Method of producing tooth brushes
AssigneeG. B. Boucherie N.V.
InventorsLeonel P. Boucherie, Bart G. Boucherie
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Individual tufts of bristles are picked from a supply of pre-cut bristles having rounded utilization-side ends and transferred to a vise. The vise has a number of through holes arranged in a pattern corresponding to that of the tufts on the finished tooth brushes. While tufts of bristles are held in the through holes of the vise with their ends projecting on both sides, a die member having a profiled face is advanced into engagement with the ends of the bristles to move them axially through the holes of the vise and with respect to each other until both ends of the bristles are aligned in parallel planes corresponding in shape to that of the profiled face. The tufts of bristles are now clamped in the vise and transferred to the brush body head to be implanted therein.
Claims12
A method of producing tooth brushes, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a base member for each brush to be produced, said base member having a front face and a rear face and a plurality of holes passing between said front and rear faces and arranged in a pattern corresponding to a pattern of bristle tufts to be implanted in said base member;
- b) providing a supply of pre-cut bristles of equal length in an axially aligned and radially compressed state wherein each bristle has a rounded end and an opposed base end;
- c) providing a vise having a number of through holes arranged in a pattern corresponding to that of said base member, each through hole being associated with clamping means for releasably clamping a tuft of bristles inserted therein;
- d) picking individual tufts of bristles from said supply and introducing each tuft into one of said through holes of said vise, said clamping means being in a released state, and at least one of said bristle ends projecting from said through holes;
- e) providing a die member having a profiled face and simultaneously engaging said projecting ends with said profiled face to push said bristles axially within said through holes so that both bristle ends are aligned in parallel surfaces corresponding in shape to said profiled face;
- f) engaging said clamping means to hold said bristles in said vise while their ends are in an aligned state;
- g) introducing the base ends of said bristles into the holes of said base member, trimming the base ends of said bristles and affixing the bristles to said base member;
- h) releasing said clamping means of said vise;
- and
- i) withdrawing the bristles from the through holes of said vise.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.