US1612490A - Safety razor - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 28 1926. 1,612,490

J. G. CROOKSTON SAFETY RAZOR Filed March 1923 WITNESSESS G INVENTOR M/MM Patented Dec. 28,. 1926;

*UNITED STATES JACOB G. CBOOKSTON, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY nazon.

Application filed March 14, 1923. Serial No. 624,970.

This invention relates to safety razors of the type in which a double-edged blade is flexed transversely when clamped in the holder; 1

The closest shave obtainable is afforded by the old style straight razor with unprotected blade, because the cutting edge is there freely presented. against the face with no impeding or interfering means, The care and skill required in'using such a razor in order to prevent cutting or abrading the face has been responsible, to a large extent, for the development of safety razors in which the cutting edges of the blades are protected by guards extending slightly beyond the cutting edges. The maximum safety from a razor of this type is afforded when the teeth of the guard are flush with the cutting edge of the blade. However, experience has proven that such 'an arrangement is not'fully satisfactory, because the guard teeth, lying flush against the cutting edge of the blade,

blank a considerable portion of the cutting edge, thus rendering that portion of the cutting edge useless for shaving purposes. Also, this arrangement causes irritation of the face by reason of the beard lodging between the razor blade and ard teeth without being freely cut from t e face.

To obviate as far as possible these and other disadvantages incident toyprior safety razors of the type contemplated by this invention, and to more nearly approximate the close shaving advantages of the old style straight razor, it has been the practice to loosen the'blade clamping means and thus permit the, edge of the blade to spring away from the guard, It is obvious that as the cutting edge of the blade recedesfrom the face of the guard, the cutting action is improved and the safety feature diminished, even to the point of being eliminated entirely as the cutting action approximates that afforded by an unguarded straight razor blade.

Infact, I have learned by experiments and study that use of a safety razor of this type, adjusted for a close shave with the blade free above the guard, results in numerouscuts and abrasions of the face of the user. because he is, without realizing'it, using an unprotected blade as recklesslyand carelessly as he has learned by experience that he can use a protected blade.

buch cuts and abrasions are mostly, if not entirely, caused by the exposed corners of the cutting edges of the blade. The pressure on the razor when shaving causes the blade to press against and to slightly depress the skin over which it passes, and at the ends ofthe relatively short cutting edge slight ridges are formed in the skin, so that slight unsteadiness of the hand holding the razor will causean end of the cutting edge to impinge against the ridge of skin adj acent to it and thus result in cutting or abrading the skin. Between the ends 6r corners of the cutting edge, this condition does not arise because the skin is uniformly depressed by Afurther and more specific object is to provide a safety razor of the type stated, in which thereis an unobstructed passage and chamber to receive shaving refuse, and which is furtherconstructed to facilitate removal of such refuse.

A still further and more specific object is to provide a safety razor of the type stated in which the corners of aublade are held rigidly against the guard member, and the guard member spaced from the blade intermediate its ends, whereby the edges of the blade are free to effect satisfactory shaving without liability of cutting or abrading the skin ofa user.

A further object is to provide an efficient foldable safety razor which is so simple in construction that it may be economically manufactured, and which may be quickly assembled and -disassembled.

Other objects will appear in the ensuing description of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the in- .vention is illustrated in its applicability to two types of safety razors, one the. type in which a single handle projects from the center of the razor, and the other the t v ein which a pair of handles are pivota y attached to the ends of the razor and when not in use are adapted to fold u onthe razor. Fig. l-is' an endview and, ig. 2 a .side view of the first mentioned type of razor; Fig. 3 a transverse sectional view taken on the line III III, Fig. 2; Fig. 4'

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a side view of the foldable type of sa the clamping plate, and has-the effect of positioning thecutting edges of v.theblade more nearly -:-to the most effective shaving position it occupies when the razor is in use;

razor, one of the handles being folded upon the razor and the'other being moved to the Fig. 5 a plan view of the clampin plate and attached handles of the razor of Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 a plan View of the guard plate of the razor of Fig. 4. I Having reference first to the razor of Figs. 1, 2, and 3, it comprises guard 1, a clamping plate 2, a handle 3 provided with a threaded socket to receive a threaded pin -l attached to the center of the clamping plate, and a blade 5 of the double-edged transversely flexed type arranged between the clamping s when clamped between the guard and clamp- I 1 ing plates.

The tongues 6, in addition to affording supports for the corners of the. blade, project slightly beyond the ends of the blade so that its corners are blanked against cutting action, and hence cannot cut or abrade the face of a user in the manner previously explained. Between the tongues 6 the guard is uniformly depressed below the plane'of the tongues, with the result that the blade is free to cut'in substantially the 'same' effective" manner as ordina razors which are not'provided with guar s. Furthermore, between the blade and the de-/plate,

pressed guard, there is formed a clear passagewa-y for shaving refuse which may col-' lect on each side of the razor in a chamber formed by the guard plate, blade and j'ection 8. These chambers are opene at" bothends as well as at theirsides so that water may be flushed through the razor to I quio'kly' and effectively remove the shaving refuse.

As seen in Fig. 1, the clamping plate may "be tightened sufliciently upon-the blade" to cause a slight reverse flexureat its edges..-

,- Thisflexure may be varied somewhat by adjusting handle 3 to alter the positionof angle. However, in all. adjustments: of the razor it isintended that the clamping plate vfirmly press the corners of the blade against tongues 6 to blank the corners so that they cannot cut or abrade the face of a user.

The razor of Figs. 4, 5and6 is formed the same as that just explained as far as concerns the supporting of the blade at its corners hpon tongues which lie above the planes of the guards, and also as far as concerns the provision of a passageway and chamber for receiving shaving refuse. These features are clearly illustrated in the drawings and require no further description. The razor differs from that of Figs: 1, 2 and 3 in that it is a folding razor embodying certain novel features of construction having advantages which will now be explained.

The razor includes a guard plate 9 and a clamping plate 10, between which plates a double-edged transyersely-flexed blade 11 is clamped. The ends of the clamping plate are provided with rearwardly projecting lugs 12 having; outwardly disposed pintles' 13 at t eir outer edges on which offset foldable h ndles 14 and 15 are pivoted. In Figs 4 handle 14 is shownin the position it occupies when the razor is in use, and handle 15 is shown folded upon the razor.

Normally both handles are .in either one of these two positions. The ends of guard plate 9 are provided with recesses 16 formed to receive the lugs 12, and these lugs are turned inwardly and are s'ufiiciently resilient that the clamping plate maybe snapped into position between the lugs and when insuch position will be firmly engaged by them. To remove the guard plate-it is only necessary to press outwardly u on one or the other of its ends which pro ect beyond the clamping late; This affords a simple means of attae ing the guard to the clamping plate in a razor which may be economically manufactured.

A further feaure of theinvention to do with the orming of the guard plate so that when the razor is in use the guard moving in advance ofthe edge of the razor, will sufiiciently stretch the skin to facilitate shaving. To this end the outer.

edges of the guard plate which project bero-l'-yond the blade are roughened, as for example by beingflmurled in the manner indicated. at 17 on F i 6. g .It' is charactei igtic of each embodiment v has of the invention that. the cutting edge of the blade is as freely presented against the face of a user as is the edge of the common unprotected straight razor blade, thus rendering the safety razor'capable of effecting a clean close shave. Furthermore, the:

corners of'theblade are so blanked or protected by being held rigidly between the clampingilplate and the tongue on the guard as to e causing cuts and abrasions, and an adequate chamber is formed to receive shaving refuse,

which chamber is open on all four sides to permit free passage of water through the razor for removal of such refuse. In addition to these advantageous features, the foldable razor of Figs. 4, 5 and 6 is so constructed that it may be quickly and easily minate the possibility of. their of construction than those particularly -bility to two forms of razors. However, I

desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced with other forms shown and described.

I'claim as my invention:

1. A safety razor comprising a guard plate having guards at its opposite sides and provided with tongues at its corners projecting above the planes of the guards and having a medial blade-supporting projection, a clamping plate, and a transversely flexed blade arranged between the guard and clamping plate and resting at its central portion on said projection and at its corners on said tongues, the blade being held rigidly at its' corners between the clamping plate and said tongues on the guard plate to prevent cutting by the corners of the blade, and the cutting edge: of the blade being spaced from the guard intermediate the'corners of the blade.

2. A safety razor comprising a flat guard plate having guards at its opposite'sides and provided with tongues at its corners projecting above the planes of the guards and having'midway between its guards a blade support projecting abruptly above the plane of the plate, aclamping plate, and a transversely flexed blade arranged between the guard and clamping plates and.

resting at its central portion on said projection and at its corners on said tongues, the blade being held rigidly at its corners between the clamping plate and said tongues on the guard plate to prevent cutting by the corners of the blade, and its cutting edges being spaced from-the guards intermediate the corners of the blade, there being an open ended refuse-receiving chamber formed between the flexed blade and flat guard plate at each side of said blade support.

3. A foldable safety razor, comprising a clamping plate provided at eachend with a rearwardly projecting resilient lug, a removable guard plate adapted to be snapped between said lugs and when in such position being clamped to the guard plate by the lugs, means for positioning a razor blade between the guard and clamping plate, and offset handles pivoted on said lugs and adapted to be folded upon the front of the clamping plate when the razor is not in use and to protect rearwardly of the guard plate for engagement When the razor is in use.

In testimony whereof, I sign my name.

Y J AOOB G. CROOKSTON.

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