US888138A - Tooth-brush. - Google Patents

Description

` m. sssglas. PATBNTBD MAY 19, 190s.

V. 0. BELL.

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PATENT FFICE.

VICTOR CHARLES BELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TOOTH-BRUSH.

Speoioatlon of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1906.

Application mod December 10, 1906. luis! No. 847,909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that L Vio'ron CHARLES BELL, a citizen of the United States residing at the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Tooth- Brushes, of which the ollowing is a s ecilication, reference being had therein to t ie accoihrnipanying drawing, forming a art thereof.

,v invention relates to toothrushes, and has for its ob'ect the simultaneous thorough massaging o the gunis and the effective brushing of the teet longitudinallyr thereof.

It is now a known fact in dentistry that soft and bleeding gums will, if well massaged, become in a short time hard and iirm, and that such massaging will keep them in a firm and healthy condition. In using the ordinary or any of the various forms of toothbrushes now on the market the outer gums remain substantially untouched, because these brushes are too thick to enter between the gums and the overlying muscles of the mouth and face, rendering it impracticable to roperly cleanse and massage the gums .t erewith. Dental practitioners know that the teeth should be brushed lon ritiidiiiall and not transversely, and yet suc i manipu ation is difficult of attainment with the ordinary tooth-brush.

My invention includes tlie rovisoii, upon a tooth-rubbing or cleansing device or as it is generally known and hereinafter designated a tootli-brusli, of means for cleansing an massaging the gums.

My invention also includes, more specifically, a tooth-brush in which the cleansing head slopes or tapers transversely from about the usual thickness or length of bristles or other cleansing material at one side of the head to a comparativcl' thin ed re at the other side of the head, tlie thin edge of the head being adapted to pass beneath the overl ing facial tissues to reach the gums, and tlie )rush-head for this pur )ose being correspondingl wider so that t ie thicker portion thereo will at the saine time act upon the teeth. The thin-edged head also permits a free movement longitudiiiall of the teeth, or u and down, lor more ci actively cleansing tie teeth and for iuassagin the gums, and m invention also includes t io arrangement o such a ta cred head as above described in the form oa cross-head or in a T-shape with the brush handl'c and with the thin-edge away from the handle, for the purpose of facilitating such longitudinal movement.

My inventionfurther includes the einloynieiit of two different brushing or cleansing materials in the same brush-head, one of a nature peculiarly adapted to brush and cleanse the teeth, such, for example, as bristles` of usual stillness, and the other of a nature peculiarly adapted to cleanse and massa fe the gums, such, for exam 11e, as soft ru ber, or bristles of a soft and ilexible qualit In t ie accompanying drawings I have illustrated several embodiments of in invention all of which will now be particular y described by reference to such drawings, after which l will point out my invention in claims.

Figure 1 is an end view of the preferred construction. Fig. 2 is a face view of the same, looking toward the rubbing surface. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the saine as viewed from the right of Fig. 2, but with the brushhead in sectionon a plane indicated by the line as, Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are similar views illustrating modiiied constructions.

The back l and the handle .2 may bemade of any suitable material and are preferably integral as shown, the handle extending perpendicularly from one edge of the back about midway of the length of the back.

'lo permit of the gums being cleansed and massagcd while the teeth are bein f cleansed, the back l is transversely tapcrei to a coinparatively thin edge along its free edge or op osite to the handle 2.

n the construction shown in Figs. l, .2 and 3, a gum-massaging and gum-cleansing pad 3 of soft rubber is provided adjacent to the thin edge of the back 1 and may be secured to the back by a suitable adhesive und is shown as further secured by dove-tuning, and is et more lirinly held in place by having a t iin portion turned backward over tho tapered edge of the back l. 'l`ho rubber pad 3 projects slightl beyond the tapered. edge of the back l am this projecting portion, in connection with the tiirucd buck portion of the pad, assists in massaging the upper portions of thc gums. For giving a better massaging action tho massaging sui-lace ol the pad 3 ma he provided with coi'rugations us shown. `he pad 3 is tapered or rodiiccd in thickness toward the thinner edge ol` tho back l, the thinner edge ol' the padbeing lill.)

sufiicientlylthin to enter to the full distancel between t e outer gums and the overlying facial tissues.

Tooth cleansing bristles 4 are carried by the back 1 adjacent to the thicker portion of the massage ad 3 and are fixed in the back 1 in the usua manner as shown. These bristles gradually taper or decrease in length toward the pad and away from the edge of the back to which the handle is attached. The bristles are gradually reduced in length from the longest to the shortest so as to form a radual slope or taper continuous with the s ope or taper of the pad 3. Therefore, the entire cleansing material, com osed in this instance of the bristles 4` and t e 'pad 3, is tapered transversal throu hout its width toward the tapers edge o the back 1. This thinedged or transversely slopping head permits of a freer movement longitudinally to the teeth and such movement is facilitated or made more practicable and convenient by the arrangement of the handle 2 at ri ht angles from or in a T-shape with the ack 1, the handle being also substantially perpendicular to the length of the tooth-cleansing bristles 4. The back l is curved as shown to correspond with the outer maxillary curvature.

The modified construction shown in Fig. 4 di'ers from that just described in that the massa e pad is omitted and bristles are fixed in the ack 5 along its full width, such bristles gradually tapering in lengltlh away from the handle 7 and toward the t 'n edge of the back where the are shortest. Thelonger bristles 6 are o the usual stiffness, but the shorter bristles 8 are of softer quality in compensation for their shorter length and to obviate too great severity of action in theirv gum mass g o eration.

Inailild mlddification shown in Fig. 5 the shorter or gum-massaging bristles 9 are inclined outwardly or away from the toothcleansin bristles 10 and handle l1 and so a8 to exten slightly beyond the thinner edge of the back 12, to more easily 'leach the upper portions of the gums. 1n other respects the construction and operation are the same as described in reference to l" ig. 4.

It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the constructions shown and above particularl described within the principle and scope o my invention.

I claim:

l. A tooth brush having, in combination a head elongated so as to engage several teeth at once and wedge-shaped in transverse cross-section so as to present an 0 eratin surface acutely inclined to the bacli of the ead, and a handle connected with the head at a oint separated from the acute angle thereo so as not to interfere with the introduction of the head between the gums and the lips.

2. A tooth brush having, in combination, a head elongated so as to engage several teeth at once and wedge-shaped in transverse cross-section so as to present an o )eratin f surface acutely inclined to the back of the ead, and a handle connected with the. head at a oint separated from the acute angle thereo and arranged substantially )erpendicular to the length of the head am at an acute angle with the working surface thereof.

3. A tooth brush having, in combination, a head elongated so as to engage several teeth at once and wedge-shaped in transverse cross-section so as to present an operatin Y surface. acutely inclined to the bac of the head, the head comprising rum-massaging means of comparatively yielding character forming the part of the working surface adjacent to the acute angle of the cross-section and tooth-cleansing means of comparatively frm character forming the rest of the operating surface, and a handle joining the head at a point separated from the acute angle thereo -4. A tooth brush having, in combination, an elongated head comprising fum-massaging means of comparatively yie ding character and teeth-cleansing means of comparatively firni character, and a handle connected with the head and substantially perpendicular to the length thereof.

5. A tooth brush having, in combination, ahead comprising a back tapered toward one edge, gnm-massafing means of a comparatively ielding c aracter sup )ortcd by the back a( jacent to its thinner e ge, and teethcleansing means of coinparativel firm character sup ort-ed by the back adjacent to its thicker e( ge, and a handle connected with the.back at its thicker edge and substantially erpendicular thereto.

6. 1i) tooth brush havin f, in combination, a head comprising a back tapered toward one edge, rum-massaging means of comparatively yiellling character supported by the back adjacent to its thinner edge and tapering toward such ed fe, teeth-cleansing means of com )aratively irm character supported by the liack adjacent toits thicker edge and tapering toward the gum-massaging means, and a handle connected with the thicker edge of the back and substantially perpendicular thereto.

7. A tooth brush ln vin f, in combination, a head comprising a bristle )ortion for aeting on the teeth and a soft ruliber portion for acting on the gums, and a handle connected with the head and substantially perpendicular to the length of the head and of the bristles thereon.

8. A toot-h brush having, in cmnbination, a head comprising a back tu ered toward one edge, teeth-cleansing bristles supported by the back adjacent te its thicker edge a lGO gum-massaging pad supported by the head adjacent to its thinner edge, and a handle connected with the thicker edge of the back and substantially erpendicular thereto.

9. A tooth brus 1 havin f, in combination a head comprising a bac tapered toward one edge, a soft rubber gum-massaging ad supported b the back adjacent to its t inner ed re an taperin toward such edge, and teeth-c eansing brist es supported by the back adjacent to its thicker edge and taper- In testimony whereof l have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VICTOR (.II'IARLES BEM i.

Witnesses:

BERNARD Cowan, JOHN FREUND.

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