Patents Examined by Edward L. Roberts, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5404608
    Abstract: An electric toothbrush comprises a handle part (1) and a push-on brush (4). From one end of the handle part (1) there projects the end of a hollow shaft (3) in which a toothbrush arbor (9) is coaxially arranged, the push-on brush (4) being adapted to be pushed on to the hollow shaft (3). The push-on brush (4) has a rotatable tuft of bristles which may be driven by a longitudinally reciprocating connecting rod which attaches to the arbor (9) when the brush (4) and handle (1) are attached together. A gear (18) in the handle part (1) has two cams (23, 27) which are mutually phase shifted by 180.degree. . The first cam (23) displaces the hollow shaft (3) and the second cam displaces the toothbrush arbor (9) in the opposite direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1995
    Assignee: Bausch & Lomb Incorporated
    Inventor: Edgar Hommann
  • Patent number: 5404610
    Abstract: A portable golf club cleaning device including a plastic pail containing a cleaning fluid and a cover for the pail having a large and a small opening. Brushes attached to the cover extend into the fluid and surround each opening so that a golf club placed into the hole will be scrubbed by the brushes and washed by the fluid. The brushes are limited in deflection due to insertion of the club between the brushes, by strapping opposite facing pairs of brushes together near the end away from the mounting. The container has a handle for lifting and carrying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1995
    Inventors: Donald F. Coyer, Sr., Catherine G. Coyer
  • Patent number: 5402547
    Abstract: A ballast broom machine for sweeping ballast off a track comprises an elongated machine frame supported on the track by undercarriages, and at least three ballast brooms vertically adjustably mounted on the machine frame, the ballast brooms being spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction and including a leading ballast broom, each ballast broom comprising a rotary shaft extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction and flexible sweeping elements projecting radially from the rotary shaft. A conveyor band is mounted on the machine frame and extends in the longitudinal direction, the conveyor band having an input end arranged to receive ballast swept off the track by the leading ballast broom and a discharge end positioned higher than the input end, and a ballast storage bin having discharge openings is arranged on the machine frame below the conveyor band discharge end for receiving discharged ballast therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1995
    Assignee: Franz Plasser Bahnbaumaschinen-Industriegesellschaft m.b.H.
    Inventor: Josef Theurer
  • Patent number: 5400461
    Abstract: A coupler is disclosed for coupling floor maintenance pads to a driven pad disc. The coupler has one part for mounting on the driven disc and a second part which threads to the first part for holding and centering a maintenance pad to a disc. A lock arrangement is provided for preventing the coupler from becoming unthreaded during operation. The locking arrangement is formed by a detent mechanism. One part of the detent mechanism is formed on the first part and another cooperating part of the detent mechanism is formed on the second part. When the coupler parts are threaded together to secure a pad, the detent mechanism engages and provides a resisting force against unthreading. In another embodiment, wedge-shaped projections are formed on one part of the coupler for engaging a pad and resisting loosening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1995
    Assignee: Malish Brush and Specialty Company
    Inventors: Terrance J. Malish, Kenneth L. Shary, John D. Blazek