors., and all of the wiring of the X-ray unit being substantially concealed during its use.

7. In a dental X-ray apparatus, in combination; a dental unit including a pedestal, an electrically grounded water pipe, and a bracket.table pivtally mounted on the pedestal; an X-ray unit auxiliary apparatus Vfor the unit 'housed in thepedestal; conductors extending into the pedestal from such auxiliary apparatus therein and through the `bracket `table a socketelement mounted on the table;

X-ray unit including a head containing a the tube mounted in said element; a conductor extending from the bracket table `to the X-ray head; and a ground connection from the' X-ray head inside of the pedestal grounded on said water pipe, with the whole so arranged that the electrical connectors are substantially concealed in any use of the dental unit.

48. A dental X-ray unit, comprising asupport including a horizontally movable element, an electric ground conductor extending into the support, electric conductors housed .in the support and the movable element one of which is in electrical connection with said grounded conductor; a bracket-Darm removablymo'unted on the movable element; an

X-ray head carried by the bracket arm and electrically grounded thereto; and a supplemental electrical conductor housed by the bracket arm in electrical connection with the X-ray head, the supplemental electrical conductor and one of second mentioned'conductors being in contact,` and the4 electrically grounded bracket arm being in contact with the electrical ground conductor through the other of said second mentioned electrical conductors upon mounting the bracket arm on the movable element, all of said Wires being substantially concealed during the use of the X-ray head.

In testimony whereof, I alix' my signature.

PERCY RUSSELL.

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