Improvements in Tooth-brushes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 30th Mar., 1895
[Communicated from abroad by JAQUES BROCK, of No. 8, Zossenorstrasse, Berlin,
in the Kingdom of Prussia and Empire of Germany, Gentleman.]
Improvements in Tooth-brushes.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of The Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 31, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
6, Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in the County
of Lancaster, and Lower Temple Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manuer the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
My application relates to improvements in tooth-brushes, and a special
modification of the form of the latter.
The enamel, protecting the teeth is not quite smooth, but is provided with small
furrows. Part of the food gathers in these furrows and in the tooth-interstices,
docays and attacks the enamel, after which the tooth itself will soon be destroyed.
In order to prevent this, tooth-brushes are generally used, the head of which
provided with bristles is placed in a longitudinal direction to the handle, thus
rendering a cleaning of the teeth in a vertical direction quite difficult.
The latter is however necessary in order to preserve the teeth, as the small
furrows and the tooth-interstices are directed vertically and cannot be thoroughly
cleaned in a horizontal direction, while the already decaying remains of food are
distributed over all the teeth. Besides the cleaning of the teeth from the inside is
equally necessary, but cannot possibly be done with the old tooth-brush in a
vertical direction.
These disadvantages have often been pointed out by medical men.
The object of my invention is the construction of a tooth-brush, which renders a
thorough cleaning of the teeth possible, i.e. a cleaning in a vertical direction inside
and outside. This is effected, by placing the brush A in a horizontal direction to
the handle B, as is shown by Fig. 1.
The bristles have a slightly rounded form corresponding with the row of teeth.
At the other end of the handle B, which is rounded off elliptically below, a
small round arched brush is arranged, opposite the one, at the upper end, serving
for the cleaning of the inside of the teeth, which may be easily done.
It may be easily recognised that this new brush offers considerable advantages
compared with one used until now; besides it may be manufactured in a manner
just as simple and at the same price as the ordinary brush.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A tooth-brush, for the purpose of cleaning the teeth inside and outside in the
direction of the tooth-interstices, that is in a vertical direction.
2. A tooth-brush, for the purpose of cleaning the teeth thoroughly in the
direction of the tooth-interstices, that is in a vertical direction; the head of the
brush being placed transversely to the handle.
3. A tooth-brush, for the purpose of cleaning the teeth thoroughly inside and
outside in the direction of the tooth-interstices, provided with a brush, placed

page_text: transversely to the handle, in combination with a second brush placed longitudinally
at the other end of the handle.
Dated this 28th day of February 1805
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents.