US1292885A - Tooth-straightening appliance. - Google Patents

Description

a universal opera FnANKc. nonenns or sT. Louis,

' FACTURING COMPANY, or

MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE MEIER DENTAL MANU- S'l. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A

CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

TOOTH-STRAIGHTENING APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

Application led July 1, 1914. Serial No. 848,361.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be itknown that I, FRANK C. RoDGERs, a citizen of the United States, and residing at St. Louis, in the State 0f Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tooth-Straightening Appliances, of which the followin is a specification.

This invention rates to tooth straightening or regulating appliances, and more particularly, to anchor bands therefor. This invention is an improvement on my coending application, Serial No. 838,866, le May `15, 19,14.

Some of the objects of this invention are to further improve the construction of this type of appliance, so as to cause the arch or other appliance element to be supported with greater rigidity, and so as to permit not only tion of the appliance without requiring an excessive number of adjustments, but also `to facilitate the ease of adjustment.

Further objects will appear from the detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,in which:

Figure 1 is a view of an appliance embodying this invention, f A i Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail side elevation Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail longitudma section,

Fig. 4 is a: sectional detail of the hollow clamping bolt, and,

Fig. 5 is a detail of another form of appliance embodying this invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, and more particularly, to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, which illustrate the invention applied to a Lukens appliance, 10 designates an anchor band provided with a smooth eyelet 11 and a threaded eyelet 12, through which extends a hollow clamping bolt 18 having an angular head 14. In the Lukens anchor band, the clamping bolt is formed hollow to provide an anchor tube for the arch 15, the threaded ends 16 of which extend into the clamping bolts and are provided with nuts 17. This Lukens a pliance is fully described in United States gatent No. 660,194. The forward or mesial end 0f the anchor band, which forms, in this particular embodiment, the clamping bolt, is taper threaded, as shown at 18, and this end is split, as show n at 19, so that it may be contracted. This threaded end is adapted to receive a clamping nut 20 which has a taper or pipe thread, as shown in Fig. 3. After the arch is in position, the nut 2O is tightened and the taper thread therein will contract the split end 18 of the anchor band so as to cause it to firmly clamp the arch and hold it against movement in any direction with respect to the anchor band. As soon as the nut is, however, loosened, the grip on the arch will be released so as to permit adjustment of the arch with respect to the anchor band.

In accordance with this invention, the distal projection 18 on the anchor band 1.3 is threaded internally for a short distance from its end, as shown in Fig. 4, adapted to engage the threads on the arch when this distal projection qis contracted. The threads preferably extend in the same direction, and are of the same pitch, as the thread on the arch, so that when this distal projection is contracted on the arch, the threads will intermesh so Aas to firmly hold the arch in osition against movement either longitudina ly, laterally or i'otatively. `The distal projection 18 is also made long venough so that the clamping nut 2O can be moved toward `the end of this projection sufficiently to loosen the rip of the split end of the arch, before thecistal end of the clamping nut reaches the end of the distal projection. This feature is important in appliances of this kind. As pointed out in the co-pending application, it is much more convenient to position the arch nut 17 distally of the anchor band, since thereby the adjustments can be more readily obtained. This meansthat the arch nut will have to abut against the distal end of the anchor band. Now, where the clamping nut must be moved partly ofi' of the distal projection, the adjustment of the arch will be disturbed every time that it is unclamped, and, since the arch can only be adjusted while unclamped, it, of course, follows that the adjustments cannot be made accurately. In accordance with this invention, however, the arch nut is always permitted to abut against the distal end of the anchor band, whether the arch is clamped or loosened, so that unclamping of the arch will not disturb its adjustment.

Fig. 5 shows the invention applied to an angle anchor band. This band 28 is provided With a bolt 29 attached to-one end of the band and passing loosely through. an eyelet or sleeve 30 on the other end of. the band, this fbolt being threadeduto receive a nut.31. The anchor bandV 32 has its for- Ward or mesial end 33 threaded and split, as in the other embodiment, so as to receive the clamping nut 20, and the inside of .this

anchor tube is corrugated or threaded as in the other embodiment.

The general operation has been described in my co-pending application, and the advantages -of the construction -Were also pointed out. With this construction, however, the internal corrugating or threading of the anchor band results in a-more rigid construction, While the arrangement of the clamping nuton the split end of the anchor band permits ythe arch to be clamped and unclamped Without disturbing the adjustments of the arch.

While the parts 13 and 32'have been described as anchor tubes, and `While the arch Vhas beendescribed and shown as the appliance elementfadapted to exert pressure on the tooth to be moved, it is obvious that the anchor Vband may be used Withfotherappliance'elements, such as, traction screws, etc., which are adapted to be placedin and received by the anchor band. Tt is to be understood, therefore, that the termsy arch and anchor tube are to be construedaccordingly. vIt -isgfurther obvious `that va.- rious changes maybe made in details of constructionlwithout departing from the spirit of this invention, and it is, therefore, to be understood 'that this invention is not to be limited to the specific construction shown and described.

Copies of thspatent may be obtained for' ve cents'fee'cln by :addressing the Having thus described thein-vention, what is claimed is:

`1. An anchor band for tooth straightening appliances, comprising ananchor -tube adapted to permit an arch.to, .'slide vtherethrough, the inside of said anchor tube being threaded, and said anchor tube being contractible to grip an arch.

2. An .anchor band for toothstraightcning appliances, comprising an anchor tube split at one end, and a nut threaded on said split end and adapted to contract the same, the inside of said splitend being threaded.

-Sfln a toothA straighteningappliance, an anchor band comprising an anchor--tube,`an arch in said anchor tube,1 anA arch-.nut on ysaid arch engaging 'the-endof said anchor tube, and means surrounding the end of the anchor tube engaged 'by saidnut, adapted to lock and unlo'ck'saidk arclr butleave vthe adjustment of said arch` nut undisturbed.

4. tooth straightening appliance'com-- prising'` ananchor bandy having an` arch ancher-tube split at oneend, an arch; yin-said anchor tube, a clamping nut threadedf-on `said split end' land adaptedy to contract the same, and an arch nut on said arch adapted to bear against said split end.

5.*nl anchor band for tooth straightening appliances comprising a hollow clamping bolt constructed to;l form a contractible anchor tube, the inside ofsaidfbolt being threaded tol-engage thethreads on. an arch. In testimony whereof I aiiiX mysignature `in- :theA presence of these `tvv0--witnesses FRANK C.`fRO-DCTERS. Witnesses:

T. H. SCHAEFERING, A. G. Manin.l

0 ommissioner.- ofiPatents,

Washington, D.. C.

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