US3078576A

US3078576A - High speed angle handpiece

Info

Publication number: US3078576A
Application number: US777132A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hoffmeister Erich; Rohm Kurt
Original assignee: ALOIS KALTENBACH AND ERICH HOF
Current assignee: ALOIS KALTENBACH AND ERICH HOF; ALOIS KALTENBACH AND ERICH HOFFMEISTER
Priority date: 1957-11-30
Filing date: 1958-11-28
Publication date: 1963-02-26
Anticipated expiration: 1980-02-26
Also published as: FR1218475A; DE1064682B; DE1091281B; GB872007A; CH370864A

Description

Feb. 26, 1963 E. HoFFMl-:lsTER ETAL 3,078,576

HIGH SPEED ANGLE HANDPIECE Filed NOV. 28, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb- 26, 1963 E. HoFFMElsTER ETAL 3,078,576

HIGH SPEED ANGLE HANDPIECE Filed NOV. 28, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 .3jr gh, Y

Feb. 26, 1963 E. HoFFMElsTER ETAL 3,078,576

HIGH SPEED ANGLE HANDPIECE 4 Sheets-Sheet` 3 Filed Nov. 28, 1958 E. HoFFMl-:xsTl-:R ETAL 3,078,576

HIGH SPEED ANGLE HANDPIECE Feb. 26,1963

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 28. 1958 Me/'ef By, ,i, QM

3,078,576 HEGH SPEED ANGLE HANDPIECE Erich Hottmeister and Kurt Rohm, Biberach (Riss), Germany, assignors to Alois Kaltenhnch and Erich Honrneister, the responsible partners of Kaitenbach & Voigt, a kommanditgeseilschait, Biberach (Riss), Germany Filed Nov. 28, 95, Ser. No. 777,132 `Claims priority, application Germany Nov. 30, 1957 9 Claims. (Cl. Sil-27) The invention relates to ahigh-speed angle handpiece, with shank elbow if appropriate, for dental purposes, having a turbine which is driven by compressed air and is arranged in the angle handpiece head, the supply and, at least partly, also the discharge of the compressed air and the supply of Water to the forward end of the head being effected through the interior of the instrument, and a releasable coupling for the water and air supply pipes being arranged at the rear end of the instrument.

It has already been proposed for such instruments to be made in one piece, undivided, from the head down to the coupling at the rear end of the instrument. This construction of the instrument affords considerable diiculties as regards cleaning the instrument, especially if the angle handpieces are constructed with an elbow in the shank.

In order to avoid these diii'iculties, according to a further proposal the instrument has been divided transversely at some distance from the head, and at the place of division and also at the rear end of the instrument packing means are arranged for the sub-divided water and air pipes.y But this solution has the disadvantage that a complete second coupling has to be provided at the place where the instrument is divided transversely, and this makes the manufacture of the instrument more expensive.

According to the invention, it is proposed for the instrument sleeve to be divided transversely at the front and rear ends of the actual handle tube, to arrange for the water and air supply pipes to extend without a break from the head to the coupling at the rear end of the instrument and to make the part of the instrument sleeve adjoining the handle tube capable of being connected to a supporting sleeve for the pipes.

According to the invention it is further proposed that the connection of the sleeve adjoining the handle tube, to the supporting sleeve for the pipes, shall serve at the same time to provide for the centering and securing of the handle tube.

In this way, the instrument can easily be taken to pieces for cleaning purposes without any need for a second coupling for the water and air supply pipes, and also if the turbine in the angle handpiece head becomes defective, the entire head with the adjoining sleeve and water and air supply pipes extending through and within the instrument can be replaced. This replacement can easily be carried out by the dentist, and it should be noted that the manufacturing costs for the head with the adjoining sleeve and adjoining pipes are inconsiderable relatively to the cost of the turbine situated in the head.

The supporting sleeve for the pipes can, according to the invention, be arranged at the front end of the sleeve adjoining the handle tube. In this case the forward in- 'fine ternally threaded end of the sleeve adjoining the handle tube is screwed on to the pipe supporting sleeve, which is externally threaded.

The front end of the possibly bent handle tube is preferably provided with an internal cone into which a corresponding external cone on the rear end of the head sleeve engages when the individual sleeves are assembled together.

It is particularly expedient to insert the pipe supporting sleeve in the rear end of the shank elbow or for it to be constituted thereby, and to provide the sleeve adjoining the handle tube with a tubular extension which extends through the entire handle tube and whose front end is adapted to be connected to the shank elbow.

In this Way, the result is achieved that the pipes extend from the shank elbow through the entire instrument sleeve completely free down to the coupling arranged on the rear end of the instrument, so that vibrations of the pipes, which cannot be Wholly avoided owing to the very high rotational speed of the turbine situated in the head of the instrument, are not transmitted to the instrument sleeve and more particularly the handle sleeve.

In this construction of angle handpiece, it isalso proposed that the head sleeve, handle tube andadjoining sleeve be fixed relatively to one another by a locking nut which is adapted to be screwed, between the rear end of the handle tube and the front end of the sleeve adjoining the handle tube, on a screwthread of the tubular extension of the sleeve. In this way, the above-mentioned sleeves can be clamped together and taken apart very simply merely by rotating the locking nut.

Expediently, a further pipe supporting sleeve is arranged, with adequate clearance therefrom, within the front end of the sleeve adjoining the handle tube, in order in this way to tix the pipes also relatively to one another in the middle part of the instrument sleeve, without effecting a direct connection to the instrument sleeve.

It is also proposed to mount on the rear end of the head sleeve an externally conical sleeve of flexible material, eg. a synthetic plastic material or rubber, whose outer cone, when the head sleeve and handle tube are assembled together, engages in a corresponding internal cone of the iront end of the handle tube. In this way, the vibrations produced in the angle handpiece head relatively to the handle tube when the turbine is operating, are damped to a very considerable extent.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how it may be carried intoy eiect, the same will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which;

FIGURE l is a longitudinal sectional view of one form of embodiment of high-speed angle handpiece with shank elbow,

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the angle handpiece head with the adjoining Isleeve `and the water and air supply pipes,

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the handle tube,

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the sleeve adjoining the handle tube at the rear thereof,

FIGURE 5 is a cross-section through the supporting sleeve for the water and air supply pipes taken on the line V-V of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cup sleeve forming a component of the coupling which is situated at the rear end of the instrument,

FIGURE 7 is a front end view of the cup sleeve according to FIGURE 6,

FIGURE 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the angle handpiece with shank elbow, with the handpiece head and adjoining head sleeve shown in side view,

FIGURE 9 is a longitudinal sectional view ofthe angle handpiece head with adjoining head sleeve and shank elbow with the pipes for the supply of water and 'air shownin side view, p Y

FIGURE l is a section taken on the line X--X of FIGURE 9, y t

FIGURE l1 is a section taken on the line XI-XI of FIGURE9,

l FIGURE 12 isa section taken on the line XII-XII of FIGURE 9,

FIGURE 13 is a. longitudinal sectional view of the actual handle tube. l f FIGURE l4'is a longitudinal sectional view of the rear part of the instrument sleeve, v l

` FIGURE `15 is a longitudinal sectional view of the lockins hut. v

FIGURE 16 isa longitudinal sectional view of the cup sleeve forming part of the coupling situated at the `rear end of the instrument, 'and yFIGURE 17 is a f ront end view of the cup sleeve acordig toFIGURE 16. v

In the form of embodiment according'to FIGURES 1 to 1,1 is an angle handpiece head in which is arranged 'an air-driven turbine. Connected to the head is a head sleeve 2 which at its rear end is formed with an external cone 3. Anair supply pipe 4 and a waterA supply pipe 5 rearwardly out of the head. The two ends ot these pipes are xed in an insert element 27 provided in `head sleeve 2, this element itself being vconnected fast to the head sleeve. From the front end of the air supply pipe 4, therair is supplied through a bore 28 in the insert element 27 to the turbine arranged in the head of the angle handpiece. Into the end of the water supply pipe 5 there opens a small pipe 29 which extends obliqu'el'y tothe turbine axis and through which the water is supplied t'o the tool (not shown) whose shank (also Vnot shown) is adapted to be mounted in the hollow shaft of the turbine. Inserted Vin the head sleeve following the insert element 27, is a further insert element 30 which extends ds far as the bent-over forward e'nd ofthe handle sleeve and has the object of guiding the pipes 4 and 5 as far as this point. The rear ends of the pipes 4 and 5 open into a coupling which is arranged at'the rear end of the instrument, and the construction of which will be described further hereinafter. The 'supply 'of compressed'air for operating the airdr'iven turbine. in the angle handpiece head is effected through the stub pipe 6 at the rear end of the instrument, a, compressed air supply hose (not shown) being tted over the free end of the said stub pipe. The compressed air supply hose is clamped on the stub pipe 6 by means 'of a locking nut 7 which is screwed on to a thickened rear end portion of the stub pipe 6. A thickened front end portion of the stubpipe 6 is formed with a relatively wide bore 8Y which merges into the interior of the stub pipe 6A, and with a relatively narrow bore 9 in which a small pipe 10 is welded. The small pipe 10 is so bent that the free end is arranged axially in the stub pipe 6 and projects slightly out of the latter. Mounted on the end of the pipe 10 is a hose which extends through the interior of the compressed air supply hose. Water is supplied through the hose which is arranged in the interior of the compressed supply hose and which is mounted on the free end of the small pipe 10. The compressed air pipe 4Vengageswith slight clearance in the -bore 8 of the stub pipe, whereas the water pipe 5 engages with some clearance in the relatively smallb'ore 9..

Engaging over the thickened front end of the stub pipe 6, is a cup sleeve 11 having a bottom end portion 12 formed with apertures through which the pipes 4 and 5 extend. At the rear end, the cup sleeve is provided with an outwardly projecting flange 13. Arranged between the bottom 12 of the cup sleeve 11 and the rear thickened end part of the stub pipe 6 is a packing disc 14 which is also formed with apertures through which the pipes 4 and 5 extend. Upon tightening of the locking nut 15, which screws on to the rear end of the sleeve 16, an outwardly projecting ange 17 of the stub pipe 6 is pressed against the ange 13 of the cup sleeve 11 and this flange is pressed against the rear end face of the sleeve 16, at the same time compressing the packing disc 14, thus sealing the pipes 4 and 5 in the bores 8 and 9.

The pipes 4 and 5 are supported at the rear end of the handle tube 18 by a supporting sleeve 19. The sup porting sleeve 19 is provided with external screwthreading 20 on which is screwed the internal screwthreading 21 on the front end of the sleeve 16. The rear end of the handle tube 18 bears against the collar 22 at the front end of the sleeve 16, lthus centering the said handle tube at the same time relatively to the sleeve 16. v The handle tube 18 is provided at its front end with an attached elbow piece 23 which is formed with an internal cone 24 towards its free end. Upon assembly of the head'sleeve 2, handle tube 1,8 and sleeve 16 which adjoi'ns the rear of the handle tube, the outer cone 3 on the rear end of the head sleeve 2 is drawn into the inner cone 24 of the shank elbow 23 of the handle tube 18, so that the head Vsleeve and the handle tube are thereby also centered relatively to. one another.

Discharge of the compressed air used for driving the turbine takes place in known manner partly through the front and rear faces of the angle handpiece head 1 and partly rearwardly through the instrument. This portion of the discharge air issues from the rear end of the head sleeve, then ows through the handle tube 18, aperture 25 in the supporting sleeve 19, then through the sleeve 16, and finally passes out into the open air between lateral tlat portions 26 of the cup sleeve 11 and the inner wall of the sleeve V16. A A p In therorm of embodiment according to FIGURES S to 17', 31 is the angle handpiece head and 32 the head ,sleeve adjoining the angle handpiece head.

As can be seen from FIGURE 9, there is arranged in known manner within the angle handpiece head 31 a turbine which is driven by compressed air and which consists 'or the rotor 33 and turbine Vhousing 34. The rotor 33 is mounted in ball bearings 35 at the front and rear ends of the rotor shaft. Arranged within the hollow rotor shaft is a clamping sleeve 36 which is used for receiving the drill shank. Ihe clamping sleeve 36 can consist of a exible synthetic plastic material sleeve or an elastic metal sleeve. Fixed in the upper end of the head sleeve 32 adjoining the angle handpiece head 31 is an insert element 37 formed with a bore 38 which accommodates the front end of an air supply pipe 39. The insert element 37 also has a bore 40 through which air is supplied to the turbine blades of the rotor 33. Inserted in a further bore 41 of 1 the insert element 37 is the end of a Water supply pipe 42.

The water is supplied fromv the end of the supply pipe 42 through the small pipe 43 extending obliquely relatively to the axis of the head sleeve, out of the front head end on to the tool whose shank (not shown in the drawings) is inserted in the clamping sleeve 36 of the angle handpiece head.

, The

pipes

39 and 42 inserted fast in the insert element 37 extend through the shank elbow 44 undivided as far as the rear end of the instrument. A supporting sleeve 45V (FIGURE 1l) for the

pipes

38 and 42 is inserted fast in the rear end of the shank elbow 44. The supporting sleeve 4 5 for the

pipes

39 and 42 is also formed with an aperture'46 through which part of the turbine discharge air is guided to the rear end of the instrument. The

turbine discharge air passes partly by way of the ball bearings 35 through holes in the front and rear ends of the head towards the outside. Partly it is discharged rearwardly through the longitudinal groove 47 in the insert element 37 within the head sleeve 32 and the shank elbow 44 through the aperture 46 of the supporting sleeve towards the rear.

The head sleeve 32 is followed by the actual instrument sleeve. The instrument sleeve consists ofthe handle tube proper `48 (FIGURE 13) and the sleeve 49 which adjoins the handle sleeve rearwardly thereof (FIGURE 14). The forward bent-over end 5) of the handle sleeve is formed with an internal cone 51 which, after the instrument is assembled, sits on the outer cone 52a of the sleeve S2 which is arranged on the rear end of the head sleeve 32 and which is made of a exible material, e.g. a synthetic plastic material or rubber. The sleeve 49 adjoining the handle tube comprises at its front end a tubular extension 53 which extends with slight clearance through the interior of the handle tube 48. The front end of the tubular extension 53 is formed with an internal screwthread 54 which can be screwed on to the external screwthread 55 on the rear part of the shank elbow 44. Arranged between the rear end of the handle tube 453 and the front end of the sleeve 49 adjoining the handle tube is a clamping nut 56 which can be screwed on to the screwthread 57 on the rear end of the tubular extension 53.

The manner of assembling the component parts of the instrument is that first of all the clamping nut 56 mounted on the screwthread 57 of the tubular extension 53 is screwed rearwardly until abutment against the sleeve 49 is achieved. Then the handle tube 48 is fitted over the tubular extension 53 of the sleeve 49, and then these two parts are fitted over the

pipes

39 and 42 which project rearwardly out of the shank elbow, and the forward end of the tubular extension 53 is screwed on to the screwthread 55 on the rear part of the shank elbow 44.

The head sleeve, handle tube and adjoining sleeve are then xed relatively to one another in that the locking nut 56 is screwed forwardly by means of a key whose end is inserted in a radial hole 5S in the locking nut, whereby the external cone 52 on the rear end of the head sleeve 32 becomes connected fast to the internal cone 51 of the front bent-over end 5t) of the handle tube, and the rear end of the handle tube 48 at the same time abuts securely on the front end face of the locking nut 56.

Arranged within the front end of the sleeve 49, with adequate clearance with respect to the sleeve 49, is a further supporting sleeve 59 for the

pipes

39 and 42, whereby the two parts are held in a xed arrangement relatively to one another (FIGURE 12).

As in the form of embodiment according to FIGURES 1 to 7, the compressed air for working the air turbine in the angle handpiece head is supplied from the rear end of the instrument through the stub pipe 66 over whose free end is iitted the compressed air supply hose, which is not shown in the drawings. The compressed air hose is clamped fast on the stub pipe 69 by the locking nut 72 which is screwed on to the thickened rear end of the stub pipe 6d. The thickened front end of the stub pipe 60 has a relatively wide bore 62 which merges into the interior of the stub pipe 60, and a relatively narrow bore 63 in which is inserted the small pipe 64. The small pipe 64 is so bent that the free end is arranged axially in the stub pipe 66* and projects slightly out of the latter. Mounted on the free end is a hose which extends through the interior of the hose used for the supply of compressed air. Water is supplied through the hose which is arranged in the interior of the compressed air supply hose and which is mounted on the free end of the small pipe 64. The compressed air pipe 39 engages with slight clearance in the bore 62 of the stub pipe 60, whereas the small water pipe 42 engages with some clearance in' the relatively small bore 63.

Engaging over the thickened front end of the stub pipe 60 is a cup sleeve 65 (FIGURE 16), which in its bottom portion 66 is formed with apertures 67, 68 through which the

pipes

39 and 42 extend. At the rear end, the cup sleeve is provided with an outwardly projecting flange 69. Arranged between the bottom 66 of the cup sleeve 65 and the rear thickened end of the stub pipe 60 is a packing disc 76 which is also formed with apertures through which the

pipes

39 and 42 extend. Upon tightening of the locking nut 61 which screws on to the rear end of the sleeve 49, the outwardly projecting flange 69 of the stub pipe 69 is pressed against the ange 69 of the cup sleeve 65 and this flange is pressed against the rear end face of the sleeve 49, simultaneously compressing the packing disc 76, thus sealing the

pipes

39 and 42 in the apertures 62 and 63. In order that the cup sleeve cannot rotate when the locking nut is being tightened, the ange 69 of the cup sleeve is provided in the direction of the adjoining instrument sleeve 49 with a tootning 73 which engages in a corresponding toothing '74 in the rear end face of the sleeve 49.

The discharge air from the turbine, which passes through the head sleeve and the aperture 46 in the supporting sleeve 45 into the interior of the instrument sleeve, flows between the lateral flattened portions 71 of the cup sleeve 65 and the inner wall of the sleeve 49 out into the open air.

We claim:

1. In a high speed air-driven dental drill of the character wherein a contra-angle handpiece is provided with a turbine housing at one end and with means at the other end to supply motive air and water, the combination including, a head sleeve ixed to a turbine housing, second and third sleeves separably joined with each other and with said head sleeve in axially abutting relationship, conduit means for motive air and water iixed to said head sleeve and extending interiorly of the second and third sleeves for separable connection with a supply of motive air and Water, centering means for the conduit means positioned within one of said sleeves, coupling means connected with one of said sleeves and separably connecting one end of one of the sleeves in sealing engagenient with said conduit means, and locking means connected with one of said sleeves and detachably joining said three sleeves together.

2. The invention as defined in claim l, wherein said second sleeve is axially positioned between the head sleeve and the third sleeve, and said locking means is tixed to said conduit means, said locking means being engageable with said third sleeve to urge said three sleeves into said axially abutting relationship.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein said centering means is positioned adjacent the front end of the third sleeve.

4. The invention as .defined in claim 1, Iwherein said centering means comprises a cylindrical element, the exterior surface thereof being threaded, said centering means being fixed to said conduit means, said third sleeve being internally threaded for engagement with the threads of the centering means.

5. The invention as dened in claim 1, wherein said head sleeve is provided with a conically shaped end portion and said second sleeve is provided with a conically shaped socket for detachable engagement with the conically shaped end of the head sleeve.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5, wherein a conically shaped layer of resilient material is disposed between the conically shaped end portion of the head sleeve and the socket of the second sleeve.

7. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein the end of said head sleeve is provided with a cylindrical axially extending elbow portion, said centering means being positioned in engagement with said elbow, said third sleeve 3,078,576 7 being provided with a. tubular extension at one end extending through said second sleeve for detachable engagement with said elbow portion.

8. The invention as dened in claim 7, wherein said elbow portion and said third sleeve are provided with 5 inter-engaging threads, and said tubular extension of the third sleeve is Vexterioriy threaded to receive a locking nut, said locking nut being operative to abut one end of 1,7741733 the second sleeve for tightening the entire assembly. 21098517 9. The invention as defined in claim 7, wherein said 10 2,928,174

conduit means comprises at least two longitudinally extending pipes, and spacer means to transversely position said pipes with respect to each other.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Starck Sept. 2, 1930 Staunt Nov. 9, 1937 White Mar. 15, 1960

Claims

1. IN A HIGH SPEED AIR-DRIVEN DENTAL DRILL OF THE CHARACTER WHEREIN A CONTRA-ANGLE HANDPIECE IS PROVIDED WITH A TURBINE HOUSING AT ONE END AND WITH MEANS AT THE OTHER END TO SUPPLY MOTIVE AIR AND WATER, THE COMBINATION INCLUDING, A HEAD SLEEVE FIXED TO A TURBINE HOUSING, SECOND AND THIRD SLEEVES SEPARABLY JOINED WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH SAID HEAD SLEEVE IN AXIALLY ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP, CONDUIT MEANS FOR MOTIVE AIR AND WATER FIXED TO SAID HEAD SLEEVE AND EXTENDING INTERIORLY OF THE SECOND AND THIRD SLEEVE FOR SEPARABLE CONNECTION WITH A SUPPLY OF MOTIVE AIR AND WATER, CENTERING MEANS FOR THE CONDUIT MEAN POSITIONED WITHIN ONE OF SAID SLEEVES, COUPLING MEANS CONNECTED WITH ONE OF SAID SLEEVES AND SEPARABLY CONNECTING ONE END OF ONE OF THE SLEEVES IN SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID CONDUIT MEANS, AND LOCKING MEANS CONNECTED WITH ONE OF SAID SLEEVES AND DETACHABLY JOINING SAID THREE SLEEVES TOGETHER.