US930717A - Dental tooth-regulating appliance. - Google Patents

Description

DBNT i TOOTH REGULATING APPLIANGE. ALIQATION HLED FEB.24,1909.

930,71 7 Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

monsw. IlA GRAHAM w.. PHMO-UYHDGRWMLIN wAsmmTbl. n. c.

'narran'. sr'ras PATEN EDWARD u. ANGLE', orLA-RoHMoN'r, NEwYoRK.

DENTAL Toorn-'RGULATING APPLIANCE.

i Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 10, 1909. Application ined February ai, 1999.` serial No. 479,716.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. ANGLE, .acitizen of the United States, residing at Larchmont, in the county of TWestchester and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Im rovementin'Dental Tooth-Regulating App iances; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of th'e invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in dental teeth regulating or orthodontia ape pliances of the class comprising an 1 anchor member, an eXtensible delivery member and an adjusting nut for proj ecting or distending said delivery member in respect to said anchor member. Appliances 4of this class when properly mounted upon teeth in the mouth may, by suitable manipulation of the adjusting nuts, be placed under tension and pressure thereby applied to malposed or ir` regular teeth for the purpose of restoring thelrln to their normal position in the dental arc It is the object of my invention to rovide improved means for preventing the acl'usting nuts of such appliances from being accidentally turned or backed away from the anchorl member; the improvement in its various forms or embodiments being indicated inthe accompanying1 drawings, described in the following specification and pointed out in the claims at the conclusion thereof.

In said drawings :-Fig`ure l is a plan view of a dental arch indicating an arch bar type of tooth regulator applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a view partly in longitudinal section and partly in side elevation, on a greatly enarged scale, of a portion of a tooth regulator indicating one form of my improvement; and Fig. 3 is an end view of the anchor member of said appliance. Fig. 4 is a view similar. to Fig. 2 of another form of my improvement; and Fig. 5 is an end view of the anchor member thereof. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view indicating another form of my improvement; and Fig. 7 is an end view of the anchor member thereof. Fig. S is a view partly in longitudinal section and partly in elevation of still another form` of my improvement; Fig. 9 is an end view of the nut; and Fig. 10 an end view of the anshowing p even another ment.

chor member; Fig. 11 is a similar-view form of my improve- `Ieethregulating appliances of the class to Y whichmy present invention is applicable are of two types, e.:-the arch bar type and the straight or jack screw type. An appliance ofthefirst named type is indicatedk in Fig. 1 and consists of a curved or bowed arch bar 1, usually made of spring material, and so called because, it is ofv approximately the same form as the human dental arch, to

some of the teeth of which it is designedto be connected; and a pair of anchor tubes 2,2, each of which has secured to it an anchor band 3. The bands 3, 3, are designed to be securely attached to abutment or anchor teeth, such as themolars 4, t, which are not to be moved, but which maintain the anchor tubes in fixed position. The limbs of the arch bar 1 are threaded for some distance from their ends, as at 5, the threaded portions being adapted to pass freely through the` smooth or unthreaded bores of the respective anchor tubes. Upon each limb of `the arch bar is an adjusting nut 6 working I Fig. 1 with the nuts bearing against the ends of the anchor tubes, the arch bar may be distended or `projected relatively to the iiXed anchor tubes by turning the nuts in the proper direction. The nuts maybe turned continuously and the arch bar projected until externalpressure is opposed to said arch bar sufficient to prevent it from moving farther. Malposed or irregular teeth, such as the incisors indicated at 7, 7, may be gradually restored to their normal position in the dental arch by means of this ap liance by securely fattaching said teeth to t e arch bar, as by ligatures 8, 8, and gradually distending or projecting 'said arch bar by manipulation of the adjusting nuts 6, 6, in the manner above y indicated.

Because of the relation of the parts of the device it is pro er to designate the immovable or relatlve y iXed anchor tubes 2, 2, as the anchor member and the extensible arch bar l as the delivery member.

The straight or jack screw type of regulator differs fromthe arch bar type in that the delivery member is straight instead of 1 being bowed or arched and the anchor member is composed of but a single anchor tube and band, or other form of tooth attachment. The arch bar type may properly be called a double jack screw because it has two anchor tubes and two adjusting nuts.

It is well known to Orthodontists and others familiar with orthodontia or the art of tooth regulation, that a malposed or irregularly positioned tooth is not restored to its normal or proper position in the dental arch by a single treatment; but that numerous treatments eXtendin g over a period of weeks and even months are usually required. At each treatment the appliance is readjusted, the delivery member being moved just a little farther away from the anchor member each time, so that the tooth is movedvery slowly and gradually. lt is also well known in the art that after each adjustment of the appliance by means of the adjusting nuts, when the appliance and teeth are placed under tension, this tension gradually diminishes as the tooth yields, and if the appliance is not promptly readjusted and more tension applied, the tooth may yield to an extent that'practically takes all tension off the appliance. While the device is under tension there is more or less end thrust against the adjusting nut or nuts which are thereby prevented from accidental turning, but when the device is not under tension the nut or nuts is relieved of end thrust and may be freely turned. Thus, after the tooth has yielded and the appliance is practically under no tension, there is no end thrust upon the nuts and under these circumstances they nuts may be readily backed away from the anchor member by the tongue or cheek of the patient until the adjustment of the appliance is seriously disarranged. 'llo prevent this accidental'turning or backing away of the nuts and the consequent disarrangement of the appliance, friction devices have already been provided. Such devices consist either of a cylindrical friction sleeve en the nut entering a cylindrical socket'in the anchor tube, or a conical sleeve on said nut entering a conical socket in said tube.

The means I employ in my present invention for preventing the adjusting nuts from being accidentally turned or backed away from the anchor member consists of a connection Abetween the nut and anchor tube that will permit of the nut being turned for the purpose of projecting the delivery member relatively to the anchor member, but which will prevent said nut from being accidentally turned or backed away from said anchor member. This connection may be termed a swivel, by which is meant a connection between the nut and anchor tube which permits of the former being turned relatively to the latter, while the appliance is being placed under tension, but which pel'-l mits of no endwise movement between said nut and tube, except in seine cases by the application of a force greater than that used in regulating the teeth. Broadly speaking, this swivel connection between the nut and tube is formed by an annular groove in one and a lug on the other, adapted to engage said annular groove.

ln Figs. 2 and 3 is illustrated a forni of connection in which the adjusting nut G is formed with a sleeve or extension E) having a pointed or coned end l() and an annular groove l1, said-nut also being formed with a shoulder l2. The sleeve or extension El, the shape of whieli forms no part of my present invention, but which has telescopic connection with the anchor tube, may be a cylindrical friction sleeve, such as is shown in Letters Patent No. (326,476, granted to nie June 6, i899; it may be a conical friction sleeve, or it may be a mere stud or extension of the nut without capacity of affording friction other than that provided by the swivel connection, as will be hereinafter explained. The anchor tube 2 is fornied with a socket ll adapted to receive the sleeve Sl of the adjust* ing nut, and is also forn'ied with an annular lug 14; adapted to engage the groove llv when the sleeve 9 is entered into the socket lv. For the purpose of forcibly connecting and disconnecting the nut to and from the anchor tube, the latter may be split at one or more points, as indicated at l5. .3y nia-king` the lug and groove rounded as shown in Fig. 2, the nut may be engaged with and disengaged from. the anchor tube by forcibly pushing`- it j in and pulling` it out, but by inaliii'ig one side of the lug and corresponding side ol` the groove abrupt, as indicated in Fig. A, the nut may be intel-locked with the anchor tube by forcibly pushing it in, but can only be disengaged therefrom by positively releasing the lug. The nut in this case may be released by lifting the lug with the linger nail or a suitable implement. yPhe lug may be annular, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, or it may bc located on what is equivalent to a spring tongue 1G cut in the anchor tube, as indicated in Figs. Lt and 5. instead of making this spring tongue integral with the anchor tube, it may be a separate piece of spring` metal secured, as by soldering', to the eXterior of the anchor tube with its lug projectinO through an opening in said tube. y Such a construction is indicated in Figs. 6 and 7.

ln Figs. 2, 3. i; and 5 the annular groove ll is near the shoulder l2 of the nut and the lug 14 is at er near the outer end of the anchor tube. ln Figs. 6 and 7 the groove is located near the end of the sleeve l) of the nut and the lug is situated at or near the bottom of the socket i3 of the anchor tube. Still another modii'ication is shown in Figs. S, Q and 10. Here the groove il and the 'sedi/1"? sleeve 9 is formed in the anchor tube, while the lug 14 and socket are formed on'and in the adjusting nut. Y

All of the various forms of the connection above described provide for forcibly connecting and disconnecting the nut and anchor tube and may therefore be termed detachable swivel connections. The lugs carried by the spring tongues, by the split anchor tube, or by the split tubular nut extension, and which are adapted to be sprung into and out of engagement with the annular groove, may each be termed a spring detent.

1n Fig. 11 is shown a simple form of swivel connection in which no provision is made for disconnecting the nut from the anchor tube. An annular groove 11 is formed in the nut sleeve 9 and the lug 14 which engages said groove is formed by spinning the metal of which the anchor tube is made into said annular groove. An appliance having this non-detachable form of nut connection can only be mounted upon the teeth while the appliance is assembled, whereas in appliances having the detachable nut connection, the anchor tubes may be separately secured to the teeth,lafter which the delivery member with the adjusting nut or nuts thereon may be passed through the anchor tube or' tubes, the malposed tooth or teeth ligated thereto; and the adjusting nut or nuts forced into engagement with the anchor tube or tubes.

1n the practical application of an appliance having my improved nut connection (assuming it to be of the arch bar type), the appliance is first mounted upon the teeth, either assembled or by separately fastening the anchor tubes to the anchor or abutment teeth and subsequently inserting the delivery member into said anchor tubes and ligating the malposed teeth to said delivery member. rlhe adjusting nuts, if not already connected, are next forcibly engaged with the anchor tubes and manipulated by means of a suitable wrench to project or distend the delivery member until the appliance and the malposed teeth are under proper tension. It will be understood that this is accomplished by forcibly turning each nut with its shoulder 12 abutting against the end of the anchor tube and receiving the end thrust thereof. Since the anchor tubes are immovably fixed and since the nuts turn on the threads of the arch bar, the-effect will be to force the arch bar away from the anchor tubes, or to project or distend it in respect to said tubes. So long as the appliance is under tension the end thrust against the shoulder of the nut will be sufficient to prevent the nut from being accidentally turned or backed away from the anchor tube, as previously explained; but when the device is not under tension, which taires place after the malposed teeth have yielded sufliciently, the nut may be accidentally turned or backed away unless some ymeans are provided for preventing it. W hen my improved appliance is thus relieved of tension, the nut cannot turn in the reverse direction without moving the nut endwise ina direction away from the anchor tube, owing to the threaded connection between the nut and arch bar, and as the nut has practically no endwise movement relative to the anchor tube and as the anchor tube is immovably fixed, the effect of the reverse turning of the nut will be to force one side of the annular groove of the swivel connection against one side of the lug of said connection. The greater the force applied to turn the nut in the reverse direction, the

greater will be the friction between the parts of the swivel connection, the effect of which will be to offer resistance to the backward turning of the nut. This resistance will be ample to prevent all accidental turning or backing away of the nut without in the least interfering with the forward turning of the nut for adjusting or applying tension to the appliance.

l claim as my invention:

1. A dental tooth regulating appliance comprising a tubular anchor member designed to be held in a fixed osition relative to the other parts of the app iance, a threaded delivery member ada ted to freely pass through said tubular ancfior member, an adjusting nut working upon said threaded delivery member and adapted to bear against the end of said anchor member and a swivel connection between said adjusting nut and said anchor member.

2. A dental tooth regulating appliance comprising a tubular anchor member designed to be held in a fixed position relative to the other parts of the appliance, a threaded delivery member adapted to freely pass through said tubular anchor member', an adjusting nut working upon said threaded delivery member and adapted to bear against the end of said anchor member and a detachable swivel connection between said adjusting nut and said anchor member.

3. A dental tooth regulating ap liance comprising a tubular anchor mem er designed to be held in a fixed osition relative to the other parts of the app iance, a threaded delivery member ada ted to freely pass through said tubular anc or member, an adjusting nut working upon said threaded delivery member and adapted to bear against the end of said anchor member, an extension on said nut having telescopic connection with said tubular anchor member, an annular groove on one of said parts and a lug on the other of said parts adapted to engage said annular groove, said annular groove and lug forming a swivel connection between said nut and anchor member.

4. A dental tooth regulating appliance [comprising a tubular anchor member de-l signed to be lheld .in a fixed yposition relative to the other parts of Athe appliance, a .threaded .delivery member adapted to freely Epass through said tubular anchor member, anadjusting nut Working upon said :threaded delivery member andadapted to bear against the end of said anchor member, an extension on said nut having telescopic connection with said tubular anchor member, an annular grooye jon one of said parts, and a spring detent on .the other of said parts adapted to engage said annular groove, said annular groove and spring detent forming a detachable swivel conneetion'between said nut and 15 anchor member.

In testimony whereof I aHix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD H. ANGLE. Vitnesses:

CHAS. H. HEANIS, CARL F. PRoBs'r.

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