US893345A - Floss-holder attachment for tooth-brushes. - Google Patents

Description

N0 898,845. PATENTED JULY 14, 1908.

O. J. MONSON.

FLOSS HOLDER ATTACHMENT FOB TOOTH BRUSHES,

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16, 1907.

mafter and set forth with claims appended hereto.

To all whom it may concern:

' ments in UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

OTTO J. MONSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FLOSS-HOLDER ATTACHMENT FOR TOOTH-BRUSHES.

Application filed Jul is, 1907. serial No. 384,024. I

Be it known that l, OTTo J. MoNsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of pook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improve- Floss Holder Attachments for Tooth-Brushes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a floss holder for holding a piece of floss or other thread whereby the spaces between the teeth can be readily and conveniently cleane The invention has for one of its objects to provide a floss holder which can be used as an attachment for a tooth brush by applying the same to the handle thereof.

Afurther object is the provision of a floss holder comprising a strip of metal bent into suitable shape and having spring jaws at its ends for receiving the ends of the floss or thread, the holder being pivotally'mounted on a handle.

With these objects in view and others, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel fee tures of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described here particularity the In the accom anying drawing, which illustrates certain o the embodiments of the in vention, Figure 1 is a side 'view of a tooth brush provided with the floss holder attachment. Fig. 2 is aside view of the floss holder provided witha handle. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. t is a perspective view of the.

floss holder detached and drawn on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a sectionalview on line 55,'of Fig. 4:.

Similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

designated generally by A.

Referring to the drawing, handle of an ordinary tooth is attached at its outer end 1' designates the brush to which the floss holder This holder preferably comprises a strip of spring metal 2 bent into U-shape and having its ends formed into spring I extremities of the strip backwardly against the outside of the arms at. The bends 5 are provided with notches 6 for receiving the thread of floss 7 and prevent the latter from becoming displaced while in use, the ends of the thread being brought downwardly over the Specification of Letters Patent.

aws or clamps 3 by bending the Patented July 14:, 1908.

outside of the spring jaws 3 and then under the same so as to be clamlped as shown in Fig. 4. The base portion of t estrip 2 has a central aperture 8 for the reception of a pivot 9 for attaching it to the han le of the tooth brush or a separate handle 10, as shown in Fig. 2.- This pivot may take the form of a rivet as shown in Fig. 2 or a bolt having a nut 11 as shown in Fig. 1, so as to permit the holder to be changed from one side of the handle 1 to the other to suit the fancy of the user. The floss holder is free to turn on the pivot so as to readily adapt it to the back, as well as the front, teeth. The ends 3 of the metal strip are reduced in width, as shown in Fig. 4 so as to bring the side edges thereof nearer in line with the notches 6, thus admitting'of easy application of the floss into the clamps. One e ge of each of the aws 3 is sharpened at 12, Figs. 4 and 5, so that the floss can be out thereby. 4

in practice the end of a spool of floss is in serted under one of the jaws 3 with a slight ortion extending therefrom so that is can be taken hold of when it is desired to remove the floss. The spool is unwound and the floss stretched across the holder to the other jaw or clamp 3', care being taken to place the floss in the notches 6. After the floss is en gaged under the second jaw a strong ull is exerted in a direction to cause sharp e ge 12 to sever the floss close to the jaw and without waste. With the floss thus held taut the cleaning of the teeth is accomplished by inserting the floss between two adjacent teeth and imparting a reciprocating motion, thereby dislodging any matter accumulated between the teeth. All the teeth are cleaned in this manner and when it is desired to take out the floss, the ends of the floss are disengaged from the jaws so that a new piece can be substituted.

From the foregoing description, taken in 5 connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of the method of o eration will be readily apparent to those skil ed in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, 1 de-' sire to have it understood .that the device shown'is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims.

Having thus described the invention, What vIclaim is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a handle, a pivot thereon, 5 holding element mounted to turn on the pivot, said element comprising a single piece of metal bent into spaced arms and having its extremities bent backwardly With respect to the arms to form thread holding clamps, thread cutting means on the said extremities, and means on the ends of the arms for holding the thread from-slipping laterally ed the latter. p

'2. ,A device of the class described compris- 5 ing a handle, a single piece of metal bent into a U-shaped structure and having its extremities bent backwardly to form spring clamps,

and a thread spring clamp the bends of the metal being notched to receivea thread, the edges of the backwardlybent extremities being sharpened to' form knife edges.

3. A device of'the class described comprising a handle; a strip of metal having spaced arms and bent at its extremities to form 5, the bends of the strip being rovided with notches, and a thread engaged in the notches -nd having its ends secured by the clamps.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses OTTO J. MONSON.

Witnesses:

JESSIE F. YORK, WM. H. CLARKE.

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