US1476579A - Toothbrush - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 4,1923. H 2 3,476,579

H. BARNES I'OOTHBRUSH Filed May '27, 1918 fizz/22202 4 4 g 7 M Patented Dec. 4, i923.

MNE EEE STATEfi HENRY BARNES, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

TOOTHBRUSH.

Application filed May 27,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY BARNES, a citizen of the United States, residing at No. 600 Schofield Bldg, city of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Toothbrushes, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

My invention pertains to a tooth brush and more particularly to what I term a lingual brush because intended to be used against those tooth surfaces which can be reached by the tongue when the teeth are closed.

I have discovered that the bristles should project substantially parallel to the handle and preferably from a gently curved supporting member as shown.

The bristles are to be laid lengthwise upon the gums over the apical region and drawn over the gums and teeth to the occlusal surfaces. In brushing about the curve of the typodout arch, the brush itself must be progressively turned in the fingers in conformity to the curves of the arch. The bristles act both as a gum and tooth cleanser and as a gum massage when a' stroke is imparted from the region of the apices or roots of the teeth to the occlusal surfaces or tips of the teeth. During the return stroke, the bristles need not lose contact with the tissuesthey slide back obliquely to the commencing position without any other action than that of a gentle gum massage. The accompanying squeezing action on the gums stimulates circulation thus permitting the healing of the gums and adjacent tissue by a natural process. This stimulation is without irritation 'and hastens re-establishment of healthy gum of Figure I.

Figure V is a view showing how the brush is to be applied to the-lingual region of the mouth.

M-v brush has a gently curved handle 1 1918. Serial No. 236,738.

with a curved finger rest extremity 2 provided with a hole 3 by means of which it may be suspended from a small hook when not in use. The other end 4 is inversely curved, substantially at right angles to the body of the handle, but as is clearly shown in Figure I less sharply so to terminate at a rounded extremity 5. It is this end of the brush which supports the bristles 6. These latter are so imbedded in the concave side of the end 4 as to project substantially parallel to the general direction of the length of the handle 1. The bristles 6 are moreover preferably located as close to the extremity 5 as the manner of ordinarily securing them makes feasible. In order to facilitate proper manipulation of the brush I have discovered that the bristle supporting end 4 should extend from the handle at an angle of less than 90 and preferably at an angle which, if established by a line passing through its extremity 5 and the point of departure of the end 4 from the handle 1, would be substantially A single cross row of bristle clusters or tufts has proven entirely satisfactory and the middle cluster is preferably somewhat shorter than the two end clusters as may be clearly seen in Figure III. Together, the tufts of bristles form a body of bristles having its greatest dimension transverse and substantially equal to the width of the handle. With such an arrangement the lingual surface of each tooth may be separately brushed, the two longer end clusters being purposed to project through the interstices while the shorter middle cluster spreads over the tooth, during operation by an endwisemovement in the direction of the length of the handle.

'I claim i A tooth brush comprising a handle having a brush-carrying end extending transversely to the body of the handle, tufts of bristles mounted in said end and projecting therefrom approximately parallel with the body of the handle and toward the opposite end thereof, said tufts of bristles forming together a body of bristles having ,its greatest dimension measured in the direction of the width of the handle and adapted to operate by an endwise movement in the direction of the length of the handle in cleansing the inner or lingual surfaces of the teeth.

Signed by me, this 23rd day of May, 1918.

HENRY BARNES.

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