US1998348A - Razor blade conditioning device - Google Patents

Description

Aprii 16, 1935. c. 1. WILLCOX RAZOR BLADE CONDITIONING DEVICE Original Filed March 19 192 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 1935- c. L. WILLCOX l 11,998,348

RAZOR BLADE CONDITIONING DEVICE Original Filed March 19 1926 g 3 s 2 JZ m Patented Apr. 16, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT RAZOR BLADE. CONDITIONING DEVICE.

Charles L. Will'cox, Atlanta, Ga.

Continuation of. application Serialv No. 9.5;936;

March 19; 1926. ThisapplicationNovember 12,. 7 1927, Serial No.'232,898. Renewed'August 110, p

The invention relates to improvements. in devices for conditioning razor blades, and. more. particularly to a device such. as shown and described in my copending application Ser. No.

5 95,936 filed March 19, 1926, of which this application is-a division.

.An object of, the invention is to provide a device of. the above type with means for holding-; the blade in fixed position and in contact: with 10 the rollers for honing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a-devieeof the above type wherein the holding means holds the blade flexed and the edges thereof in firm contact with the conditioning rolls.

A further object of the invention is to provide. means of the above. type which maybe usedfor bringing about a pressure on. the blade being; honed directly in the region of the honing'of the same. v

A further object of the invention is fooprovide a device in which a resilient pressure is. maintained upon the blade edges being honed. that is greater than attainable by the elasticity of the blade itself.

The invention has been presented on the-accompanying drawings intwo illustrative formsof execution, with these and other objects in. view as will appear in the course of the following specification. One of these forms is of a sub- :20 stantially rigid type, while the other is a folding.

device.

In the accompanying drawings: v

Figure l is a perspective view of a conditioning device according to this invention as em- 35 played with double edged blades of the Gillette type, and having arigid frame.

Fig. 2 isa cross: section on line 2.-2 of Fig. 3-, on a larger scale. s

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on line 3-3 of. Fig. 2, on the. same large scale.

Fig. 4 is a. detail of the end assembly of the device.

Fig. 4a is a section on the line la-4a of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form. em- ;5 ploying acollapsible frame.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the device of Fig. 5, on a larger scale. I

Fig. '7 is a section on line 1- of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

50 Inthe forms of execution of Figs. 1 to 4d a rigid frame has supported thereon. the several. dressing surfaces, which frame is made from sheet metal blanks punched and folded into the shape represented. A base plate It has formed 55- therewith the flat flanges H and the projecting.

lateral .members-JZ which: at. their ends are rei spectively'folded inward toward each other and present the portions l3, l3j in. alinement; An end plate i5. isplaced upon. these members. I3.- and is provided itself with the rearwardly ex- 5;

- tending blade: support. 2t and-the belt. supports 23, 23a, 23b. It willbe noted that the-base plate I is formed. integral with; the flanges l l and members; t2, while: the: endplate I is formed; integral with, the-fblade support 2-.land the belt supports 23,. 23a; 23b. The: end plate [5: is held rig-idly with respectto, the members l3 by a U- shapedbolt. 61. This bolt passes through apertures adjacent the ends of. the base plate It and extends inside of. and in parallelism: with the 15, projecting members. $2 and finally through apertures in the portions t3.- and. the end platel5. and is: secured. rig-idly in place by; the-"nuts I11: 011. its threaded: ends.) a w 'A finishing dressing, stone t8 having a flat top 20.- surface is provided'with. a. reduced;- end or roller which is adaptedto extend; underneathv the flange H. The housing. 180: has a peripheral groove: [9 extending; around; thr'eesides for the reception of. a U-bolt Hi. on the: exterior: of. the

housing: and. this, forms; a; flange; on the interior of the housing whichsupports the dressing stone. The housing Hlais provided. with a short lip 18!) centrally thereof; and at. its; upper. edge. which is adapted toengage: arecess; |:8'cin thestone I8. 30. This holds the. outer end of the: stone in they housing and. the reduced portion extending underneath the .fiange holds theainnerend of the stone in the housing; Thus it is that: the stone rests firmly on theflange. andisheldzin place on the housing when the-parts are assembled. This housing Ila is further: provided at theend received within. the. flanges H with tongues 21a: extending out: of the plane-of: the. metal housing to fit over and. support a. Isl-shaped, member 2100, 40. Hoof: spring wire for the purposeindicated hereinafter. It. will be understood that. when the u-shaped' bolt I6 is in. position andjits nuts l-l have been tightened; down; this bolt; draws the housing l=8a into a rigid. position between the flanges H and thus: holds the dressingstone l8 in itsproper position: and by the rabbet 20- of the stone l8, the stone is held in position by the upper flange II with its top surface above the top surface of the flange I l, sothat in dressing a '50. blade inthe stone l8, the blade does not come in contact with the metal flange l l The blade support or brace arm 2| and the belt supports 23, 23a, 23b are preferably formed integral withthe end plate I5, and extend rear-. 55.,

ward and are joined to the base plate III and the flanges II as shown in Fig. 3, preferably by soldering or welding so that the frame constituted by the base plate II and the end plate I5 and their integral parts form a single structure of great strength and rigidity.

The dressing rollers 24, 25 are loosely mounted on the shafts 26,'and are composed of abrasive material and present continuous rigid unyielding surfaces for honing the blade. In devices already constructed I have employed rollers formed from natural and artificial stone, and have found that such materials as carborundum and a material called artificial slate by reason of its dark slaty color and the material of which it.

is composed, are excellently. adapted to the purpose: but it will be understood that the device is not limited to such rollers but that any other abrasive agent may be employed, and preferably one providing a non-yielding surface for operation upon the edge of the blade. The roller surfaces are cylindrical, and have been illustrated in the drawings of Figs. 1 to 4 as being formed with relieving grooves 25g extending spirally about the respective rollers. It will be understood however that from certain aspects of the invention a smooth roller may be used.

The shafts 26 for these rollers pass through bushings 28a placed in the rollers and fastened thereto so that a metal to metal bearing is formed.

The shafts 26 are journaled in apertures of the base plate III and of the members I3 and the end plate I5, and are held rigidly in position as shown in Fig. 4. In this figure a latch 265:: has an aperture adjacent one end fitting around the bolt I6 beneath the nut I'I thereof. Its other end is formed to fit within a notch 2611. in the-end of the shaft 26. It 'will be understood thatwhen the nut I1 is loosened, the latch 26a: can be rocked counter-clockwise about the' bolt I6 until the shaft 26 is free. The shaft 26 may'then be withdrawn from its journals and from the bushing 26a so that the rollers may be immediately withdrawn. Whenthe respective roller is replaced in position, the shaft'26 'may be'reseated, the latch 26: rotated back to the positionshown in Fig. 4, and then when the nut I'I is-tightened down, the latch 25a; will be held fixedly'intposition.

Each of these rollers 24 and 25 has associated therewith a ratchet wheel 240: or 25a, which as shown in Fig. 2, is in operative engagement with a respective pawl 24b or 251). The respective pawls 24b, 25b are journaled about the arms of the U-bolt I6, and are limited intheir relative rocking movements by engagementwith the projecting members I2 of the "frame. It will be understood that the pawls engage around the bolt I6 for more than half of its'periphe'ry. Along its length, the bolt I 6 is provided with a cut-away portion IIia (Figs. 2 and 3): which permits the pawl tobe withdrawn from the bolt I6 by sliding the pawl along the bolt until'the notch IGais reached. It will be understood that normally the pawl is retained against such sliding movement by its engagement between the base plate III on the one hand and the projecting portions of respective' rollers 24 and 25'onthe other hand, as shown in Fig. 2. 7

The bearing bushing 26a for each roller extends beyond the end of the roller at the rearward end, that is the end adjacent the base, and mounted on this projecting end of the bushing is a washer 25a: and a ratchet 25a. The ratchet and thewasher fit tightly on the bushing so as to turn with the bushing and the bushing turns with the roller. As a further means for joining the ratchet and the roller I have provided an anchor pin Z. This anchor pin passes through the ratchet and into the roller and lies between the bushing and the outer surface of the roller. The bushing at the other end of the roller also projects in order to form a reduced bearing to hold the end of the roller away from the member I3. This reduces the frictional contact between the roller and the member I3. This is all clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawings.

A U-shaped spring member 2141., 211) extends through small apertures in the base plate I0 and has its ends curled slightly toward the center plane of the structure, and received within notches on the respective pawls 24b, 251), as shown in Fig. 2. It is preferred to have the forward ends of this U-shaped spring bent inward as shownin Fig. 2 to assist in retaining the pawls in their proper position. These spring ends 21a, 21b serve to force the respective pawls into engagernent with the respective ratchets.

The upper surface of the braces or belt supports 23, 23a, 23b are rounded so as to smoothly guide the belt 28 with respect to the frame. These belt supports are in such relationship to the lower generatrices of the rollers 24 and 25 that the belt must pass in 'a zigzag direction from brace to roller and back to another brace, whereby a sufficient driving friction is obtained for the purpose intended.

The driving strap or belt 28 is passed over th brace 23a, beneath the roller 24, over brace 23, beneath the roller 25 and out over brace 23. It

will be understood that one end of the driving strap is customarily secured to a wall hook or the like and the other is held in the operators hand during use. This'driving strap 28 may be of leather, fabric or other flexible material: it does not come into contact with the razor blade and hence any such material may be employed.

The brace H has upstanding lugs 30 thereon to fit the central apertures of double-edged razor blades of the Gillette type, in the particular illustration represented: when a blade is first laid about these lugs 30, it rests at its cutting edges upon the dressing rolls and is free of the brace 2I itself. Each of "the lugs 30 has a rearwardly directed notch 30a adjacent the brace 2I; the upper walls of the notches being substantially in a plane parallel to the brace 2I and below the plane of the upper surface of a razor blade intended to engage therewith when such razor blade is first placed about the lugs 3|].

A spring retaining plunger 32 is mounted at the end of a straight wire spring 33. The spring plunger 32 is guided in an opening 34 in the brace 2|, and the spring 33 extends beneath and substantially parallel to the brace 2I and is secured at its forward end 35 to the lower surface of the brace 2 I, for example by soldering or welding. The forward upper edge of the plunger 32 is beveled away at 36, and the forward substantially vertical edge of the plunger 32 is spaced respectively from the vertical walls of the notches 30a by distances equivalent to the respective distances from the end of a blade to the corresponding edge of the central apertures therein.

It will be seen that the device is simple and compact, and that by the assembly it is possible to remove and replace the rollers and belts without dismounting the U-bolt I6. I

The operation of the represented device in dressing a double edged safety razor blade of the flexible type referred to is as follows: a double edgedbladeB is placed. about the lugs '30, with its edges resting upon the cylindrical surfaces of the rollers 24 and 25. In'the-preferred operation, a second and similar blade BB placed over this firstblade, and-the. stack of blades'thus formed. is pressed. downward along its central axial line until the lower surface of thes'lower blade B is substantiallyin.contact with theupper. surface of the brace 21. During this' operation the rearward end of the lower blade forces the spring. plunger 32. downward against. the resiliency of its spring 33'. .A finger/of the operator is then employed to slide the. stack of blades forward in a direction parallel to the brace 2| where-- byv they are engaged in the notches 30a. until finally the rearward end of the stack 'ofblades is disengaged from the plunger 32, which: fliesxupwardbehind them and holds thestack of blades fixedly in-positionas shown in Fig.2; so that the resiliency of both blades provides a working pressure relatively hetween the lower surfaceof the cutting edges of the lower blade and the-respective dressing rolls 24a, 2511,. It is preferred to have the upper wall of the respective notches sea at a distance from the upper surface of the brace 2 i which is greater than the thickness of. two blades, so that the sliding action is free, and whereby it is possible to produce; a slightly greater curvature of the blades after being placed in the device-l by a finger pressure along the centralradial lineof the top blade.

By the employment ofsuch a stack of blades, it is possible toobtaina greater pressure at the surfaces being honed than can be gotten with a sin- 1 gle blade, having'due regard to the'proper' angular presentationof the dressingrollers, and tothe strains upon the blades themselves. Itis evident that although astack of two blades is employed illustratively, the device may in practicebe manufactured for a stack of any number, as anyperson skilled in the art can calculate the proper anglesand pressures after having given the size of and specificproperties of the material of the blades.

The operator then draws thedriving belt or strap 28' taut and moves thedevice along the strap from one end toward the other, and back again; While the deviceismoving toward. the left in the position shown inFig. 2, the roller N is held againstrotation by the pawl 2 lb-inengage-- ment with the ratchet wheel 24a. The roller 25 is, however, free to move, since its ratchet wheel and pawl have a permissible movement with respect to each other: it therefore is rotated by the strap 28 and the surface of thisdressing roller isso moved, in this illustrative example, that the direction of dressing is fromthe center of the blade toward the cutting edge, and it will be-understood that the roller will tend to produce a concavity in the safety razor blade at its'edge. As the device moves in the opposite direction or toward the right in Fig. 2, the roller 25 will be held stationary by its pawl 25b and ratchet 25a and the roller 24 will be freeto rotate, andthis inturn will then produce a concavity. on the same side of the razor blade but at the opposite edge.

It is found in practice that two or three strokes in each direction willrecondition the usual blade. Thereupon the spring plunger 3-2 is depressed, and the stack of blades ispushedrearwardly with the finger until disengaged from the notches sea: the stack is then removed, turned. upside down and replaced, and the outer surfaceof: the blade BB is now-dressed, under the resilient pressure of both blades. The stack is then removed again,

and theouter surfaces brought together; and the formerlyqinne'rsurfaces-are dressed similarly.

The razor blades have now beenhoned to concavity, andiare ready. for finishing. This is accomplishedindividually on a flat finishing surface of the stone l8, by placing the flexible blade thereon as at Ba and'bearing down with the fingers upon the blade adjacent its edges. It has been found'in'practice that, by? moving the blade lightly about upon the flat surface, the edges are quickly brought to an excellent condition for smooth shaving, and'that a true and. accurate cutting. edge is produced;

The device may also be'employed, with. or without the brace 23, by reciprocating the device on .a suitable surface such as the palm of the hand, so that the surfacecomes into contact, with the rollers tosuccessively actuate' them in the desired directions;

. Inthe-modified-formsof Figs. 5 to. 8, the assembly of the base plate "II! with the flanges H and:

side-members; I2 is. substantially the same as before: together with the provision ofthe end plate 15. with the respective. belt guides or braces 23, 23a, 23b, and the blade holder. 2'! with the lugs 39. The U -shaped bolt Him is of the same general type except shorter,,and in this modified form likewise passes through the end plate 15 and. the base plate ID. The ro1lers2 4,25 are'received as before on shafts 26 and are provided. with the respective ratchets 24a, 25a engaging with'the pawls 24b, 25b. The belt 28 is passed with respect tothe belt guides-,23-,, 23a; 23b and the rollers 24 and 25 as before; A ring R is provided at the end for suspending thedevice from a Walliho'ok or nail when notin-usez. v A a @111. this modified form,.however,: the flanges H and base'plateulll. receive; an end plate'Ml having a groove 4| therein for the reception of the bight of the U-bolt I633. This plate 40 likewise has the. downwardly extending fingers with prongs 43 at the ends thereof to be received within notches in the'finishingstone l8x to hold this stone in position. Theendstructurezcomprising the end'pl'ate I5 is likewise formed with downwardly extending fingers 44 having prongs to engage notches in the other end of the finishing. stone-l 8:13. In this way, the stone l8a: is 'supported rigidly on the botttorn of the device against. movement in any direction, and may be released bydisengagement cf the bolt l6r; which in this case as before serves to holdthevariousparts together; It will be noted thatthe stone'restson the braces '23, 23a, 23b and thus. receives a further assurance against dislocation. g

The handle in the present modified form comprises-a strip of 'metal bent; at its ends into parallelism with the adjacent part. of the metal as shown at 5!! invFig. 5. The. general shape of the handle is that of .a W' with the bight 5| passing across the rear of the devicewhen closed (Fig. 5). When. the handle is drawnout to. theposition 52 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, the end portions engage around and over the extended guide loops 5,3,and by their resilient grasping of these loops hold thehan'dle in extended position. The guide loops 53 are formed by aband of material 5 5 located between the flanges I (Figs. 7 and 8) and held fixedly thereto by the location of the side members of the handle 5| between the loops 53 and the guide plate 55 formed by bending the outer ends of the transfer stiffener 56 which extends across the'rear of the device in parallelism to the base plate I0;

In operation, when thedevice is removed from its box, the handle 5| is drawn out into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. When the handle is drawn completely out, these ends 50 engage resiliently with the loops 55a to hold the handle 5| in position. One end of the strap 28 may now be engaged with a wall hook and the other held in the hand and the device drawn back and forth as before. To insure a firm grip of the hand in operating the machine over the driving belts the rebent ends are knurled or roughened.

When it is desired to replace the device in its box, the handle is forced inward into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5. The strap 28 adjacent the metal end clip 60 is then passed through the rebent end 50 adjacent the roller 24 (Fig. 6) and the strap drawn down so that the metal clip 68 rests lightly on the roller 24. The other end of the strap as it projects from the brace 23b is turned downward and wrapped around the lower face of the finishing stone l8a: and then passed entirely around the device, through the metal ring 6| which is pivoted in the metal end clip 60. The portion of the belt adjacent the other rebent end 60 is passed beneath this end so as to hold the belt fixedly in position. It is preferred to have at this end of the belt a similar metal clip 62 receiving a cord 63. This cord is then passed through the ring 6|, which may be bent upward into a vertical position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, for this purpose. The middle of the cord 63 is then folded over and around the ring 6| (see Fig. 5) and then the ring Si is forced into the position shown in Fig. 6 when the belt is held fixedly in position protecting both rollers and a large portion of the finished surface |8:c. This is a particularly convenient form of wrapping the device for transportation.

It will be understood that these illustrations are not limitations of the invention, and that the latter may be employed in many ways within the scope of the appended claims. I

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: l

1. In a conditioning device for razor blades, a frame having a base and an end with supports therebetween, a rotatable dressing roller journaled in said frame, a ratchet fixed to said roller, a blade alining member to support a blade in working position with respect to said roller,'a U- bolt passing through said base and end to clamp the same together, a pawl pivotally mounted on said U-bolt and having a notch eccentric to-its axis, and a spring projecting from said base plate substantially parallel to the axis of the pawl and engaged in said notch, said spring maintaining said pawl in engagement with said ratchet.

2. In a conditioning device for razor blades, a frame having a base, a rotatable dressing roller journaled in said frame, a ratchet of lesser diameter than said roller and fixed thereto adjacent said base, a blade alining member to support a blade in working position with respect to said roller, a pivot member upstanding from said base and having a notch therein at a distance from said base, a pawl mounted on said pivot and having a portion thereof cut away complemental to said notch and extendingless than 180 around the periphery of said pivot, said pawl being maintained in engagement with said ratchet between the end of the roller and the base, said pawl being movable from its operative position along the said pivot to the location of said notch so that the pawl may be withdrawn from the pivot at the notch.

3. In a conditioning device for razor blades, a

frame comprising separable elements, a shaft passing through apertures in said frame, a conditioning roller journaled on said shaft, a blade alining member to support a blade in working position with respect to said roller, a clamping bolt passing through said members, a latch pivoted on said bolt and having one end adapted to enter a notch in said shaft to secure the same against withdrawal from said frame, the nut of said bolt drawing said members together and holding said latch against movement.

1 4. In a conditioning device for razor blades, a frame, blade holding and conditioning devices mounted on said frame, loops on said frame, a U- shaped handle slidable in said loops between collapsed and extended positions, and rebent ends on said handle to frictionally engage with the loops to prevent removal of said handle from the frame and to hold said handle in extended position.

5. In a conditioning device for razor blades having a rigid frame, a rotatable dressing roller journalled in said frame, and a blade alining member mounted on said frame, including upstanding lugs to be received in the central holes of a double-edged razor blade, said lugs being provided with undercuts affording an overhanging ledge to engage the blade and hold it in contact with the dressing roller, the combination of maintaining means to hold the blade engaged in the undercuts including a resiliently mounted member to prevent endwise disengaging movement of the blade'when engaged in said undercuts, said member being adapted by its resilient mounting to move to a position such that the blade may be slid endwise into and out of the undercuts for placing or removing the blade with respect to said upstanding lugs.

6. In a conditioning device .for razor blades having a rigid frame, parallel rotatable dressing rollers journalled in said frame, a bridge mounted on'said frame and located between said rollers, and upstanding lugs mounted on said bridge and provided with undercuts whereby to hold a double-edged blade with central apertures in position upon said rollers, the combination of a plunger and spring mounting means to hold the plunger normally in position above the bridge, said spring mounting means being located relatively beneath the bridge so that the upper surface of the bridgeis clear of incumbrance, said plunger when in its normal position being adapted to engage with the end of the blade whereby to prevent withdrawal of the blade from the undercuts in said lugs, and adapted when depressed against the action of its spring mounting means to be free of the blade whereby the blade may be withdrawn from the undercuts.

7. In a conditioning device for razor blades having a rigid frame, parallel rotatable dressing rollers journalled in said frame, a bridge mounted on said frame and located between said rollers, and upstanding lugs mounted on said bridge and provided with undercuts each affording an overhanging ledge, said lugs being adapted to pass through the central apparatus of a double-edged razor blade and hold the same in alignment upon said rollers, the said ledges being located below the tangent plane of the rollers, whereby the razor blade when in position is held flexed, the combination of a plunger and spring mounting means to hold the plunger normally in position above the bridge, said spring mounting, means being located relatively beneath the bridge so that the upper surface of thebridgeis clear of incumbrance, said plunger when in its normal position being adapted to engage with the end of the blade whereby to prevent withdrawal of the blade from the undercuts in said lugs, and adapted when depressed against the action of its spring mounting means to be free of the blade whereby the blade may be withdrawn from the undercuts.

8. In a device for reconditioning razor blades, a frame, a pair of parallel abrading rolls journalled in said frame, a blade holding support on said frame between the rolls and means carried by said blade holding support for clamping a plurality of superposed blades under a bowed stress with the opposite cutting edges of the lowermost blade in appropriate bearing pressure respectively against the'peripheries of said rolls, whereby the cutting edges are reconditioned upon rotation of the rolls.

9. In a device for reconditioning razorblades, a frame, a pair of parallel abrading rolls journalled in said frame, a stationary blade holding support on said frame between the rolls and means for centrally and rigidly clamping a razor blade on said holding support under a bowed stress with the opposite cutting edges of the razor blade under bearing pressure respectively against the peripheries of said rolls, and a'blade providing a reinforcement for the razor blade and correspondingly therewith clamped upon said support.

CHARLES L. WILLCOX.

Images