US1520809A - Dental attachment for movable-removable bridgework - Google Patents

Description

M COHEN DENTAL ATTACHMENT FOR MOVABLE REMOVABLE BRIDGEWORK Filed Dec 2, 1922 INVENTOR I TTh'LCon CQhen BY I . Witnesses W. H'M

ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 30, 1924.v

uarreo I MILTON COHEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIG-NOR TO i-FaDLER ENGINEERING COMPANY,

OF CORONA, LONG ISLAND, NEW-J YORK, A GOFAFtTNERST-LIIP OF NEW YORK.

DENTAL ATTACHMENT FOR MOVABLE-REMOVABLE BRIDGEWORK.

Application filed December 2, Serial No. 604,510.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON COHEN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dental Attachments for Movable- Removable Bridgework, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in the construction of the dental attachments used for supporting movable-removable bridgework dentures in the mouth.

That branch of dentistry known as movable-removable bridgework has for its purpose the restoration of one or more missing teeth, whereby the artificial removable bridge denture that is fabricated by the dental operator to replace the missing tooth or teeth, is supported in the mouth in a restricted movable relationship to its stationary abutments, and is readily removed from the mouth, at will. The dental attachment forming the substance of this in vention, and composed of a male member that is adapted to be permanently mounted on the artificial removable denture, and a female member that is adapted to be permanently supported on astationary tooth in the mouth, termed an abutment, is the means whereby the artificial removable bridge denture is supported in the mouth.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a dental attachment for movableremovable bridgework wherein the provision made for holding the removable bridge denture against unintentional dislodgment,

is supplied by the tension ability possessed by the male member of the attachment, by reason of the slot arrangement cut therein. Another principal aim of my invention is to provide such a construction for the male member of my attachment, that there will be permitted a restrlcted movability for the removable bridge denture while held on its abutments in the mouth, relative to the stationary supporting abutments. A further object of my invention is toprovide a dental attachment for movably and removably supporting an artificial bridge denture in the mouth, that is simple in construction and positive in its functioning.

indicate corresponding parts in the various views.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the female member of the attachment as used with the triangular shaped'male me1n her body.

Flg. 2 1s a perspective view illustrating my proposed method of construction for the male member of the attachment, embodying a triangular shaped male member body.

Fig. is a perspective View, taken from the side opposite to that shown in. Fig. 2, illustrating my proposed method of con struction for the male member of the attachment, embodying a triangular shaped male member body.

Fig. 4: is a view in elevation of the assembly of the male and female members of the attachment, embodying a triangular shaped male member body,'with a portion of the female member cut out.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing'the female member of the attachment as used with an oval shaped male member body.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view illustrating my proposed method of construction for the male member of the attachment, embodying an oval shaped male member body.

Fig. 7 is a perspective View, taken from the opposite side tothat shown in Fig. 6, illustrating my proposed method of construction for themale member of the attachment, embodying an oval shaped male member body.

Fig, 8 is a perspective view showing the female member of the attachment as used with a rectangular shaped male member body.

Fig. 9 is perspective view illustrating my proposed method of constructi n for sition between its abutments.

all

l, I show the female member of t to he used vith. the triangular shap :l male member body. and composed of the flat back wall 1 with the sides formed thereto at equal angles, this angle to be less than degrees. The bottom 3 of the female member is flat, and is formed to the flat back wall 1, at right angles. The formation oi? the female member is such as to produce a box-form, corresponding to the form of the body of the male member, the entire box-formed female member being fabricated preferably of one piece, as this member is subjected to great heat while it is fixed in position on the abutment tooth.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, wherein I illustrate a male member with a tiangular shaped body, I show this trian 'ula. shaped body l formed integral with the web 5, and at right angles thereto. The body 4 is made to taper from the. top very slightly, and may also be formed to the web 5 at any angle other than a right angle.

The body 4 of the male men'iber, refer ence being had to Figures 2, 3, t, 6. 2', 9 and in the attach 10, in each instance is provided with the slots 6 and '7, extending longitudinally down from the top of the body over the greater part of its length, and of very narrow width, i. e., a few thousandths of an inch. These slots 6 and 7 are cut transversely and completely across the body, being positioned one on each side of the longitudinal transverse plane through the center of the body.

Thus, when the male in mber made to engage within the female member, the body l of the male member will be wedged and 7 held within the enclosure of the female 1nemher by the binding action of the upper lateral ends of the body 4, against the corresponding portion of the sides 2. of the female member. This binding action of the upper lateral ends of the body el is existent by virtue of the yield or give of these lateral ends, across the areas of the corresponding slots 6 and 7. This restraining tension against dislodgment possessel by the male member, by virtue of the existence of the 'slots (land 7 and therefore by the removable bridge denture to which the male member is fixedly supported, is such as to overcome the unintentional dislodging tendencies during mastication and similar natural actions. still permitting the removable bridge denture to be removed from the mouth, at will.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will. be seen that the lower portion of the male member body does not make contact, laterally, with the corresponding inner surface of the female member. The object of this is to give to the male member, and so to the removable bridge denture, a restricted rocking movement due to the stress of mastication, corresponding to the natural tooth movement durng mastication. However, this l'QSL ictezl ocl'ing movement of the bridge denti e luring mastication, takes place in. one plane onl i. e., in the plane parallel to the lateral lane'of the body a.

I have shown, in each case, the slots (3 and to be equal in length, this having been done arbitrarily. Again, in each of the aforementioned instances, 1 have also shown. arbitrarily, the slots 6 and 7 to be formed parallel to each other, and in planes parallel to the transverse plane through the center of the body It may be found more dosirable, in. certain cases, to cut the slots 6 and 7 longitudinally through the body l. so that their planes form similar angles with the transverse plane through the center of the body. It is evident for mechanical reasons, to preferably position the slots 6 and T in planes proximally to the transverse plane through the center of the body l, for then the greater portions of the body, i. e., those portions between the slots and the lateral extremities of the body, will be tensioned when the body. is made to engage witl the female member.

Referring now to Fig. 11, I have illustr ed an artificial removable bridge denture. composed of an artificial first molar S and an artificial second bic'uspid 9, rigidly mounted on the metallic saddle structure 10, the whole reniuovable bridge denture being removably supported, in the mouth, on andbetween the natural second molar 11 and natural. first 'bicuspid 12, the latter two teeth acting as the abutments for the bridge denture. l have also assumed two attachments to be used for supporting this removable bridge denture in the mouth. The male members of the attachments permanently mounted, generally by the use of solder, on the saddle structure 10, one at each of its lateral extremities, and adjacent to the surfaces of the two artificialteeth. The two female members of the attachn'ients would then be supported, one on each abutment tooth, by being permanently mounted, generally by the use of solder also, in the metallic inlays 13, one seated in each abutment tooth. The method employed for mounting the male and female members of the attachments on the saddle structure and in the inlays, re spectively, is understood. to be consistent all) with the proper technique for this branch of dentistry, and is well known to those skilled in this art and technique.

The removable bridge denture is placed in the month, between its abutments, by permitting the male members of the attachments on the bridge denture saddle structure to engage within the corresponding female members on the abutments, the body of each male member finding access into its female member only from the top, i. e., occlusally. After the removable bridge denture has been placed in position between its abutments in the mouth, it is so held against unintentional dislodgment, by the tensioning action due to the slot arrangement in the body of each male member. The extent of this tensioning ability possessed by the male members, which can be adjusted, i. e., increased or decreased by increasing or decreasing the width of the slots 6 and 7 respectively, should be such as to hold the removable bridge denture in position in the mouth, against the dislodging tendencies due to mastication and similar natural causes, but such as to permit the bridge denture to be readily removed from the mouth, at will.

In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 8 and 4: the embodiment of my invention, in the method of dental attachment construction, in a triangular shaped attachment. Also in Fig ures 5, 6 and 7, I have illustrated the embodiment of my method of attachment construction in an oval shaped attachment, while in Figures 8, 9 and 10, the embodiment is illustrated in a rectangular shaped attachment. Although I have illustrated the embodiment of my invention, in the method of dental attachment construction, in only three diiferent shapes or forms, I wish to set forth that the shape or form of the attachment embodying my invention is of secondary importance, the embodiment being capable of employment in practically any type of dental attachment for removable bridgework, regardless of its form or shape. In Fig. 11, I have illustrated the attachment as used between the first and second molars triangular in shape, while the one as used between the first and second bicuspids oval in shape, showing that two different shaped attachments, embodying my invention, can be readily used on the same bridge denture.

In the foregoing I have proposed that the slots 6 and 7 be made as great in length as possible, consistent with the strength of the material, because it is often necessary to cut down the height of the male and female members of the attachments in order to accommodate a tooth of low height. In fact, the slots should be made to extend over such a length of the male member, as to permit the tire pp r half of the male mem er to be cut away, and still have the remaining half function with thesame results as if the whole member were used. I have shown, in each instance, the slots as extending in straight lines, both longitudinally and transversely, just for convenience,-these slots being formed just as readily in shape of a curve or angle. The material for fabricating, both members of the attachment, could be any non-corrosive metal, preferably,

platinum, palladium, gold, alloys. I

' IVhile I have herein illustrated and described my invention in considerable detail,

etc., or I their I wish to set forth that modifications and changes thereof may be readily resorted to the said body having cut therein two slots extending longitudinally over the greater part of its length and disposed in planes transversely of the body one on each side of its central transverse plane; the said body being adapted to engage within the said jacket member and act as the means for holding the removable bridge denture on its abutments in the mouth against unintentional dislodgment, and in movable relationship to the said abutments.

2. In a dental attachment for removable bridge dentures, an open top box-formed acket member positioned with a longitudinal breach, and a linking member, the said linking member comprising a web for permanently anchoring the linking member to the removable bridge denture and adapted to be disposed vertically movable in the breach of the said acket member, and a substantially solid body element formed correspondingly to engage within the said jacket member. the said body element having out completely across its section a plurality of parallel slots extending longitudinally down from the top the greater part of its length, the said slots being disposed in planes transversing the body section and on both sides of the transverse plane through the center of the body.

3. A dental attachment for movable-removable bridgework, composing a boxformed jacket member adapted to be rigidly supported on an abutment tooth in the mouth, and a linking member adapted to be permanently supported on the artificial removable bridge denture, the said linking member comprising a solid body element ta pered somewhat towards its lower extremity and a Web element formed at a right angle thereto, the said body element having positioned therethrough two slots extending longitudinally for the greater part of its length one on each side of the central transverse plane through body and Web; the said body element being adaptedly shaped to engage Within the said acket member and provide by virtue of its slot arrangement, the tensioning means against unintentional dislodgment of the removable bridge from its abutments, at the same time providing a restricted movability or rocking movement for the removable bridge While so held.

at. In a removable bridge denture attachment of the character described, the combination of a symmetrically shaped boxformed member adapted to be permanently attached to an abutment tooth-in the mouth, and a linking member for seating the removable denture in the mouth, the said linking member comprising a Web element and a body element formed integrally and at an angle to each other, the said body element having cut transversely therethrough two slots not extending the 'full length thereof, each of the said slots being disposed in planes forming With the transverse plane through the center of the said body element an angle other than a straight angle (180 clegrees) one on each side of the said central transverse plane through the body element and proximally thereto.

MILTON COHEN.

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