AN IMPROVED TOOTH BRUSH
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of the Firm of John Gedge
and Son, No. 4, Wellington Street South, Strand, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED TOOTH
BRUSH." A communication from abroad by Ernest Poussart, of Arni-
court in the Empire of France.
Scaled the 22nd June 1860, and dated the 30th December 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th December 1859.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, No. 4,
Wellington Street South, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED TOOTH
BRUSH," communicated to me from abroad by Ernest Poussart, of Arnicourt,
in the Empire of France, to be as follows:-
I propose forming a brush which shall serve to clean both the outer and
inner surface of the teeth, and for this purpose I place on the same handle at
one end a brush, such as is usually used for the front of the teeth, and at the
other end a brush curved convexly in its width and length to coincide with the
shape of the inner surface of the teeth and gums, placing this brush at such
an angle to the handle as shall be found most convenient; two slopes or cuts
at the junction of the brush with the handle permit the upper and lower inner
surfaces of the teeth and guns to be cleaned at the same time, if the mouth
be nearly closed, or separately if the mouth be widely opened.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Gedge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th June 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM-THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD GEDGE, of the Firm of John Gedge and Son, No. 4, Wellington
Street South, Strand, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said William Edward Gedge, Her special licence that I, the said
William Edward Gedge, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Edward Gedge, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "AN IMPROVED TOOTH BRUSH," communicated to me from abroad
by Ernest Poussart, of Arnicourt, in the Empire of France, upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said William Edward Gedge, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Gedge, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the annexed Drawing forming part of this
my Specification, and to the figures and letters of reference placed thereon,
similar letters being placed upon and denoting similar parts in each of the
Figures respectively:
This Invention consists in the production of a brush of the form or shape
shewn in the accompanying Drawing, intended to cleanse with facility the
inner surface of the teeth and gums.
The Drawing represents a brush of the usual size, Figure 1 being a bird's-

page_text: eye view, Figure 2 a view in profile, Figure 3 transverse section of the brush B,
and Figure 4 similar section through the brush A. The letter A indicates the
brush to be used for the exterior surface of the teeth, which differs in no way
from the brush in ordinary use for that purpose; and B, the brush to be used
for the interior surface of the teeth and gums, and which forms the subject of
this Invention. The angle at which the brush B is placed to the handle is
that which has been found most convenient for its use, and the convex bend
in the length and width of the brush is to coincide with the form of the inner
surface of the teeth and gums. The thinning of the brush B at its junction
with the handle permits the cleansing of both the lower and upper rows of
teeth by partially closing the mouth, and separately on keeping the mouth well
opened.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the means by
which I carry it into practical effect, it will be readily understood that I do
not confine myself to any particular size or relative proportion of brush, as
such must vary to suit different persons; but I claim as of my Invention the
form of brush as shewn at B in the annexed Drawing, for the purpose of
cleaning the interior surface of the teeth and gums adapted to the handle, as
above described, and whether in combination with the ordinary brush, as shewn
in the Drawing, or separately.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Gedge, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
JOHN GEDGE,
11, Wellington St., Strand,
Patent Agent.
W. E. GEDGE. (L.S.)