Automatic toothbrush

Claim 1

AN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED TOOTHBRUSH COMPRISING A CASING, A BATTERY POSITIONED WITHIN SAID CASING, AN ELECTRIC MOTOR POSITIONED WITHIN THE CASING AND POWERED BY SAID BATTERY, A TOOTHBRUSH HOLDER MEMBER CONNECTED TO BE RECIPROCATED BY SAID MOTOR, A TOOTHBRUSH SUPPORTED BY SAID HOLDER MEMBER AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF BRISTLES EXTENDING GENERALLY PERPENDICULARLY FROM SAID TOOTHBRUSH, GUIDE MEANS POSITIONED WITHIN THE CASING FOR PERMITTING ONLY STRAIGHT LINE RECIPROCATION OF SAID HOLDER MEMBER WITH RESPECT TO SAID CASING, SAID MOTOR AND SAID GUIDE MEANS CAUSING SAID HOLDER MEMBER TO RECIPROCATE SAID TOOTHBRUSH IN ONLY A STRAIGHT LINE DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID BRISTLES THROUGH A PREDETERMINED SHORT STROKE LENGTH, SAID BRISTLE BEING OF SUCH FLEXIBILITY AND LENGTH THAT WHEN SAID TOOTHBRUSH IS RECIPROCATED IN A STRAIGHT LINE BY SAID HOLDER MEMBER THROUGH SAID PREDETERMINED SHORT STROKE LENGTH SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE BRISTLE TIPS PLACED INTO CONTACT WITH GINGIVAL TISSUE TEND TO REMAIN WHERE PLACED WHILE THE NON-TIP PORTIONS OF THE BRISTLES MOVE TO AND FRO CAUSING THE TIPS TO PRODUCE A MASSAGING ACTION AND SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE BRISTLE TIPS THAT ARE SIMULTANEOUSLY PLACED INTO CONTACT WITH TOOTH SURFACES SLIDE ON SAID SURFACES PRODUCING A SCRUBBING ACTION.