Improvements in Tooth Brushes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 22nd June, 1896-Accepted, 25th July, 1896
Improvements in Tooth Brushes.
I, CARL EDUARD FLEMMING of Schönheide, in the Kingdom of Saxony and
Empire of Germany, Brush Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows :—
The subject of the present invention is an improved device for cleaning teeth,
comprising one or two brushes constructed in the shape of rotary bodies; the
arrangement being such that it enables the teeth to be cleaned both externally and
internally, and also, in the intermediate spaces or interstices between the teeth ;
which is a special feature of the invention, the cleaning movement of the actual
device being performed in the vertical direction, while the hand of the user,
which imparts such movement, moves circularly. The improved device is mainly
intended to be used as above described but it will be understood that it can be
used backwards and forwards in an horizontal direction like an ordinary tooth
brush.
In one form of the improved tooth brush, the brush proper, of cylindrical shape,
is fitted on to another cylindrical brush body, which, unlike the first, is solid. The
bundles of hairs are placed in a radial position converging towards the axis of the
brush body and surrounding such body, or support, on all sides. The handle
portion of the brush may be made of any desired shape such as cylindrical,
ellipsoid spherical, blunted ellipsoid, flattened spherical, or more or less concave or
convex shape, being in all cases a rotary body.
In another form of brush the body or support is hollow. As in the first case,
such support is completely surrounded with radial bundles of hairs, so that, here
again, the sectional outline of the brush is circular. In the longitudinal direction
the handle may be of any desired shape and may have a brush at each end.
According to another modification the brushes may be made in such a shape
that their sectional areas, at right angles to their axes are in the shape of segments
of a circle taken at varying angles as for example 60°, 90°, 120°, 180° and 270° or
other suitable angle. And, accordingly, the brush bodies will vary in sectional
outline, being either hollow or solid.
The brush bodies may be of any suitable shape in section, and in their
longitudinal direction, their outline may be either cylindrical or more or less
curved, either concave, convex, ellipsoid, spherical, blunted ellipsoid, flattened
spherical, or of any other convenient shape. For example, one and the same
brush support may have at one end, a surface, partly of great, and partly of little,
concavity; and at the other end a surface, partly of great, and partly of little,.
convexity. The surfaces formed by the ends of the hairs, too, may be more or
less curved, or in other words present a concavity or a convexity varying, in
extent, in the longitudinal direction, so as to fit the natural shape of the jaws.
The complete brush may vary in length, being either as long as the usual brushes,
or considerably shorter; in which latter case it may serve for cleaning the teeth
nwardly.
:
I 1.
Whatever the section or outline of the brush body may be, the bundles of hairs,
no matter how thick or thin, or how their ends may be shaped or trimmed, may be
arranged at any suitable distance apart. Also, such bundles, when placed in
a transverse row, may be either of equal or of varying length or height; the
resulting rubbing surface being, accordingly, either even or uneven, say, of zigzag

page_text: shape. According as the brush body or support is of cylindrical, ellipsoid, ball-
shaped, concave or convex outline, the surface made up of the ends of the hairs, or
bundles of hairs, may also vary in shape in the longitudinal direction, and be either
cylindrical, ellipsoid, spherical, blunted or flattened, or not (as the case may be),
concave or convex. It is, however, possible for a cylindrical rubbing surface (made
up of the ends of the hairs) to be formed even where the brush body is of convex
shape, or of concave shape or a concave rubbing surface may be formed upon
a support of convex shape, or a convex rubbing surface may be formed upon
a concave brush body; or again, a cylindrical brush body may support a concave
or convex brush; or in fact a brush or combination of hairs or bundles of hairs
forming in the aggregate a complete or a partial rotary body may be combined
with a brush body or support of any suitable shape or outline.
Such bodies or supports of brushes may be fixed either to one end only or to
both ends of a suitable handle; and the same handle may carry one or more
brushes of the same shape or outline, or, say, two brushes of different shapes.
Thus, for example, a brush intended for cleaning the teeth internally may be fixed
to the same handle to which a brush for cleaning the teeth externally is secured.
In another form of brush bundles of hairs are fixed in supports, consisting of
two or more strands of wire twisted together. Brushes thus formed are attached
to or in suitable handles or supports by being either screwed, cemented or other-
wise securely fitting within their sockets. These brushes also may be made in the
forms above described viz.: in the shape of revolvable bodies. Brushes with
these wire bodies or supports may present, in cross section, either the outline of
a complete circle, or that of a segment cut at a smaller or larger angle. The ends
of such brushes may be fitted either with bundles of trimmed hairs, or with a small
sponge; or with indiarubber, so as to fit them for cleaning or otherwise treating,
for surgical or other purposes, various parts of the buccal cavity or the jaws. The
brush body may be rectilinear, or curved in any convenient manner so as to fit the
outline of the jaw or set of teeth.
The handles of the brushes may be of circular, elliptical, square, rectangular or
octagonal section, or they may be of any other suitable shape; and in the
longitudinal direction they may be of undulating outline on one side so as to
secure a firm grip of the band and to facilitate the desired rotary motion of the
hand in operating the brush, by giving it better control over the brush. The
handle moreover, may either be straight or be made to accommodate the shape of
the mouth, according as it is desired to clean the teeth from within or without,
being in that case more or less curved in outline. The handle and brush body may
consist of a number of different parts. It will be understood that other methods of
attachment may be adopted if preferred.
This improved tooth brush enables the surfaces of teeth as well as the interstices
between adjacent teeth to be thoroughly cleaned by a vertical movement which is
produced by moving the hand circularly, so that the brush itself is not moved up
and down in a vertical direction. The shapes of the handles of these tooth
brushes should be such as to enable the hand of the user to grasp them firmly and
securely, without any inconvenience to the user himself, and so that he may readily
move his hand backwards and forwards as required.
The rounded surfaces of the brushes, formed by a combination of bundles of
hairs, are as it were rolled over the surfaces of the teeth to be cleaned; the
cleaning thus achieved is therefore thorough and effective, while the spaces between
the teeth may at the same time, by an accompanying movement in the vertical
direction be conveniently cleaned.
The handle and the brush body or support should preferably or advantageously
be made of wood, celluloid, bone, hard rubber or the like.
Dated this 21st day of September 1895.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Tooth Brushes.
I, CARL EDUARD FLEMMING, of Schönheide, in the Kingdom of Saxony, and
Empire of Germany, Brush Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The subject of the present invention is an improved device for cleaning teeth,
comprising one or two brushes, having a circular or partial circular outline in
transverse section the arrangement being such that it enables the teeth to be
cleaned both externally and internally, and also, as a special feature, in the
interstices between the teeth, the cleaning movement of the device in the latter
case being performed in the vertical direction, while the hand of the user, which
imparts such movement, moves circularly. The improved device is mainly
intended to be used as above described but it will be understood that it can be
used by moving it backwards and forwards in a horizontal direction like an
ordinary tooth-brush.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which several forms of the novel tooth-cleaning device are, by way
of example, delineated.
Figures 1 to 5 are cross sections of tooth brushes the outlines of which are
circles or segments of circles.
Figures 6 to 9 show single and double tooth brushes, the body of the brush,
in the several cases, being of cylindrical shape, either solid or hollow, or of
concave or convex outline and having a plane, concave or convex rubbing
surface;
Figures 10 and 11 are double tooth-brushes having ellipsoidal and spherical
brushes with blunt or rounded ends and conveniently shaped rubbing surfaces;
Figures 12 and 13 are sections at right angles to the axes, of the tooth brushes
represented in Figures 14 to 20 and having brush bodies formed of wire..
Figures 14 to 18 represent single and double tooth brushes having either plain,
concave or convex rubbing surfaces; and
Figures 19 and 20 are brushes the bodies of which are made of wire, and which
present a more or less curved outline.
In the tooth brush shown in Figure 1, the brush proper, of cylindrical shape, is
fitted on to another cylindrical brush body, which, unlike the first, is solid. The
bundles of hairs are placed radially converging towards the axis of the brush body
and surrounding such body, or support, on all sides. The handle portion of the
brush may be made of any desired shape such as cylindrical ellipsoidal spherical,
blunted ellipsoidal, flattened spherical, or more or less concave or convex that is to
say, being in all cases a rotary body.
0
The brush represented in Figure 2 possesses a hollow body or support. As in
the first case, such support is completely surrounded with radial bundles of hairs,
so that, here again, the sectional outline of the brush is circular. In the
longitudinal direction the bandle may be of any desired shape and may have a
brush at each end.
.
Figures 3 to 5 represent brushes made in such a shape that their sections, at
right angles to their axes are segments of circles having their terminal radii at
varying angles as for example 60°, 90°, 120°, 180° and 270° or other suitable angle.
And, accordingly, the brush bodies will vary in sectional outline, being either
hollow or solid, as indicated at the right and left sides of the said figures,
respectively.
1
The brush bodies may be of any suitable shape in section, and in their
longitudinal direction, their outline may be either cylindrical or more or less

page_text: curved, either concave, convex, ellipsoidal, spherical, blunted ellipsoidal, flattened
spherical, or of any other convenient shape. In Figure 9, for example, one and
the same brush support presents at one end, a surface, partly of great, and partly
of little, concavity; and at the other end a surface, partly of great, and partly of
little, convexity. In Figure 6 a form of brush support is shown, the convexity
of which similarly varies in magnitude. The surfaces formed by the ends of the
hairs, too, may be more or less curved, or in other words present a concavity or a
convexity varying in extent, in the longitudinal direction, so as to fit the natural
shape of the jaws, as illustrated in Figures 6 to 11; it being immaterial which of
the sectional outlines shown in Figures 1 to 5 is employed at the same time. The
complete brush may vary in length, being either as long as the usual brushes, or
considerably shorter in which latter case it may serve for cleaning the back
surfaces of the teeth.
Whatever the section or outline of the brush body may be, the bundles of hairs,
no matter how thick or thin, or how their ends may be shaped or trimmed, may be
arranged at any suitable distance apart. Also, such bundles, when placed in a
transverse row, may be either of equal or of varying length or height; the
resulting rubbing surface being, accordingly, either even or uneven, say, of zigzag
shape. According as the brush body or support is of cylindrical, ellipsoidal,
ball-shaped, or has a concave or convex outline, the surface made up of the ends
of the hairs, or bundles of hairs, may also vary in shape in the longitudinal
direction, and be either cylindrical, ellipsoidal, spherical, blunted or flattened, or
not (as the case may be), concave or convex. Brushes of this class wherein the
trimming of the hairs correspond to the outline to the shape of the brush support,
either wholly or partly, are shown in Figures 6, 64, 7, 8, 8, 10 and 11 of the
drawings. It is, however, possible for a cylindrical rubbing surface (made up of
the ends of the hairs) to be formed even where the brush body is of concave shape
(as shown in Figures 64 on the right), or of convex shape (see Figure 9 on the
left, below); or a convex rubbing surface may be formed upon a support of concave
shape (Figure 7 on the left, below); or a concave rubbing surface may be formed
upon a convex brush body (Figure 9 on the left, at top); or again, a cylindrical
brush body may support a convex or concave brush (Figures 7 and 8, on the left,
at top); or in fact a brush or combination of hairs or bundles of hairs having in
the aggregate an outline which in transverse section is circular or segmental may
be combined with a brush body or support of any suitable shape or outline.
Such bodies or supports of brushes may be fixed either to one end only or to
both ends of a suitable handle; and the same handle may carry one or more
brushes of the same shape or outline, or, say, two brushes of different shapes, as
exemplified in Figures 64, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Thus, for example, a brush intended
for cleaning the teeth internally may be fixed to the same handle to which a brush
for cleaning the teeth externally is secured, as represented in several different
forms in Figures 8 and 9.
In Figures 14 to 20 bundles of hairs, are fixed in supports, consisting of two or
more strands of wire twisted together. Brushes thus formed are attached to or in
suitable handles or supports by being either screwed, cemented or otherwise
securely fitted within their sockets. These brushes also may be made in the forms
above described and illustrated in Figures 6 to 9, as is further shown in Figures 14
to 20. Brushes with these wire bodies or supports may present, in cross section,
either the outline of a complete circle, or that of a segment having a small or large
angle. The ends of such brushes may be fitted either with bundles of trimmed
hairs, as in Figures 15 and 19, or with a small sponge, as shown in Figures 17
and 20 on the right; or with indiarubber, as shown in Figures 18 and 20 on the
left; so as to fit them for cleaning or otherwise treating, for surgical or other
purposes, various parts of the buccal cavity or the jaws. The brush body may be
rectilinear, as shown in Figures 14 to 18, or, as represented in Figures 19 and 20,
or curved in any convenient manner so as to fit the outline of the jaw or set of
teeth.

page_text: The handles of the brushes may be of circular elliptical, square, recom
ctagonal section, or they may be of any other suitable shape; and in the
ongitudinal direction they may be of undulating outline on one side so as to secure
firm grip of the hand and to facilitate the desired rotary motion of the hand in
perating the brush, by affording better control over the brush. The handle
moreover may be straight or it may be made to accommodate the shape of the
mouth, according as it is desired to clean the teeth on the inner or outer surfaces,
being in that case more or less curved in outline. The dotted lines of Figures 6ª,.
74, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 17 and 20, showing double brushes, illustrate those cases.
where one brush only is for the time being attached to the handle,--say on the
right or on the left only. The handle and brush body may consist of a number of
different parts, as shown in Figures 6 and 8. It will be understood that other.
methods of attachment may be adopted if preferred.
This improved tooth brush enables the surfaces of teeth as well as the interstices
between adjacent teeth to be thoroughly cleaned by a vertical movement which is.
produced by moving the hand circularly, so that the brush itself
not moved up
and down in a vertical direction. The shapes of the handles of these tooth
brushes should be such as to enable the hand of the user to grasp them firmly and.
securely, without any inconvenience to the user himself, and so that he may
readily move his hand backwards and forwards as required.
The rounded surfaces of the brushes, formed by a combination of bundles of
hairs, are as it were rolled over the surfaces of the teeth to be cleaned; the
cleaning thus achieved is therefore thorough and effective, while the space between
the teeth may at the same time, by an accompanying movement in the vertical
direction be conveniently cleaned.
The handle and the brush body or support may be advantageously made of
wood, celluloid, bone, hard rubber or the like.
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 :-
A tooth brush (or teeth cleaning device) comprising one or two brushes which
have a circular or segmental outline in transverse section, while in the longitudinal
direction they may be of any suitable shape, it being possible to make the shape
rubbing surface either
of the brush support and that of the brushing or
35 correspond or differ as the case may be, for the purpose of enabling the teeth and
the spaces or interstices between the teeth to be cleaned in the vertical direction
by a circular movement performed by the hand holding the brush, while at the
same time permitting, if necessary, the teeth to be effectually cleaned by the usua
horizontal movement of the brush, substantially as described and shown.
and dar of June 1896.
Dated COTS
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.