US801841A - Mouth-prop. - Google Patents

Description

No. 801,841. PATENTED 0GT.17,1905. J.B.BESANT.

MOUTH PROP.

APPLICATION mum JAN. 5. 1905.

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TINITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH B. BESANT, OF SARANAO LAKE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO ALFRED L. DONALDSON, OF SARANAC LAKE, NEW YORK.

MOUTH-PROP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

Application filed January 5, 1905. Serial No. 239,705.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH B. BESANT, a citizen of the'United States, residing at Saranac Lake, county of Franklin, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mouth-Props, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to mouth-props for the use of dentists, surgeons, &c., for the purposeof holding the jaws of a patient distended during operations upon the teeth, jaw,tongue,&c., and thereby relieving the patient of the muscular strain which follows from the enforced holding of the jaws in aset extended position for a long time.

An object of my invention is the means whereby I impart a yielding quality to the instrument without sacrificing space which should be used to add to the stiffness of the device. By placing the yielding means entirely to one side of and out of the pathof the extensible member'I have provided an instrument wherein the spring or other yielding device employed may be of any desired length without increasing the length of the instrument when closed, in which the increase in the length of the extensible shaft likewise increases the extensibility of the device, and a stiff and strong structure is produced.

Other details of improvement are set out in the accompanying drawings, illustrating one form in which my improved mouth-prop may be constructed, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the said device; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same; Fig. 3, a similar section taken on the line a a of Fig. 2. Fig. 1 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the extensible member partly extended,the removable cushions being omitted. Fig. 5 is a top view of a part of the body portion in which theextensible member slides. Fig. 6 is a top view of the body portion of the said de vice, showing the outer shell in section, taken on the line b 5 of Fig. 1; and Figs. 7 and 8 are detail views illustrating the pawl and spring-plate.

Allof the parts are somewhat enlarged in size for the purpose of clear illustration.

My improved device is composed of a main body portion 1 and an extensible member 2, and the said parts terminate at their outer ends in pockets 3 and 4, which receive and hold the cushions 5. Said cushions are designed to rest upon the teeth of the patient when the device is in use, and] prefer to make them for that purpose of some yielding material, such as cork, which will give slightly when in use and will hold firmly on the teeth. The cushions are removable for the purpose of replacing them when necessary.

The main body portion 1 comprises a shell or outer casing 6 and an inner recessed plug 7 which is secured to the casing in any suitable manner, so as to be removable therefromas, for instance, by screw 8.

The extensible member of my device is composed of a flanged head 9, which forms cushion-pocket 3, and of a shank 10, removably attached thereto-as, for instance, by screw 1-1which is provided with ratchet-teeth 13.

The shank 10 fits snugly in a longitudinal channel or passage-way 14, formed in plug 7, so as to slide therein. .A pin 15 passes through shank 10 at its lower part, and the ends of said pin slide in vertical slots 16, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6,) which are formed in the plug 7 on the side walls of passage-way 14. The upper ends of said slots form a'stop to limit the extensibility of the device and prevent the extensible member being accidentally pulled out. Other forms of stops may be used, if desired.

A pawl 17 receives the thrust of the extensible member 2 through ratchet 13 and communicates the same, through plate 18 and spiral spring 19, to the cushion 5 on the end of body portion 1. The pawl is journaled on a pivot-bearing 20, which is mounted in slots 21 in the side walls of the plug 7. These slots receive the pivot-bearing 20, which slides therein, and are long enough to permit the proper compression of spring 19.

It will be observed that the spring 19 is entirely to one side and out of the path of travel of the shaft 10, and by this arrangement Iam enabled to employ a spring of suitablelength without unduly increasing the length of the prop, and thereby to increase the length of shaft 10, whereby the stability of the prop is increased.

Suitable means areprovided to hold the forward part of the pawl normally against ratchet I sure upon key 23, which is removably attached to the rear end of the pawl by screwing or in any other suitable way.

Pawl 17 is provided at its extreme rear end with a reduced portion 24:, which enters a narrow slot 25 in the plate 18, in which it plays as the key 23 is depressed. The shoulders formed by the reduced portion 2 1 bear upon the plate 18 and compress spring 19.

Spring 19 is confined in an annular pocket or cavity 26, formed in the plug 7 directly beneath' the pawl 17, and the plate 18 fits snugly in this cavity, so as to slide therein. The wall of cavity 26 and the shell 6 are slotted at 27 to permit the shank of key 23 to slide therein as the spring 19 is compressed.

The casing should be slotted only sufliciently to permit the free movement of said shank, so as to exclude liquids therefrom as much as possible. A removable cover 28 is placed over the upper part of body portion 1, which is designed to prevent the entrance of liquid therein. This is cut out sufficiently to permit the free passage of shank 10.

My mouth-prop is designed to be taken apart for the purpose of cleaning the same. This is accomplished as follows: Remove the cushions 5, unscrew screw 11, when head 9 may be removed, remove cover 28, key 23, and screw 8, and slip off the shell 6, carrying lower pocket 1. stop pin 15 may then be pushed out and shank 1O removed. The pivotbearing 20 is then pushed out of position, and the pawl 17, plate 18, and spiral spring 19 may be removed, when the device may be easily cleaned and reassembled.

In operation my device is inserted in the mouth so that the removable cushions rest .upon the teeth. The jaws are then opened to the proper position, and the extensible member is extended by pressure of the fingers upon the upper head until the device firmly holds the jaws distended. Should it be desirable to relax the tension upon the jaws, a pressure of the finger upon the key 23 will permit the device to be reduced in length, and when it is desired to remove the instrument the key 23 is depressed until the device is brought together. In practice I will probably use the said device with a removable tip for use directly upon the gums in cases where the teeth are missing, which is described by me in an application for patent, Serial No. 230,7 30, filed October 31, 1904.

It is evident that I have embodied in this application but one form in whichmy invention may be embodied and that numerous changes and modifications may be made without departing from my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let' ters Patent, is

1. A mouth-prop comprising an extensible member and a body portion recessed to receive said extensible member, a rack on said extensible member and a pawl in said body portion, normally in contact with said rack, means to release said pawl, yielding means between said pawl and the base of said body portion contained within said body portion, substantially as described.

2. Amouth-propcomprisingabodyportion,

an extensible member sliding in said body portion, a ratchet on said extensible member, a pawl in said body portion adapted to hold said extensible member in its extended position, means for permitting a limited longitudinal movement of said pawl, and a spring in communication with said pawl, providing a yielding connection between said extensible member and said body portion, substantially as described.

3. Ina mouth-prop, an extensible member, a rack thereon, a body member, recessed to receive said rack, a pawl therein in normal engagement with said rack to hold said extensible member in its extended position, sliding bearings for said pawl, yielding means intermediate said pawl and the base of said body portion wholly outside the path of movement of said rack, substantially as described.

1. In amouth-prop, an extensible member, a cushion at the end thereof, a rack thereon, a body portion recessed to receive said rack, a cushion on theend thereof, a pawl mounted in said body portion, sliding bearings therefor, means for holding said pawl in engagement with said rack, and means for disengaging same, a spring lying wholly outside the path of said rack and intermediate said pawl and body cushion and providing yielding means between said two cushions, substantially as described.

5. In a mouth-prop, an extension member, a

rack thereon, a body portion recessed to replate between said pawl and said spring, sub- I stantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH B. BESA'NT.

Witnesses:

EDWIN E. SUMNER, MARTIN H. HEIM.

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