US1471785A - Orthodontic appliance - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 23', 1923.

' A. FERNALD ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 24 1922 Oct. 23, 1923. 1,471,785

A. FERNALD ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCE Filed June 24 gnug v To! ikl'nald Witness;-

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Oct. 23, 1923.

A. FERNALD ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCE Filed June 24 1922 3 SheetsSheet 5 (1H0: "up

Patented @ct. 23, 1923..

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OBTHC-IDONTIC APFLIANCE.

Application filed June 24, 1922. Serial No. 570,596.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, .fLDELBERT FERNALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of hlassachusetts, have invented certain new and L ful Improvements in Orthodontic Appliances. of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates in general to dentistry, and more particularly to certain new and useful improvements in orthodontic appliances.

It is a more or less common practice to use an arch or regulating wire which is held in proper position within the mouth 50 as to exert pressure against crooked teeth, for the purpose of gradually pushing the teeth into proper position. One of the practical difiiculties encountered in using these -egw lating wires or arches has been the lack of.

a thoroughly practical locking device for holding the appliances in position. The locking" devices heretofore employed have been coniiplicated, hard to Mliust difficult to remove, and liable to work loose.

W'ith the foregoing in mind, the object of the present invention has been to provide a practical locking device which can be placed in position and removed therefrom with the greatest facility, which holds the arch or regulating wire firmly in position and is out of the of the occlusion of opposing teeth. which can be used in many different positions. and which can be used for supporting either lingual or a buccal arch wire.

The invention further contemplates a device of this character which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its construetion. which will not irritate the mouth, and which may also perform the function of a clamp to draw the band upon which the same is mounted tightly around the tooth.

For the purpose of explaining the invention, one of many possible embodiments thereof is illustrated and described in detail, although it will be understood that many modifications be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Reference is to be had'to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner of using the locking device for supporting a lingual arch wire.

Figure 2 is a similar view, illustrating in a fragmentary way the manner of using the device to support a buce'al arch wire.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view of the lock device, with the parts in an assembled position, as shown in Fig. 1.

Figure l is a sectional View through the device with the parts in an assembled position.

, Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a detail view showing the coinplemental parts of the locking device in a separated position.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the manner of securing a buccal arch wire to the hollow bolt.

Figure 8 is a detail view showing an arrangement whereby the locking device may also be utilized for contracting the band to clamp it around the tooth.

Figure 9 is a VlGWSIlfil'llSItO Figure 1 of the modification of'my appliance.

Figure 10 is a perspective view enlarged of the parts of the appliance at one side.

Figure 11 is a similar view of the parts at the other side.

Figure 12 is a frgmentary sectional view through the parts shown in Figure 10 in assembled position.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary sectional View parts of Figure 11.

Throughout the following detailed description and on all of the figures of the drawings corresponding parts are designated by like reference characters.

The locking device is adapted to be used for supporting either a lingual arch wire or a bueeal arch wire, and the arrangement for supporting a lingual wire is illustrated by Figure 1, while the arrangement for supporting a buccal wire is illustrated by Figure 2. In Figure 1 the numerals 1 desig hate the usual bands which are applied tothe rear teeth at each side of the mouth, said bands being provided upon their inner faces with the locking devices A which engage the regulating wire 2. This wire extends around the interior of the teeth and is suitably bent or shaped so as to teeth, and tend to push the same into proper position. In Figure 2 the locking device A is secured to the outer face ot a band 1 and engages the end of a regulating wire 2.

which extends around the exterior of the teeth, being positioned between the lips and the teeth.

The locking device has a special construction and includes an elongated shell 3 having an interior threaded cylindrical portion 3 at one end thereof, in combination with a removable locking bolt which has threads l at one end thereol to engage the cylindrical portion 3 of the elongated shell, and is provided at the opposite end thereof with a head 5 and a sleeve or Flange 6 which projects from the head in a spaced relation to the body portion of the bolt, and is drawn into an interlocking engagement with the end. of the shell 3 when the bolt is screwed into position. The elongated shell 3 is sub stanti ally seinicylindrical in shape throughout the greater portion or its length and is of the proper size to receive the bolt l. When the threaded end 4? of the bolt is unscrewed from the cylindrical end 3 ot the shell, the sleeve or flange 6 is disengaged trom the opposite end of the shell and the bolt can be moved laterally away from the shell, thereby enabling the parts to be quickly detached. The polygonal formation and provides a means for engaging the bolt member rotate the same when it is screwed into or out of position. The sleeve 6 is constructed to obtain a tight frictional engagement with the end of the shell 8 and, if desired. a number of longitudinal slits 7 may be formed in the sleeve and portions thereof bent inward to a slight extent, so that there will be a firm friction lock and the bolt will not be liable to work loose. The cylindrical portion 3 of the shell is c mpai ively short so that the threaded end of the bolt i can be readily screwed into the same or unscrewed therefrom, and the sleeve 6 is simultaneously brought into engagement with the elongated shell 3 or disengaged therefrom. It will be obvious that the construction is such as to admit of the bolt being easily and quickly applied to the shell and interlocked therewith or disengaged from the shell, as be desired.

The bolt 4-, as is indicated quite clearly by Figure i of the drawings. has a hollow formation and the end oi the lingual regulating wire 2 extends into the same. These wires have the end portions thereof threaded, as indicated at 1 and small nuts 8 are fitted thereon. These nuts abut against the heads 5 of the bolts el, and can be properly adjusted upon the wire to hold the regulating wire in proper position. When the locking device is utilized tor supporting a lingual head 5 has a.

regulating wire an intermediate portion of the back of the shell 3 is soldered or otherwise rigidly secured, as indicated at 9 to the band 1, the said band surrounding and being anchored to the tooth in the usual manner. W hen the locking device is utilized for the support of a buceal regulating wire, indicated by Figure 2, it is soldered or secured at points toward opposite ends thereof, as indicated at 10, to the band 1 on opposite sides of overlapping end portions 1 thereof. The buccal arch or regulating wire 2 extends through the tubular bolt 1, and has the small nut 8 applied to the end thereof which projects beyond the bolt. This enables the regulating wire to be placed under the proper tension and caused to exert the desired and necessary pressure upon those of the teeth which are crooked and which it is desired to push back into position.

To remove the appliance as constructed for the exterior application and shown particularly in vFigures 2 and 7, it is necessary only to reversely rotate the bolt 4 until. its threaded end is released whereupon the wires may be pulled torwardly and displaced from the mouth.

A comparison o't Figure 7 with that of the correspi'inding Figure 4' which latter shows the form of the interior or lingual construction, will disclose a slight modification in th construction of the bolt 4. In other words, the bolt 1n Figure 4 has an enlarged bore extending the major portion of its length leaving a closure at the extremity, substantially speaking. This metal portion, however, is drilled through so that there is a relatively small bore 49 at this end. i utilize this form of construction so that in the event the extremity 1 5 the regulating wire should break off, due to pressure against the regulating wire by food in the act of chewing or t'or some other reason, this broken end will be retained within the bolt although readily displaced therefrom after the appliance has been removed by pass ing a pointed instrument through the passage el referred to. The swallowing of the broken part by the patient is thus guarded against.

7 Vith this lock the devices are held firmly in place and kept out oi the way of the occlusion or opposing teeth, and the device an be attached to the band in any desired position. It the anchor tooth or teeth are in an abnormal position the lock can be attached to the band at the desired angle and still be perfectly ellicient. With thislock one can attach any kind of appliance for treating any type of deformity of the teeth, as the ends of the appliance when carried back into the hollow boltof the lock are held in a proper position and can be re moved at will for making any necessaryattachinents or adjustments. While the ap- Kit llu

pliance enables the regulating wires to be readily unlocited and removed for the purpose of adjusting or bending them in the proper manner to act upon the crooked teeth, or for the purpose of cleaning or filling the teeth, the patient himself cannot remove the appliance.

At times when the fitting of the band 1" upon the anchoring tooth is insufficient because of the band being too large, I am able to readi convert the band into a clamp by cutting through the shell 3 midway of its length and'through the hand between the two points of soldering attachment of the sheet to the band, as shown in Figure 8 of the drawing. The split band is placedin position about the tooth and cement inserted between the band and tooth whereupon the bolt is slipped into place in the shell and drawn tightly into proper position firmly. securing the device in its place. The cement setting will ,hold the band in position upon the tooth at any time the regulating wire is displaced as may be required.

By virtue of the construction of this appliance in the separable parts as above described and the lateral open formation of t r -ing sleeves, it is a very easy matto slip the regulating section of the apnce into position without this part comin contact with the teeth until the permanent justment is made. This has been i e great defect in these appliances of a imilar character wherein the attachment is so constructed that the regulating wire must he slid into position by a longitudinal mover t inwardly of the mouth, so to speak.

5., of course, has reference to the application of an appliance of this character to the interior rather than to the exterior of the I have depicted a simmg member. This end of the wire is slipped into the open sided sleeve 3 fixed to the inert c of the anchoring band 1, as in the i reviously described form, whereupon the nut is screwed toward the end of the wire until the :rtension engages over the end of the sleeve, as shown in Figure 12. Continuing the movement of the nut against the end of the sleeve causes the wire to be moved forwardly in the mouth and any degree of pressure can be produced against the teeth band 13.

form of my lingual lock, particularly a at the desired points in conjunction Withthe attachments which maybe connected with the teeth and to the wire.

The opposite end of the wire in this form is merely slipped into a plain sleeve or socket 12 secured to the second anchoring By screwing the nut forward a very short distance, the regulating wire at the lock end may be easily slipped from sleeve and the wire them completely moved from the month.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i

1. In. a lock device for orthodontic dental work, the combination with a regulating wire, of a base member adapted to be applied to a tooth encircling band and open at one side to receive the regulating wire by a sidewise movement thereof, and an adjustable member mounted upon the wire and carrying means to effect interlocking engagement with a side wall at one end of the base member during the adjusting move ment along the regulating wire whereby to prevent accidental movement of the adjustable member or displacement of the regulat ing wire from the base member.

.2. In a lock device for orthodontic dental work, the combination with a regulating wire, of a tubular sleeve adapted to be applied to the tooth encircling band and open the major portion of its length at one side to receive. the regulating wire by sidewise n movement thereor, and a member ad uStably mounted on the regulating wire and having means to frictionally engage with a side wall of the sleeve during its adj ustin movement to prevent movement of the ad ustable member as the operating pressure is relieved in the correction of the deformation of the teeth.

3. A lock device for orthodontic dental work, inchiding a shell adapted to be fixedly.

work, including a'shell adapted Ito be secured to a tooth encircling band and provided at one end thereof with a compare; tively short threaded bore, a. regulating wire, an adjustable member thereon having a threaded portion adapted to engage the bore and also provided with a flange adapted to interlock with the opposite end of the shell when the, member is screwed into position.

5. A look device for orthodontic dental work, including a shell adapted to be apthe e the bore r ama ea plied to a tooth encircling band and having a comparatively short threaded bore, a regulating wire, and a regulating wire engaging member having a threaded portion adapted to engage the bore and also provided with an annular flange disposed parallel to and trictionally engaging an end portion of the shell as the member is screwed into position.

6. A look device for orthodontic dental work including an elongated substantially seinicylindrical shell having a relatively short cylindrical portion at one end thereof, said shell being adapted to be secured to a tooth encircling band and to receive by sidewise movement a regulating wire, and a rotatable regulating wire engaging mem ber provided at one end with means for adjustably engaging the cylindrical portion 01" the shell and at the opposite end with a flange adapted to interlock with the end of the shell upon rotation and movement of said member longitudinally of the wire.

7. A lock device for orthodontic dental work, including a substantially semicylindrical shell adapted to be secured to a tooth encircling band and provided at one end thereof with an internally threaded cylindrical portion, a regulating wire, a regulating wire engaging member adapted to loosely receive the wire and having one end thereof threaded for engagement with the interior of the cylindrical portion of the shell and its opposite end provided with an annular flange adapted to interlock with the opposite end portion of the shell upon rotation of the engaging member, and means coacting with the regulating wire and engageable with said wire engaging member for adjusting the wire relative to the shell.

8. A lock device for orthodontic dental work, including a shell adapted to be applied to a tooth encircling band and having a threaded portion at one end, a regulating wire a tubular engaging bolt having a threaded engagement with said portion and provided with a flange in interlocking engagement with the opposite end or" the shell, and retaining means upon the wire to engage said bolt whereby said bolt is held against movement in either direction and can be used to support either a lingual wire or a buccal wire.

9. A look device for orthodontic dental work, including a shell adapted to be secured to a tooth encircling band and having a threaded portion, a tubular bolt adapted to receive a regulating wire and having one end in threaded engagement with the shell and the other end thereof provided with frictional means for interlocking engagement with the shell as the bolt is screwed in position, whereby the bolt is held against movement in either direction, and an adjusting member applied to the regulating wire for engagement with the bolt to hold the regulating wire in position. i

10. A lock device for orthodontic dental work, including a shell having a side opening and threaded portion at one end, a tubular bolt having a threaded engagement with said portion of the shell and provided with a flange adapted to interlock with the other end of the shell when the bolt is screwed into position, a threaded regulating wire extending through the tubular bolt, and a nut adjustable upon the threaded regulating wire torengaging the bolt to hold the wire in position.

11. A dental appliance of the class described comprising an anchoring band, a sleeve secured thereto and open at one side, a predetermined'portion of the length of the sleeve, a regulating wire threaded at one end and receivable by said sleeve through the side opening for positioning the wire in cooperative relation to the teeth, and a lock nut having connection with the threaded portion of the wire and provided with means for interlocking with the sleeve and simultaneously producing pressure through the wire upon the teeth.

12. A dental appliance of the class described comprising a pair of anchoring bands arranged at opposite sides of the mouth, a regulating wire having removable connection with the band at one side of the mouth and locking connection with the band at the other side of the mouth. the last named band being provided with a wire receiving sleeye, and a lock nut mounted on said wire to engage and interlock with the sleeve to hold the wire therein, said nut being operable to shift the wire for producing pressure upon the teeth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ADELBERT FERNALD.

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