US2477194A - Toothpick - Google Patents

Description

July 26, i949, G. E. MILLARD 2,477,94

I TOOTHPICK Filed Aug. v 3, 1945 1 MAMNANZIMNANANANANZINANMNNA Aj l: `j0

7/ 16/ 'di $3 l I Y' 53 Patented July 26, Y1949 TENT orrrcn 'i TOTHPICK :Glen E. Millard', St. Paul, Minn., assignor to Lactona Incorporated, St. Paul, Minn., a corpora,

tion of Minnesota V.Agpplicatiun August 3, 1945, Serial No. 608,110

claims. (o1. 132-93) My invention relates to an impr,o velnent in toothniclrs and deals more particularly with a series, oi toothpiclrs integrallyv attache,d to` a common base.

ToQthpicks-,- when properly designed and correctly used, are oi considerable assistance in properly caring for the. teeth. In order toY be of most service, however, the toothpick must be properly shaped. Itis. also important to form the tootlapcks. Qf. a. material, best suited for the purpose.` If the. toothpiclrs are, too. hard or stiff they are likely to injure the surface, of theI teeth. On the other hand. ii the: tuutlipicks4 are too soft they do not produce, the proper results.

It is an object ci the present invention to form a seriesl Qt toothpioks of molded plastic and attached to a common base. The tonthpicks may be individually detached from the base when desired for use.. As a result the toothp-iclrs may be readily carried about without danger of losins the, toothpicks.

. A feature o f the present invention resides in molding the toothpiks' fromV a plastic to form a somewhat resilientl bQdy. The material forming the toothpieks is not extremely hard, nor is it extremely soft. The, tonthpicks will bend and flex rcadi-ly'withon-t breakingv and. will return to their normal shape after ilexure. By properly regulating the hardnesssl of the body of the toothpicks an instrument may be produced which may be used to prevent the building up oi deposit about the base of each tooth, as well as to remove foreign matter from between the teeth. The, body of the toothpicks is suiciently soft to serve admirably as a massaging element. to message the l gum tissue at the base of theY teeth.

It is. a feature of the present invention t0. produce toothpicks having a relatively heavy section at one end which may serve yas a handle end for the toothpick. The other end of each toothpick is tapered to a fine point and is substantially triangular in cross section to enter the interdental spaces which are also usually substantially triangular.

A. furtherfeature of the present invention lies in the manner of attaching the individual toothpicks to the common base. The handle end of each toothpick tapers to a relatively narrow line of connection between the sides of each toothpick. In removing each toothpicl: the handle end thereof is swung down toward the base. The tapering lower end of each toothpick may act as a fulcrum to assist in separating the toothpick from the base.

These and other objects and novel features of fulcrum point against the base II.

2; Y my inventionA will be more clearly` and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming@ part of specilication:

Figure 1 is a top planviewofA a series of toothpicks attached to a common hase.

Figure 2 is a iront elevational View of the toothpicks shown in Figure 1;.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational View of the toothpiclrs shown in Figures 1 and 3.

Figure 4 is an end elevational viewv or the. toot-hpicks and base.

The series of toothpicks on their integral base are designated in general by the letter A. The individual toothpiclgs l0 are shown secured at their handle end to a base, H in a manner which will be described in more detail. fEhe base II provides a means of supporting the toothpicks in vertical position as shown in 'Figures 2, 3, and l of the drawings, when it is desired.. The base Il includes an enlargedbottorn plate I2 and an upstanding web I3 on the bottom Plate. The web I3 is grooved on its front end and rear surface, the rear groove being indicated by the num1 eral ld and the front groove being indicated by the numeral I5. The front groove, I'Fi may contain a name. such as I8.. termed. ci' letters standine out in relier; troni the erccved portion of the web I3. The top of the web I3 is tapered inwardly at I6 and terminates in a. dat upper surface .l l. The toothplcks Ill are integral with the flat upper surface Il..

nach of the tootnniclrs Ilill includes a handle portion I9 which is substantially rectangular in cross section and forms relatively rigid handle body. This, handle bedr .|53 tapers inwardly from opposite sides of each toqtlllpigl: 9 aS to form a substantially triangular bottom end on each toothnick, The toothpiclss are secured, alone a relatively narrowline Qi attachment 20 at the lower end ci this triangular end to the base surface Il.

- This inwardly tapered end Serves .a double funcnon. inthe nrst place it provides a weakened line of connection between each toothnicl; the base So that the toothnicls be readily removed. In the second place as each toothpick is removed it may be bent laterally as viewed in Figures 2 and 3 so that one flat tapered surface rests against the upper surface I'I of the base. Any further pivotal motion of the toothplck tends to lift the connected end thereof away from the base, the line between the tapered lower end and the adjacent side of the toothpick acting as a Thus the line between each side of the tapered end and the adjacent side of the toothpick may be used as a fulcruni to assist in the separation of the toothpick from the base.

The upper end 2 I' of each toothpick is substantially triangular in cross section. At apoint 22, substantially midway between the ends of each toothpick, the body begins to taper as viewed from the front or rear. This taper continues to theextreme tip end 23 of each toothpiclz. Near the point where the taper of the toothpicks begins, the sides of the toothpick body are beveled so that the toothpick is substantially triangular in cross section. As viewed from the rear edge, the toothpick is provided with a flat rear surface throughout its length and tapers from anintermediate point 22 to thetip end 23. As viewed from the front end, and as noted in Figure 2 of the drawings, each toothpick is provided with a center line 2e between twobeveled sides 25. The beveled sides or surfaces 25together with the flat rear surface forms the substantially triangular shape of the individual toothpicks. f

As viewed from the side, each toothpick is curved slightly from itsfront surface 25 toward itsrear surface 21. This gentle curve of the toothpick continues to a point v29 near thetip end 23. From this point to the tip end the toothpicks are beveled more sharply as indicated.

The toothpicks A may be made of various types of plastic and are preferably formed of a-material which is resilient and flexible rather than extremely stiff. For example, my toothpicks may be made of various types of acetate plastics, some of which are harder than others. Other plastics such as rubber base plastics are suitable for my purpose. These plastics permit the tapered tip end of the toothpick to flex readily and to compress slightly. As a result the toothpick is soft enough to t the interdental spaces and at the same time sufficiently hard to prevent the building up of deposit on the teeth.

When attached to the base the toothpicks may be supported in a vertical position upon the base or may be readily carried in a pocket or purse. When desired for use each toothpick may be separated from the base in the manner described and discarded after being used for its desired purpose. f

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my toothpicks, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to Yhave it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scpe of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.`

I claim:

1.Y A toothpick construction comprising a base, a flat upper surface on said base, a series of solid bodied toothpicks integral with said base, each of s id toothpicks including a substantially triangular connecting end the apexes of the triangular ends being parallel, said toothpicks being connected to said base along an apex of said triangular connecting portion.

2. A toothpick construction including an clon-- gated base including substantially parallel top and bottom members and a connecting web therebetween, the top member being substantially flatl and having a series of solid bodied toothpicks connected thereto along spaced parallel transversely extending areas of connection, said toothpicks each having a handle portion, a tapered upper end portion, and a bluntly tapered bottom portion, said bottom portion extending substantially the full thickness of said handle portion of the toothpicks and bluntly tapered in width, and terminating in the laterally spaced areas of connection with said base.

3. A toothpick construction including an elongated base having a substantially flat upper surface, a series of solid bodied toothpicks connected to said flat upper surface to extend substantially normally thereto, each of said toothpicks including a handle portion, an elongated tapered free end portion, and a short bluntly tapered attached end, said attached end of each toothpick being substantially the full thickness of the toothpick and tapered in width terminating in an apex forming an elongated area of connection with the base, the areas of connection being spaced and parallel and extending transversely oi the base.

4. A toothpick construction comprising an elongated base, a series Vof spaced solid bodied toothpicks integral with said base, and a wedge shaped end on each said toothpick the edge of which provides a relatively narrow connecting area between the base of the wedge shaped ends of said toothpicks and said base, said connected areas being at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the base and in spaced parallel relation.

5. A toothpick construction comprising an elongated base, a series of elongated solid-bodied toothpicks connected to said base to extend normally thereto, a tapered end on each of said toothpicks, the edges of said tapered ends being connected to said base along parallel relatively narrow areas of connection, said narrow areas being at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the base and in spaced parallel relation, said areas forming the sole contact between the toothpicks and the base.

GLEN E. MILLARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the lile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 812,189 Dorr Feb. 13, 1906 1,339,975 Pfersch May 11, 1920 1,468,125 Nelsen Sept. 18, 1923 1,856,559 Johnson May 3, 1932 2,008,206 Grant July 16, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 10,368 Switzerland May 4, 1895

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