US2423595A - Dry shaver - Google Patents

Description

E. C. HALL lDRY SHAVER July 8, 1947.

Filed Aug. 29, 1944 INVENTOR. 70642 C /KQLL BY ,4770

Patented July 8, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- DRY sHAvER Edgar C. Hall, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application August 29, 1944, Serial No. 551,646

(Cl. Sli- 43) Claims.

This invention relates to electrically operated razors which are commonly referred to as dry shavers, because they need no lather or other beard softening agents to effect shaving operations. An object is to provide a dry shaver which includes cutters, arranged for continuous rotation rather than for oscillation or vibration, as is customary with other types of shavers.

My invention contemplates the provision of a dry shaver having a plurality of coaxial arcuate blades or cutters rotatably mounted relative to a non-rotatable blade, so that successively adjacent cutters of the series will progressively cooperate with the stationary bla-de for cutting the beard of a user, as the shaver is moved over the face.

An object, also, is to provide a shaving mechanism in which the rotatable cutters of identical form, are cut away or recessed so as to provide corresponding cutting edges and concentric arcuate portions in order that when certain of the cutting edges are operatively engaged with the stationary blade and in cutting position, other cutters will be inoperative and their arcuate peripheries will be as close to the ilesh as possible, and will serve to prevent cutting of the flesh of a user. Preferably the cutters are so arranged on a common axis that no two adjacent cutters can cut at the same instant, and each cutter is disposed, with respect to alternating cutters from the rst to the nal cutter of the series, so that the alternating cutters are progressively operative. For instance, the odd numbered cutters have their cutting edges successively engageable with the stationary blade, while the even numbered cutters each has its cutting edge diametrically disposed with respect to the edge of the respectively adjacent odd numbered cutter and also progressively mounted.

It is an object to form the rotary shaver by the employment of a plurality of flat metal discs mounted on a common axis and so arranged and formed as to constitute each disc as a separate cutting element, together with means for commonly operating all of the cutters.

A further object is to provide a reversible stationary blade cooperating with the rotary cutters and provided on one margin with a straight cutting edge disposed over the peripheries of the rotary discs and on its opposite margin with a notched cutting edge for use particularly in cutting long hairs.

Still other objects include: means for conveniently mounting the operative parts of the shaver on a convenient; handle within which is housed a suitable motor and driving means, and means 2 for detachably mounting the stationary cutter. Other objects may appear as the description progresses.

With the aforesaid objects in View, I have shown, in the annexed drawing, a preferred form of shaver embodying my improvements, subject, however, to modication, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In said drawing: f

Fig. l is a perspective View of a rotary dry shaver embodying my improvements;

Fig, 2 is a sectional elevation of the same on a median Vertical line cutting the axis of the cutters;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section on line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a pair of detached rotary cutters coaxially alined in operative position, as shown in `Fig. 2

Fig, 6 is a fragmentary view of the cutter head showing the stationary blade reversed from the position of the same as seen in Fig. 1; and

Fig'. '7 is a section on line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Briey described, my shaver embodies a housing A forming a handle by means of which the device may be held for use, a bracket B attached to the upper end of the housing and forming a support for a cutting head C, a friction driving wheel D mounted within housing A and a motor M alsowithin said housing for rotating wheel D. Member B is preferably of integral form for mounting cutter head C, wheel D and the elements of motor M and is arranged to be slidably inserted in and withdrawn from housing A, as well as adjustable in the housing, as will hereinafter appear. To such end bracket B has outwardly and upwardly extended end portions I and 2 forming a support for the cutter head and in which a shaft 3 is journalled. Immediately adjacent the inner sides of portions I and 2, I provide circular discs 4 and 5, respectively, and between said discs 4 and 5 I provide a plurality of thin, similar cutting discs 6, 6, etc., which are closely tted together on shaft 3 and all of the discs 4, 5, and 6 are suitably xed to the shaft as by means of a pressed t or key. y

Discs 6 have arcuate peripheral surfaces 1 which are concentric with their shaft 3, cutting edges 8 which extend in a common direction from recesses 9 and radial edge portions l0. As shown, particularly in Figs. 3 and 5, each adjacent pair of cutting discs 6 when operatively positioned on shaft 3, have their radial edges I disposed substantially on diametrical lines with the cutting edges 8 projecting in opposite directions from such line. Hence, as shown in Fig. 5, the recesses 9 in discs E are of less extent than one-half of the peripheries and the gaps in the entire cutter are closed by alternating discs so that the cutting edges can at no time damage the skin of a user. Of course, the discs are very thin and each cutting edge is protected by the two opposite peripheral portions 'I.

Overlying the discs S I provide a reversible stationary cutter II of arcuate cross section and having a single continuous cutting edge I2 paralleling the axis of shaft 3 and on its opposite margin, a toothed guard I3 with spaced cutting edges I4 at the roots of the guard teeth and adapted to be alined with and to overlie the discs 6 when the edges I 4 are used as for cutting long hairs. Cutter II is held in position with one marginal portion I2 or I3 overlying a bar I5 which is integral with or attached to and spans the distance between the ends I and 2 of bracket B, while the intermediate portion thereof is frictionally held beneath a longitudinal bar I 6 which is hinged at I1 to a radial arm I8 extended from an end of bracket B. Bar I6 is detachably connected at I9 by any suitable means to the extremity of a radial arm formed on the end of bracket B opposite its hinged connection Il'. Blade Il is formed with perforations 2I in which lugs 22 on bar I6 seat (Fig. 4) for holding the blade against displacement.

Opposite the cutting edge of blade I I, I provide a guard 23 of arcuate cross section which is a part of bracket B and connects, as by means of radial arms 22, with ends I and 2 of said bracket, said guard having teeth 25 arranged to hold the skin of a user against the possibility of damaging the skin as the cutters rotate in a clockwise direction, as shown in Fig. 3. It may be understood that the cutting edge I2 of blade I I and the teeth of the guard 23 are relatively disposed and spaced so as to provide only a necessary contact with the face of a User and are as thin as possible so that the face of a user may be shaved as closely as possible without injury.

I provide a frame E having sides 25 and 25 and a bottom 21 which is extended downwardly into housing A so as to provide a mounting for motor M and driving wheel D. Wheel D is carried on a shaft 28 which is journalled in sides 25 and 26 of the bracket. An armature 29 is xed to shaft 28 as is also wheel D and for the sake of convenience, said armature is housed within the hollow wheel. Motor M has a field coil 30 and pole pieces 3l and 3'.l extended therefrom upwardly around the rim 33 of wheel D and thence into the wheel for proper relationship with armature 29, as shown. Or, if desirable, the eld and armature of the motor may be incorporated in wheel D to the same effect as in conventional electric motors` Wheel D has a frictional driving band 34 adapted to engage the peripheries of certain of the cutting discs 6 whereby continuous rotation of all of the axially connected discs may be effected.

At the bottom of housing A, I arrange an adjusting screw 35 which is threaded through the bottom 36 of the housing and has a head 31 by means of which said screw may be turned at will. The upper end of screw 35 engages the bottom 2'I of frame E and serves to adjust the frame E, motor M and wheel D upwardly in the housing to a desired extent for establishing driving engagement between the wheel and the cutters 6, or when retracted, the screw permits the disengagement of the wheel from the cutters. It is well known that in motor operated dry Shavers, it is nearly always necessary to start the motor by manual effort. Hence, in my shaver, the release of the wheel D from the cutters 6 will eliminate retardation of the motor by reason of the friction between the wheel and cutters, after which, by again tightening the screw to a desirable extent, after momentum is established, the shaver will be in condition for use. Additionally, I provide on the side of the housing A, adjacent the web 38 of wheel D, an arcuate aperture 39 through which a finger may be inserted for contact with web 38 and the rotation of the Wheel initiated.

Adjusting nut 35 may have a central passage 40 through which an electric cord 4I may be extended for connection with a source of current.

In operation, when the motor is energized, current flows through the conductors of cord 4I to the fieldV coil 39 of the motor and the armature 29 is excited by prevailing magnetic action of pole pieces 3I and 32, thus tending to rotate the armature and also wheel D which are fixed for rotation together. Assuming that the band 34 of wheel D is drivingly engaged with the peripheries of cutters 5, the adjusting nut 35 is slightly loosened and the rotation of the wheel is initiated by applying a finger through aperture 39 to web 3B of the wheel, whereupon the nut 35 is sutilciently tightened to afford a good driving connection with the cutters and the rotation of the bank of cutters at a high speed is effected. The shaver is then applied to the face of a user in a customary manner, as shown in Fig. 3, with only sufcient pressure against the skin S so as to insure the cutting of the hairs H at points between the stationary cutting blade and the progressively operative cutting edges 8 of cutters 6. The cuttings of hair will be thrown outwardly from the cutter head as the cutters rotate. If extraordinarily long hairs are to be cut, the blade II may be reversed so that cutting edges I4 will assume the position of the edge I2 as shown in Fig. 3. The cutting edges I4 are especially adaptable for cutting hair around the ears or back of the neck of a user.

The mounting of the shaving unit in a manner so that the cutter head and operating mechanisrn may be separately detached and the latter adjusted for the purpose of starting the motor and compensating for wear of the driving wheel band, is a particular advantage and reduces the cost of maintenance and inconveniences irequently encountered in the use of other types of dry Shavers.

The stationary blade II is of thin cross section and therefore has more or less resiliency, at least to an extent suflicient to retain it in its mountings while yet permitting its reversal with facility.

As hereinbefore stated, the cutters 6 are arranged in two series consisting of the odd numbered and the even numbered cutters, each of which series is so disposed on and xed to shaft 3 than when considered in order, numerically, from the rst to the nal cutter of each series, the opera-tion of each cutter is slightly behind that of the preceding cutter, and the cutting edges of immediately adjacent cutters are spaced apartl to an extent of degrees, as Iare also the arcuate portions thereof. Thus, the cutters being thin, there is no possibility of cutting the skin of a user.

The essence of this invention, therefore, is in the provision of a dry shaver embodying a cutting head composed of a plurality of continuously rotatable cutters of similar form and so arnanged that while alternate cutters are operative, the others will be inoperative, a relatively iixed cutter blade, and a motor operated frictional driving meians applied to a,k unit composed of discs rigidly connected for simultaneous rotation.

However, in the consideration of my invention attention is called to certain outstanding characteristics without which it could not operate as Well, to-wit: The stationary blade I I is of arcuate cross section and thin enough to provide a degree of tension and flexibility so that When applied either as shown in Fig. l or Fig. 6 it will be tensioned in position by means of bar I5 and its straight cutting edge I2 or its toothed edge I4 will closely overlie the peripheries of the rotary cutters. In this connection, also, it should be understood that the cutting edge I2 is very thin and is ground only on its outer side in order that the blade may cut as close to the skin as possible without injury to the skin. Said blade is an integral device with two different kinds or cutting edges, one on each margin thereof, is detachable, replaceab-le and reversible. The rotary cutters cut with a shearing action as the hairs are directed into position between the rotary edges 8 and the stationary edges I2 or I4, as the case may be.

Hence, in general I have provided an emcient rotary razor which is sanitary, readily assembled and disassembled and economical in initial cost as well a-s in operation.

What I claim is:

1. A dry shaver comprising: a cutter head formed of a plurality of continuously rotatable coaxial cutters, a relatively stationary cutter blade cooperating therewith, and means for simultaneously and continuously rotating said rotatable cutters relative to said stationary blade, said means including a motor driven rotatable member having frictional engagement with -said rotatable cutters..

2. A dry shaver comprising: a housing, a cutter head mounted thereon and including a plurality of coaxially mounted cutters rigidly connected as a unit and formed with diametrically opposite recessed and arcuate portions and cutting edges atcorresponding margins of said recesses, driving means in said housing including a rotatable driving member engageable with the :arcuate portions of certain of said cutters for simultaneously rotating the cutters, and a stationary cutter overlying the peripheries of said rotatable cutters.

3. A dry shaver comprising: a cutter head formed of a plurality of continuously rotatable cutters, a relatively stationary cutter blade cooperating therewith, and means for simultaneously and continuously rotating said rotatable cutters relative to said stationary blade, said driving means including a frame, a motor and a cylindrical driving element carried by said frame, and means for selectively adjusting said frame toward and away from said rotatable cutters.

4. A dry shaver comprising: La housing, a cutter head mounted thereon and including a plurality of coaxially mounted cutters rigidly connected as a unit and formed with diametrically opposite recessed and arcuate portions and cutting edges at corresponding `margins of said recesses, driving means in said housing including a rotatable driving member engageable with the arcuate portions of certain of said cutters for simultaneously rotating the cutters, and a stationrary cutter overlying the peripheries of said rotatable cutters, and manually operable means for adjusting said driving member into and out of driving engagment with said rotatable cutters.

5. A dry shaver comprising: a housing, a cutter head mounted thereon and including a plurality of coaxially mounted cutters rigidly connected as a unit and formed with diametrcally opposite recessed and arcuate portions and cutting edges at corresponding margins of said recesses, driving means in said housing including a rotatable driving member engageable With the arcuate portions of certain of said cutters for simultaneously rotating the cutters, and a stationary cutter overlying the peripheries of said rotatable cutters, said rotatable cutters being arranged for progressive operation of the cutters.

6. A dry shaver comprising: a housing, a cutter head mounted thereon and including a plurality of coaxially mounted cutters formed with diametrically opposite recessed and arcuate portions and cutting edges at corresponding margins of said recesses, driving means in said housing including a rotatable driving member engageable with the arcuate portions of certain of said cutters for simultaneously rotating the cutters, and a stationary cutter overlying the peripheries of said rotatable cutters, said rotatable cutters being arranged in two series With the cutters of the two series alternately movable into and f out of cutting position.

'7. A dry shaver comprising: a housing forming a handle, a cutter head mounted thereon and composed of a plurality of substantially circular cutters rigidly connected as a unit and coaxially fixed to a common supporting shaft and peripherally recessed to form corresponding cutting edges, a stationary blade having a cutting edge overlying the peripheries of said coaxial cutters, a guard also overlying said coaxial cutters, and driving means mounted in said housing and engageable with certain of said coaxial cutters for continuously rotating said cutters in a given direction, and manually operable means for adjusting said drivingmeans relative tosaid coaxial cutters.

8. A dry shaver comprising: a housing, a frame bodily adjustable therein, a power driven element carried by said frame, a cutter head mounted on said housing and including a plurality of coaxial rotatable cutting discs rigidly connected as a unit of which certain discs are peripherally engageable with said driving element for effecting the continuous rotation of all of said discs, and a stationary cutting blade overlying the peripheries of said discs and cooperating with said coaxial discs for cutting hair.

9. A dry shaver comprising: a housing, a frame bodily adjustable therein, a power driven element carried by said frame, a cutter head mounted on said housing and including a plurality of coaxial rotatable cutting discs rigidly connected as a unit of which certain discs are peripherally engageable with said driving element for effecting the continuous rotation of said discs, and a stationary cutting blade overlying the peripheries of said discs and cooperating with said coaxial discs for cutting hair, and a guard also overlying said coaxial discs and fixed in its position relative to said stationary blade.

10. A dry shaver comprising: a housing, a

frame bodily adjustable therein, a power driven element carried by said frame, a cutter head mounted on said housing and including a plurality of coaxial rotatable cutting discs rigidly connested as a unit and having certain discs peripherally engageable with Said driving element for eiecting the continuous rotation of said discs, and a stationary cutting blade overlying the peripheries of said discs and cooperating with said coaxial discs for cutting hair, said stationary blade having parallel straight and toothed cutting edges on opposite marginal portions thereof, and means for reversibly supporting said blade in position for rendering either of said cutting edges operative at will.

11. In a dry shaver, a plurality of uniform rotary cutters coaxially mounted and rigidly connected as a unit and having concentric peripheral portions :ut away to form cutting edges, and power driven means engaged with the concentric portions of certain of said cutters for simultaneously rotating the cutters inthe same direction.

12. In a dry shaver, a plurality of uniform rotary cutters coaxially mounted and having concentric peripheral portions cut away to form cutting edges, and power driven means engaged with the concentric portions of certain of said cutters for simultaneously rotating the cutters together in the same direction, and a stationary cutting blade overlying the peripheries of the rotary cutters and cooperating therewith for eiecting a shaving operation.

13. A dry shaver comprising: a plurality of coaxial rotatable cutting disc xed for rotation as a unit, each disc having a peripheral cutting edge formed thereon, a cooperating stationary cutting blade overlying the peripheries of the rotatable discs, and frictional driving means engageablewith the peripheriesl of certain of said discs for simultaneously rotating the discs in the same direction.

14. A dry shaver comprising: a plurality of coaxial rotatable cutting discs having peripheral cutting edges formed thereon, a cooperating stationary cutting blade overlying the peripheries of the rotatable discs, and frictional driving means engageable with the peripheries of said discs for simultaneously rotating the discs in the same direction, said discs being. arranged so that the concentric portion of any disc will be adjacent the cutting portions of respectively alternate discs.

15. A dry shaver comprising: a plurality of coaxial rotatable cutting discs having peripheral cutting edges formed thereon, a cooperating stationary cutting blade overlying the peripheries of the rotatable discs, and frictional driving means engageable with the peripheries of said discs for simultaneously rotating the discs inthe same direction, said discs having arcuate peripheral portions and arranged so that the arcuate portion of each disc will be disposed adjacent to the cutting portions of the discs adjacent thereto.

EDGAR C. HALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,264,113 Ericson Nov. 25, 1.941 2,333,437 Olschewski Nov. 2, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 218,157 Switzerland Mar, 2, 1942

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