Did You Know...
...that power steering was invented by independent inventor Francis W. Davis? As chief engineer in the 1920s of the truck division of the Pierce Arrow Motor Car Company, he saw how hard it was to steer heavy vehicles. So that he would be able to keep the profits from his future invention, Davis left his job, rented a small engineering shop in Waltham, Mass., and developed a hydraulic power steering system that led to power steering.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7648361 | Dental dam clamp A dental dam clamp comprises first and second spaced, opposing jaws and respective first and second tooth engaging portions on the jaws. The first and second tooth engaging portions are positioned in confronting relation to one another and are biased toward one anot... | 01/19/2010 |
| 7367804 | Endodontic instrument extractor tool manufactured from a shape memory material and related kits and methods An endodontic instrument extractor tool is configured for removing a fragment of a broken endodontic instrument that has become lodged within a root canal of a tooth. The extractor tool comprises an elongate shaft, including a hollow gripping body at a distal end, a... | 05/06/2008 |
| 7347830 | Assemblies and methods for measuring tooth apex location The invention provides an assembly for measuring the penetration depth of a dental instrument into a root canal of a tooth. The assembly has a base element configured to be clampingly braced onto a tooth to be treated; an electrically conductive guiding member affix... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7284983 | Matrix band retainer A matrix band retainer for dental restoration has a unitary member of a stiff planar spring material. The unitary member has an open ring substantially in a first plane, with the plane of the material of the ring perpendicular to the first plane. A tine at each end ... | 10/23/2007 |
| 7175432 | Dental contact matrix limited A dental contact matrix system is described for the placement of dental fillings. The dental contact matrix system includes a matrix, a retainer for placing and retaining the 5 matrix and an elastic wedge. The retainer includes two lugs or tines that fit between two... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7165970 | Dental instrument A dental instrument includes a first arm, a second arm, which is pivotally coupled to the first arm about a pivot axis, and a spring. The first and second arms are pivotal with respect to each other in a plane generally orthogonal to the pivot axis. Each of the arms... | 01/23/2007 |
| 7077651 | Dental implement for tooth restorations A dental implement includes a wire member that forms a generally ring-shaped portion and first and second ends, which depend from the ring-shaped portion. The ring-shaped portion lies in a plane, with the first and second ends depending from the generally ring-shape... | 07/18/2006 |
| 6981870 | Rubber dam clamps retained by adhesion and improved frictional forces A rubber dam clamp comprising a transverse arch connecting two free ends, the two free ends having opposing retentive bonding pads for improved retention, stability, and comfort of rubber dam applications, when applied to a patient's tooth, due to the combination of... | 01/03/2006 |
| 6609911 | Dental clamp A dental clamp for supporting a flexible sheet around a tooth during a dental operation has a resilient member connecting oppositely disposed jaws. The resilient member biases the jaws toward each other. A plurality of resilient fingers extend toward each... | 08/26/2003 |
| 6589053 | Low profile matrix band retainers The invention comprises improved matrix band retainers for use in dental procedures. The matrix band retainers comprise a pair of tines anatomically configured to be inserted into the interproximal spaces between adjacent teeth for holding a matrix band i... | 07/08/2003 |
| 6325625 | Dental separator and matrix stabilizing device A dental separator and matrix stabilizing device (40) for applying pressure against adjacent teeth (68, 70) to temporarily force the teeth apart from one another for dental and orthodontic procedures. The device (40) includes a spring yoke (42), opposing ... | 12/04/2001 |
| 6293796 | Dental matrix clamp for tooth restoration procedures A matrix clamp used in dental procedures to restore teeth to their natural shapes has a pair of gripping portions that are each connected to a cross-over bar. When the gripping portions are depressed by finger pressure, a pair of clamping tines connected ... | 09/25/2001 |
| 6220858 | Apparatus for placement of dental fillings An apparatus is described for placement of light curable dental fillings. The apparatus includes a matrix formed of light transparent material and shaped to conform to the natural contour of a tooth in the interproximal zone. The matrix is thinned in its ... | 04/24/2001 |
| 6206697 | Device for the retention and adaptation of a matrix for dental restorations The device for the retention and the adaptation of a matrix to the treated portion of a tooth includes a tightener clamp whose ends are each provided with an adaptation cushion having anchoring elements and adaptation elements, the cushion being destined ... | 03/27/2001 |
| 6093022 | Dental dam with integral clamp An improved dental dam includes a sheet of moisture impervious material integrally attached to at least one and preferably at least two thickened areas. The thickened areas may be of the same material or a different material. Preferably latex is the mater... | 07/25/2000 |
| 5803734 | Dental dam support and method of use The dental dam support (10) and donut (16) are comprised of a moldable, hardenable material for use as a support means for a dental clamp (14), which can prevent clamp (14) from contacting the teeth or gingiva, during anchorage of a dental dam (18). The m... | 09/08/1998 |
| 5800173 | Absorbent polymer roll holder An adjustable dental appliance for positioning and retaining absorbent polymer rolls in the oral cavity; in an anatomical location in the mandible (lower jaw) where the submandibular and sublingual glands secrete saliva that interferes with visibility dur... | 09/01/1998 |
| 5713737 | Rubber dam clamp The rubber dam clamp is made of fiber-reinforced plastic. The dam clamp has a pair of gripping claws that are adapted to engage a tooth neck. A resilient bridge connects the gripping claws. A pair of open sockets are defined in an inside of the gripping c... | 02/03/1998 |
| 5503556 | Extended dental clamp A dental rubber dam clamp capable of isolating a tooth not capable of being clamped itself. Isolation is achieved by jaw extensions that engage and position the robber dam on the clamp and by placement of the clamp with its springy bridge toward the mesia... | 04/02/1996 |
| 4986752 | Cushioned clamp for securing a dental dam A cushion for a dental rubber dam clamp has a body of an elastomeric material with a tooth engaging front face, a rear face and first and second ends. An elongated, slot-like recess communicates with the rear face and extends towards the front face from n... | 01/22/1991 |
| 4787849 | Radioolucent dental dam clamp A radiolucent dental dam clamp.... | 11/29/1988 |
| 4661063 | Clamp for use in dentistry A clamp used for supporting a flexible sheet used in dental operations for isolating teeth has two jaws and a spring in the form of a bridge connecting the jaws, the improvement being that the clamp as a whole is made of a plastics material which is capab... | 04/28/1987 |
| 4639221 | Tooth clamp A tooth clamp for use on a tooth includes a pair of gripping plates interconnected by a resilient arcuate bridge, a stopper mount on at least one of the gripper plates, and a stopper mounted on the stopper mount and having a portion for engagement with th... | 01/27/1987 |
| 4373915 | Iatrogenic shield An iatrogenic shield which includes a resilient band of stainless steel having a front portion which is placed against the interproximal surface of a tooth to protect it from inadvertent contact with dental instruments. Two side portions contract against ... | 02/15/1983 |
| 4265623 | Clamp for a dental dam A dental dam clamp in each of two lateral wings has an aperture at least partially bounded by several arcuate walls to engage a handling tool in any of several different positions.... | 05/05/1981 |
| 4007530 | Quick-release dental clamp A clamp usable by dentists to retain a rubber dam in a depressed position so as to isolate a tooth being worked on from mouth saliva and moisture. The clamp is constituted by a bow spring whose legs are joined to jaws adapted to grip the tooth, the spring... | 02/15/1977 |
| 4004345 | Distal retraction clamp for rubber dam A clamp for retaining a rubber dam around a tooth at one end of a dental arch. The clamp includes a projecting arm extending toward the gingival tissue adjacent the distal of the tooth. The arm retracts the gingival tissue and rubber dam from the distal o... | 01/25/1977 |
