Power operated gum massager and tooth brush

Claim 2

A power operated gum massager and tooth brush comprising a handle; a housing rigid with one end of said handle; two enmeshed gear wheels rotatively supported in said housing; driving means operatively connected with one of said gear wheels; two crank members rigid with the respective gear wheels, said crank members being at equal distances from the axes of the respective gear wheels and being positioned so they are always at the same sides of the axes of the gear wheels when both crank members are in a plane common to the axes of the two gear wheels; two brush carrying plates supported on the respective crank members for movement by said crank members; plate guide means at one side of the location where the crank member engages each plate, the plate guide means of each plate compelling a swinging movement of the plate as the plate is moved by the crank member connected therewith; and a brush member carried by each brush carrying plate, each brush member comprising a shank secured to and extending outwardly from the plate in transversely offset relation to the axis of the crank member connected with the plate; and a set of bristles carried by and extending transversely from the outer end portion of the shank, the shanks and sets of bristles of the two brush members being movable in opposite directions along generally oval paths by said plates to massage the gums and brush the teeth by moving from the gums outwardly toward the crowns of the teeth.

Claim 3

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the brush member carried by each plate and the guide means for compelling swinging movement of the plate are positioned at opposite sides of the axis about which the crank member connected with the plate revolves and substantially in plane coincident with said axis and in which said guide means includes a slot radial to said axis and a pin operating in said slot.

Claim 4

A power operated gum massager and toothbrush comprising a handle; a housing rigid with one end of said handle, said housing having a front wall; two enmeshed gear wheels rotatively supported in said housing, said gear wheels having hub portions journaled in said front housing wall; driving means connected with one of said gear wheels; two crank members rigid with the hubs of the respective gear wheels, said crank members being positioned so they are always at the same sides of the axis of the gear wheels when both crank members are in a plane common to said axis; a brush carrying plate supported by said crank members and positioned adjacent the outer side of said front housing wall, one of said crank members being rotatively journaled in one end portion of said plate for moving the plate with the crank member and the other crank member being slideable and rotatable within a slot in the other end portion of said plate; two generally parallel spaced-apart brush shanks connected with said plate and extending outwardly therefrom; two side-by-side sets of bristles carried by the outer end portions of said brush shanks and having tip portions adapted to contact the gums and teeth, said plate, when it is operated by said crank members, moving the tip portions of said sets of bristles in generally oval paths, thereby the tips of said sets of bristles can be applied to the gums and teeth and caused to make successive strokes in an outward direction over the gums and teeth with the brush tips moving outwardly from the gums toward the crowns of the teeth.

Claim 5

A power operated gum massager and toothbrush comprising a handle; a housing rigid with one end of said handle, said housing having a front wall; two enmeshed gear wheels rotatively supported in said housing, said gear wheels having hub portions journaled in said front housing wall; driving means connected with one of said gear wheels; two crank members rigid with the hubs of the respective gear wheels, said crank members being positioned so they are always at the same sides of the axis of the gear wheels when both crank members are in a plane common to said axis; a brush carrying plate supported by said crank members and positioned adjacent the outer side of said front housing wall, one of said crank members being rotatively journaled in one end portion of said plate for moving the plate with the crank member and the other crank member being slideable and rotatable within a slot in the other end portion of said plate; two generally parallel spaced-apart brush shanks connected with said plate and extending outwardly therefrom; two side-by-side sets of bristles carried by the outer end portions of said brush shanks and having tip portions adapted to contact the gums and teeth, said plate, when it is operated by said crank members, moving the tip portions of said sets of bristles in generally oval paths, thereby the tips of said sets of bristles can be applied to the gums and teeth and caused to make successive strokes in an outward direction over the gums and teeth with the brush tips moving outwardly from the gums toward the crowns of the teeth.