Toothbrush manufacturing handling device

A transport unit for use in automated brush processing, comprising, in combination, a brush having bristles, a head, neck, and handle, with a transport body having a solid body, and two walled cavities separated by a support wall, wherein

• a) the bristles are within the first cavity and are not in contact with any wall of the cavity,
• b) the neck of the brush rests on the support wall of the solid body,
• c) the second cavity is below at least one part of the brush other than the bristles, and
• d) the handle of the brush rests on the transport body, whereby a stable unit is formed for transport in the automated processing.

A method for processing a toothbrush having a head portion to which a plurality of bristle tufts is attached in an automated processing facility, comprising the steps of

• a) providing at least one processing station;
• b) providing a plurality of transport bodies, which transport bodies are associated with at least one brush, and which transport bodies include generally brush-shaped recesses having at least one cavity therein;
• c) engaging said plurality of transport bodies with said at least one brush such that the bristle portion of said brush head is contained within said at least one cavity such that the bristles do not contact any interior surface of said cavity, wherein if only one cavity is present, said cavity is of sufficient size to permit a gripping mechanism to grasp a portion of said toothbrush to permit the insertion of said toothbrush into or the removal of said toothbrush from said transport device, and wherein if more than one cavity is present, said cavities are separated by a supporting wall;
• d) transporting the combined brush and transport body to the at least one processing station, and
• e) conducting the at least one processing operation on the brush.