referring to fig1 a , 1b , 1c and 3a , 3b , 3c of the drawing , the maxillary recording assembly 64 is shown comprised of a substantially u - shaped first rigid bow 5 having a straight forward bar 65 , and two extremities 66 positioned equidistantly rearwardly of said forward bar . the bow is bounded at its top , bottom , exterior edge and interior edge by substantially flat surfaces 67 , 68 , 69 and 70 , respectively . shoulders 76 protrude inwardly from interior edge 70 adjacent extremities 66 . left and right box - like receptacles 4l and 4r , respectively , are securely but removably fastened to the extremities of bow 5 . each receptacle is comprised of a flat upper surface 71 , a flat lower surface 72 surrounding a recessed molding cavity 59 , flat sidewall edges 73 , and an attachment arm 74 . the receptacles are attached to bow 5 by means of cap screws 7 which penetrate holes provided in the bow and engage threaded holes 6 in attachment arm 74 . in such position of attachment , it is to be noted that the attachment arm 74 is in abutment with the interior edge 70 and shoulder 76 of the bow . when ready for use in recording a patient &# 39 ; s condylar pathways , the cavity 59 of each receptacle is filled with a plastic non - elastic recording clay composition capable of being hardened with minimal dimensional change . suitable compositions include monomers and prepolymers capable of undergoing additional - type polymerization in the presence of catalytic species to form solid products . such compositions , generally referred to as auto - polymerizing materials , may for example contain cyanoacrylate substances polymerizable by peroxide - type free radical catalysts . such compositions may also incorporate solid powder lubricants such as teflon , graphite , talc and molybdenum disulfide . in some embodiments , thin plates 23 as shown in fig3 c , containing a circular indentation 77 , may be placed within the molding cavity , their presence being useful as positioning guides for the subsequent recording step . an orientation pointer 8 of threadably adjustable length may be removably associated with the interiorly directed portion of the sidewall edge 73 of each receptacle , said pointers being directed toward the interior of the bow , and used to position the apparatus upon the patient relative to the patients mandibular condyles . a hardened composition having a condylar tracing or pathway 60 is shown filling one cavity 59 in fig3 c . an upper bite plate 9 , also known as a maxillary clutch , is pendantly attached to forward bar 65 by a slidable fastener 11 and post 10 depending therefrom . movement of fastener 11 upon bar 65 is controlled by set screw 78 . a support bar 79 extends connectively between the lowermost extemity of post 10 and maxillary clutch 9 . such arrangement of components allows for positioning of the maxillary recording bow in horizontal alignment with the midline of the face and vertically aligned with the frankfort plane ( axis orbital plane ). said maxillary clutch is upwardly and reardwardly domed . a trough 80 extends about the front and sides of the upper surface of the clutch , said trough being adapted to receive a material such as a paste of zinc oxide and eugenol which forms maxillary tooth imprint 62 . the underside of the maxillary clutch is comprised of a forwardly disposed upwardly curved bearing surface 57 and opposed substantially flat side portion 58 . the mandibular recording assembly 81 , as shown in fig2 a , 2b , 2c and 2d , is comprised of second rigid u - shaped bow 12 having straight forward bar 82 , and rearwardly disposed extremities 83 . the bow is bounded at its top , bottom , exterior edge and interior edge by substantially flat surfaces 84 , 85 , 86 and 87 , respectively . a smooth bore circular cylindrical channel 88 is perpendicularly disposed to said top and bottom surfaces adjacent extremities 83 . a cylindrical post 13 is adapted to slidably engage channel 88 . the uppermost extremity of said post , located above top surface 84 , is provided with an attached ball 14 , preferably fabricated of teflon material . the position of the ball above said top surface is fixed by cap screw 16 which penetratively engages a threaded channel communicating horizontally between outside surface 86 and channel 88 . the balls are spaced in a manner to enter the respective receptacles of the overlying maxillary recording assembly . a lower bite plate or clutch 19 is attached by extension bar 21 and slidable fastener 22 to forward bar 82 in substantially coplanar relationship therewith and extending rearwardly therefrom to a position of vertical alignment with said upper bite plate . the underside of bite plate 19 is provided with a u - shaped trough 100 adapted to receive an imprint paste such as that used in upper bite plate 9 . a vertically adjustable bearing stud 20 , extending upwardly from the substantially flat upper surface 89 of said bite plate , is centered within the sagittal plane represented by dashed line 90 , and is adapted to engage the curved forward bearing surface 57 of said upper bite plate . an l - shaped guide pin 17 is slidably engaged by channel 91 in close parallel juxtaposition to channel 88 . a threaded lock bolt 18 penetrates an edge of the bow to fix the position of pin 17 within its channel . the function of guide pins 17 as to aid in the proper positioning of balls 14 when the receptacles are filled with the recording material . upper articulator member 92 , as shown in fig4 a , 4b and 7 , is comprised of rigid base plate 24 having flat upper and lower surfaces 93 and 94 , respectively , a boundary sidewall 95 , and a penetrating bolt 25 centered in said sagittal plane and extending beneath lower surface 94 and perpendicular thereto . opposed equal right and left side arm portions 28 and 29 , respectively , extend away from the sagittal plane in a straight line path . a forward arm portion 34 extends from said bolt in centered relationship to the sagittal plane and in perpendicular disposition to said side arm portions . a mounting ring 27 is held tightly to lower surface 94 by bolt 25 . the forwardmost or distal extremity of arm 34 holds vertically adjustable post 2 whose position is locked by constricting collars 35 or equivalent means . the distal extremities of side arms 28 and 29 are provided with penetrative threaded bolts 31 adapted to extend below lower surface 94 and into engagement with holes 22 in upper surface 71 of attachment arm 74 of the corresponding receptacles 4l and 4r . in some instances , a spacer block 32 may be inserted between the lower surface of the side arm portions and the underlying receptacle to provide adequate space for mounting the patient &# 39 ; s maxillary model . by virtue of the aforesaid arrangement of components , the receptacles are adapted to the transposed from the maxillary recording assembly into the upper articulator member ; and during said transposition the receptacles are secured to both the maxillary recording assembly and upper articulator member . base plate 24 of said upper articulator member may be further provided with a rear extension 36 , the underside of which supports paired pivot plates 37 held by bolts 40 which extend through channels 38 and into threaded recesses 39 . lower articulator member 96 , as shown in fig5 a , 5b , 5c , and 7 , is comprised of horizontally disposed floor plate 43 , the underside of which is provided with one forward and two rearward adjustable bolt footings 55 and 56 , respectively . posts 44 support main cross bar 45 above the rear of said floor plate in parallel relationship therewith and perpendicularly disposed to the sagittal plane . left and right balls 14 atop posts 13 are vertically positionable above cross bar 45 by virtue of sliding engagement of posts 13 within close - fitting channels 46 . set screws 50 lock posts 13 within channels 46 . said post and ball combinations are preferably identical to those earlier described with respect to mandibular recording assembly 81 . the lateral and vertical positioning of the balls is such as to facilitate engagement with condylar moulded pathways 60 within overlying cavities 59 . a lower mounting ring 48 is held fast upon the upper surface of floor plate 43 by centered mounting bolt 52 acting from the underside of said floor plate . said mounting ring facilitates attachment of the patient &# 39 ; s mandibular model 54 as shown in fig7 . a positioning stud 53 , rising upwardly from said floor plate , engages mounting ring 48 to ensure precise positioning of the ring and model 54 mounted thereupon . an upraised platform 3 having a flat upper surface is positioned upon floor plate 43 adjacent its forward extremity . the upper surface of said platform serves as abutment means for the lowermost extremity of adjustable post 2 of said upper articulator , as shown in fig7 . the upper surface of the platform may alternatively be contoured to have angular indentations or a custom molded configuration produced from a clay - like composition comprised of autopolymerizing resin . it is to be noted that the upper extremity of post 2 is shown to have a curvature representing an arc of a circle centered upon a line drawn between the centers of balls 14 . such configuration ensures that , despite vertical adjustments of the post , its lowermost extremity will remain in the same position upon said platform . a pivot post 1 is rotatably held by bearing block 97 slideably positioned upon cross bar 45 . the rotative position of the post is fixed by set screw 98 . movement of the bearing block along cross bar 45 is fixed by set screws 51 . the pivot post is adapted to be embraced by pivot plates 37 pendant from the upper articulator member . a channel 99 penetrates said pivot post in a horizontal direction at a height above said cross bar defined by a line drawn between the centers of the balls . a pivot pin 42 removably extends through said pivot plates and the channel in said pivot post . such assembly constitutes optional means for pivotably interengaging the upper and lower articulator members so that movement of the upper member toward or away from the lower member is restricted to motion in a vertical path . the pivotal plates 37 are secured to plate 36 in their rearmost part so that they may be loosened and turned out of functional use subsequent to removal of axis pin 42 . in the method of this invention , the maxillary and mandibular clutches 9 and 19 , respectively , are fabricated either intraorally or on a conventional hinge type articulator . the facing surfaces of the clutches are adjusted and polished so that bearing post 20 contacts the curved forward portion of the underside of the maxillary clutch , and the peripheral areas of the facing surfaces have smooth simultaneous contact , thereby preventing rocking of the clutches about the bearing post . the bows are positioned so that balls 14 are seated within the depressions 77 of plates 23 located within cavities 59 . the positions of the balls are then adjusted such that there will be no contact with the cavity walls in all possible movements . in such positioning adjustments pointers 8 may be used to secure precise orientation with the condyle axes , thereby providing greater fidelity of the molded pathways to the actual movements of the patient &# 39 ; s condyles . plates 23 and said pointers are then removed , and the cavities are filled with recording clay . the clutches are then cemented to the maxillary and mandibular teeth of the patient using a paste of zinc oxide and eugenol . the balls are manually seated into the cavities 59 filled with the aforesaid hardenable clay - like plastic composition until the original preclay position of the teflon balls is achieved . said preclay position is located using the l - shaped pins 17 located on the mandibular bow , said pins functioning as depth gauges . the balls , now in contact with the plastic composition , function as forming balls . as shown in fig3 a and 3b , the patient begins molding the condylar pathway , starting from the most retruded mandibular position . the patient is asked to protrude and retrude his lower jaw and subsequently to perform right and left lateral mandibular movements . such action produces three - dimensional impressions of said motion . the impressions may be added to and lubricated and re - inserted for achieving the most accurate result . after finely detailed , accurate condylar pathways 60 , as shown in fig3 c , have been established and hardened to constitute stable solid recordings , the maxillary and mandibular recording assemblies are removed from the patient . the aforementioned procedure allows for diagnostic visual observation of the reproduced condylar pathways which yields additional information about the synchrony or asynchrony of the condylar movements as well as the timing of the movement in each condyle for each basic movement . these observations allow the operator to simulate these movements during dental fabrication procedures . this arrangement also allows for three dimensional analysis of condylar pathways . in the mounting procedure , the patient &# 39 ; s maxillary model 61 is seated in the zinc oxide and eugenol paste imprints 62 in maxillary bite plate 9 . the base plate 24 of the upper articulator member with attached mounting ring 27 is next secured to the box like receptacles 4r and 4l of the maxillary recording apparatus . this is accomplished utilizing cap screws 31 which penetrate spacers 32 and engage holes 22 in the upper surface 71 of the receptacles . by virtue of such procedure , the maxillary bow is directly transformed into an upper articulator member . the patient &# 39 ; s maxillary model is next affixed to the mounting ring 27 of the upper base plate 24 utilizing dental mounting plaster . in such manner of association the teeth of the patient &# 39 ; s model 61 seat within the imprint 62 of the upper bite plate 9 and is secured to upper mounting ring 27 . cap screws 7 are then removed , a procedure which permits removal of first bow 5 , with attached upper bite plate which is then set aside . this procedure ensures complete fidelity in the orientation of the patient &# 39 ; s maxillary model 61 to the molded condylar pathways 60 and further ensures that the mounted models in the articulator have the same occlusal plane inclination relative to the frankfort plane as the patient &# 39 ; s jaws have in the head . if methods other than this direct one are used , serious orientation errors could result . the aforesid procedure essentially converts the maxillary recording assembly into an upper articulator member , with the patient &# 39 ; s maxillary model 61 mounted and accurately oriented to the molded condylar pathways 60 . it is to be noted that the apparatus component heretofore referred to as the upper articulator member is in actuality merely a precursor of the completed member . subsequently , the upper articulator member with the mounted maxillary model and condylar pathways is placed on the teflon balls 14 of the lower articulator member as shown in fig7 . since the medio - lateral distances of the teflon balls 14 in the mandibular recording apparatus and the teflon balls in the lower articulator member are identical , the upper condylar pathways fit accurately to the lower teflon articulator balls which now function as tracing balls . since the balls are in the most superior position in the clay paths in the centric relation jaw position , the orientation of the balls to this position is very easy and very stable . with upper and lower articulator members in proper interengagement and held in place with elastics over the receptacles containing the condylar pathways , the patient &# 39 ; s mandibular model 54 is mounted to the lower articulator member utilizing an interocclusal record 63 , as shown in fig7 . the assembled articulator by virtue of its specialized features , requires no centric lock for patients with normal condyles . said interocculusal record is composed of a stiff wax and zinc oxide and eugenol paste and taken in centric relation position . this completes the mounting of the patient &# 39 ; s models in proper relationship to the condylar pathways . the assembled articulator is capable of accurately reproducing condylar and mandibular motion in its entire merge as well as opening and closing , without deviation , on the same radius of the arc of closure as a the patient in the retruded condylar position . while particular examples of the present invention have been shown and described , it is apparent that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention in its broadest aspects . the aim of the appended claims , therefore , is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .
a method and apparatus for recording condylar motion and utilizing such recording in a dental articulator involves the production of three - dimensional solid recordings formed by the patient executing full mandibular motion , and transferring the recordings under conditions of accurate alignment to a dental articulator where they function as bearing surfaces for the precise reproduction of condylar motion .