US2908974A - Orthodontic attachment - Google Patents

Description

I Oct. 20,1959

Filgd Dec. 27. 1957 'J. J. STIFTER Q 2,908,974

ORTHODONTIC ATTACHMENT 3 SheetsSheet; 1

INVENTOR.

JOHN J. STIFTER BY CORBETT, MAHONEY,

M|LLER,8- RAMBO ATTYS- Oct. 20, 1959 .1; J. STIFTER ORTHODONTIC ATTACHMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 27, 1957 FIG'IO FIG.|I

' FIG. 25

FIG. 23 FIG. 24

FIG. 20 FIG.- 2|

9 Wu F B B F INVENTOR.

JOHN J STIFTER BY GORBETT MAHONEY FIG. 22

RAMBO ATTYS. BY

fiflm MILLER. a.

1959 J. J. STIFTER Q 2,908,974

7 ORTHODONTIC ATTACHMENT T Filied Dec. 27, 1957 s Sheets-Sheet s FIG. 26

INVENTOR.

JOHN J. STIFTER BY GORBETT, MAHONEY,

MILLER,8. RAMBO ATTYS.

oRrnono Tic'ATrAcnMENT 7 Iohn J. Stifter, CdlumbusQQhio p Application December 27,1957, :Serial No. 705,596

. '5-Claims; c1. 32-914 a mouth-ofa patient inattachment as embodying a standard anchor bracket in. the form of a female member and a cooperating male socket'me'mber of the attachment? 1 Figure 5' is a labial view' o'f the socket member of:

" secured the female bracketby aligating wire; a: Figure 7 showsmyattachment anchored to a tooth;

pressure inthe desired directions, the pressure-applying arch wire must be provided with a predetermined bend so as to apply the pressure on the tooth subsequently in' the rightdirectionand then the'wire'is inserted in the wire-receiving member. Obviously, if several teethareto be straightened, anumber of predetermined different bends must be made in the wire and'these are diflicult to make accurately sothat the straightening forces areapplied in the right directions. Also, they must be varied as treatment progresses, which requires further bending;

According .to this invention I provide ananchor bracket adapted to .be anchored to a tooth band and a removable socket member which interfits therewith and which has a socket at its exposed face, for receiving'an arch'wire. Ac: cording to my invention, allflanchorbrackets of a series are of'the same: or what Iiwill term standard'form'and size and each 'is designed to receive any one o'f-a series otj interchangeable socket members which -have wire receivingsockets' difierently arranged to" apply difierently; .r

directed pressures when positioned therein; Furthermore, these sockets: may be of diflerent shapes to receive differently shaped Wires. 'Merely slipping the arch wire in position in the socket member will result in positioning the wire so that it will elfect pressure on the tooth in the proper direction. The arch wire can-be slipped out of the socket member with ease to permit a dilferent socket member to beinterchanged on the bracket member and can 'be easily slipped back" into the socket of the new member.

Aecording' to this invention, th'ebrack'et'of a series preferably takes the form ofa female attaching member or saddlewhich-is designed to receive any one of a-series offinterchangeable'male wire-receiving socket members.

The inter-fitting connectionbetween the two members is 1 preferablyfajdovetail or mortise and tenon arrangement. Although the male so'cket'members are all standard in the series insofar as their relationship to the female members is concerned, each male member is-provided with a different arrangement of itswire-receiving socket in order to receive the'wi're and direct the=pressure properly. Furthermore, as indicated above, the sockets of different series may be "difierently' shaped to" receive wires of diife'rent cross se'ctional shape. With thisa'rrangement, it is merely socket member but it is to be understood-that the. relationship of these membersmay be reversed as long as they. removably interfit. Also, 'a number of difierent socket members are shown but it is to be understood thatmany more may be provided. p

Inthese drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of an assembled female anchor bracket and an 'interfitting male socket member forming the orthodontic attachment-of. my 1 invention.

Figu're 2 is a mesial or distal en'd vievv of the female bracket of the attachment; i 7 i Figure 3 is a labial View of the-bracket of Fi glire l i viewi' of the malr Figure-'4 is 'a mesial or distal end Figured. 1 v Figure 6" is a labial view in perspective ofthe-assembled attachment with the arch wire 'and male socket member Figures 8 to 11, inclusive, are of'distal end views of attachments according to my invention having a standard female member and a series ef-male socket members with the socket of each male membera'rrangedto'obtain a'fdififerent torque effect when the arch wireis slipped therein."

Figures12 to 14 are similar enclviews of attachments having a series of-male socketmembers with the socket of each arranged to obtain a diiferent step-up or stepdown eftect. v 1 ii Figures 15 to' 17 are labial views ofthe respective attachments of Figures 12 to 14. 1

Figures 18 to 21 are labial views of attachments hav ing' a series of male socket members with the-sockets of Figure 25 is "a diagram 'showing jthe use of my attachments'in orthodontic appilances. h

Figure 26' is a diagram showing a'male socket member ,i from the mesial or distal-aspect with a square socket there in-whi'ch opens at its mesial and'distal ends. t

1 Figure 27 is a similar view showing a male member with a tubularsocket. Figure- 28 shows aldiiferent male member with an out- 1 wardly opening socket for receivinga circular Wire.

designed-to receive-twin arch Wires- Figure 30 shows a differentlyshaped male member with a socket for receiving a ribbon type wire I if a V Y With reference to the drawings, in Figures l to 5, inelusive, I have illustrated the preferred structure of my orthodontic attachment; As'previously indicated, this attachment consists of two main parts, namely, an an chor bracket or female member, which -I will designate j Figure 29 shows a different male member with a socket 1 by the'numeral 30, and 'a socket member or male memnecessary to slip the wire into any-0t the male socket membefson the various teethand the wirew ill automatically sary in the wire before being appliedto thesocket members ofthea'ttachniehtl her, which I will designate by thenumeral 31, themale member being designed to interfit with and cooperate with'the female member. These members are preferably formed ofstainless-steel or precious metal.

The' female member 30 is providedwitha ve'rticalinnerwall 32 which-has an"exposed attaching face 33 for soldering orwelding toan anchor band and is further provided' with the labially proje'cting .walls '34 at'its: upperv and lower, edges. The walls 34 are disposed in converging;

a relationship relative to each other to form anzundercuti' In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated the or dovetail mortise or pocket 36 at the labial side of the Patented Qct..20,- ;1959

female bracket 30. The extreme outer edges of the walls 34 are provided with reversely bent edges which produce the hook-shaped extremities 37.

The male socket member 31 is formed for interfitting with the female bracket 30 and is complemental therewith. It is provided with a main tenon 38 which is of dovetail cross-section. The labial face 39 of the member 31 is of arcuate form in a vertical direction and is provided with the upper and lower projecting lips 40. In the curved labial face 39 there is provided a socket 41 which extends transversely thereof between the mesial and distal ends of the member 31. Thus, this socket 41 is open at its ends and at the labial face 39.

When the attachment is assembled, it will appear as indicated in Figure 1. To assemble the attachment, it is merely necessary to slip the tenon 38 of the male member 31 into one end of mortise 36 formed in the female member 30. Friction between the contacting mortise and the tenon surfaces will hold them relatively secure. It will be noted from Figure 1 that the inner curved surfaces where the lips 40 join the adjacent tenon surfaces of the member 31 will engage the outer surfaces of the hook-shaped edges 37 of the walls 34 of the member 30.

In anchoring the female bracket 30 to a tooth, the arrangement shown in Figures 6 and 7 can be used. The soldering or welding surface 33 of the bracket 30 is soldered or welded to the outer surface of an anchoring band 45 which will be suitably secured on a tooth T, as indicated in Figure 7. The male member 31 may then be positioned in the female member 30 and will be held therein by the friction of the fit and sometimes by a ligating wire. The socket 41 of the member 30 is shown of rectangular shape, transversely thereof but can be varied, and will receive the arch wire 46 which is of similar cross-section and which may be slipped thereinto from the face 39 of the member 31. The wire 46 may be held in place by means of a ligating wire 47 which is wound around the hooks 37, as indicated in Figures 6 and 7. The ligating wire 47 will not only hold the arch wire 46 in place, engaging the exposed edge thereof, but will pass over the exposed ends of the male member 31 adjacent the labial face 39 thereof to thereby prevent the male member 31 from slipping out of the ends of the female member 30.

It will be noted that the wire-receiving socket 41 of the male member 31 described above is angled inwardly and downwardly. This would create a torque force which would tend to tilt the tooth of Figure 7 inwardly or lingually assuming that the tooth is a lower tooth, as indicated. However, it is to be understood that the socket 41 may be arranged in the face of the member 31 in many different ways to obtain pressure on the tooth in various directions.

In Figures 11 to 23, inclusive, by way of example, I have illustrated various arrangements of the wire-receiving socket to obtain different pressure applications by the arch wire. However, it is to be understood that these are for illustration only and are not limiting since many other variations may be provided. The ones illustrated are some which will be more commonly used. It will further be understood that the only variations in these male members are in the arrangement and shape of the wire-receiving sockets and that all the male members of each series are interchangeable in the standard female bracket.

In Figures 8 to 11, I have illustrated the respective sockets 41a, 41b, 41c, and 41d. It will beapparent that these sockets 41a to 41d are tilted at gradually increasing angles in the respective male members of the series. Arch wires slipped into these various sockets will be twisted so as to, produce torque effects of increasing intensity. The different torque effects obtained in this manner are applicable to different tooth positions,e'ach male member being used for predetermined successive periods to obtain different torque effects as the treatment progresses.

Figures 12 to 14, inclusive, show a series of attachments, having male members provided with sockets 41a, 41 and 41g at different levels relative to the cooperating female member. Labial views of these respective attachments are illustrated in Figures 15, 16, and 17, and it will be apparent that the sockets of the various male members are disposed at different levels. Each of these sockets will cooperate with an arch wire to obtain a different step-up effect, or by inverting the male socket member, a step-down effect, depending upon whether it is desired to elongate or depress the tooth. Figures 15 to 17 further illustrate that the attachments may be of different widths or lengths in the mesial-distal direction depending upon the width of the tooth.

Figures 18 to 21 show a series of sockets in the male members numbered 41h, 41i, 41 and 41k and it will be noted that these sockets are angularly disposed relative to the vertical. These sockets, in conjunction with the arch wire, will provide for different mesial or distal tip effects,

The series of socket members 41m, 4121, and 410 shown in Figures 22 to 24 will, in conjunction with the arch wire, produce different step-in or step-out effects since they extend into the male member different distances.

As pointed out above, these are only a few of the different socket arrangements which may be provided in various series of male members. Each series of male members will cooperate with the standard female member. With this arrangement, any desired effect can be obtained by selecting the proper male member, inserting it in the female member, and then slipping the arch wire in place in the socket. Each socket will be shaped transversely thereof to receive an arch wire of predetermined crosssectional size and shape.

In Figure 25, I have illustrated diagrammatically the application of a series of my attachments in an orthodontic appliance on the upper teeth and in an orthodontic appliance on the lower teeth. The sockets in the various anchor brackets '30 will be selected so that when the arch wire 46 is slipped therein, the wire will be bent automatically to produce the required pressure in the right direction to straighten that tooth. The ends of the wire will usually be anchored in socket members which completely encase the arch wire forming a closed socket for freedom of movement of the arch wire in a mesiail-distal direction. A suitable anchoring member is shown in Figure 26 where it will be noted that the socket 41p is of the same cross-sectional shape but is closed at its outer side being open only at its mesial and distal ends.

Figure 27 shows an anchoring male member with a tubular socket 41q designed to receive a circular wire.

In Figure 28 the male member is provided with an openside socket 41r which is designed for receiving the same type circular wire.

Figure 29 shows a differently shaped male socket member with an outwardly opening socket 41s designed to receive twin wires as indicated in dotted lines.

Figure 30 shows a male member 31a with an anchoring socket 41t formed to receive a ribbon wire. In this instance the male member 31a is of slightly different shape and is disposed in a female member 30a which does not have the ears for receiving the ligating wire. It will be apparent from the above description that I have provided an attachment so designed as to permit the orthodontist to change the appliance at any time during the treatment. The male members of the series will be interchangeablein the standard female member of that series. The desiredpressures from the arch wire of the applicance will be created merely by slipping the wire into the various sockets of the attachments provided on the teeth to be straightened. It is not necessary to form bends in the wire as in the past which is difiicult to do accurately and requires considerable time.

Various other advantages will be apparent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An orthodontic attachment comprising an anchor bracket adapted to be anchored to a tooth, and a socket member interfitting with said anchor bracket and having an outwardly opening socket for receiving an arch wire.

2. An orthodontic appliance comprising an anchor bracket anchored to a tooth, a socket member interfitting with said anchor bracket and having an outwardly opening socket, and an arch wire fitting into said socket.

3. An orthodontic attachment comprising an anchor bracket member adapted to be anchored to a tooth, a wirereceiving socket member, means for mounting the socket member on the bracket member, said means comprising a tenon on one of the members and a mortise on the other of the members extending in a mesial-distal direction and which are of dovetail form, said socket member having a Wire-receiving socket, said bracket member having the mortise formed in the outer face thereof and extending the full mesial-distal extent thereof and said socket member having the tenon formed on its inner face, said bracket member having an inner wall with an attaching face and 6 outwardly extending upper and lower walls between which the mortise is formed, the outer extremities of said walls being of hook-form to receive a ligating wire.

4. An orthodontic attachment comprising an anchor bracket to be anchored to a tooth, and a socket member interfitting with said anchor bracket and having a socket adjacent its outer side for receiving an arch wire.

5. An orthodontic appliance comprisng an anchor bracket adapted to be anchored to a tooth, a wire-receiving socket member having an outwardly opening socket for receiving an arch wire, and interfitting means for mounting the socket member on the bracket member comprising a tenon on one of the members and a mortise on the other of the members which extend in a mesial-distal direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wirt Nov. 5, 1935

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