Electric toothbrush

Claim 1

A power actuated dual type toothbrush comprising an elongated hollow cylinder providing a handle, the hollow portion of said cylinder providing a housing for reception and retention of a power unit, said cylinder being open at an rearward trailing end and closed at its forward leading end, an applicable and removable closure for said rearward end, an elongated barrel constituting a shank and having a first end integrally joined to and projecting beyond said forward end, and a second end embodying head means, said head means providing a shield and being channel-shaped in transverse section and having a laterally projecting gear box located at the juncture of said second end and said head means and a leading terminal end portion provided with a pivotally mounted adapter, said channel-shaped head means embodying Opposed lengthwise brush-shielding guard flanges having recessed keeper seats, said adapter having retaining lugs provided with detents aligned and releasably cooperable with their respectively oriented keeper seats, a pair of spaced parallel coplanar rotary bristle brushes removably and replaceably nested in the channel portions of said head means and provided with axial journals mounted for rotation in bearings provided therefor in said gear box and adapter respectively, a single motion transmitting shaft mounted and confined for rotation in said barrel, a power unit confined in said housing and having a driving gear, said shaft having a rearward end provided with a driven gear meshing with said driving gear and a forward end projecting into said gear box and terminating with a power transferring gear, brush turning gears rotatable in said gear box and operatively connectible with said brushes, and speed reducing gears also operable in said gear box and meshing with said power transferring gear and brush turning gears.