Dentistry – Orthodontics – Tool
Patent
1985-04-12
1988-09-06
Wilson, John J.
Dentistry
Orthodontics
Tool
433 4, A61C 300
Patent
active
047689501
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a manipulator for orthodontic elastomeric ligatures of the ring type, or which include a ring component, and can be utilized for applying such a ligature to the wings of an orthodontic tooth bracket for the purpose of holding an arch wire in the slot between such wings, and for removing such a ligature ring from tooth bracket wings.
BACKGROUND ART
Elastomeric ligature ring appliers proposed or available heretofore have been of two principal types, namely, the pliers-type and the tweezers-type. Both of these types are represented in Cusato U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,940, issued Jan. 11, 1977, the tweezers-type being shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, 5A and 6, and the pliers-type being shown in FIGS. 14 to 21.
Patents showing previous pliers-type of apparatus cited against the application resulting in the aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,940 are Belgian Pat. No. 523,365 of October 1953, United Kingdom Pat. No. 764,150 of December 1956 and United Kingdom Pat. No. 921,015 of March 1963. Prior patents showing tweezers-type apparatus cited against the application resulting in U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,940 are Engelsman U.S. Pat. No. 955,955, issued Apr. 26, 1910, and Gardella U.S. Pat. No. 1,974,106, issued Sept. 18, 1934.
Patents issued later than U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,940 showing pliers-type of apparatus are Dragan U.S. Pat. No. 4,106,374, issued Aug. 15, 1978, and Frajdenrajch U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,305, issued Jan. 12, 1982.
The pliers-type of device includes jaws that are spring-pressed toward each other having tips that can be inserted into the aperture of an elastomeric ligature ring element after which the pliers handles can be pressed toward each other to spread the tips and thereby stretch and hold the ligature ring between the tips. U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,940 in FIGS. 17 and 18 provides a latch that can be engaged between the handle elements of the pliers to hold such elements in contracted position for maintaining the tips in spread condition to hold a ring stretched.
The tips of a tweezers-type of device are normally urged apart by the resiliency of the tweezers and the tips can be pressed together for engagement with a ligature ring and then released to spread and hold the ring. Such tweezers may have a latch to hold the legs of the tweezers apart for maintaining a ring in stretched condition, as shown in the Engelsman U.S. Pat. No. 955,955.
It is difficult to stretch and hold an elastomeric ring in stretched condition by manipulation of a pliers-type instrument when applying such a ring to the wings of an orthodontic bracket, and it is also difficult to manipulate latch mechanism for holding apart the jaws of such a pliers instrument and for releasing the jaws from a ligature ring. Moreover, such latch mechanism is intended to hold the pliers jaws spaced apart only a predetermined distance, whereas it may be desirable to stretch ligature rings different amounts depending on the type of bracket to which the ring is to be applied.
The tweezers-type of ring-holding instrument is difficult to hold firmly in the hand, and it is more difficult to hold such an instrument securely while manipulating latch mechanism to hold the legs of the tweezers in spaced relationship.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a manipulator has a body that can be grasped between the thumb and one or more fingers of a hand, and such body may be flat and furcated to provide one or more throats or crotches into which the web of the hand between the thumb and forefinger can be fitted as the manipulator is grasped. The body of such manipulator carries a fixed prong projecting from it and an adjacent movable prong which prongs can engage, stretch and hold a ligature ring between them while the manipulator is manipulated to apply such ligature ring to the wings of an orthodontic tooth bracket. The shanks of the prongs may be crossed and their tip portions may be canted relative to their shanks in parallel relationship and offset from the handle to enable the body of the manipulator and
REFERENCES:
patent: 955955 (1910-04-01), Engelsman
patent: 1100486 (1914-06-01), Merliss
patent: 1346584 (1920-07-01), Angle
patent: 1355790 (1920-10-01), Young
patent: 1363534 (1920-12-01), Rogers
patent: 1974106 (1934-09-01), Gardella
patent: 3475818 (1969-11-01), Abrams
patent: 4001940 (1977-01-01), Cusato
patent: 4106374 (1978-08-01), Dragan
patent: 4310305 (1982-01-01), Frajdenrajch
patent: 4392494 (1983-07-01), Ashby
patent: 4462404 (1984-07-01), Schwarz et al.
patent: 4553932 (1985-11-01), Armstrong et al.
Armstrong Maclay M.
Houser Steven A.
Beach Robert W.
Brown Ward
Unitek Corporation
Wilson John J.
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