US2220053A - Rotary toothbrush - Google Patents

Oct 29, 1940- A. F. PRUNER ROTARY '.TOOTHBRUSH Filed De v l0, 1938 Patented Oct. 29, 1940 UNITED STATES ROTARY 'roormsiwsn Arthur F. Primer, Oklahoma City, Okla., Ibbie L. Pruner administratrix of the estate of said Arthur F. Pruner, deceased Application December 10, 1938, Serial No. 24459124w 2 claims. (C115-27) This invention relates to improvements in toothbrushes, and more particularly to toothbrushes in which the bristles are mounted in a wheel or rotor and are adapted to enter and remove foreign matter from between the interstices between the teeth as the brush is reciprocated horizontally.

The conventional toothbrush with fixed bristles can only be made to enter and clean the spaces between the teeth by moving the brush vertically, which, to the average individual, is either entirely too much trouble or is beyond the realm of his knowledge. As a consequence the conventional toothbrush used by the average individual does 1`5' not properly clean between the teeth. When the fixed bristle brush is reciprocated horizontally over the teeth, the flexible bristles simply pass over the outer surface of the teeth and do not penetrate the interstices between the teeth.

The chief object of this invention, therefore, is to overcome the above mentioned diiculties, and to enable the average individual to properly clean his teeth as he moves his toothbrush horizontally across his teeth, which is the ordinary 25 and most natural movement for brushing any article.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this class which is of simplified construction and embodies a rotatable bristled brush which is easily removable for cleaning or replacement.

A further object of my invention is to provide a toothbrush which not only is possessed of these special attributes, but which is also possessed of the usual attributes of simplicity, cheapness of manufacture and reliability.

The details in the construction of a preferred form of my invention, together with other objects attending its production, will be better understood 40 from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, which is chosen for illustrative purposes only, and in which,

Figure 1 illustrates the manner of holding and using my improved rotary brush;

Figure 2 is a View illustrating the manner in which the serrated surface of my rotary brush enters the spaces between the teeth adjacent the gums;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the brush which I choose to call the brush head;

Figure 4 is a perspective View of the rotatable brush; and,

Figure 5 is a view of the assembled brush, certain parts being in section to illustrate certain preferred details of construction. y

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all the gures. I

As will be seen from the drawing, my toothbrush comprises three main elements, namely, a` brush head which is designated as a whole by the numeral 6; a` rotatable wheel-like brush, which is designated as a whole by the numeral 1; and a handle 8.

The brush head includes a pair of substantially semi-circular parallel side Walls S and Il) which are spaced apart by an integral peripheral wall I I. Each of the side walls 9 and I Il are preferably provided with aligned substantially-semicircular offset portions I2 and I3 which serve to rotatably receive the opposite ends of/"a bristle holding rotor I4, which will be hereinafter described.

Near their approximate center lines the Side walls 9 and I are provided with aligned opposite axle sockets I5 and I6 which serve to journal the opposite ends of an axle I1 on which the rotor I4 is mounted.

The brush I comprises a cylindrical rotor I4 in the peripheral surface of which are mounted a I The rotor I4 is mounted on an axle l1, the ends of which project a short distance from either end of the rotor and are adapted to be journaled in the bearings I5 and I6 of the brush head. The

size of the brush head'is, of course, sufficient topermit the free rotation ofthe brush 1 therein.

In assembling the toothbrush, after the brush V'l hasbeen rotatably positioned between the side walls of .the brush head', as just explained, the twovhalv'e's of the handle connection are manually pressed together and linserte-cl into the threaded end of the handle 8 andthe handle 8 is then screwed tightly on to the brush head'.

' This handle 8 naturally holds the side Walls 9 and lll of the brush head rigidly positioned with relation to each other, whichpositioning naturally prevents the accidental or inadvertent removal of the brush 'l from` the head. v

As previously mentioned the toothbrush `is moved in horizontal manner back and forth across-the teeth, the brush l being forced to rotate by itsv Contact with the teeth.. The long serrations 2'0 of the brush are` preferably spaced apart a distance so that adjacent ones will enter vthe interstices at the opposite sides of each tooth, While the short serrations 2! contact the outer surface of each tooth. 'I'he operation is repeated on the inside surface of the teeth. By placing the periphery ofthe brush 'l adjacent the gums While I have described and illustrated a specie embodiment of my invention, I am aware that numerous alterations and changes may be made therein and I do not wish to be limited except by the prior art and by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1..As an article of manufacture, a toothbrush comprising: a hollow substantially semi-cylindrical brush head; a rotatable brush having a serrated peripheral bristled surface journaled in side walls of said brush head, alternate ones of the serrated portions of said bristled surface being of greater length than the intermediate serrated portions thereof; and a handle removably attached to said brush head, the longitudinal axis of said handle being substantially at right angles to the axis of rotation of said brush.

2. As. an article of manufacture, a toothbrush comprising: a hollow substantially semi-cylindri cal brush head having two parallel semi-circular side walls spaced apart by an integral peripheral wall; a longitudinal slct in said peripheral wall extending from one of its ends to a point near its other end; a threaded substantially cylindrical longitudinally bisected laterally projecting han dle connection rigidly attached to said peripheral wall, the base of each portion being immediately adjacent the open end of the longitudinal slot in said peripheral wall; an elongated handle having a threaded bore in one of its ends, said bore adapted to receive said bisected laterally projecting handle connection; and a substantially wheel-like brush removably journaled for free rotation between the side walls of said brush head.

ARTHUR F. PRUNER.