Process for making orthodontic brackets

Abstract

Abstract A PROCESS FOR MAKING AN EDGEWISE ORTHODONTIC BRACKET HAVING A RECTANGULARLY BOTTOMED DIMENSIONALLY CRITICAL LONGITUDINAL EDGEWISE SLOT WHICH IN USE RECEIVES A CRITICALLY DIMENSIONED RECTANGULARLY SECTIONED WIRE, A WING EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM THE SLOT WHICH IN USE IS ENGAGED BY A LIGATURE WIRE, AND A BASE PAD BENEATH THE SLOT. THE PROCESS INCLUDES CASTING A BODY IN A MOLD HAVING A PARTING LINE, THE BODY INCLUDING SAID SLOT FORMED TO ITS CRITICAL DIMENSION, THE WINGS, THE BASE PAD, AND A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING FLANGE. THE FLANGE IS REMOVED AND THE REMAINDER OF THE BODY IS ABRASIVELY TREATED SUCH AS BY SLIDE HONING, TO CREATE THE PRODUCT. IN A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PROCESS, A PLURALITY OF GROUPS OF SAID WINGS ARE FORMED, AND THE BODY IS CUT LATERALLY TO FORM A PLURALITY OF PIECES WHICH ARE THEN ABRASIVELY TREATED, AND THEN THE FLANGE IS REMOVED IN TWO STEPS. IN THE FIRST SAID STEP THE MAJOR PROPORTION OF THE FLANGE IS REMOVED, AND IN THE SECOND THE REMAINING MINOR STEM FLANGE IS REMOVED BY GRINDING TO FORM A PLANAR SURFACE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE BASE PAD, AFTER WHICH THE SEMI-FINISHED STRIP IS CUT INTO SEGMENTS WHICH ARE METAL-FINISHED, SUCH AS BY SLIDE HONING.

Inventors

• 👤 Raymond S Rosiello

Bibliographic Details