US2272123A

US2272123A - Shaving device

Info

Publication number: US2272123A
Application number: US21418A
Authority: US
Inventors: Emil G Berg
Original assignee: COLETTA A TE PAS; TE PAS
Current assignee: COLETTA A TE PAS; TE PAS
Priority date: 1935-05-14
Filing date: 1935-05-14
Publication date: 1942-02-03
Anticipated expiration: 1959-02-03
Also published as: FR815890A; BE415542A; NL43201C; DE680697C; GB469782A

Description

Patented heb.3,'19il 2 Q NITED STATES; PATENT go I 2 212, 2 Price- I snavmannrcs admin: r. 'lelas, mom, and Emil c;

Berg. Erie.

Pa.,'adgnon, bydlreet andmesne tl-ol nineteen-twentieth: tcsaid- 'Bergandonc-twenticthtol'aid'l'e Pas; Colette humanism-inmate Application 14, mt, Serial No. 21,411;

27 Claims. (CI. 30-43) This inventionrelates to shaving devices the type in which the hairs are sheared 01! between two relativelygmovable cutting edges and ing or the hairs prior to their being cut,'and

, shaving machines 0! this type are also objectiom.

which do not require preliminary softening of the hairs or the use of soapor brushless shaving creams.

Shaving machines or this general type are old in the art and .various modifications oi. this general type of device may be round in the patented literature, as for example, shaving machines employing rotating or oscillating cutters which cooperate with the edge of a longitudinally. disposed slot provided by a guard member surable in that unless a skilled person is using the device, there is the danger of cutting the skin, as ior example, when too much pressure is used in pressing the device against the skin.

rounding the cutter; shaving devices'employing members having-a series of closely spaced, parallel slots defining cutter bars which cooperate in some cases with a rotatable cutter and in other cases with a reciprocating cutter; and lastly, shaving machines in 'the form 01 close-cutting hair clippers with or without a guard member spaced in front of thecomb of the clipper.

In the use of shaving machines employing a plate or member having a series 01 parallel nar-' row slots to define the cutter blades, it is necessary to move the device back-and forth many times over the same area before all of the hair in such area is cut.

It is the object of the present. invention to provide a shaving machinehaving the Yadvantages oi the different types or shaving machines just discussed, while at the same time eliminat- 'ing theobjections previously thought inherent to such forms-of machine's; Another object of the invention is directed to the provisionot a shaving machine having relativelymovable, contacting cutting; edges arranged so that the hairs may be ireelyintroduced to such cutting edges and sheared ofiextremely close to the skin without, however, incurring any'danger-of cutting the'skin.-

Another object of the inventionfrelates to the provision of a shaving machine ofthetype' described which is of simplev and ruggedconstruction and which may be readilyused by even the most unskilled persons.

The efliciency oi the first two types of shaving: machines previously mentiondis-greatly lowered by reason of the difliculty in properly'pr esenting the. hairsto the cutting edges. :The slot 1 or slots of the guard members oisuch devices are. often: not constructed so as' topermit. iree' access of the hairs to the cutting edges and-then again the rapidly rotating or rapidly reciprocating cutters of such devices have a tendency to knock the hairs away from the shearing edges before they are cut.

The clipper type of shaving machine is not open to these objections, for in a clipper the hairs are'not disturbed to any-great extent until they are engaged and; severed between the cut ting edges of the pointed comb, and cutter of the clipper. I

Certain practical difliculties, however, are en-" counteredin devising a; clipper adapted to .cut

approximately as close -to the-skin as is possible being cut.

Clippers employinga guard member in front of the comb and. the cutter are open to the objections previously indicated regarding disturb- Another object of theinve'ntion relates to the provision of a shaving device having aplurality of ,cooperating cutting'edges vWh t are brought into cutting engagement witheach other at different times during theoperation of the device as distinguished irom 1ike.: devices' in which all of the cutting edges efiect, their shearing action g-Anotherobject'ofthe inventionrelatesato the provision or a shaving-machine, which,r-.without any attention on the part (if- 13118 ,1opera'tor,"is not aptto become clogged duringitsuse.-

Another object of the invention relates tothe provision of a shaving machine of. the type-described which has an extremely large" effective cutting area and which is adapted to :reach' and sever hairs lying close to the skin sothat the shaving operation'maybe 'quicklyand easily performed by even an unskilled person.

A further object of the invention relates to the provision of an improved form of shaving machine which does not require preliminary softening of the hair and which is extremelyrapid and quick in action.

With these and other objectsin view, the invention consists in the novel construction, ar-

. rangement and combination of parts; hereinafter illustrated and described in some of its-embodiments in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointedout in the appended claims;

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevational view of a shaving machine illustrating one form of the invention,

Figure 2 is a view corresponding to Figure 1 with the device rotated ninety degrees.

up. with hair; and dirt Figure 3 is a side elevational view of a modifled form of shaving machine.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line 4-4, Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail central sectional view of the cutter head shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail central sectional view of the cutter head shown in Figure 3.

Figure '7 is a detail plan view, partly in section, of the cutter head used in connection with the device shown in Figures 3 and 6.

Figure 8 is an enlarged side elevational detail view, partly in section, of oneside of the cutter head used in connection with the shaving machine shown in Figure 1.

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail view of one of the cutting faces of the shaving machine shown in Figure 1.

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken on line HI-l 0, Figure 8.

Figure 11 is a developed view showing the details of the guard member of the cutter head.

Figure 12 is a plan view of a modified form of cutter.

Figure 13 is a detail view illustrating the manner of operation of the cutter.

The shaving machine illustrated in Figure 1, comprises a hollow handle formed from opposite halves I and 2 within which there is located a motor (not shown) whose armature shaft is indicated by the numeral 3. An electric cord 4 is provided for connecting the motor to a source of current supply. The motor is provided with a manually operable starting wheel 5 and the armature shaft 3 is formed at its outer end with an eccentric pin 6, received in a slot I formed in the movable cutter 8 of the device.

The movable cutter is slidably mounted in a hollow guideway or guard member H). At the side edges of the guard member, notches. II are formed by way of which hair is freely admitted to the shearing edges of the device. The guard member is formed from two parts which are hinged together along one edge as at l2, and opposite thereto, depending lips l3 are provided for receiving threaded adjusting members I4 which cooperate with a spring l5 interposed between the lips l3 of the guard member to effect the adjustment of the end facesof the guard member toward and away from the end portions of the cutter 8.

The opposite edges of the ends of the movable cutter in contact with the guard member are formed with sharply pointed teeth I6 which cooperate withthe edges of the notches H at the inner ends thereof, and during the operation of the device they serve to shear off hair projecting through such notches.

The single-headed device shown in Figures 3, 6 and 7 operates in substantially the same manner as the device shown in Figure 1 and it comprises a combined hollow motor. casing and handle formed from mating halves I1 and I8, at one end of which there is removably held a single shaving head which comprises a hollow guideway or guard member 20 within which a movable, toothed cutter 2| is slidably mounted. Notches l9 similar to the notches ll of the device shown in Figure 1 are cut in the guard member. The shaving head i detachably secured to the handle by means of a pair of threaded

members

22, 22 which extend through suitable apertures in the handle and thus serve to properly locate the shaving head with respect,- to the same. The movable cutter 2| is slotted at Figure 7.

23 for reception of the eccentric pin 24 of a motor-operated shaft 25, so that during the rotation of the shaft the cutter 2| is rapidly reciprocated.

The manually operable starting wheel 26 of this device projects from one side only of the handle of the device in a position where it may be readily manipulated by the thumb of the user. The cutter head and the method of its securement to the handle is illustrated in detail in The threaded members 22 are each centrally bored for reception of a spring 21 provided for urging rockable pins 28 into contact with notches 30, one of which is formed adjacent to each end of the cutter, and in this manner, the guard member is detachably secured to the handle of the device by means of the threaded members 22 and the cutter is urged into contact with the rear face of such guard member by means of the pins 28 and their springs 21.

The guard member 20 is cut away at 3| and into the space so formed projects a slotted tongue 32 defining the slot 23 of the movable cutter 2|. The series of notches formed at the edges of the single and double-headed guard members define openings which are widest at their midpoints and which taper as their ends are approached. By referring to the enlarged detail views, Figures 8 to 10, it will be seen that the metal at the corners of the bars defined by the notches is of narrowed and thickened construction and that the bars become wider and thinner as the line opposite the line defined by the points of the teeth of the cutter is approached after which the metal is gradually thickened. Cross-arms 2| are provided to guide the toothed end of the cutter and to define spaces for receiving the sheared hair. In Figures 1 and 7 th notches H and I9 are shown for the sake of clearness of illustration, as being spaced much farther apart than they are in practice, where approximately twenty-five slots to the inch are used.

Due to the extra thickness of the metal at the center of the working face of the guard member at the narrowest portions of the bars of the guard member defined by the notches or slots, it is possible without loss of strength or rigidity in the guard member, to have the slots spaced extremely close to each other. A rotary cutter with a series of disk-like cutters thereon may be used to produce without difliculty, cutter heads having as many as twenty-five slots to the inch on the opposite edges of the guard member. Cutter heads of one and one quarter inches in length having thirty-five or thirty-six notches along each edge have been made by this method and successfully operated. Due to the staggered relation of the adjacent rows of notches, approximately twice the number of openings heretofore considered feasible in devices of this sort, may be provided in a given length of cutter head, and the shaving or cutting area of the device is thus greatly increased by reason of the aforesaid con struction of the guard member and the arrangement of the notches cut therein.

The thickness of the guard member along the line opposite to the line defined by the ends of the cutter teeth is approximately .0055 of an inch. The width of the notches is approximately .028 of an inch at the middle and the width of the notches is progressively reduced as the ends of the notches are approached. At the point where the cutting takes place, the openingof the slots is approximately .004 of an inch wide. The metal at ends 29, 29 of the guard member is thickter.

enedso as to strengthen and reinforce the entire guard member. While the foregoing dimensions are preferred, it is, of course, understood bars, it is possible to get substantially the same results as in the use of thinner guard bars andnarrower slots.

The movable cutter. asbest shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10, comprises a series of sharply pointedv teeth It which are cut in the end face of the cut- These teeth are spaced a distance apart which is approximately equal to the distance between two of the notches H; of the guard member, and the length of the stroke of. the cutter is such that during theoperation of the device each of the points of the cutter teeth sweeps across two of the notches of the guard member. Each of the rows of teeth of the cutter is adapted to be cut in a single operation by means of a multiple cutter of the type used in forming the notches of the guard member, which procedure greatly facilitates the production of the device.

The cutter is provided with cross-arms 34 by means of which it is guided in its movement in the guard member. The individual teeth of the cutter are flat on top and their sides are slanted inwardly so as to define approximately a three-. sided pyramid having

sharp edges

35, 35 and" meeting in a very fine cuttingp int 33. Due to the high speed at which the cutter is reciprocated, it is believed that substantially all of the cutting takes place at the points of the cutter teeth and as the hairs in the notches are not disturbed or contacted by anything prior to their meeting the cutter points, avery eflicient cutting action is effected.

The developed view of the guard member l in Figure 11, clearly shows :the shape and arrangement of thenotches or slots ll of the guard member. It has been found in practice that satisfactory results may be achieved by using a guard member of approximately one and onequarter inches inlength having thirty-five slots along. one edge and thirty-five or thirty-six slots along the other edge arranged in staggered relationrto the first group-of slots. It has also been found that the device operates very satisfactorily by having the widest part of the slots measure .028 of an inch in-width..

. The widest portion of each of the slots preferably is locatedat or adjacent to the edge of the g-uard member, and when the given number of the slots 'arranged'as described, the openings thereof overlap'eachother to an extent equal approximately to one-third the overall length of the guardmember so that a single up and down 'stroke of the'shaver in a straight line will serve to expose to the cutting edges of the device, substantially the entire area of the surface so travers'ed. I

In Figure 12, there is illustrated a form of cutter 90 which maybe used in connection with the cutter is provided with substantially the same number of teeth II as there are slots in the guard member. Very satisfactory results have been achieved by cutting the teethof the cutter so that the adiacent top edges of the teeth form an angle in a horizontal plane of approximately twelve degrees, as indicated at 02 in Figure 12. The

opposite sides I; and 84 of eachadjacent pair of teeth are cut so as to form an. angle of about two degrees in a vertical plane, As viewed in Figure 12, looking downwardly at the top of the cutter, the sides 93 and 94 of the cutter converge toward each other as their lower edges are approached. i I

It has been foundithattby making the teeth 7 in this manner, the surfaces forming the cutting edges thereof may be ground and lapped without diificulty. The angle of divergence of the adjaof some or all of the teeth by unequal amounts,

so that the cutting edges of the teeth do not all operate in unison. For example: the three successive spaces defined by the points of the

teeth

95, 80,11 and might be spaced .032, .028, .030 of an inch respectively, and with the succeeding groups of the cutter teeth arranged similarly, the effect would be that one-third only gghe cutters would operate in unison at a given Similarly, where four different spacings of the cutter teeth are used, only one-fourth of the total number of the teeth can cut'at a given time, and this same principle may be extended to the point where the cutting can be eflfected at but one tooth at a time, in which case, of course, it wouldbe necessary to reciprocate the cutter with a longer stroke. As a simple example of this latter arrangement, the first pair of cutter teeth are spaced .035 of an inch from each other and each successive pair of teeth are spaced .001

devices shown in mares 1 to 10. This form of of an inch further from each other so that when the thirty-fifth tooth is reached, the spacing between the last two teeth would be substantially double the spacing between the first two teeth. Ln'moving a cutter with teeth arranged in this manner, across the inner face of the slotted guard member, the teeth from end to end successively sweep across the equidistantly spaced notches of the guard member.

It is, of course, understood that'all of the various cutters disclosed herein, may have their teeth arranged as suggested above. This unequally spaced arrangement of the teeth does not introduce any manufacturing difllculties because the teeth of the cutter are formed by means of a single, rotatable, multiple cutter and the individual cutters of such a cutter may, without diihculty, be made to cut in the manner specified. While it is preferred to apply the unequal spacing just described to-the cutter.

teeth,-the same result may be achieved by having the cutter teeth spaced equally and by spacing the notches of the cooperating guard member unequal distances apart in the manner previously points 16 of the teeth of the cutter 8, or any of the other disclosed cutters with pointed'teeth for that matter, engage the hairs I" very closely to the skin It", and the sharp pointed ends of the cutter in cooperating with the side edges of the slots of the guard member, readily effect the severing of the hairs.

It should be apparent from a consideration of Figure 13, that the cutters of the shavers disclosed herein have no tendency to knock the hairs away from the cutting edges of the device,

' as the initial engagement of the cutter with the hairs takes place at the time the hair is cut, and for this reason, the shavers illustrated herein may be operated eifectively to cut the hair when translated across the skin at a much higher speed than has heretofore been considered feasible or proper for satisfactory results.

The double-headed cutter illustrated in Figure 1 is provided with four cutting edges which, if

desired, may be arranged to cut the hair at four different heights merely by varying of the width of the slots and the thickness of the guard bars along the line traversed by the points of the teeth of the cutters. It is preferred, however, to have both cutting edges at each side of the device adjusted for the same degree of cutting so that one head of the device cuts the hair closer to the skin than does the other. This arrangement is desirable because no two people have the same type of skin or hair, and where one cutting adjustment would be satisfactory for one person, the same might shave too closely to the skin for other people and by having a choice of two diiferent optionally usable cutter heads in a single device, it may be satisfactorily used by a much larger number of people.

The single-headed cutter shown in Figures 3 and 6 has two cutting edges which, if desired, may be arranged to cut the hair at different degrees of closeness to the skin, as previously suggested in connection with the shaving machine employing a double-headed cutter.

Attention is directed to the fact that in each and every form of the invention, the bars of the guard member are extremely narrow and relatively thick at the point of admission of the hair so that there is little or no tendency on the part of the guard member for bending over the hairs or otherwise holding them away from the points of the cutter.

It should be noted too that the thinnest portion of the guard bars is at the point of their greatest width so that ample strength is provided without, however, sacrificing close cutting qualities in the device. The provision of a flat working surface at the underside of the cutter, as in the case of most of the devices illustrated herein, greatly facilitates the grinding and lapping operations performed in sharpening the edges at the underside of the guard bars defined by the notches or slots of the guard member.

In each and every form of the invention, ample space is provided between the cutter and the guard member for receiving cut hair and there is no danger of the movable cutter becoming wedged or jammed in the guard member by reason of the accumulation of hair and other material between the cutter and guard member,

Flanges or cross-arms such as 34, may be used with most of the cutters disclosed herein.. These elements serve to guide the cutter in its movement in the associated guard member and at the same time they define compartments below the cutting edges of the cutter for receiving the hairs which are sheared oil by the cutter. The 7 litter receiving space thus provided may be readily cleaned without difiicult'y. The outer edges or the cross-arms are relatively narrow in width so that they do not cause a great deal of friction at their line of contact with the guard member. The narrow edge of the cross-arms has the added advantage in that there is little danger of hair and other material collecting between such edge and the guard member in quantities 'sufiicient to retard or stop the operation of the cutter. This form of cutter is also effective in confining collected litter to certain localities and in keeping such litter away from certain of the operating parts of the shaver where it might cause damage.

The face-contacting or slotted portions of the various guard members may, for the. sake of convenience, be referred to as a shear plate. In

many of the modifications of the invention, the

are presented for purposes of illustration and explanation and that various modifications of said apparatus and procedure may be made without departure from the invention as deflned in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is:

1. A device of the type described comprising, a hollow outer guard member with transversely extending slots defining a plurality of closely spaced, widthwise extending cutter bars, a cutter member movably mounted inside said guard having transversely extending cutting elements contacting and cooperating with a portion only of each and every one of said cutter bars, portions of said cutter member adjacent to said cutting elements being spaced inwardly away from the inner surface of said guard member so as to define two longitudinally extending passageways, one at each side of the contacting portions of said cutter bars and said cutter elements, and means for translating said cutter member.

2. In a device of the type described, the combination with a handle of a unitary cutter head carried at one end of the handle, and means inside said handle for operating said cutter head, said cutter head comprising a fixed, slotted, outer guard member, a cutter movably mounted therein, a hollow element projecting from said guard member cooperating with a complementary aperture in said handle for centering and locating the cutter member with respect to the handle and means in said hollow element for maintaining said cutter in yielding contact with said guard member.

3. In a hair clipper the combination of a substantially U-shaped outer member, having a pair.

of side walls and a contact section therebetween; two sets of V-shaped cutting edges in staggered relation at opposite sides of the outer member; an inner member, housed for reciprocatory movement in the U-shaped outer member; and two sets of V-shaped cutting edges in staggered relation atopposite sides of the inner member co- 2,272,123 operable with the cutting edges on the outer member.

,4. In a hair clipper the combination of an edges on the outer member having a converging rake relative to each other; an inner member,

' outer member; a plurality of pairs of cutting I housed for reciprocatory movement in the outer said guard and cutter bars above said teeth of said movable cutter of a reduced thickness, and means for moving said cutter with the top of its teeth in contact with said intermediate portion of the slotted portion of said guard member.

10. Adevice of the class described comprising a guard member having two series of slots arranged one alongside the other defining cutter bars t their opposite ends. havin face portions th reel of reduced thickness, a movable cutter spaced from the sides of said guard member contacting the intermediate inner tion; sets of cutting edges extending inwardly of the contact section from each of. the side walls; a continuous integral bar of zigzag form extending longitudinally through the contact section to form teeth and to support the cutting edges throughout their length intermediate the side walls of the outer member; an inner member having a pair of side walls and an interconnecting contact'section; sets of cutting edges extending inwardly of the contact section from each of the side walls; and a continuous integral bar of zig-,-zagform extending longitudinally through thecontact section to form-teeth and to support the cutting edges of the inner member throughout their length intermediate the side walls of the inner member.

6. In a cutter device the combination of an outer member having a chamber; integral cutting edges on the outer memberarranged in a continuous zigzag form on opposite sides of the outer member; an inner member arrangedfor reciprocatory movement in the chamber of the outer member; and cutting edges on the inner member ofiset relative to the cutting edges on the outer member to respectively cooperate progressively therewith.

'7. A device of the class described comprising an apertured guard member defining a series of surface of said guard member and having teeth traversing said slots at a point of reduced thickness, and means for translating said cutter.

11. In a hair clipping device, a bent over guard member slotted along its bent over edges so as to define a comb with bent over teeth which are supported at their opposite ends, a movable cutter having teeth in contact with the central face portiononly of the underside of the comb teeth of said guard member, said central face portion of said guard member engaging the teeth of said movable cutter being of relatively thinnercon struction than the lateral side portions thereof, and means for translating said cutter.

12. A hair clipping device comprising a supporting structure, a comb portion, and a movable cutter spaced from the sides of said structure having teeth movable across the teeth of the comb, the teeth of said comb being bent over at their mid points and joined at their ends to said supporting structure.

13.'In a shaving machine, in combination, a handle, a cutter head comprising a fixed guard member, a movable cutter member mounted to 1 reciprocate in said guard member having a re.-

closely spaced bars in the face portion thereof supported at their opposite ends and providing cutting edges across a limited portion of the inner face of the guard member, a cutter spaced from the sides of said guard member having teeth adapted to slide across said cutting edges, the portion of the bars of said guard member lying above said cutter being of reduced thickness, and

means for translating said cutter.

8. A device of the class described comprising a guard member having a series of slots cut across the face thereof defining a series of cutter bars supported at their opposite ends, a movable cutter spaced from the sides of said guard member having pointed teeth traversing a limited intermediate portion of the inner face portion of the guard member, said cutter bars being of reduced thickness along a line defined by the outer sides of said movable cutter, and means for translating said cutter.

9. In a device of the class described, a guard member slotted along its edges to define a series of combined guard and cutter bars which are supported at their opposite ends, a movable cutter spaced from the sides'of said guard member cess on the underside thereof, a hollow' screw member for securing said guard member to said handle, a pressure member oscillatably mounted in the hollow portion of said screw member, and engaging the recess in said guard member, and a spring member for urging said pressure member against said cutter member.

14. In, a shaving'machine, in combination, a handle, a cutter head comprising a fixed guard member, a movable cutter member mounted to reciprocate in said guard member, a hollow screw member for securing said guard member to said handle, pins oscillatably mounted in the hollow portion of said screw member in contact at one end with one side of said cutter member, and

resilient means for urging said pins into; contact. with said cutter member and thus maintaining the cutter member in contact with said guard member.

15. A shaving device comprising a relatively fixed guard member having a face plate with two series of'slots arranged side by side lengthwise of the guard member and separated from each other by arelatively thicker portion of the guard member, the face of said guard member being of such width and shape that both series of slots may be; simultaneously presented to the skin during the normal operation of the device, a cutter member movably mounted in spaced relation intermediate the sides of said guard member for having pointed flat top teeth with angularly dismember an'd having the, intermediate portions of traversing the central inner face P rtion thereof, and means for translating said cutter member transversely of the slots of said guard member.

16. A shavingdevice comprising a fixed guard member having aface plate with a series of relatively narrow cutter bars connected at-theiropposite ends to the body of the guard member and defining a series of slots. a toothedcuttermem ber movably mountedin said guard member in spaced relation intermediate the sides thereof in contact with a limited portion of the inner central bearing surface thereof, and means for translating said cutting member transversely of said cutter bars.

17. An implement of the class described including a guard having two separate sets of shearing teeth in the face portion thereof, one being off-set with respect to the other, a relatively movable cutter spaced from the sides of said guard engaging a limited intermediate central portion of said teeth, said teeth being so related to those of the guard that one series of teeth is always opening when the other series of teeth is closing.

18. An implement of the class described including in its structure, a guard having two oppositely arranged series of shearing teeth in the face portion thereof staggered traversely with relation to each other and a cutter member spaced from the sides of said guard having corresponding teeth engaging a limited portion of the central inner face of said shearing teeth intermediate the sides thereof, arranged in traverse alignment with each other.

19. An implement of the class described including in its structure a head having an end face with slots arranged in two off-set series therein, and a cutter spaced from the sides of said head engaging a limited central portion of the inner end face having corresponding teeth arranged in matched series.

20. A device of the class described comprising a movable cutter, a notched guard member therefor providing a series of closely spaced bars supported at their opposite ends, the bars at one end providing closely spaced cutting edges for cooperation with the teeth of said cutter and the notches of the guard member defining diverging slots extending laterally from the central portion of the guard member in order to permit hair to freely enter the space between the cutting edges of the bars of said cutting member before being exposed to the teeth of said cutter, said movable cutter spaced from the sides of said guard member traversing a limited central portion of the inner face of said guard member intermediate the sides thereof, and means for moving said cutter.

21. A device of the class described comprising a guard member having two series of slots cut therein defining two series of cutter bars supported at their opposite ends, a movable cutter spaced from the sides of said guard member in contact with a limited portion of the inner face of the guard member intermediate the sides of the inner face of the guard member, the slots of a said guard member extending forwardly of the portions of the cutter members of said cutter member, the material of the cutter bars'being relatively thicker for the portions of the bars adjacent to the wide portions than it is for the portions of the bars adjacent to the narrow portions of the slots, a movably mounted cutter spaced from the sides of said guard member having cutting members in contact with the portion of the cutter bars intermediate the sides thereof, and means for translating said cutter.

23. A shaving device comprising a combined guard and shear plate having two series of slots located one closely along side the other with the slots thereof-arranged in staggered relation and adapted to be presented simultaneously to the skin, said guard and shear plate having a thickened portion between said series of slots extending lengthwise of the plate, a movable cutter having teeth traversing a limited portion of the inner surface of said plate in spaced relation intermediate the lateral sides thereof.

24. A shaving device comprising a combined guard and shear plate having two series of slots located one closely along side of the other with the slots thereof arrangedin staggered relationship and adapted to be presented simultaneously to the skin, said slots each having wide and narrow portions with the narrow portions of the slots of one series adjacent and opposite to the narrow portions of the slots of the other series and separated from each other by a thickened pore tion of said guard and shear plate, the summation of the widths of the spaces at the side portions of the slots of both series equaling or exceeding the lengthof said member, a movable cutter having teeth traversing a limited portion of the inner surface of said plate in spaced relation intermediate the lateral sides thereof and means for translating said cutter.

25. In a device of the type described, a guard member with a skin-contacting portion, a movably mountedcutter spaced from the sides of said guard member in engagement with a limted portion of the underside of the skin-contacting portion of said guard member, said cutter having a row of transverse cutter elements, said guard member having a row of transversely extending slots with closed ends defining a row of transversely extending cutter bars lying above the cutter elements of the cutter, the end portion of said cutter bars and the adjacent portion of said guard member lying above said teeth of said cutter elements being relatively thinner than the rest of the cutter bars and guard member so that close cutting is achieved without substantially weakening the cutter bars, the relatively thin portion of the guard member at the ends of the slots between the cutter bars and above the cutter elements serving to pry up hairs lying close to the skin, and means for translating said cutter.

26. In a device of the class described, in combination, a guard member, a cutter element T- shaped in cross-section spaced from the sides of said guard member and having formed on its upper face immediately adjacent angularly disposed flat-toppedconnecting cutter teeth with pointed ends at the opposite edges of the cutter element.

27. In a device of the type described, in combination, a guard member, a cutter element spaced from the sides of said guard member comprising two series of cutter bars, the ends of the bars of one series joined to the corresponding ends of the bars of the other series, the bars of one series being angularly disposed with respect to the bars of the other series.

EDMUND J. TE PAS. EMIL G. BERG.