AN IMPROVED COMBINED TOOTH-BRUSH AND SYRINGE
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JOSEPH WILLIS of Bleak Villa, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, Schoolmaster,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "AN IMPROVED COMBINED
TOOTH-BRUSH AND SYRINGE" and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to an improved device whereby a person may inject water
into his mouth and force it between and around his teeth, or into cavities in the
same (if such exist), whilst he is brushing his teeth in the ordinary manner.
device I term a combined tooth-brush and syringe.
This
My improved device is illustrated in side elevation in the accompanying
drawing, in which a indicates the back of the tooth-brush, which is made of any
suitable material and which is hollow or tubular and has an orifice a. b are the
bristles which are secured in the back a in the ordinary or any convenient
manner. c is a receptacle formed of India-rubber or other suitable elastic
material and fitted upon the back u in such a manner as to form a tight joint
therewith.
In using the said device, the end a¹ of the back a is immersed in water, the
receptacle c is then squeezed or compressed and released, so that, by its expansion,
it will draw in water through the orifice a¹. When the receptacle c is filled with
water it is grasped by the hand and the brush is inserted in the mouth, and,
whilst the teeth are being brushed thereby in the usual manner, the receptacle c is
squeezed or compressed so as to force the water out of the orifice a¹. By reason
of the position of this orifice, the water issuing therefrom will be directed upon or
between the teeth. On relaxing the pressure upon the receptacle c, the water will
be drawn from the mouth into the receptacle and can be again injected into the
mouth as above described. This operation can be repeated as often as desired,
and will effectually cleanse the teeth from impurities inaccessible to an ordinary
tooth-brush.
It is not essential that the receptacle c should be entirely of india-rubber or
other elastic material. If desired it may be partly rigid and partly elastic. I
sometimes make a metal skeleton receptacle or frame and enclose the same in a
receptacle of india-rubber.
I have shewn the receptacle o elliptical or nearly so, and the orifice a¹ situated
at the extremity of the back a, but it is obvious that the said receptacle may be
of any other shape suitable for the purpose of my Invention, and that the orifice
may be placed in any other convenient position. Moreover, if desired, there may
be more than one orifice.
I sometimes make the back a solid, and attach the receptacle c thereto in any
suitable manner, and provide a tube, which extends from the receptacle c in any
desired direction, and which serves as the syringe; in this case the brushing and
the cleaning with water by means of the syringe may require to be performed
separately.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I wish it understood
that I do not claim broadly or irrespectively of the improvements herein before set
forth, the combination, with a brush, of means for discharging water or other liquid
therefrom, as I am aware that this combination is not new; but I declare that
what I claim is
The improved combined tooth-brush and syringe constructed substantially as
above described for the purpose specified.