US2059330A - Rotating tooth brush - Google Patents

Description

1936- A. H. FLOURNOY 3 ROTATING TOOTH BRUSH Filed April 12, 1935 Patented Nov. 3, 1936 hairs s'r'iss eArrs-ur orrics 12 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in rotatable brushes adapted for use in cleaning the teeth by brushing in a vertical direction so that the spaces between the teeth may be thoroughly cleaned as well as the surfaces of the teeth.

An object of my invention is to devise a rotatable tooth brush which may be operated with one hand and at variable speed.

A further object is to devise a rotatable tooth brush which is of simple construction, is easy to use, and is efficient in operation.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a device of such shape and various sizes, to suit the ages of the users, that may be easily placed in the mouthand be operated with one or both hands or with a motor attachment.

Figure 1 is a side-elevation of one form of tooth brush according to my invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on the central axis of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross section through the middle of the cleaning element and guard on line 33;

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the cleaning element and guard;

Figure 5 is a top view or plan of the guard;

Figure 6 is a cross section of Fig. 1 along line 6-45; and

Figure '7 is a cross section of Fig. 1 along line 'l'l.

Figure 8 shows another form of my invention.

The tooth brush of Figure 1 is made of the following parts: A tubular handle I; a turning element 2 to be operated by the thumb and indeX finger and to have the surface of that part adjacent to the handle knurled or otherwise roughened, as by the fluting shown, to facilitate turning with the fingers; a guard 3 to prevent contact of the bristles of the cleaning element with the gums and the inside of the cheeks; a brush or cleaning element composed of bristles secured in place by twisted wire or set in a shaft of other material and placed within the guard 3 so as to rotate in the socket bearing :r and the sleeve bearing y formed'in opposite ends of guard 3, the shaft of the cleaning element being rigidly fastened in a socket in the end of turning element 2 by set screw l, or the shaft may be cemented in place; a metal shaft or pin 5 passes through the handle 9 and is rigidly fastened in the end of turning element 2 to rotatably support the turning element from handle I; a set washer or collar 8 is arranged on the shaft of the cleaning element 4 to hold the guard 3 in its position and to prevent the shaft of the cleaning 5,5 element from disengaging the bearing :11.

In operating the tooth brush, the handle 6 is held in the palm of the hand by the middle, fourth and fifth fingers, the guard 3 and cleaning element 4 are placed in the mouth with the open side of the guard turned towards the teeth, and the turning element 2 is turned between the thumb and. the index finger. In order to obtain rapid movement of the brush or cleaning element 4, the turning element 2 is made of a small diameter adjacent the handle 5 or in the region where the thumb and finger engage the turning element for operating it. I prefer to make the section of the turning element immediately adjacent the handle of smaller diameter than the diameter of handle. I, as shown in the drawing.

The turning element 2 is also provided with a flange 2a near its mid-section and this flange serves as a guard to-prevent saliva from flowing along the brush to the hand. This flange may be formed integral with the turning element as shown, or it may be formed as a separate piece and secured to the turning element in any suitable manner. In order to operate the brush at different speeds, the turning element 2 may be made of increasing diameter from the handle H l to the flange 2a as shown in Figures 1. and 2. By operating the element 2 near the flange the speed of rotation will be low, and increased speed may be obtained by operating the turning member near the handle I.

In order to allow the lips to be closed around the brush during operation, turning element 2 is formed of reduced diameter from the flange 2a to the guard 3.

In Figure 8 I have shown a modified form of my tooth brush adapted for operation by a motor. Elements in this figure corresponding to elements in the other figures are indicated by corresponding reference characters. In this arrangement, the section of the element 2 for operation by the fingers has been omitted, and the end of shaft 5 is provided with a screw threaded socket Set for connection with a flexible motordriven shaft, not shown.

As shown in the various figures of the drawing, the edges of the guard 3 are enlarged and of rounded section to prevent injury to the gums and flesh surfaces of the mouth. The radially extending flanges formed along the sides of the guard 3 prevent the guard from rotating with the brush 4 while in use.

The elements I, 2 and 3 may be moulded or otherwise formed in any suitable manner, and may be constructed of rubber, celluloid, bakelite or other suitable material.

I have herein described the principle of my invention and illustrated a preferred embodiment thereof. Various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art, and I desire it to be understood that all modifications which fall within the terms of the appended claims are to be considered as falling within the scope of my invention.

In the appended claims the term spindle is employed to broadly designate the element or construction for rotatably supporting the brush or cleaning element upon the handle. In the particular constructions shown this element is formed of members 2, 5 and the shaft of brush 4, but the term is not to be limited to a construction formed of any particular number of elements.

What I claim is:

1. A tooth brush comprising a handle, a shaft journaled in said handle longitudinally thereof, a turning element secured to said shaft, a cleaning element carried by the outer end of said turning element, and a guard surrounding a portion of said cleaning element and rotatably supported by said turning element, the end of said turning element adjacent said handle being of smaller diameter than said handle and being roughened to facilitate turning by the thumb and finger.

2. A tooth brush comprising a handle, a shaft journaled in said handle longitudinally thereof, a turning element secured to said shaft, a cleaning element carried by the outer end of said turning element, and a guard surrounding a portion of said cleaning element and rotatably supported by said turning element, said turning element having an increasing diameter along its length from said handle, whereby varying speeds of operation may be obtained.

3. A tooth brush comprising a handle, a shaft journaled in said handle longitudinally thereof, a turning element secured to said shaft, a cleaning element carried by the outer end of said turning element, and a concentric flange arranged on said turning element intermediate the ends thereof for preventing saliva from flowing from the cleaning element to the handle.

4. A tooth brush comprising a handle, a shaft journaled in said handle longitudinally thereof, a turning element secured to said shaft, a cleaning element carried by the outer end of said turning element, a concentric flange arranged on said turning element intermediate the ends thereof for preventing saliva from flowing from the cleaning element to the handle, said turning element having an increasing diameter from said handle to said flange.

5. A tooth brush comprising a handle, a spindle journaled in said handle along the major axis thereof, a brush element secured to one end of said spindle, a guard element partly surrounding said brush element and being journaled upon said spindle independently of said handle, and means located between said guard element and said handle for rotating said brush element by engagement between the thumb and fore-finger of the same hand that grasps the handle.

6. A tooth brush comprising a handle, a spindle journaled in said handle along the major axis thereof, a brush element secured to one end of said spindle, a guard element partly surrounding said brush element and being journaled upon said spindle independently of said handle, said guard being provided with thickened and rounded flanges along the sides thereof to prevent r0- tation of the guard with the brush, said spindle being provided with a turning section between said brush and said handle for rotation by engagement of the thumb and. fore-finger of the same hand that grasps the handle.

7. A tooth brush comprising a handle, a spindle rotatably journaled in said handle along the major axis thereof, a cleaning element carried by the outer end of said spindle, a guard rotatably mounted upon said spindle and partly surrounding said cleaning element, said spindle being provided with a turning section between said cleaning element and said handle for rotation by engagement of the thumb and finger of the same hand that grasps the handle.

8. A tooth brush comprising a handle, a spindle rotatably journaled in said handle, a cleaning element carried by the outer end of said spindle, a guard rotatably mounted upon said spindle and partly surrounding said cleaning element, said spindle being provided with a turning section between said cleaning element and said handle for rotation by engagement of the thumb and finger, and a circular flange mounted on said spindle to prevent saliva from flowing from said cleaning element to said turning section.

9. A tooth brush comprising a handle, a spindle rotatably journaled in said handle, a cleaning element carried by the outer end of said spindle, a guard element rotatably mounted upon said spindle and partly surrounding said cleaning element, said spindle being provided with a turning section between said cleaning element and said handle for rotation by engagement of the thumb and finger, said turning section having a diameter which increases along its length from said handle toward said cleaning element, whereby varying speeds of operation may be obtained.

10. A tooth brush comprising a handle, a spindle rotatably journaled in said handle, a clean ing element carried by the outer end of said spindle, a guard element partly surrounding said cleaning element and being journaled upon said spindle for free rotation about said cleaning element, a circular guard carried by said spindle between said cleaning element and said handle, the section of said spindle lying between said handle and said circular guard being formed as a turning section having a diameter which increases from said handle towards said circular guard and having a roughened surface to facilitate turning of the spindle by the thumb and finger.

11. A tooth brush comprising a tubular handle, a spindle rotatably journaled in said handle along the major axis thereof, a rotary brush having a stub shaft removably secured in a bore in the end of said spindle, a guard partly surrounding said brush and being journaled on said stub shaft at each end of said guard, and a stop element on said stub shaft to prevent accidental withdrawal of said shaft from the bearing in the guard.

12. In combination, a rotary brush having a shaft, a guard partly surrounding said brush and being journaled at one end directly on said shaft, one end of said shaft being journaled in a socket formed in said guard at the other end thereof, and a stop element on said shaft cooperating with said guard to prevent dislodgment of the end of said shaft from said socket.

ADDISON H. FLOURNOY.

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