US1478722A

US1478722A - Anatomical articulator

Info

Publication number: US1478722A
Application number: US605343A
Authority: US
Inventors: Wheeler Ira Rollins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1922-12-07
Filing date: 1922-12-07
Publication date: 1923-12-25
Anticipated expiration: 1940-12-25

Description

Dec. 25 1923.

l. R. WHEELER ANATOMICAL ARTICULATOR Filed Dec. '7. 1922 Patented Dec; 25, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT lRA ROLLINS WHEELER, 0F

' ANATOMICAL Application filed December To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, IRA RoLLrNs WHEELER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented a cer tain new. and useful Improvement in an Anatomical Articulator, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates broadly to the art of dentistry and more particularly to the construction of an anatomical dental artic ulator. i Y

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a construction of anatomical dental articulator which simulates as nearly as p0ssible the natural movement of the jaws during mastication.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a construction of anatomical dental articulator which eliminates the many slots,

grooves, planes plateaguide pins, and ad justable parts heretofore employed in dental articulators for simulating the movement of dentures which would normally take place in mastication.

Another object of the invention is to simplify the construction of an anatomical dental articulator by providing resilient means'between the upper and'lower plates affording means for supporting the plates of the. articulator by which relative move ment of. the of the jaws. V

A still further object of the invention is to provide an articulator construction in which the upper and lower plates may be relatively adjusted with a pivotal mounting between the plates and spiral spring means spacing the plates apart wherebyrelative movement is permitted simulating the movement of the jawvs.

Other and further objects of the invention will be understood from the specification hereinafter following by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of my anatomical dental artieulator; Fig. Q is a plates simulate the movementside elevation of my articulator showing the dentures plastered in position on the upperand lower plates; Fig. 3 is a front view of the articulator with dotted lines.

indicating in greatly exaggerated positions the relative lateral movement of the plates which my construction permits; and Fig. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken through the articulator showing one of the 1,478,722 OFFICE.

ARTICULATOB.

7, 1922. Serial No. 605,343.

spiral supporting springs which space the present invention I have provided a con- These connections have involved struction of articulator which eliminates the many complications introduced in previous articulators, and yetmy construction affords a. movement throughout the length of supporting springs which space the 'upper and lower plates apart, whereby the natural movement of the jaws during mastication is reproduced.

I provide an upper and lower plate, the

upper plate comprising two sections, one

resting upon the other and being secured together by an adjusting nut or screw, allowing the upper plate to beregulated in, position forward and backward at will, the adjusting nut or screw firmly locking the two sect-ions together. That section to which the upper plate is a-djusta'blyconnected is provided with extension members, at a plurality ofpoints about the periphery of the plate, which are pivotally mounted,

in a supporting member. The sup orting .member carr1es a bridge between the sections thereof and an ad ustable screw within the bridge whereby the relative, position of the upper plate and the supporting member may be regulated. Shortprojections are provided on the supporting member. The lower plate is provided with extensions, and projections at plurality of similar points about the periphery of the lower plate. and between these extensions and the projections on the supporting men1 her is positicned'a pairof spiral springs.

These springs are positioned at a plurality of points about the peripheries ofthe plates or jaws and allow a free and natural movement of the plates relative to each other, which movement'is not controlled in any manner by complicated adjustments heretofore required. Thedentures, models or casts are plastered upon the upper and lower plates and assume the relationship with each other that the jaws do in the natural use and working thereof. The movement permitted by these sprin s permits the teeth to ride over each other and be guided in their movement by the planes of the articulating surfaces as in the natural state. The teeth may be brought tog-ether for example and the pressure released upon the upper plate, whereby the two plates slide back into their normal relationship.

Referring now more particularly tothe drawings, reference character 1 indicates the upper plate and numeral 2 designates the lower plate. The upper plate 1 is adjustably secured to section 6 provided with two extension members 24; and 25 e which are pivotally mounted in the supportingmember 5 upon axis 7. Relative adjustment between section 6'and the upperplate 1 is permitted by the adjustment of screw 8 "in section 6 operating through slot 1 in the upper plate 1- and having a shoulder bearing upon member 16. A bridge member is carried by the supporting member?) and adjustable screw 12 is threaded through this bridge for adjusting the angularg position of the upper plate with the lower plate.

Locknut 14 is provided to'maintain a permanent setting of the screw 12 when its position is finally selected. Between

projections

26 and 27 on the supporting member 5 and the projections 28 and 29 on extensions 30 and 31 on the lower plate 2 I provide spiral prings 4 and 10 which are secured to rojectio-ns 28 and 29 on the lower plate 2 and to shoulders or

projections

26 and 27 formed on the supporting member 5'. The dentures 21- and 22 are plastered on the upper plate 1 and lower plate 2 respectively and movement imparted by the articulator simulating the natural movement of the jaws. The spiral spring construction at points about the peripheries of the jaws permits whatever lateral movement may ever be desirable, as indlcated n great exaggeration by dotted line 18 and 20.

WVhile I have described my invention-in a certain preferred embodiment, my invention is not limited to this particular showing. An articulator employing a single spring connection between the upper and lower plates might be employed. I intend no limitations of the invention beyond those imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. An anatomical dental articulator comprising an upper aw and a lower jaw, resilient means positioned intermediate said jaws and interconnecting same forming the sole supporting means for said jaws whereby freedom of movement of the jaws in several directions is secured.

2. In an anatomical dental articulator, the

combination ofian upper'j aw, a lower jaw,

and resilient means connecting a plurality of points about the periphery of said jaws and forming the'sole support for saidupper jaw over said lower jaw and permitting freedom of movementof one jaw relative to the other jaw.

3. In an anatomical dental articulator, the combination of a lower plate and an upper plate pivotally mounted relative to the lower plate, and resilient means interposed V between said pivotal mounting and said lower plate forming the solesupport between the upper plate and the lower plate and permitting relative movement betwe'en'said plates.

4. In an'ana'tomical dental articulaton the combination of a'lower plate "and an upper plate, a plurality of short projections on said plates and spiral spring means interposed between said projections for spacing said plates and forming the sole means of support for said, upper plate and permitting relative movement between said plates.

5. In an anatomical dental articulator, the combination of an upper plate and a lower plate, and a plurality of sp-iralsprings interposed between said plates forming the sole supporting means for said upper plate and permitting relative movement of said plates.

6. In an anatomical dental articulator, the combination of an upper plate and a lower plate, means for adjusting said upper plate relative to said lower plate, means for pivotally mounting one plate relative to the other, extensions on said lower plate, and a pair of spiral springs forming the sole means of support between said extensions on said lower plate and said pivotal mounting means.

7. In an anatomical dental articulator, the combination of an upper plate and a lower plate, means for angularly and horizontally adjusting said upper plate relative to said lower plate, means for pivotally mounting one of said plates relative to the other, ex-

tensions on said pivotal mounting means,

extensions on said lower plate, and a pair of spiral springs interposed between said extensions forming the sole means of support for said upper plate whereby movement of said plates is permitted simulating natural movement of the jaws.

IRA ROLLINS WHEELER.