US1666877A - Dental floss holder - Google Patents

Description

April 17, 1928.

R. L. CUMMER DENTAL FLOSS HOLDER Filed April 8. 192*? Patented Apr. 17, 1928.

floss has a tendency to stretch when damp- UNITED; STATES {PATENT OFFICE.

01mm" nonmrimt, or TORONTO, ONTARIO, cursing.

nEn'uiL FLO A n'can filed April 8, V

' This invention relates to holders for dental floss,'which is used for thepurpose of cleaning between the teeth. Considerable difliculty has been experienced with holders such as heretofore in use'in holding the floss sufli-.

ciently taut to satisfactorily clean the teeth,

and particularly on account of the fact'that v common use, andwhich is also snlliciently cheap that a fresh holder may be supplied with each spool and the whole device discarded when the spool-has been used.

The floss is usually sold in a small glass container having its mouth closed by a metal screw cap, and l attain my objects bymounting a spring on the metal cap, with which spring is connected an arm to the end of which the floss is fastened. The spring and arm are arranged so that the spring tends to rock the arm to cause a tension onthe floss, the movement of the spring and arm being sufficient to take up any slackness in the floss due to stretching of the latter when dampened. I

The construction is hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a perspective view of the preferred form 01 my invention;

Fig. 2 a section through the top of the container illustrating the method. of gripping'the floss;

Fig. 3 a side elevation of a form of my device in folded position;

Fig. 4 a side elevation of a modified form of my invention; and

Fig. 5 a sectional view of another type of container. having my invention applied thereto. w

In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures. p

1 represents a roll or spool of floss, 2 the glass container in which itis usually sold,

and 3 the metal screw cap for the container. 7

Within the top of the cap is placed a the capis'l'ormed a hole 7 ss HOLDER. 4

192?. Serial N o. 182,152.

washer 4 of suitable material havin a good grippmg surface and also a secon washer 5 having a hole 6 therein. In the side of."

I p The floss is threaded thro'ug'h'the hole 6, then between the two 'washersand'through the hole 7. i It] will be evident'therefore that if the container be screwedtightly into the cap that the two washers will be tightly forced to-.

,gether to prevent passage of the floss, and

that if the container be loosened in the cap,

the'washers will move suflicientlyto allow the floss to be withdrawn from the spool through the opening 7.

' Secured to the cap is a coil spring 8, prefe'rably formed. as part of a guard 9, which extends down one side'of the container 1.. It is evident,'ot' course, that the guard may extend-around the bottom and up the opposite side of the container if'so desired.

10is an arm, having both endsbent at,

of the arm. The end 10 is pivoted in an eye formed at the inner end of the spring 8.

substantially right angles to the' nain part I This end 10" is doubled back'on itself to form a projection or shoulder 10 adapted to engage thespr ng adjacent the eye and limit the'rockmg of thearm in one direction.

The other end 10 of the arm is provided,

with one or more notches 11 in which the end of the floss may be engaged.

The spring normally tends to rock the arm to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When it is desired to use the floss the arm is rocked against the tension of the spring to the position shown in full lines in 1, in which position the end 10' is closest to the hole 7 A sufiicient length offloss having been drawn through the opening 7 and the container tightly screwed home to prevent further withdrawal, the floss is engaged in the notches 11. -The arm is then sition gradually increasing the distance of its end 10 from the hole 7. As the spring is thus under tension if there be any stretching of the floss, the arm -will be'forced back, but as its end moves further from the hole' 7 the slack in the floss will be automatically taken up.

Various arrangements of the spring for actuating the arm 10 may be devised, one

set free and the spring tends to rock itback modification being shown in Fig, i in which the arm is plvoted on a suitable support and a coil spring is mounted on the arm, one end of the spring engaging thewsupport and the vest pocket in the same manner as a pencil or en. 4

In Fi 5 another 1; e of container is shown. lhe container is circular in shape with a'wide annular channel adjacent its periphery, the walls at the centre being normally comparatively close together but adapted to be clamped tightly together; One wallhas an opening 13 therethrough for the passage of floss. To this side of the container i's secured a bridge 14 through which is threaded a screw 15. Bytightening down on this screw, the adjacent wall of the container may be forced against the opposite wall to clamp the floss between them. The screw 15- is provided with a hole in alinement with the passage 13. l V

To the outer periphery of the casing is secured the spring 1.6, which has a. tension arm 10 which is mounted and acts in exactly the same manner as in the form shown in Fig. 1.

What I claim is:

1}. In! a. dental floss holder; the combination of'a receptacle for holding" the floss and having an outlet through which a length of floss may be drawnanmeans adjacent the out- 'tion of a receptacle for holding the floss and having an outlet through Which a l'ength of floss may drawn means adjacent the out.- let for gripping the flo'ssg a swmgmg arm adapted: to have the end oi the floss engaged therewith and spring means tending to rock i the arm to tension the floss; v

3'. In a dental floss holder, the combination of a carrier for the floss; floss gripping means on said carrier an arm movable relative to the carrier a-nd adapted to have the, 7

end of the floss engaged therewith; and a spring normally tending to move said: arm to. tenslon the length, of the floss between the gripping means'on the carrier and the arm.

Signed atTorontO, Canada, this 5th day Of April, 1927.

ROBERT" L.

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