Abstract: A toothbrush finishing machine and method are provided for producing toothbrushes with profiled, or contoured, patterns of bristle tufts. The bristles are selectively trimmed to different lengths using successively a plurality of different rotating cutting devices which each have a substantially cylindrical cutting surface with an axial gap therein. The axial gap of each preceding cutting device is wider than the corresponding axial gap of a succeeding axial device. Each rotating cutting device is followed by a rounding device provided for rounding the free end of the bristles. Each rounding device has deflecting members to selectively deflect bristles other than those trimmed in the preceding trimming step, so that the trimmed bristles have their ends projecting beyond the deflected bristles. The projecting bristle ends are engaged by the rounding device to be rounded.

Abstract: A device for rounding the ends of the fibres of brushes (1), in particular fibres which are made of synthetic material, contains a first support (5) which can be moved in a direction in relation to a brush (1); a second support (4) which is mounted, rotatable around an axis (10) which is at right angles to this direction, on the first support (5); a first drive assembly (15) to rotate this second support (4); a grinding surface (3) which is mounted in a moveable manner on the second support (4) and against which the fibres are provided; and a second drive arrangement (12) to move this grinding surface (3). The grinding surface (3) is at least part of the jacket of a cylinder (2) whose axis (11) is directed crosswise to the axis (10) around which the second support (4) rotates in relation to the first support (5).