US1232636A - Machine for forming metallic tooth-backings for artificial teeth. - Google Patents

Description

E. E.WIGHTMAN.

MACHINE FOR FORMING METALLIC TOOTH BACKINGS FOR ARTIFICIAL TEETH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29. I916.

Patented J My 10, 1917.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR, w J BY ELME'FE. WIGHFMAN,

A TTORNEYSZ UNITEIE TATFS PATENT @FFIGE.

ELMER E. WIGI-ITMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR FORMING METALLIC TOOTH-BAGKINGS FOR ARTIFICIAL TEETH.

Application filed July 29, 1916.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER E. WIGHTMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a residentof the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in a Machine for Forming Metallic Tooth- Backings for Artificial Teeth; and I do hereby declare that the following description of my said invention, taken in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawing, forms a full, clear, and exact specifica tion, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates generally to 'improvements in a dental machine and it consists, essentially, in the novel and peculiar combination of parts and details of construction, as hereinafter first fully set forth and described and then pointed out in the claims.

The object of this invention is the production of an efiicient backing plate for dental tooth faces, and of a comparatively cheap and serviceable instrument for producing these plates, at a very low cost.

Manufacturers of dental supplies are now furnishing dentists with tooth facings having a groove in their backs for the attachment of the facing to the backing. They are also furnishing backings; but these backings are very expensive and are not as efficient as is desirable, and to overcome these objections and draw backs, I produce the backing, and the implement in which they may be produced, as shown in the drawings already referred to, in. which Figure 1 is a sideelevation of the implement for producing the backing. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a similar plan with the, crimping jaws of the implement moved into crimping position. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section on line +at of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a rear view of a porcelain tooth facing with my backing in place. Fig. 6 is a plan of the backing detached. Fig. 7 is an edge view thereof, and Fig. 8 is an end view of this member. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the strip from which the backing is formed, and illustrating the first Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 10, 1917.

Serial No. 112,024.

operation in forming this backing. Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of the jaws within which the backing is formed.

This backing C, is formed from a single strip or blank of sheet metal, usually gold, of rectangular contour, and of a width and length to cover the entire back of the tooth facing A. On this plate C there is formed a tubular ridge or projection 0, somewhat shorter than the length of the plate; and in the back of the plate C there is formed a narrow groove 27, which groove communicates with the interior of the ridge 0. This ridge is undercut at its inner terminal so as to engage an undercut shoulder in the groove of the tooth facing usually made in these facings, and thereby assist in the safe retention of the tooth facing by said backing. This tooth backing I form in a specially designed apparatus or instrument, which instrument comprises, in the preferred embodiment of my invention, an upright standard 10, having a base 11, adapted to be affixed to a dentists work bench. The upper end of this standard terminates in a, preferably rectangular, flat-topped, headblock-12. Laterally or transversely of the front, or short end 13 of this head-block, there is fastened an anvil 14, having its rear transverse edge 15 at right angles to its top face for some distance, andithcn beveled off 'as shown at 30, Fig. 10, which figure is considerably enlarged to more clearly illustrate this feature of the jaws 14 and 18.

In the forward edge of this anvil Is there is a slot 16, somewhat shorter than the length of a standard backing; and on the under face of this anvil there is Produced a depression 17, slightly deeper than the thickness of the backing, the aforesaid slot 16 being located medially of the said depression. This depression and slot are -designed to receive a partly-formed backing and to securely hold the same while the undercutting of the ridge and the removal of the superfluous portion thereof is being performed, and thus prevent misshaping or deformation of the delicate backing while the filing operation is being performed.

On the head 12, relatively adjacent the anvil let, there is arranged a movable jaw 18, the forward transverse edge 19 of which is likewise at right angles to its top face for some distance, and then beveled off as indicated at 31,Fig. 10, similar to the edge 15 of the anvil 14. The movable jaw 18 is guided and maintained in position upon the face of the head 12, by an embracing yoke 20, fixed to the said head by suitable screws 21 The forward end of this yoke 20 has a cut-out 21, whereby the front end of the upper face of the movable aw 18 may be used as an anvil in conjunction with the anvil 1 1.

At the rear end of the movable jaw 18 is formed an upturned lip 22, the rear face of which is engaged by the periphery of a cam 23, to move said jaw forwardly. The forward face of this upturned lip 22 is engaged by a nose 28, formed on an arm 2%, reaching forwardly from the cam 23, whereby, upon reverse rotation of said cam, the said movable jaw 18 will be retracted. A handle, or other suitable means 25, is provided for the cam 23, wherewith the same may be oscillated.

The movable jaw 18, and the stationary jaw or anvil 14:, are so constructed that when the movable jaw has been moved toward the anvil to the limit of its movement, there remains between these two elements a narrow slit, as shown in Fig. 3, said slit being of a width approximating two thicknesses of the backing C, the object of which is not to crowd the neck of the bulb on the backing C more than necessary to bring the two walls of the neck into close contact.

In forming up my improved backing strips, the blank is first doubled up upon itself, as shown in Fig. 9. Then the bent strip is placed between the jaws 15 and 19, with a very thin steel wire mandrel D, in place. The cam 23 is now manipulated to advance the jaw 19 to squeeze the parts of the strip together behind the mandrel, and thus form the tubular ridge 0. While thus held between the jaws the free ends of the strip are spread apart, and then these two parts or wings are hammered down with a suitable hammer, against the upper faces of the anvil 14 and the movable jaw 18. Now the said movable jaw is retracted, the formed backing removed, and the mandrel withdrawn, when the backing, which in this condition has the ridge 0 extending its entire length, is placed into the depression 17, where the undercutting 6 may be made by a three-cornered file, and the surplus portion of the ridge removed, thereby leaving a blank space 26 on the backing, as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7.

The forward portion of the head block 12 extends beyond the forward margin of the anvil 14 to afford on said head block a table or bench 29, upon which the formed up tooth backing C may be supported while the portion 0 which is to be removed and undercut may be operated upon, thereby securely holding the tooth backing in position in the groove 16 and depression 17, and at the same time preventing the portion of the tooth backing which is finally to afford the blank space 26, from being deformed or bent.

' By forming this backing of a single strip of metal, there is left at the back of the plate a narrow groove 27, which communicates with the bulbous portion of the. rib 0, so that when the backing plate is gold-soldered to the metallic tooth bridge or plate, this gold-solder will flow into, and fill said groove 27, and also fill the void in the bulbous portion'of the rib or ridge 0 thus irremovably securing the backing plate to the bridge. Should a. tooth facing be injured, and its removal and replacing with a new facing be required, the defective facing can be readily removed from the backing plate and a new one cemented thereto, without injuring the backing plate.

While I have heretofore described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I desire it to be understood that details thereof may be changed by persons skilled in the art to which my said invention appertains, without departing from the scope thereof 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 v 1. A machine for forming metallic tooth backings forartificial teeth, including, in combination, a base, a standard on said base, and a head on said standard, said parts be ing formed integral, an element at one end of said head, said element being removably secured to said head, said element having a portion of one of its margins at right angles to the upper face of said element, and an inclined or undercut portion adjoining said right-angled portion, a second element on said head, said second element being movably supported on said head, one marginal edge of the latter element being formed to correspond to the marginal contour of the first-named element, means for reciprocating said movable element, the parts being so proportioned that when said movable element is in its forwardly projected position there remains a narrow slit between the two elements.

2. A machine for forming metallic tooth backings for artificial teeth, which tooth backing having a plane surface and a longitudinal, bulbous, tubular member projecting from said plane surface comprising said ele ments, as claimed in claim 1, whereby the bulbous portion of said tooth backing Will occupy the space formed by the inclined portions of said elements and the neck of said bulbous element be formed by the upper, 5 parallel portions of said elements.

8. A machine for forming metallic tooth backings for artificial teeth, as claimed in claim 2, and provided With a cam and lever mechanism for actuating said movable element. 1 J

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereunto set my hand.

ELMER E. WIGHTMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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