US2483503A - Toothbrush - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 4, 1949. PQLLACK I 2,483,503

TOOTHBRUSH Filed April 18, 1946' A E- P LLACZK Patented ct. 4, 1949' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Jacob Md. Application April 18,(1C9:61, 31:71:10. 563,074

1 Claim.

This invention relates to toothbrushes, and in particular to the type intended ordinarily to be used but once and then thrown away.

Toothbrushes of relatively small cost of manufacture, intended to be sold at a low price from vending machines or the like, and to be used but once and thrown away, have been known in the past, as exemplified in the structures shown in the Patents 2,031,990 tow. E. D. Turner and 1,611,640 to A. G. Janus. While myimproved toothbrush is primarily designed to be of low cost, and to be thrown away after it is used, it has certain novel and improved features which are equally useful in more expensive toothbrushes intended to have a substantial life.

Among the latter features are an arrangement and spacing of two different types of bristles along a concave head having a curvature approximatin the curve of the teeth in the jaws. Longitudinally spaced in the head are groups of bristles the ends of which form a cylindrical concave surface, the spacing of the groups being such that adjacent groups will engage the outer convex surfaces of adjacent teeth. Between adjacent groups of the above described bristles are alternate groups of bristles the ends of which form the pointed apex of a cone, these pointed groups being designed for cleaning the interproximal space between two adjacent teeth. Thus when the brush -is manipulated with an up and down motion paralleling the teeth, the ends of some of the bristles will engage the convex surfaces of the teeth at the same time that intermediate groups of bristles clean the spaces or recesses between adjacent teeth. In the ilustrated embodimnt of my invention the groups of bristles are arranged in a single row, properly spaced for the purpose described. Each group of bristles, having been bunched and tied at their lower ends, is crimped between the opposing side walls of a folded onepiece handle and head made of stiff moulding paper such as is used in paper spoons and the like, the handle and head being longitudinally curved. In order to make my disposable, brush still more useful I may impregnate the ristles with an antiseptic detergent or toothp 'te or the like so that it is only necessary to wet the brush before using it.

It is therefore vention to provide a novel and improved toothbrush which due to the shaping of the ends of the bristles, the arrang of them in an arc, and the grouping thereof is very effective for the intended purpose of cleaning the teeth,

It is another important object of my invention the primary object of my in- 2 to provide a novel toothbrush of low manufacturing cost and intended to be disposed of after using it once, in view of its low price. An antiseptic detergent is impregnated in the bristles so that no separate toothpaste or the like is required.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a novel method of manufacture of a toothbrush or the like.

Other objects will become apparent as the de scription proceeds in connection with the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a brush made in accordance with my invention, the brush being viewed from an angle slightly different from the position from which it is viewed in the side View of Figure 3.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the brush shown in Figures 1 and 3.

Figure 3 is a side view of the brush of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view substantially along the line L4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a section through one of the bristle groups, substantially along the line 5- 5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a section through the handle, substantially along the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

As shown in the drawings, the illustrated embodiment of my invention comprises an integral handle II and head l2 of a stiff moulding paper such as is used for paper spoons or the like. In I order to have the handle and head form an arc, as shown, the blank from which they are formed is cut from a sheet of non-planar stock, such that when the blank is bent and folded at its longitudinal center line l8 it will have a shape substantially as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4. When folded against itself along the center line the side walls l4 and I5 will spring out and assume relative positions substantially as indicated in Figure 6.

The completed brush has four groups of bristles l6, ll, l8 and I9, arranged in a single row in the head l2. Alternate groups l1 and I9 have their outer ends arranged to form a pointed cone as shown. The longitudinal distance between these groups is substantially the same as the usual interproximal spaces between adjacent teeth. so that the pointed ends of their cones can fit into the spaces on the opposite sides of a tooth and the ones next to it. The other alternate groups 18 and I8 have their ends cut to form substantially cylindrical concave surfaces for engagement with the convex external surfaces of adjacent teeth, the spacing between groups It and It being such as to '22 (Figure 5), The free ends of the bristles may then be cut to form the pointed conical and the concave cylindrical surfaces described. After this the bound ends of the groups of bristles are placed in the trough formed between the angularly disposed walls l4 and 15 in the head l2, being suitably spaced so that similar bristle groups 16 and 18 will be properly spaced to engage adjacent teeth and the intermediate groups I I and 19 having the pointed ends will engage the spaces between the teeth. The side walls 14 and 15 are then crimped together to hold the groups of bristles assembled and fixed in the head l2. The crimping takes place principally between the spaced groups of bristles, as indicated at 23, 24, 25 and 26, the walls 14 and I5, where they surround the groups of bristles, being stretched so that they form a substantially U-shaped cup around the bristles, as shown in Figure 5. The walls 14 and [5 are also crimped together at 21 beyond the uppermost bristle group 19 as will be understood.

The groups of bristles are sufiiciently gripped by the crimping operation so that they will be held in place as intended, due to the relative stiifness of the paper material of the blank from which the handle and head 12 are formed, If desired however a stronger bond may be provided by placing melted parafiin or the like in the trough beiore the crimping operation takes place, and allowing it to harden before the crimping tool is removed. Other material, such as a quick setting cement may be used instead of paraffin.

The completed brush may be made at a low cost and sold at a low price to provide a brush for travelers or the like so that they do not have to carry their own toothbrush, or in case they have forgotten it. The brush may be impregnated with an antiseptic detergent solution, or toothpaste. The novel shape and arrangement of the individual groups of bristles affords a cleansing action not previously obtainable with former toothbrushes.

The invention may be embodied in other specifio forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoin description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claim are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

A toothbrush comprising a body member of stiff fibrous material embodying an elongated handle portion longitudinally curved throughout its length and of V-shaped form in cross section, and a, head portion forming a longitudinal extension of said handle portion at one end thereof having side walls integrally joined with the divergent side walls of said handle portion on longitudinally continuous arcs, a plurality of tufts of bristles disposed in longitudinally spaced apart relation between the side walls of said head portion, and said walls being crimped inwardly into holding engagement with the spaced bristle tufts and into contacting engagement with each other between said tufts and constituting the sole means securing said bristle tufts in permanent fixed relation to said handle and head portions of the body member.

JACOB E. POLLACK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 898,467 Hanaway Sept. 15, 1908 1,059,426 Barnes Apr. 22, 1913 1,611,640 Janus Dec. 21, 1926 1,618,475 Read Feb. 22, 1927 1,742,929 Ovtshenikoif Jan. 7, 1930 2,031,990 Turner Feb. 25, 1936

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