Abstract: An orthodontic bracket or convertible buccal tube for use with arch wires has the usual mesial distal extending slot having one side open to receive the wire. The open side is closed by a shutter pivoting on a pivot pin, or coaxial pins, about a mesial distal axis, the shutter being latched in slot closed position to retain the arch wire in the slot. The device includes an attitude controlling spring member consisting of an integral extension of the part of the shutter member that closes the slot, the extension being thinner and therefore of greater flexibility than the relatively rigid shutter member. The extension can be progressively thinner that the shutter member from its junction therewith to a free end that engages the arch wire in the slot. In slot closed position a portion of the integral extension is positively engaged with a surface of the device body so as to preload the spring.

Abstract: An orthodontic bracket or convertible buccal tube for use with arch wires has the usual mesial distal extending slot having one side open to receive the wire. The open side is closed by a shutter pivoting on a pivot pin, or coaxial pins, about a mesial distal axis, the shutter being latched in slot closed position to retain the arch wire by a latch having one latch member on the pivot pin/s and a cooperating member on an annular part of the shutter surrounding the pin/s. Preferably the latch members are a mesial distal extending cam shaped recess in the pivot pin/s and a projection protruding from the annular shutter part, or vice versa. The part of the annular shutter part carrying the latch member is made flexible by a mesial distal extending through slot dividing it to form a movable segment of about 200° to 270° of the total circumference; a tool can be inserted into the slot to assist in disengaging the latch.

Abstract: A new structure is provided for orthodontic devices comprising a bracket or a convertible buccal tube, both of which have a body with a mesial-distal extending arch wire receiving slot therein. Both have a slot closure member, also referred to as a jamming shutter, pivotally mounted by the body for movement between slot open and closed positions and consisting of a pivot portion including an arm portion with a mesially-distally extending slot closure portion at its end. The slot closure portion has a part that closes the slot and mesially-distally extending parts that in the slot closed position engage an adjacent body surface with an interference jamming fit sufficient to retain the slot closure member in slot closed position. Any movement of the slot closure member to and from the slot closed position involves flexing of these engaged parts away from the device body against the elasticity of the material, removing the need for latches or retaining springs.

Abstract: An orthodontic bracket of the type intended for cementing directly to a previously etched surface of the tooth enamel has on the lingual face thereof that contacts the tooth enamel surface a thin porous layer of sintered metal powder which is arranged to have a porosity such that it has keying characteristics close to that of the etched enamel and thereby facilitates the cementing adhesion of the bracket to the tooth. A particularly suitable metal powder consists of particles of the same alloy as the bracket metal and of size in the range about 10 to about 150 micons (-100 mesh), preferably from about 10 to about 50 microns (-300 mesh) applied in a thickness of about 0.05 to 0.2 mm, by means of a sintering operation that fuses the particles to the lingual face and to one another.

Abstract: The invention provides a new orthodontic device for use with the arch wire that is employed in an orthodontic procedure to connect together the orthodontic brackets attached to the teeth. The device comprises a core member having an axial bore to permit it to be threaded onto the wire, the external face of the core member being frustro-conical. The core member is pressed axially into a cylindrical sleeve having a tapered inner face complementary to the core frustro-conical outer face, and the core has a longitudinal slit in its circumference extending from the outer face to the bore so that as it is forced into the sleeve it can clamp tightly onto the wire. The device preferably is used with special pliers having ends which are slotted to fit over the wire and recessed to embrace the device, so that as the pliers ends are closed together the core is forced into the sleeve. The device can be used per se as an end stop, e.g. to stop relative axial movements between the wire and a bracket.

Abstract: A new orthodontic bracket comprises a bracket body with a mesial-distal slot for the reception of an arch wire and a resilient retainer member for retaining the arch wire in the slot, the retainer member being movable on the bracket body in the occlusal-gingival directions between a slot-closed position and a slot-open position. When in the slot-closed position the end of the part of the retainer member which closes the slot extends into a mesial-distal extending retainer slot in the gingival wall of the arch wire slot so that movement of the retainer member end in the labial direction is limited by its engagement with the lingual wall of the retainer slot. The wall that is engaged by the retainer member end preferably in narrower than the bracket body and may comprise a small piece of the spring material used for the retainer member welded to the bracket body. The engaging faces of the retainer member and the retainer slot may be inclined to retain the retainer member in the slot-closed position.

Abstract: The invention provides an orthodontic arch wire of particular cross-section for use with an orthodontic bracket as disclosed in my earlier patent Ser. No. 3,772,787. This bracket has a mesial-distal extending slot to receive the arch wire, the labial face of which is closed by a sliding U-shaped spring retainer member, one end of which protrudes into the slot to engage the arch wire labial face. The wire cross-section has straight parallel occlusal and gingival sides with the occlusal longer than the gingival. The lingual side is also straight and at right angles to the occlusal and gingival sides. The labial side that is contacted by the retainer member is outwardly convex curved about a radius within the cross-section, the preferred ratio of occlusal side length to radius being from 1:0.4 to 1:0.76.