US2175321A

US2175321A - Dental amalgam mixer

Info

Publication number: US2175321A
Application number: US247820A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jacob A Saffir
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1938-12-27
Filing date: 1938-12-27
Publication date: 1939-10-10
Anticipated expiration: 1956-10-10

Description

Oct. l0, 1939. I J. A. sAFFlR 2,175,321

DENTAI4J AMALGAM MIXER Filed Dec. 27. 1938 i gwwwf@ Patented oct. 1o, 193e UNITED STATES PATENT ori-'lcs 2,175,321 DENTAL AMALGAM MIXER Jacob A. safer, chicago, nl. Application December 27, 1938, Serial No. 247,820

3 claims. 'I'his invention relates to improvements in dental amalgam mixers.

An object of-this inventionis to provide an v amalgam mixer which is 'capable of thoroughly l and properlycombining and mixing the alloy and mercurygenerally in use by dentists for the makingof amalgam as it is employed to iill cavities in teeth.. v. l

A further ob'ject is the provision of an amallO gam mixer whose action is such that it is not likely to overtriturate the amalgam as is frequently the case in present amalgamators, over trituration being very unsatisfactory because itV has a deleterious effect on the final expansion I l of the alloy.

A still further objectbf thisinvention is to provide a means whereby the dentist can, within certain limits, regulate the amount of time he wishes tlie amalgamator to consume in mixing the amalgam. This is an important point be. cause amalgam sets rather quickly and must be used almost immediately after it is prepared; at the: same time the final steps in filling most teeth call for sterilization and complete dryness which conditions'it is usually impossible to hold for a very extended period. 'Ihe dentist, therefore, strives to have his amalgam mixed and ready as near as possible to the time that he has completed his nal toilet of the cavity. Heretofore, without an' assistant to slowly triturate the amalgam in a mortar while the dentist was working on the cavity, this was nextto impossible. With the present invention the dentist has considerable leeway for, within certain real5 sonable limits, he can adjust the speed tol consume as much or as little time as' he requires and will find the process completed just when he has completed the necessary preliminary steps.

This invention also enables the dentist to watch the action going Von in the vamalgamator; previous mechanical amalgamators having been so constructed as to render it impossible to watch the mass while it is being mixed. This visibility is 'often of the greatest importance because frequently through an oversight or miscalculation the dentist has neglected to add sufficient mercury to his mix.- ,Such a mix has to b'e discarded. With applicants device, this deciency can be remedied while the apparatus is in operation, B0 more mercury can be added very easily, and a.

usable mix result, eliminating the inconvenience' and waste occasioned by anerror which c'ould not previously be rectified. Y

'I'heatt'alnment of the above and further ob- 65 jects of the present invention will be apparent from the following specification taken in con junction with the accompanying'drawing forming a part thereof.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional"'view of an d apparatus embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional -view of just the mortar and its immediate surroundings in an apparatus showing slightly different embodiments than those in Figure' 1.

Figure 3 is a similar view to that of Figure 2, I showing still another embodiment.

Figure 4 is also a view similar to that of Figure 2 .and showing still another embodiment.

L lke parts are designated by the same characl@ ters and symbols of reference in all the figures.

` In the drawing, 5 designates a casing made of any suitable material such as Bakelite, glass,

or metals of various kinds. It may be of any desired design or configuration, the design shown 2c: in Figure 1 being conveniently illustrative.

In Figure 1J the casing 5 comprises a base, side-walls and a top. On the top there is an opening in which is set a' glass mortar E, kept in place by the retainingvmember l. is removable and when set in position for opera,- tion it is so placed that the square indentation I 5 in the bottom of the glass mortar engages .the square head I4 on the upper end of the shaft |2a coming from the motor'l2 which has a sup- .so porting member 6 which is xed to the casing.

Hinged members I3 and l3a keep the mortar from raising up and disengaging from his driving means. 'Io remove the mortar these hinged holders are opened up and the mortar can easily 35 be lifted from its positionand emptied. .ht 9

is a metallic magnetically attractable ball shown here directly above the electromagnet iii.

-'fire electromagnet is connected by means of the wires 3 and 3a to a switch outside of the casing, 4e-

which, when closed energises the magnet and creates a downward pull on the ball 9.

To operate the amalgamator, the motor i2, which is connected by means of -the wires I2C to a rheostat so that variable speeds are possible, 45 is set in motion at the desired speed. This causes the mortarto revolve with everything init,vwit,h the exception of the ball 9 which is `being attracted andheld at the closest point to the magnet.` The ball, however, although remalning at the position mentioned and not varying more than -a fraction of a centimeter from that spot does have imparted to ita roll in the direction opposite to the direction of the mortar.

It can be seen, therefore, that when alloy and The mortar 25 Vmercury are placed in the mortar, 8, and the mortar is made to rotate, the alloy and mercury will be run over by the rolling ball 9 every time and the weight of the ball and pull of the mag-.-

net which can also be made variable by reducing or increasing the current supply to the electromagnet. This factor of magnetic pull can not be varied where a permanent magnet is employed.

In Figure 2 at I6 is shown a. claw-like scraping member hinged on an adjustable post l1. This is a thin scraping device which is lowered in the mortar 8 and acts to prohibit the caking of the alloy and mercury on the bottom of the mortar. The use of this device is optional with the dentist. It is not an absolute requirement vand its chief utility is where very large quantities of alloy and mercury are to be amalgamated. In Figure 2, |a is a permanent magnet.

In Figure 3 the mortar 8 rests in a holder 'la which is mounted on an eccentric shaft I9 by means of shaft I8 from the holder 1a. When the shaft I9 is in motion the movement-of the mortar *'I is eccentric and vthe ball 9 is given a rolling motion which is very rapid and the effect of its rolling over alloy and mercury is to cause .mortar 8. In turn the ball 9 follows the magnet I0b and by its rotation and pull fromthe magnet causes the amalgamation of the alloyand mercury.

It can be seen that by similar means an electromagnet can be attached to a movable shaft and operated like the magnet illustrated in the above paragraph.

I have herein before described the preferred embodiments of this invention, but I desire it to be distinctly `understood that I am 4aware that many changes may be made therein and parts omitted without departing from the scope of my invention as defined in the subjoined claims.

Having thus fully described this invention I claim as new and desire to secure to myself by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. A device for mixing and triturating, comprising a mortar, a triturating ball loosely disposed within said mortar and being ferro-magnetically responsive, means below the bottom of said mortar for generating a magnetic field within at least a portion of the mortar interior to force said ball tightly against the bottom mortar surface, and means for obtaining relative motion between said mortar on the one hand, and said 'ball and magnetic field generating means -on the other hand, said ballv being adapted to be maintained within the generated field and roll with respect to the mortar surface and be pressed tightly against said surface-to -triturate any material withinv said mortar.

2. A device for mixing and triturating, com l priaing` amortar, a triturating ball loosely disposed within the mortar and being ferro-magnetically responsive, means below the bottom of said mortar for generating Va magnetic field within at least a portion` of the mortar interior to force said ball tightly against said mortar bottom, a scraping member depending in said mortar and normally/disposed at a region remote from 'said ball, and means for obtaining relative motion between said mortar on the one hand and said ball and magnetic eld generating means and scraper on the other hand, said ball being adapted to be maintained within the magnetic field and roll lwith respect tothe mortar surface and be tightly pressed against ysaid surface to triturate any material within said mortar,- and said scraper being adapted to break up any agglomerations of material within said mortar. v

3. The structure of claim 1, wherein the mortar travels Awith respectto the ball and magnetic fleld generating means in a circle eccentric with