US1365678A - Rotary tooth-cleaner - Google Patents

Description

H. E. FRAME.

ROTARY TOOTH CLEANER.

mwucmwynun APR. 14, l9l6- 1,365,678. Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

a x 61m ucmro-z um I N a hrl UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HORACE E. FRAME, 0F ."liIOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK.

ROTARY TOOTH-CLEANER.

Application filed April 14, 1916. Serial No. 91.006.

Toail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HonAoE E. Fnaiun, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Mount Vernon, in the county of lVestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Tooth-Cleaners, of which the following is a description.

My invention relates to rotary tooth cleaners which are detachable from the rotary driving means, and which are provided with detachable shields for preventlng the clean ers from contacting with and irritating the gums and other sensitive portions of the mouth.

One object of my invention is to provide such a cleaner and shield which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, but reliable and efficient in operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide means whereby the cleaner and shield may be readily detached from their supporting means in order that a single supporting and driving means may be. used for a numher of cleaners and shields.

Other objects of my invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my device;

Figs. 2 and 3 are side and top views, respectively, of the shield when removed from the holder; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional View of my device with the shield, driving means and holder detached.

Referring to the drawing, 6 indicates a sleeve or casing, in which the shaft 7 is adapted to rotate. This shaft 7 may be drivcn by any suitable means, such for instance as the water motor described in my Patent No. 1,228,897, granted June 5, 1917. Any other suitable driving means may, however, be employed. The shaft 7 extends only part way through the casing (i, and is provided at its end with some suitable form of clutch face, as indicated at 8.

The holder or handle 9 surrounds the casing 6 and is provided with an annular groove as shown at 10. The sleeve or casing 6 may be fixed to the inner surface of holder 9 as by soldering. The holder and casing thus form a support for the cleaning member and shield, as will now be described.

The cleaning member comprises a brush.

or other suitable cleaner, such as indicated at 11, mountcd upon a twisted wire or other spindle 12. This spindle is surrounded by the casing 19 and is firmly attached to rod 20, as shown at 21, so as to form one complete shaft or spindle. The spindle is provided at the end 13 with a complemental clutch face adapted to cooperate with the face 8 of the shaft 7, whereby when the end 13 of the spindle is inserted into the end of the casing 6, it will be rotated by the shaft 7. The shield 14 preferably comprises a spoonshaped housing for the brush, as illustrated, and the inner end is made of resilient material and is turned in at 15 so that it will slide into position on the holder 9 and be firmly held thereon by the front wall of the annular groove 10. The holder is tapered or reduced in size at its outer end to facilitate attachment of the shield which can be turned on the holder 9 so as to more readily bring the brush into operative position. The opposite end 16 of the housing is provided with a bearing 17 for the end 18 of the spindle 12, in order to firmly support the cleaning member and to hold it n alincment with the driving shaft 7. A ring 22 is formed on the casing 19 in order to prevent water running back into the holder or handle 9. Any water reaching this ring will be thrown off by centrifugal force.

Part 7 is made of any flexible and tough metal but I prefer to use manganese bronze. Parts 6 and 20 may be of any metal of considerable rigidity and strength, but are preferably of nickel-plated steel. The operation and method of use of my invention should be obvious from the foregoing. The apparatus is assembled by inserting the end 18 of spindle 12 into the bearing 17 in the one end of shield 14. The other end of shield 14 is then slipped onto the end 24 of case or handle 9 and the free end of rod 20' inserted into the aperture in the part 24 and thus into sleeve (3. As shield 11 passes further onto case 9, the half round portion 13 of rod 20 must be turned so that it falls into complemcntal relation to the half round end 8 of flexible shaft 7, the half rounded ends thus forming an effective clutch for transmitting rotary motion due to these ends be ing closely held by casing or sleeve 6. The shield 1-1 is then forced more strongly against casing 9 so that the inturncd edge 25 of the shield snaps into the groove 10 in the casing. thereby securing the parts in operative relation. The device is held by the handle 9. and by turning the shield 14 on the handle the brush may readily be this particular embodiment,'since obviously,

' manychanges may be made therein Without departing from the spirit of my invention. What I claim is: l. A rotary tooth cleaner comprising in combination a brush, a flexible'rotary shaft in driving relation to said brush, a handle covering the end portion of said shaft and having a groove. therein, and a slneld member having a resilient end portion sprung over the end of said handle and having an inturned edge rotatably engaging in sa d --groove, said brush being journaled in said shield member at its outer end and in the handle at its inner end and said shield member swiveling freely around said handle.

2. A'rotary tooth cleaner comprising incombination a rotary driving shaft, a handle surrounding the end of said shaft, said handle havin a partially closed end with an aperture fherein for receiving a brush spindle, a sleeve Within said handle closely surrounding said shaft and extending beyond said shaft to the mouth of said aperture in the handle, a brush spindle projecting through said aperture into the open end of said sleeve and into engagement with said shaft and substantially filling said aperture, and a collar on said spindle immediately in front of said aperture for preventing liquid passing into said handle and for trans1nittingthe thrust of said spindle in one direction to the end of the handle.

3. A rotary tooth cleaner comprising in combination a brush, a flexible rotary shaft for driving said brush, a handle covering the end portion of said shaft and having a groove therein, and a shield member having an end portion sprung over the end of said handle and having an inturned edge engaging in said groove, said shield member being rotatable on said handle, said brush being journaled in said shield member at its outer end.

HORACE E. FRAME.

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