US1504942A - Orthodontic appliance - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 12 1924. 1,504,942

ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCE Filed Sept. 8, 1923 WITNESSES v INVENTOR THOS M COMEQ Y5 /LQJLMY Z, BY W ATTORNEYS T. MCI... -COMEGYS MW I Patented Aug. 1.2, "192 i.

1 UNITED STATES rnonrns Mam conneYs, or snnnvnron'r, LOUISIANA.

ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCE.

Application filed September To (ZZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, THOMAS MoLoYD CoMEGYs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Shreveport, in the parish of Caddo and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and Improved Orthodontic Appliance, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an orthodontic appliance, and has for an object the provision of a simple and efficient appliance which can be readily disposed in the mouth for the purpose of maintaining theteeth in proper alignment with respect to their normal curvature or contour.

Another object concerns .the provision of a simple and eflicient device which can be very easily adjusted to maintain and give pressure along a definite curve on the teeth so as to maintain the teeth in their proper position.

The invention is illustrated in the drawings, of which Figure 1 is a plan view of the device applied to a set of teeth and exerting pressure on the outside of the teeth to hold them in proper alignment;

F'g. 2 is a perspective view of the device shown in Fig. 1; I Fig. 3 is a plan view of a set of teeth showing a similar device applying pressure to the inner surface of the teeth to hold them in proper alignment; and

Fig. 4-. is a perspective view of the device shown in Fig. 3..

The form of the invention shown in the drawings is a preferred form, although it is understood that modifications in the construction and arrangement of the parts and in the character of the materials used may be adopted without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The form of the invention shown in the drawings comprises a pair of anchor bands 1 and 2 which are adapted to be disposed around teeth on opposite sides of the mouth, these bands being preferably connected thereto by any suitable means, such as by cement. I

Between these bands there extend two teeth engaging elements, such as 3 and 4, which may be in the form of flexible bars or rods connected at one end to the anchor bands 1 and 2 and slidably engageable with 8, 1923. Serial No. 661,601.

each other along their other ends. bands are curved or bow-shaped, so that they can lie along either the inner or the outer surface of the teeth, lying intermediate the teeth to which the anchor bands are fastened, and by being adjustable the pressure which these slidable elements or bars can exert on the teeth can be determinedso as to keep teeth which might otherwise tend to get out of line, in proper alignment with the others. As shown, the slidable and adjustable end portions of the elements 8and 1 are engageable by reason of the provision on each of tubular members or sleeves such as 5 through which portions of the elements extend. The fit of these sleeves on the bars or rods is sufficiently tight so that they will retain their adjusted position.

As shown in Fig. 1, the anchor bands are connected to two inner teeth such as 6 and 7, and the elements 3 and 4t are curved to extend outside the teeth intermediate the teeth 6 and 7 to hold them in position and prevent their spreading outward; whereas in 3 the same sort; of device is shown applied in such. position as to exert pressure outwardly against the inner surface of the intervening teeth. In this way the deformation of teeth, especially the front teeth, from their normal line of contour is prevented.

In Figs. 3 and t, the anchor bands are designated by the 'numerals 8 and 9; the slidable elements, by 10 and 11; and the engaging means, by the numeral 12.

hat I claim is An orthodontic device which includes a pair of anchor bands adapted to be cemented to teeth in the mouth, a pair of teeth-engaging elements connected at one end to the anchor bands, sleeves on the other ends of said elements, each sleeve adapted to receive portions of the other element than the one on which it is mounted whereby the elements may be adjusted to bear against the surface of the teeth intervening between the anchor bands to hold them in their normal alignment, the sleeves adapted to engage with the elements which they embrace with suficient friction to hold the'elements in any adjusted position.

THOMAS MCLOYD COMEGYS.

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