Abstract: An adjustable toothbrush where the user can select, by turning a thumb knob on the brush handle, the inclination of the bristles to thereby improve on the cleaning of those hard to reach areas of the dentition. The toothbrush comprises a handle, a hollow brush body, a plurality of bristle bundles having their base moulded into resilient holders, a cam plate, a thumb knob connected to a cam shaft and a brush body cover. The cam plate slides within the hollow brush body and the brush body cover in a plane perpendicular to the bristles, and under the action of the thumb knob. The cam plate has a plurality of cavities for receiving the end of the bristle holders. Thus the movement of the cam plate is transmitted to all bristles in harmony.

Abstract: A toothbrush is set forth in which the bristles are mounted on a readily flexed resilient member supported from a handle by means of one or more handle extensions. The bristles are arranged in arrays with a center array for engaging the biting surface of a tooth and outer arrays for simultaneously engaging the sides of the tooth and adjacent gums when the resilient member is flexed by the engagement of the center array bristles with the tooth. The resilient member can be flat or arcuate and bristles can project from either side of the resilient member. A double headed toothbrush is also described.

Abstract: A toothbrush for simultaneously brushing the top and side faces of the user's teeth, comprising: first and second orthogonally disposed brush heads unitarily formed with an elongated body portion at one end thereof, the brush heads each comprising a plurality of flexibly adjoined segmented portions, each having a plurality of bristles rigidly attached thereto; and an elongated body having a unitarily formed grip handle at the opposite end thereof and integral provisions for allowing longitudinal twisting and flexing thereof to adjustably conform the toothbrush to the user's bite, the handle having external dimensions and peripheral surface undulations to facilitate comfortable grasping by the user to permit a high degree of control and maneuverability during the tooth cleansing process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a toothbrush having a handle portion including a first end and a second end. The toothbrush further includes a hollow forward portion, an aperture formed through the hollow forward portion, and a spring element having a first end and a second end. The first end of the spring element is secured to the hollow forward portion, and the second end of the spring element is positioned adjacent the aperture of the hollow forward portion. A bristled element is positioned within the aperture of the hollow forward portion, with the bristled element being connected to the second end of the spring element. An actuation element is included within the forward portion of the toothbrush. The actuation element has a first end and a second end, and a finger engaging surface positioned at the first end of the actuation element.

Abstract: A toothbrush for use by wearers of orthodontic appliances comprises an elongated handle, a neck and a head. The bristles are designed so that the outermost rows are relatively soft and of long length, the bristles in the pattern gradually shortening in length and becoming stiffer, with the shortest and stiffest bristles being positioned along the center rows of the brush's longitudinal centerline axis. Also, the center rows of bristles are formed to be angled at their ends to reduce the pressure required to deflect the bristles beneath brace elements thus reducing undue pressure against the gums. Furthermore, a flexible member compressibly supports the center rows of bristles. The toothbrush also comprises an outer bumper protectively surrounding the toothbrush head. Moreover, a further embodiment of the invention has a lower tuft of bristles projecting from the lower portion of the handle.

Abstract: A toothbrush construction is described in which a bristle head is made moveable with respect to a handle and contains adjustable springs to permit presetting of the brushing pressure. The springs are so formed as to have a break away feature. The user is thus made aware whenever he exerts more than the preset pressure and can learn to brush at a pressure which permits good cleansing and minimizes brushing damage to his teeth and gingival tissue.

Abstract: A toothbrush having three brush heads that self-adjust to maintain contact with the surfaces of the teeth and the gums. The three brush heads are independently attached to a single handle through elongated flexible arms and adjust independently to maintain contact with the surfaces of different size teeth and gums. The two brush heads whose bristles contact the sides of the teeth are slanted at a predetermined angle.

Abstract: A toothbrush which automatically provides an up-down stroking action in concert with a side-to-side stroking action as the brush is stroked side-to-side along the teeth of a user. The brush incorporates two pairs of elongate bristle-carrying pads with the pads of each pair positioned side-by-side and the pairs end-to-end. Each pad is hinged to the pad-holding end of the brush with the hinge axis being angularly related to the elongate axis of the pad. The hinge comprises a relatively thin elongate web having a substantially hour-glass cross-sectional shape.

Abstract: A toothbrush includes a plurality of bristle holders spring-urged outwardly from the brush head. In one described embodiment, the springs are produced by a planar strip of elastic material stamped with a plurality of spirally-extending slits pressed out of the plane of the strip to produce a plurality of helically-extending springs underlying each of the bristle holders. In a second described embodiment, the springs are in deformable bellows-shaped elements each underlying one of the bristle holders. In some described embodiments, the brush head is pivotally mounted to the handle.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a tooth brush comprising a brush handle, a brush stem, and a brush head which carries on the base face thereof a plurality of bristle tufts rising up in a generally uniform direction, wherein the brush head (3) is formed of a plurality of head sections (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37) being resiliently movable relative to each other and each being provided with one or more bristle tufts (40, 42, 43).

Abstract: The invention is directed to a soft backed brush with absorbent material positioned on the underside of the brush between the bristles for holding a liquid that can be selectively deposited on the bristles by flexing the back of the brush.

Abstract: A grooming attachment particularly adapted to reconditioning the playing surface of tennis courts. The attachment is adapted to be drawn by a motorized vehicle capable of travelling over the entire surface of the court and comprising a plurality of brush elements pivotally mounted on a suitable support connected to a conventional hitch which are capable of being manually moved from an operative brushing position to an elevated position whereby the brushes are capable of being brought into an upright position when it is desired to move the attachment from one place to another and particularly through the entrance gate of a court, the width being of a conventional area.

Abstract: A flexible brush block is moved along a shape-retaining S-shaped handle whose curved end regions of opposite curvature are responsible for bending the flexible block and bristles that are supported thereon into either a generally concave or a convex configuration.

Abstract: In a toothbrush having a pair of adjustable bristle-mounting tabs which pivot relative to the bristle-mounting base so that the bristles mounted on the tabs may deflect in order to conform to varying tooth surfaces, a metal plate formed within the head of the toothbrush has opposite lobes thereof which extend into and form part of the tabs to provide better hinging action for the tabs and to prevent the tabs from breaking off and possibly being swallowed. The toothbrush is made using an injection mold, the lower half of which has a pair of dowels which are inserted in apertures within the opposite lobes of the metal plate to initially position the metal plate therein. The lower half and an opposite mating upper half together provide opposite mating pins which engage the opposite sides of the metal plate so as to precisely position the plate within a cavity defined by the joined opposite halves of the mold.

Abstract: A brush divided into three sections and four independent pieces, is joined by many alternative joints. At each joint the brush can be bent upward or downward or turned to any direction to achieve some special functions of brushing or cleaning in a limited working space for which the conventional brush can not attain.

Abstract: Tufts of bristles (3) in a brush are resiliently retractable by thrusting against a membrane (5) which is capable of resilient spot deformation, with each tuft being retractable independently from the other tufts of the brush. Tufts are retracted into the brush in order to continuously match the envelope surface (18) defined by the free ends (15) of said tufts (3) to the shape of the surface to be brushed (17), and said matching takes place without substantial difference in the force applied to the various zones of said surface by the various tufts of bristles.

Abstract: The present invention is a toothbrush provided with a teeth brushing surface and two gum treatment brush surfaces which distributes the brushforce to optimally and automatically clean the tooth surfaces, clean under the sulcus and massage the gums during casual horizontal brushing. The gum treatment brush surfaces can be integral with the tooth portion or disposed on an outrigger brush body that may be attached to a conventional toothbrush or one specially adapted for that purpose.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a hairbrush wherein the bars located on either side of the longitudinal portion connected to the handle are provided with tongues allowing the hair locks to be resiliently maintained between the tongues and the bars during the brushing.

Abstract: A flexible brush apparatus having a flexible holder for supporting two or more brush elements which can be individually interchanged, rotated or replaced to compensate for edge bristle wear is disclosed. Flexing of the holder enables the brush elements to conform to curved or irregular surfaces for quick and efficient scrubbing and cleaning.

Abstract: A brush having a shaped body member with a handle portion, a head portion and a flexible portion. The flexible portion allows the head portion to move relative to the handle portion in the vertical plane, but is substantially rigid in the horizontal plane.

Abstract: A toothbrush has an elongated handle and a brush head supported at one end of the handle for a limited pivotal movement between opposed arms of a yoke structure, i.e., by torsion bar support elements joining the support arms to opposed edges of the brush head. A further resilient element may be employed between the brush head and the proximal end of the handle to provide additional resistance to pivotal movement. Preferably the further resilient element is designed to have an increased spring constant as the brush head is pivoted progressively farther from its normal position in substantially coplanar relation with the handle and thus acts as an effective stop limiting maximum pivotal movement of the head.

Abstract: An improved toothbrush advantageously designed for horizontal brushing and selectively distributing brushing forces between the teeth and gums such that the teeth surfaces and gums are simultaneously cleaned and stimulated without damage to the gums.

Abstract: A hairbrush has a pair of rigid side members and a flexible bristle plate disposed therebetween. A first face of the bristle plate has bristles extendingly outwardly therefrom. The side members include means for selectively manipulating the brush to flex the first face of the bristle plate into a concave or a convex position.

Abstract: A method for identifying and locating dental microorganisms and a device for use in the method, wherein a strip of flexible material, having a back site identifying surface and a front velvet-like surface, is placed in contact with a selected site in the oral cavity, to retain microorganisms on the velvet-like surface, and then the microorganism-containing surface is used to transfer the microorganisms onto suitable substrates that will make possible their identification.

Abstract: In a device for spreading tobacco leaves which, subsequent to having been moistened, are smoothed by passage in their transverse direction between a base and a sweeping brush or an analogous smoothing tool, said tool may be "broken" from its normal or straight operating position into a position in which its ends are raised higher from the base than its center portion. The operator is thus left more space for his hands that seize the leading edge of the tobacco leaf to be pulled across the base, and the smoothing operation at the largest portion of the tobacco leaf can be started earlier than the smoothing operation closer to the point and stalk ends of the leaf.

Abstract: An improved toothbrush which includes an elongate handle and a brush with a base and a mounting in the form of a coil spring interconnecting the brush base to the distal end of the toothbrush for swinging, rotatable, tilting movement of the brush relative to the handle in use. Two embodiments are illustrated.

Abstract: A heat exchanger for cooling contaminated liquids causing precipitation of olid matter on cold walls. Waste water at high temperature containing contaminants in the form of sludge and in solution is pumped through the annular space between two concentric cylindrical tanks. Cooling water is circulated through the tanks on either side of the annular space while scraping devices rotate about the annular space preventing buildup of precipitate on the annular space walls.

Abstract: A heated hair curling brush having a single tubular heating surface and a plurality of comb rings. The comb rings are placed over the heating element. Locking projections on the inner periphery of the comb rings fit into apertures in the surface of the heating surface which hold the comb rings in place. When the brush is assembled there are no interruptions in the exposed portions of the heating surface, and the user's hair may contact the heating surface around the entire circumference of the exposed portions of the heating surface without snagging.

Abstract: This invention relates to an elastic base toothbrush, wherein the base body comprises a loop groove, several elastic rubber tubes, a plastic plate with bunches of brush within its holes, brush bearings of which said plastic plate is held by flange above said groove; each bunch of said brush is movable within the hole of said plastic plate and is held by the expanded portion of said brush bearing without escaping therefrom; several holes are provided at the front and rear end of the base body for flowing the remaining water out and keeping the base body dry; said rubber tubes act as an elastic base for brush to tightly contact with the teeth according to the outlines of the teeth such that the impurities in the teeth space may be thoroughly cleared off.

Abstract: A smear brush for obtaining cellular samples from a body cavity. The instrument has a rigid stem with a handle at one end, the other end having an integral brush with a flexible spine and fine flexible bristles. A flat blade at the root of the spines serves as a locator and stop at the entrance to a body cavity, while the flexible brush penetrates the cavity and follows any curvature of the cavity. When the instrument is rotated the brush accumulates sample material from substantially the entire inner wall of the cavity, the brush being subsequently wiped across a slide to deposit the sample for examination.

Abstract: A hairbrush has a body member provided with a plurality of apertures, and a plurality of substantially rigid pins mounted on the body member and each extending through one of the apertures. Each pin extends through the respective aperture with play relative thereto so as to be pivotable relative to the body member. Each pin has a shaft part extending with play through a front portion of the aperture adjacent to the outer surface of the body member, and a head part received with play in an enlarged rear portion of the aperture.

Abstract: A toothbrush comprising a single-piece mounting with handle and brush carrier formed by a standard level surface but provided with a profiled slit forming a resilient connecting tongue allowing the brushes to pivot and oscillate according to the pulses transmitted ensures the inter-dental cleansing and building up the base of the teeth.

Abstract: A hairbrush has a shank and a plurality of annular members or rings detachably disposed on the shank. Each annular member has a plurality of unitary, semi-rigid bristles extending radially from the whole circumference of the member. Means are provided for securing the annular members against rotation. These means permit the mounting of the members in forward or reverse manner. The bristles on an annular member mounted in a forward manner are angularly displaced with respect to bristles on an annular member mounted in a reverse manner. The bristles of annular elements mounted in like manner (all forward or all reverse) align to form a number of rows of bristles. When annular elements are mounted in alternating unlike manner, the bristles align to form twice the number of rows of bristles as when the elements are mounted in like manner.

Abstract: A hair styling brush having means for retracting the brush bristles within the brush housing after the hair has been shaped thereon. By retracting the bristles, a hair stylist can remove the brush without affecting the integrity of the hair formation.