US3407502A - Tooth cleaning apparatus - Google Patents

Description

1963 G. E. RICHMOND 3,407,

TOOTH CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 19, 1965 BYW United States Patent 3,407,502 TOOTH CLEANING APPARATUS George E. Richmond, 828 Fernview, St. Louis, Mo. 63141 Filed Nov. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 508,785 7 Claims. (CI. 32-59) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Tooth cleaning apparatus having interfitting relatively rotating parts for preventing pumice from entering the space containing moving parts in the angle member of a tooth polishing machine. A hearing cap nut is provided with an extension or sleeve which extends into a recess formed in the base of the polisher. The sleeve provides such added tortuous passageways as to eliminate entry of pumice into the working parts of the polishing machine.

The tooth polishing machine has an angle that has communicating right angle recesses in it for housing meshed gears, one of which is driven by a power mechanism which is not part of this invention, and the other of which is connected to a polisher. A hearing cap nut fits over the end of the opening through which the latter gear extends. The gear to which the polisher is connected has a mandrel extension in the form of a hub or sleeve extending through the bearing cap nut. The polisher is molded about a screw that is threaded into the mandrel extension or molded to snap over a hub.

While the fit between the mandrel extension and the bearing cap nut is close, nevertheless, the bearing cap nut is stationary with the angle, whereas the mandrel extension rotates with the gears, and this relative movement requires that there be light space between the mandrel extension and the bearing cap nut. In conventional polishing machines, it is through this space that pumice has entered and ultimately caused excessive wear, cloggings, and failures in the rotation transmitting mechamsms.

In the present invention, the bearing cap nut is provided with an extension or sleeve that extends to the end or beyond the mandrel extension into a recess formed in the base of the polisher. Close tolerances are maintained between the outer diameter of the cap nut sleeve and the inner diameter of the recess in the polisher. The sleeve provides such added tortuous passageways for the pumice and the end of the sleeve rubbing on the screw head has been found to eliminate any entry of pumice into the working mechanism of the polishing machine.

The principal object of this machine is to provide the foregoing apparatus.

In general, therefore, the object of this invention is to provide means and apparatus for preventing the entrance of pumice into the area of moving parts in a tooth polishing machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide inexpensive and easily constructed means for preventing pumice from entering the working mechanism of a tooth cleaning machine, which means does not require extensive alterations of other parts of the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus as described wherein existing tooth cleaning machines can be readily converted to incorporate the invention.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Patented Oct. 29, 1968 In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view of an angle showing the bearing cap nut and polisher in operating positions;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in longitudinal medial section through the angle, the bearing cap nut, and the polisher;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the bearing cap nut;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation view of the bearing cap nu-t;

FIGURE 5 is a bottom plan view of the bearing cap nut;

FIGURE 6 is a view in section taken along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 is a view in section similar to FIGURE 2, but showing modified form of the invention;

FIGURE 8 is a top plan view of the hub used in the modification of FIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 9 is a bottom plan view of the bearing cap nut used in the FIGURE 7 modification.

Referring now to the drawing, FIGURE 1 illustrates the operating end 10 of a tooth polishing machine. This machine comprises an angle member 11 having an end 12 adapted to be threaded to or otherwise connected to an extension arm which transmits driving power to parts connected to the angle member. The angle member 11 has a head 13 at its other end.

There is a passage 15 through the angle member 11 which communicates at right angles with a recess 16 in the head 13. The recess 16 opens to the lower end 17 of the head 13 and there are internal threads 18 adjacent the end 17. A shaft 19 extends through the angle member 11 and is connected to the base 20 of a beveled gear 21 that is positioned just beyond the end of the recess 16.

There is another beveled gear 22 that meshes with the gear 21. It has a central pin extension 23 that fits within a recess 24 to position the gear 22. There is a mandrel 25 extending from the base 26 of the gear 22. The mandrel 25 has a cylindrical side wall 27 the diameter of which is slightly less than the diameter of the base 26 so that the base 26 provides an annular shoulder beyond the cylindrical side 27. At the base of the mandrel 25, there is an annular shoulder 28 extending radially inwardly and leading to a mandrel extension 29 of smaller diameter than the diameter of the mandrel 25. The mandrel extension 29 also has a cylindrical outer surface 30 between the annular shoulder 28 and the lower end 31 of the mandrel extension. A hole 32 is tapped into the mandrel extension 29.

There is a bearing cap nut 35 having a knurled or hexagonal outer surface 36 and an annular shoulder 37 that bears against the end 17 of the head 13. An extension 38 has external threads 39 that engage the threads 18. 7

There is a recess 40 in the bearing cap nut 35 that extends from the upper end 41 to a radially inwardly extending annular shoulder 42. A sleeve or tubular extension 43 projects below the body of the nut 35 to the lower end 44 of the sleeve 43. There is a bore 45 through the sleeve 43 from the shoulder 42 to the lower end 44.

The bearing cap nut 35 threads into the head 13 as shown in FIGURE 2 until the shoulder 37 bears tightly against the lower end 17. In this position, the recess 40 receives the mandrel 25 in a very close fit with a. close fit between the shoulders 28 and 42, and the bore 45 receives the mandrel extension 29 with a very close fit.

A polisher 48 is standard to the extent that it is made O of conventional rubber and has a pocket 49 at its working end, a tapered side wall 50, and an annular skirt 51 above a base portion 52. A screw 53 has a head 54 bonded to the polisher 48 during molding. There is a circular recess 55 formed in the base portion 52, concentric with the shank of screw 53. The sleeve 43 and mandrel extension 29 project into the recess 55 with a very close fit between the side wall 56 of the recess 55 and the external side wall of the tubular extension 43. The diameter of the screw head 54 is greater than the outside diameter of the mandrel extension 29. This makes the face 57 of the screw head 54 act as a block against the passage of pumice between the mandrel extension 29 and the sleeve 43. Preferably, the screw head is made of brass or bronze and the mandrel extension 29 and sleeve 43 are ground together to even ends against the face 57 of the screw head 54.

In operation, the shaft 19 is connected to a driving mechanism (not shown) to drive the gears 21 and 22. Rotation of the gear 22 rotates the mandrel 25 and the mandrel extension 29 and rotates the polisher 48. The mandrel 25 rotates within the recess 40 and the mandrel extension 29 rotates within the recess 45 of the stationary bearing cap nut 35. The polisher 48 rotates about the stationary bearing cap nut 35 with the side wall 55 very close to the sleeve 43.

Because of the design of the bearing cap nut 35 with the sleeve 43, and the complementary design of the polisher 48 with the recess or well 55, together with the mandrel extension 29, pumice cannot gather; within the skirt 51 and enter the area of the gears 21 and 22. The passage such pumice would have to travel includes the narrow space between the side 56 of the well 55 and the outer surface of the sleeve 43 and the narrow space between the inner wall 45 of the sleeve 43 and the outer wall 30 of the mandrel extension 29. The pumice is also blocked by the sliding contact between the screw head 54 and the mandrel extension 29 and sleeve 43. It has been found that this design effectively prevents such entry of pumice into the working parts of the apparatus.

Dimensions of the bearing cap nut 35 may be varied and still maintain the concept of this invention, but for illustrative purposes, the bearing cap nut 35 is made with a sleeve 43 having an external length of about 0.0525 inch, an external diameter of about 0.110 inch, and an internal diameter of about 0.094 inch. The length of the recess 40 from the upper end 41 to the shoulder 42 is about 0.143 inch, and its diameter is about 0.1495. The depth of the recess or well 55 in the polisher 48 is about 0.025 inch and the diameter of the inner side wall 56 of the well 54 is such as to eifect a slight contact between the rubber and the sleeve 43.

In FIGURE 7, another form of bearing cap nut 60 is threaded into the angle 11. The cap nut 60 has an annular shoulder 61 that overlies and is tightened against the lower end 17 of the angle 11. The nut 60 has a hole 62 through its lower end communicating with a larger diameter recess 63 to which it is joined by a horizontal annular shoulder 64.

A gear 65 corresponds to the gear 22 of FIGURE 2, but has a downwardly depending mandrel 66 sized to fit in the recess 63. A shaft or mandrel extension 67 projects below the mandrel 66 and through the Opening 62.

A hub 68 is welded or bonded (it may be threaded) onto the end of the shaft 67. The hub 68 has a base 69, a narrow neck 70, and a larger head 71. A rubber polisher 72 has a recess 73 for receiving the head 71 with an annular inwardly extending head 74 for snapping into the neck portion 70. The polisher also has the usual polishing well 75.

To block pumice from flowing between the cap 60 and the hub 68, the cap nut and hub are provided with mutually opposing faces 76 and 77, respectively. There is an annular groove 78 in the hub 68 and an annular head 79 on the cap 60 which fits into the groove 78. Preferably,

the faces 76 and 77 are in contact as the hub 63 rotates. Also, the hub is preferably made of bronze or brass to provide better bearing against the steel cap nut 60.

Various changes and modifications may be made within the purview of this invention as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are within the scope and teaching of this invention defined by the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. Tooth cleaning apparatus comprising an angle memher having internal recess means for housing rotatable driving parts, a bearing cap nut adapted to be mounted over the end of one of the recess means, a sleeve projecting from the bearing cap nut, a mandrel extension extending through the bearing cap nut and into the sleeve, a polisher attached to the mandrel extension, and interfitting relatively rotatable means between the bearing cap nut and the polisher for preventing the passage of foreign matter into the internal recess means of the angle member, the interfitting means comprising a well in the polisher, the sleeve in the bearing cap nut fitting into the well, the sleeve and mandrel extension having coplanar faces, and a metal face bonded to the polisher and in constant contact with the said coplanar faces of the sleeve and mandrel extension.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the metal face compresses the face of the head of a screw by which the polisher is fastened to the mandrel extension, the screw head being brass or bronz and the sleeve being steel.

3. Tooth cleaning apparatus comprising an angle member having internal recess means for housing rotatable driving parts, a bearing cap nut adapted to be mounted over the end of one of the recess means, a mandrel extension extending through the bearing cap nut, a polisher attached to the mandrel extension, and interfitting relatively rotatable means between the bearing cap nut and the polisher for preventing the passage of foreign matter into the internal recess means of the angle member, the interfitting means comprising a hub fixed to the mandrel extension and annular ton ue and groove parts between the hub and the bearing cap nut.

4. Tooth cleaning apparatus comprising an angle member having internal recess means for housing rotatable driving parts, a bearing cap nut adapted to be mounted over the end of one of the recess means, a sleeve projecting from the bearing cap nut, a mandrel extension extending through the bearing cap nut and into the sleeve, a polisher attached to the mandrel extension, and interfitting relatively rotatable means between the bearing cap nut and the polisher for preventing the passage of foreign matter into the internal recess means of the angle member, a Well in the polisher, the sleeve in the bearing cap nut fitting into th well, the diameter of the mandrel being greater than the diameter of the mandrel extension, and an annular shoulder between the mandrel and mandrel extension.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the sleeve on the bearing cap nut meets the body of the bearing cap nut in an annular shoulder which complements the annular shoulder between the mandrel and mandrel extension.

6. The apparatus of claim 4- wherein the well has a side wall of smaller diameter than the external diameter of the sleeve, the side wall of the well being in rubbing contact with the side wall of the sleeve during rotation of the polisher.

7. Tooth cleaning apparatus comprising an angle memher having internal recess means for housing rotatable driving parts, a stationary bearing cap nut adapted to be mounted over the end of one of the recess means, a sleeve projecting from the bearing cap nut, a mandrel extension extending through the bearing cap nut and into the sleeve, a polisher attached to the mandrel extension, and interfitting relatively rotatable means between the bearing cap nut and the polisher for preventing the passage of foreign matter into the internal recess means of 5 6 the angle member, the interfitting means comprising a References Cited well the polisher, the sleeve in the bearing ca nut fit- UNITED STATES PATENTS ting mm the well, the well having a cylindrical slde wall and a bottom wall, the sleeve having a cylin- 2,202,299 5/1940 Pelkey 32 59 drical side wall and an end wall, the side walls of the 5 2,400,912 5/1946 Bmt 3259 well and the sleeve and the bottom wall and end wall of the well and the sleeve being in rubbing contact during LOUIS MANCENE P'lmary Exammer' rotation of the polisher. C. R. WENTZEL, Assistant Examiner.

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