US748977A - Frederick h - Google Patents

Description

No. 748,977. PATENTED-JAN. 5, 1904.

' F. H. NIBS.

RUBBER DAM CLAMP. APPLICATION FILED APR. 8.1903.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES:

- IINVENTOR n4: NORRIS PETERS tn. mow-Lame WASHXNGTON. o. c.

Patented January 5,-1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK H. NIES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RUBBER-DAM CLAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 748,977, dated January 5, 1904.

Application filed April 8. 1903.

To cw'l whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, FREDERICK H. NIES, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvement-s in Rubber-Dam Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to clamping devices employed in dentistry for holding in place the rubber dam while treating a tooth or teeth, and particularly to that species of this class of devices wherein the clamp comprises two lever-like jaws-hinged together or articulated in some manner and provided with means for closing the jaw-heads about the tooth adjacent to the dam.

The object of the present invention is in part to provide the pivotally-connected levers with pivoted jaw-plates which adjust themselves to the tooth 01' teeth, in part to reversible jaw-plates pivotally mounted on the jaws, and in part to means for closing the aws.

In the accompanying drawings,which illustrate embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an instrument embodying all of the features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an under side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a form of the instrument wherein the jawplates are adjustable, but not reversible. Fig. etis an under side view of the same. Fig. 5 is a view showing the jaw-plate adapted for clamping on a single tooth. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the construc tion at the fulcrum-joint or pivot.

Referring, primarily, to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 and 1 designate jaw-levers, which are pivoted or jointed at the fulcrum-point and adapted to turn about a pivot-pin 2. These levers have a spring 3 of any kind between them in front of the fulcrum to open the jaws 4. Back of the fulcrum the jaw 1 has a prolongation 5, which is screw-threaded, and on this screw is a conical thumb-nut 6, which when the nut is driven in' on the screw bears on a short arm 7 of the lever 1 and closes the jaws 4 together. As the lovers which carry the jaws swing radially about the fulcrum-pivot they diverge, and the angle of diversion increases with the increase in the size of the tooth or Serial No. 151,619. (No model.)

teeth to be grasped by the jaws, and hence in order that the jaws may adjust themselves and maintain either parallelism or the proper angle regardless of the divergence of the levers the jaws 4 are provided each with a jawplate 8, which is pivotally attached to the jaw 4: at 9, about the middle of the length of the jaw-plate, so that the latter may rock about its pivot, and thus adjust itself to the teeth.

In the construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the jaw-plates 8 are not rotatable about their pivots, but simply rock thereon, only one edge of the plate having concave recesses 10 to fit about the teeth. In the construction of Figs. 1 and 2 the jaw-plate 8 may turn entirely around, so as to present either edge thereof to the teeth. This is advantageous for several reasons. It permits the plate to adjust itself to the teeth, as before explained, and it also permits the two edges of the plate to be shaped differently, so that two distinct forms or shapes are provided instead of one. In Fig. 2 it will benoted that the plate has in one edge two concave recesses only, while in the other edge it has three smaller recesses.

Thesejaw-plates will be made by preference of thin steel plate, and the concave recesses 10 will be or may be of different sizesfor example, the outer one the larger, so as to fit a molar, and the inner one or one nearest the fulcrum the smaller to fit an adjacent bicuspid.

Fig. 5 shows an instrument adapted for clamping on a single tooththat is, the jawplates 8 in this form have each but one recess 10. Otherwise this construction is the same in substance as that before described.

The levers or jaw-carriers are bent at y for convenience of inserting the instrument into the mouth.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-- 1. An instrument for the purpose specified, comprising two levers pivotally connected at the fulcrum, jaws on the said levers, a recessed jaw-plate pivotally mounted on the face of each jaw, at about the middle of the length of the plate, whereby it may adjust itself to the tooth clamped, and means for opening and closing said jaws.

2. An instrument for the purpose specified,

comprising two levers pivotall y connected at their fulcrum, jaws on said levers, a jawplate pivotally mounted at about the middle of its length on each of said jaws, said jawplates having a plurality of concave recesses in their edges for embracing two or more adjacent teeth, and means for opening and closing said jaws.

3. An instrument for the purpose specified, comprising two levers connected pivotally at their fulcrum, jaws on said levers, means for opening and closing said jaws, and jaw-plates 8, rotatably mounted on the respective jaws, said plates each having recesses in both of its 15 edges.

4. An instrument for the purpose specified, comprising the lovers connected at their fulcrum, one of said levers having a screwthreaded extension 5, and the other an arm 7, the conical not 6 on the extension 5, and bearing on the arm 7, the jaws on the levers, and the spring for opening said jaws.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 6th day of April, 1903, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK H. NIES.

Witnesses:

PETER A. Boss, WILLIAM J. FIRTH.

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