US1654627A - Holding means for dentures - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 3-, 1928..

w. E. ApAMs nowrue mews FOR nsmunss Filed} Feb- 14, 1924 Patented Jan. 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES WILBER EARLADAMS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

HOLDING MEANS FOR DENTURES.

Application filed February 14, 1924. Serial No. 692,744.

This invention relates to holding means for dentures, and my invention aims to furnish an artificial denture or plate with a sanitary device for retaining a denture, plate or other member against the roof, palate or tissues of the mouth to avoid any wobbling, shifting, abrasive or irritating action of the denture in the mouth, thus relieving the Wear of a denture ofany conscious effort of keeping the denture in place. By firmly anchoring the denture on the palate there may be proper mastication of food and a hygienic or sanitary condition can be maintained within the mouth conducive to good health.

My invention further aims to furnish a. denture with a non-vulcanizing suction member that is firmly anchored in the denture and easy to flex and produce a suction action which will cause the denture to firmly adhere to the palate until forcibly removed. There are various ways of anchoring the suction member in the denture andon account of dentures varying in configuration it is obvious that the suction members may be made of various sizes and shapes. It is in this connection that my invention aims to provide a Suction member of maximum size that may be reduced for fitting to any size of denture, thus obviating the necessity of a dentist maintaining a stock. of suction member on hand for application to various kinds of dentures.

My invention will be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed and ref erence will now be had to the drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a denture provided with a suction member;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the denture and suction member;

Fig. 3 is a'plan of the suction member removed from the denture, and

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the same mounted in a denture.

In the drawing, the reference numeral 1 denotes a denture or plate having an opening 2, and 3 denotes a flexible or resilient suction member having marginal edges 4 embedded in the wall of the opening 2. This is accomplished when making the denture. The suction member 3 is preferably of metal or a non-vulcanizing material and said suction member is set in the mold in which the 'duction of atmospheric denture is made by vulcanizing rubber or other material, so that when the denture is complete the marginal edges of the suction member are firmly and neatly anchored in the Wall of the opening 2.

The suction member 3 has its greater portlon concavo-convex, particularly within the boundary of a depressed or bead-like rim 5 which contributes towards the flexibility or resiliency ofthe suction member, to permit of said suction member being pressed by a finger piece in the mouth to reverse the convexity of the suction member, whereby air will be expelled from the opening 2, between the suction member and the roof or palate 6 of the mouth 7. When the suction member assumes normal position, as shown in Fig. 1, a partial vacuum will have been produced between said suction member and the palate 6 and a constant reduction of atmospheric pressure between the suction member and'the palate will tend to firmly hold the denture 1 against the palate.

There are various ways in which the suction member may be anchored in the walls of the opening 2. For instance, in Figs. 3 and 4, I show the marginal edges 4 of the suction member 3 provided with a series of slots or openings 8 and when the suction member has the denture molded about it the denture material enters the slots or openings 8 and positively anchors the suction member within the opening 2, with the, rim 5 contiguous to the walls of said opening.

What I claim is In a denture having an opening, a flexible non-vulcanizable suction producing member of relatively thin material, said member having a depressed portion adjacent its edges and openings between said depressed portion and the edges of said member, said member having its edgesanchored in and between the upper and lower faces of the denture with the denture material entering the openings of said member, so that the member will be firmly held and permit of an exposed portion of said member wholly within the denture opening being manually flexed upwardly for air excluding purposes and said member stressed to the extent of rebounding when released for producing a denture holding re-' ressure. In testimony whereof ailix my signature.

WILBER EARL ADAMS.

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