Orthodontic devices

Claim 1

In combination, an orthodontic device for attachment to an orthodontic arch wire at a selected location thereon, and a pliers for manipulating the orthodontic device to attach it to the arch wire, the pliers comprising opposed closable legs for engagement with the orthodontic device, and registered slots in the respective leg for receipt of the arch wire, the orthodontic device comprising: a core member having a longitudinal axial bore for reception of the arch wire and permitting the core member to be slidably engaged on the arch wire; the core member having one end of smaller diameter and the other end of larger diameter with a longitudinally-extending frustro-conical exterior face between the said ends, and a longitudinal slit extending along its length from the exterior face to the axial bore to permit deformation of the core member radially to grip the arch wire disposed within the axial bore; and a hollow external sleeve having a tapered interior face with one end of larger internal diameter and the other end of smaller internal diameter complementing said frustro-conical exterior face of the core member and so that with the sleeve mounted about the core member with the core member end of larger diameter protruding from the end of the sleeve of larger internal diameter, and with the opposed plier legs engaged respectively with the larger diameter end of the core member and the smaller internal diameter end of the sleeve, closing of the closable plier legs together produces relative axial movement of the sleeve and the core member to insert the core member into the sleeve and deform the core member radially inwards to clamp the device onto the arch wire at the selected location.