An Improved Tooth-brush.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 29th June, 1891-Accented 18th be
4004
ISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Tooth-brush.
I, NICOLAS BALOGH DE GALANTHA, of Moscow, Grosse Lubjanka Haus
Bjelaeff, in the Empire of Russia, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a rotary tooth brush which I call a "Rotifer" constructed
5 in such a manner that the teeth can be cleaned easily and conveniently according
to the precepts of dental hygiene.
According to the rules for the preservation of the teeth, the latter should always
be cleaned from the root towards the masticating surface, that is to say, the teeth
of the upper row should be cleaned from the top downwards, and those of the lower
0 row from the bottom upwards, thereby at the same time counteracting the shrinking
or moving back of the gums, and also removing all impurities from the spaces
between the teeth.
In order to prevent the fleshy parts of the mouth from being injured by the
rotation of the tooth brush, there is arranged to partly surround the latter an
endways movable spoon-shaped part of ivory, bone, or other suitable substance that
does not act injuriously on the fleshy parts of the mouth. The movement of the
spoon-piece for uncovering the tooth brush has a two-fold object viz. -1. To enable
the tooth brush to be also used in a horizontal position for cleaning the teeth;
and 2, to enable the tooth brush itself to be thoroughly and easily cleaned, after
the spoon-piece has been moved to wholly uncover it.
It is desirable that a rotary tooth brush should when required be capable of
cleaning the teeth in a horizontal direction, so as to clean the horizontal furrows or
cross grooves which may have been gradually formed in the enamel of the surface
of the teeth by the use of tooth brushes as heretofore constructed.
My improved tooth brush can be easily cleaned and supplied with tooth powder
after moving the spoon piece so as to wholly uncover the brush portion.
brush the inner surfaces of the teeth can be thoroughly cleaned which is not
With this
possible to an equal extent with rotary tooth brushes of known construction or with
the tooth brushes in ordinary use.
My rotary tooth brush differs from all other rotary brushes known to me, not
only in its general construction and the advantages accruing therefrom, but also in
the mode of directly driving the same.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the tooth brush, the protective spoon-piece that partly
urrounds the same being shown in its lowered position.
Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1 but with the protective spoon-piece in its
ppermost position.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the tooth brush.
Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line - Figs. 2 and 3.
Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line y-y Figs. 2 and 3.
Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 Figs. 1 2 and 3.
The rotary tooth brush consists of a cylindrical rotary brush secured to one
d of a small rod or shaft the other end of which is fixed in a handle a.
d or shaft is a sleeve d capable of freely rotating thereon, and on the said sleeve
On the
ere is mounted the spoon-shaped guard which is of a suitable material such as
ory, bone, or hard rubber, and surrounds the cylindrical brush for nearly half its
cumference and embraces with its lower sleeve-shaped part 'the sleeve d.
e guard is retained in its upper position illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, by making
upper end of the sleeve d of enlarged truncated conical form as shown at
[Price 8d.]

page_text: When the guard f is moved into its uppermost position, it fits tightly upon the
coned part of the sleeve d, with which it forms a friction coupling, so that
rotation of the guard will cause rotation of the sleeve, and when the guard is held
tight, the sleeve will also be held tight, and ce versa.
It is not necessary that the guard should be held tightly by a cone, when in its
lowered position, but this could be done if desired, the cone for this purpose being
formed either on the sleeve d, or on the handle ".
By arranging the guard to cover approximately one half of the periphery of the
cylindrical rotary brush it serves not only to protect the fleshy parts of the inside
of the mouth from injury by the rotating brush but also to prevent hair on the face
of the user from being drawn into the month or entangled by the rotating brush.
The guard should be rounded off at its ends. The wire serving for fastening the
cylindrical rotary brush to the rod or shaft & may also be advantageously provided
at its outer free end with a small round button or knob of material similar to
that of which the guard is made.
The surface of the handle a should be made rough which can be effected by
longitudinal furrows or grooves, as illustrated in the drawing. The handle may
advantageously be made of hard rubber, ivory, or any other suitable material, so
that it will offer the requisite friction when the handle is rotated between the
fingers of one hand of a person using the brush.
The mode of using the brush is as follows:-The brush with the guard pushed
up in its top position, (Fig. 2) is introduced into the mouth in such a manner that
the guard lies against the fleshy parts of the inside of the mouth, and the rotary
brush bears against the surface of the teeth. Then the lower part of the guard or
the sleeved coupled to the latter, is held firmly with one hand and brought to, and
guided along, the places to be cleaned, whilst the other hand effects a right hand
or left hand rotation of the longitudinally grooved handle a in such a manner that
by the rotation there can be effected citlier a cleaning of the teeth from the
top downwards, or from the bottom upwards and along the spaces between the
teeth.
By this means it is possible not only to clean the outer surfaces of both rows of
teeth but also the inner surfaces of both rows of teeth, which cannot be effected at
all or at least only in a very superficial manner by means of the rotary tooth
brushes in ordinary use and the non-rotary tooth brushes in general use.
The operation of my improved brush is more convenient and agreeable than
that of those brushes in which the rotation is effected by means of a crank,
and the guard effectually prevents the hairs of the face from being drawn in by
the brush.
Dated this 11th day of November 1890
N. B. DE GALANTHA.
By L. W., per F. B.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Tooth Brush.
I, NICOLAS BALOGH DE GALANTHA of Moscow, Grosse Lubjanka Haus
Bjelacit m the Empire of Russia, Engineer, 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 :-
This invention relates to a rotary tooth brush (which I call a "Rotifer") con-
structed in such a manner that the teeth can be cleaned easily and conveniently and
in accordance with the precepts of dental hygiene.
According to the rules for the preservation of the teeth, the latter should always
be cleaned from the root towards the masticating surface, that is to say, the teeth
of the upper row should be cleaned from the top downwards, and those of the
lower row from the bottom upwards, thereby at the same time counteracting the

page_text: Uking of moving back of the gums, and also removing all impurities from
the spaces between the teeth.
In order to prevent the fleshy parts of the mouth from being injured by the
rotation of the tooth brush, there is arranged to partly surround the latter a
5 movable spoon-shaped part or guard of ivory, bone, or other suitable substance that
does not act injuriously on the fleshy parts of the mouth. The movement of the
spoon-piece or guard for uncovering the tooth brush has a two-fold object viz. -
(1) to enable the tooth brush to be also used in a horizontal position for cleaning
the teeth; and (2) to enable the tooth brush itself to be thoroughly and casily
10 cleaned, after the spoon piece has been moved to wholly uncover it.
It is desirable that a rotary tooth brush should, when required, be capable of
cleaning the teeth in a horizontal direction, so as to clean the horizontal furrows or
cross grooves which may have been gradually formed in the enamel of the
surface of the teeth by the use of tooth brushes as heretofore constructed or
5, otherwise.
My improved tooth brush can be casily cleaned and supplied with tooth powder
after moving the spoon piece so as to wholly uncover the brush portion. With this
brush the inner surfaces of the teeth can be thoroughly cleaned which is not possible
to an equal extent with rotary tooth brushes of known construction or with the
0 tooth brushes in ordinary use.
My rotary tooth brush differs from all other rotary brushes known to me, not
only in its general construction and the advantages accruing therefrom, but also in
the mode of directly operating the same.
In the drawings left with my Provisional Specification,
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the tooth brush, the protective spoon-piece that is
adapted to partly surround the same being shown in its lowered or rearmost
position.
Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1 but with the protective spoon-piece in its upper-
most or forward position.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the tooth brush.
Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line - Figs. 2 and 3.
Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line y-y Figs. 2 and 3.
Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on the line - Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
The rotary tooth brush consists of a cylindrical rotary brush secured to one
end of a small rod or shaft the other end of which is secured in a handle a.
the rod or shaft is a sleeve d capable of freely rotating thereon, and on the said
On
sleeve there is mounted the spoon-shaped guard which is of a suitable material
such as ivory, bone, or hard rubber. This guard is adapted to surround the cylin-
drical brush for nearly half its circumference and embraces with its lower sleeve-
shaped part, the sleeve d. The upper end of the sleeve is made of enlarged
truncated conical form as shown at d¹.
most or forward position, it fits tightly or jams upon the coned part d' of the sleeve d,
When the guard f is moved into its upper-
with which it then forms a friction coupling, so that rotation of the guard will cause
rotation of the sleeve, and when the guard is held tight, the sleeve will also be held
tight, and vice versa.
It is not necessary that the guard f should be held tightly by a cone when in its
owered or backward position, but this may be arranged if desired, the cone for this
urpose being formed either on the sleeve d, or on the handle a.
By arranging the guard f to cover approximately one half of the periphery of
he cylindrical rotary brush, it serves not only to protect the fleshy parts of the
nside of the mouth from injury by the rotating brush but also to prevent hair on
he face of the user from being drawn into the mouth or entangled by the rotating
rush. The guard is rounded off at its ends. The wire serving for fastening
he cylindrical rotary brush to the rod or shaft & may also with advantage be
rovided at its outer free end as shown with a small round button or knob of
aterial similar to that of which the guard is made.
The handle may advantageously be made of hard rubber, ivory, or any other

page_text: suitable material, and its surface may be roughened as for instance by longitudinal
furrows or grooves, as illustrated in the drawings, so that it will offer sufficient
friction or grip when rotated between the fingers of one hand of a person using
the brush.
The mode of using the brush is as follows:-
The brush with the guard pushed into its top or forward position (Fig. 2) is
introduced into the mouth in such a manner that the guard lies against the fleshy
parts of the inside of the mouth, and the rotary brush bears against the teeth.
Then by the lower part of the guard for the sleeve d the brush is held firmly with
one hand and brought to, and guided along, the teeth to be cleaned, whilst the
other hand effects a right hand or left hand rotation of the longitudinally grooved
handle a in such a manner that by the rotation there can be effected either a
cleaning of the teeth from the top downwards, or from the bottom upwards and
along the spaces between the teeth.
By this means it is possible not only to clean the outer surfaces of both rows of
teeth but also their inner surfaces which is impossible or can be effected only in a
very superficial manner by means of the rotary tooth brushes heretofore used and
the non-rotary tooth brushes in general use.
The operation of my improved brush is more convenient and agreeable than that
of those brushes in which the rotation is effected by means of a crank, and the
guard effectually prevents the hairs of the face from being drawn in by the brush.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
A rotary tooth brush comprising a brush secured to one end of a rod or shaft b
the other end of which is secured to a handle a having a roughened or fluted
surface, a sleeve d capable of freely rotating on the said rod or shaft and formed
with a coned part, and a guard f formed on or secured to a sleeve-like part 1
surrounding the sleeve a so that it can slide freely thereon to permit of the guard
being fixed to the sleeve d by jamming on the coned part thereof, or of being
released from the said sleeve, the arrangement being such that the brush can be
freely rotated in either direction by one hand whilst the guard can be held stationary
or can, together with the brush, be moved or guided to any desired part of a
person's mouth, substantially as herein described for the purpose specified.
Dated this 29th day of June 1891.
N. B. DE GALANTHA.
By L. W., per F. B.