Face bow with three-dimensionally adjustable support means

Claim 2

In jaw movement recording apparatus, the combination comprising: a clutch adapted to be fastened to the tooth structure of one jaw of a patient; a face bow adapted to fit around the patient''s jaw; an elongated position adjustment rod having first and second ends; means fixedly supporting one end of said rod from one of said clutch and face bow; a hollow position adjustment member having a cavity adapted to receive the other end of said rod in a loose-fitting relationship permitting relative three-dimensional movement therebetween; and means fixedly supporting said hollow member from the other of said clutch and face bow; whereby when a desired positional and angular relationship of said face bow relative to said clutch is achieved, said cavity may be filled with plaster or the like for fixedly securing said face bow in said desired position.

Claim 3

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, which includes two such adjustment rods and two such adjustment members, one on each side of the lateral center of said face bow, each adjustment rod-and-member pair having separate support means associated therewith.

Claim 4

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lower end of said rod projects downwardly into said cavity.

Claim 5

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cavity is elongated and open at both its ends, said rod extending throughout the length of said cavity.

Claim 6

Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said cavity has substantially a truncated conical configuration.

Claim 7

Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said clutch is an upper clutch and said face bow is an upper face bow, the lower end of each of said rods projecting downwardly into the associated one of said cavities.

Claim 8

Apparatus as claimed in claim 6 which further includes a vise grip secured to the forward extremity of said upper clutch, a U-bolt having its base part horizontally disposed iN said vise grip and its legs projecting forwardly and somewhat upwardly, and a separate U-strap secured to each of said U-bolt legs for supporting an associated one of said adjustment members.

Claim 9

Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said clutch is a lower clutch and said face bow is a lower face bow, each of said cavities being elongated and open at both its ends, each said rod extending throughout the length of the associated cavity, each said cavity having substantially a truncated conical configuration with its smaller diameter end being toward said lower clutch.

Claim 10

Apparatus as claimed in claim 8 which further includes a vise grip secured to the forward extremity of said lower clutch, a U-bolt having its base part horizontally disposed in said vise grip and its legs projecting horizontally forwardly to provide said position adjustment rods, each said adjustment member being so disposed that the longitudinal axis of its associated cavity is substantially horizontal.

Claim 11

The combination claimed in claim 1 wherein said rod end is disposed within said cavity and which further includes a quantity of quick-setting plaster filling the remainder of said cavity.

Claim 12

For positioning a dental face bow, a mounting member integrally formed from rigid material, having a roughly cubical configuration with a thickness in two directions of about 1 inch and in the third direction of about 1 1/2 inches, the side surfaces perpendicular to one of the short axes being flat and parallel to each other, one end surface being flat and perpendicular to the long axis, the side surfaces perpendicular to the other short axis being also flat and parallel to each other adjacent said one end surface but being curved towards each other to form an essentially semicylindrical end surface at the other end of the long axis, a generally cylindrical cavity formed in one of said first-named side surfaces with its longitudinal axis perpendicular to said side surface and having a diameter of about a half inch and being located adjacent said semicylindrical end surface, and a hole formed in said mounting member in one of said flat surfaces in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said cavity for attaching said mounting member to a supporting device in a position relative thereto which is adjustably rotatable about the longitudinal axis of said hole; said cavity being adapted to receive a rod end in a selected three-dimensional position relative to said member and to then be filled with quick-setting plaster for maintaining said selected position.

Claim 13

For positioning a dental face bow, a mounting member integrally formed from rigid material, having a roughly cubical configuration with a thickness in two directions of about 1 inch and in the third direction of about 1 1/2 inches, the side surfaces perpendicular to one of the short axes being flat and parallel to each other, one end surface being flat and perpendicular to the long axis, the side surfaces perpendicular to the other short axis being also flat and parallel to each other adjacent said one end surface but being curved towards each other to form an essentially semicylindrical end surface at the other end of the long axis, a generally cylindrical cavity formed in one of said first-named side surfaces with its longitudinal axis perpendicular to said side surface and having a diameter of about a half inch and being located adjacent said semicylindrical end surface, and a hole formed in said mounting member in one of said flat surfaces in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said cavity for attaching said mounting member to a supporting device in a position relative thereto which is adjustably rotatable about the longitudinal axis of said hole; said cavity being adapted to receive a rod end in a selected three-dimensional position relative to said member and to then be filled with quick-setting plaster for maintaining said selected position.

Claim 14

The device claimed in claim 11 wherein said cavity is open at both its ends, and said hole extends from said one end surface in a direction perpendicular thereto into said cavity.

Claim 15

The device claimed in claim 12 wherein said cavity is of larger diameter at one end than at the other.

Claim 16

The device claimed in claim 11 wherein said hole is threaded.