Abstract: A cleaning apparatus is provided for transmitting powered motion to an operating member having a removable head mechanism contained within a hollow housing. A motorized base, including a base drive shaft, is locked onto a head drive shaft of the removable head mechanism in response to axial movement of the base drive shaft into the housing. The head mechanism comprises a collet having outwardly radiating arms and inwardly extending feet at the lower end of the collet and a rack at the upper end. The rack engages rotatable gears containing tufts of filaments. The base drive shaft defines a shoulder and a tip at the upper end which is received into the collet. A sleeve, retained within the head mechanism by the inner dimensions of the hollow housing, receives the outwardly radiating arms and compresses them over the tip of the base causing the feet to engage the shoulder.

Abstract: An electric toothbrush housing contains a motor, a battery and a secondary coil coupled to charge the battery. An elongated magnetic core is disposed within that secondary coil. A well is defined in a base which receives a portion of the housing within which the secondary coil is positioned. In that base is a primary coil for inducing magnetic energy into the secondary coil. Disposed within the primary coil is an elongated stud of magnetic material. It is aligned axially with the core, so that respective end portions are mutually adjacent. One of those end portions is generally cup shaped and the other is formed and relatively oriented to nest within the first.

Abstract: A showering system includes a source of hot water and a showerhead fed from that source. To produce steam, there is a conduit that delivers water from the source to a showerhead and in which is defined an outlet. Disposed within the conduit is a selectively controlled diverter of the water arriving from the source, so as to direct it away from the showerhead and through the outlet in the form of a mist. The preferred showerhead is of a turbine-valve kind in which the turbine is driven by nozzles. Apertures in a flow director plate, governed by a control plate, feed nozzles predetermined to vary the force of water delivered from outlet orifices in correspondence with the number of the nozzles open to communicate with the inlet through the apertures.

Abstract: A filter for cigarettes or the like has an elongated tubular shell one interior end portion of which may be shaped to define a seat of a diameter to frictionally receive an end portion of a cigarette and longitudinally of that seat being shaped to define a tubular wall of predetermined cross-section and partially closed by a transverse wall in which is defined a central aperture. An air inlet extends through the outer wall of the shell. A filter element is of a porous material which is inhibitive to the passage of substances such as tar and nicotine. The element is in the form of an elongated hollow sleeve one end of which is closed and the other end of which is open. A laterally projecting shoulder is defined on the sleeve to have the aforementioned predetermined cross-section so as to seat frictionally within the tubular wall and against the transverse wall with a portion of the sleeve projecting through the aperture.

Abstract: A vacuum breaker, capable of preventing undesired reverse flow of water, includes a hermetically-sealable housing provided with inlet and outlet couplings at its respectively opposite ends. The housing defines a chamber within which is a first valve seat near the inlet coupling and a first valving member disposed in the path of flow between the couplings and cooperative with the first valve seat to block flow from outlet toward inlet. A second valve seat is disposed adjacent to the outlet opening and provides communication between the chamber and the housing exterior. A second valving member is in a position exclusive of the flow path between the inlet and outlet couplings through the first valve seat and serves to selectively block communication between the chamber and the exterior.

Abstract: A spray nozzle is of a kind including a housing that has a fluid inlet and first and second groups of spray discharge outlets. First and second flow paths are defined in the housing from the inlet to the first and second groups of outlets. Pulsation means in the first flow path cyclically interrupts the flow of fluid from the inlet to the first group of outlets so as to cause a pulsating spray to be discharged therefrom. The second flow path bypasses the pulsation means to cause a continuous non-pulsating spray to be discharged from the second group of outlets. Included are control means for adjustably dividing flow from the inlet between the first and second flow paths.