US1901591A

US1901591A - Safety razor

Info

Publication number: US1901591A
Application number: US598681A
Authority: US
Inventors: Clarence A Godshalk
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-03-14
Filing date: 1932-03-14
Publication date: 1933-03-14
Anticipated expiration: 1950-03-14

Description

March 14, 1933.

C. E. GODSHALK SAFETY RAZOR Filed March 14, 1932 INV EN TOF? Clarence fl G'adsfiajzf:

W/T/VESS HTTOHNEY Patented Mar. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES CLARENCE A. GODSHALK, OF

SAFETY Application filed. March 14,

This invention relates to safety razors and more particularly to a construction wherein the pivoted top or cover of the razor maybe lifted or opened to expose the blade without 5 disconnecting the blade from the razor.

The object of this invention is to provide a razor, the interior of which is readily accessible and in which the blade is retained securely attached to the frame or holder structure when the razor is'opened to expose the inner surface of the razor and the blade for cleaning and sharpening purposes.

A further object of this invention is to provide between the main razor blade support or seat and the top or cover therefor, a blade retainer in which a standard razor blade is firmly held when the top or cover is in its open or in its closed position.

A further object of this invention is to flexibly attach a razor blade retainer to the pivoted top or cover of a razor in such a manner that the razor blade retainer and the blade held therein are advanced substantially forwardly to bring the cutting edge of the blade in the front edge of the rigid razor blade support of the razor so that the edge of the blade can be wiped or dressed (honed or stropped) without removing the blade from the razor and the blade retainer and the blade mounted thereon are retracted from said'advanced position to the proper cutting position by the simple closing of the top or cover down upon the blade.

A further object of this invention is to provide a razor with a spring or tension device which bears upon the blade retainer when the razor is in its closed position for use in shaving, to take up any backlash or looseness in the connections between the blade retainer and the cover and between the cover and the rigid portion of the razor to hold the blade firmly stationary with respect to the rigid support when the razor is used for shaving.

A further object of this invention is to provide a razor structure which is adapted to cooperate with a power driven razor sharpener of the character disclosed and claimed in 50 an application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 596,176, filed by me and David Behrsing of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania as joint inventors, on the second day 0 March, 1932. Q

Further objects of this invention will appear in the specification and claims below;

Referring to the drawing forming apart of this specification and in which the same reference characters are employed throughout the various views to designate the same parts,

Fig.1 is a vertical sectional view of the essential parts of my improved razor, the same being shown in its open position;

'Fig. 2 is a like vertical sectional view of the top of the razor in closed position, as it is when in use for shaving; I I f Fig. 3 is a plan sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1 showing in plan view the razor blade, the blade retainerand the link connection between the blade retainer andthe cover ortop;a nd i Fig. 4 is'a fragmentary front elevational view of the top of the handle and the lower part of the rigid blade support with the springs mounted thereon and operative to hold the top or cover in its open or in its closed position andto impose a tension or yielding pressure on the blade retainer.

The razor embodying my invention oomprises the ordinary cylindrical handle 1 to the top of which is firmly secured a rigid member 2 preferably composed of 'a stiff metalsheet stamped, comprising in the main a back plate 8, a curved top portion 4, an inner wall 5 and a forwardlyextending seat or bottom 6 which, is provided with the usual series of slots or cuts 7 and'with the downturned lip or flange 8. 1 V V The bottom or seat 6 is preferably longi- 9O tudinally curved or depressed below the side rails or bars 9, but adjacent the inner wall 5, the rails and the portion of the bottom therebetween merge into a curved position 10 rising slightly above the upper level of the side rails to form a fiat seat 11 for the blade retainer referred to below. The opposite side edges of the rigid member 2 are providedwith integral lugs or pins 12 on which the top or to a closed position and vice versa.

cover 13 is pivoted to be swung from an open 17 17 located adjacent the rear low'ercorners of the lid or cover 13. With respect to the plane of the blade supporting plate or rails 9, the axis of the pivotal connection between v the links 16 and the cover 13 is lower than the axis of the pivotal connection between the cover 13 and the rigid member 2, with the result that the blade retainer 14, to which the links 16 are also pivoted, will advance as the lid or closure 13 is being raised and will be retracted as it is being closed.

- The blade retainer 14 is provided at its votheredge with an undercut slot 18 extending the full length thereof for the reception of a the rear thickened back edge 19 of the'other- .wise thin blade 20 having a cutting edge 21. The back edge 19 of the blade fits into the enlarged undercut portion of the slot 18 and I the thin blade itself fits in the narrower front portion of said slot projecting outwardly forwardly therefrom. The backedge 19 may be longitudinally slid into the said slot 18 and may be fixedly held therein by friction or by any other suitable means.

The blade retainer14 slides forwardly with its ends resting on the side rails 9 as the top is raised, to advance the cutting edge 21 of the blade well beyond the forward edge of the seat or bottom 6 and rearwardly as the top is closed to retract said retainer and blade to a position wherein the cutting edge of the blade also rests on the side rails 9 and over the slots or cuts 7.

As the blade retainer 14 nears the rearmost limit of its said motion, it rides upwardly over the curved portion 10 of the bottom, thus tilting the retainer 14 to bring the cutting edge 21 of the blade 20 into contact with the seat 11. In this position, the top or cover 13 is closed and the cutting edge 21 of the blade isfirmly. pressed against the rails 9 by the forward edge 22 of the top or cover 13.

l To permit the links 16 to pass the inner wall 5 as the coveror'top 13 is swung on itspivot pins, the side edges of the inner wall 5 are providedwith notches or recesses 23, a little deeper than the thickness of the links 16.

To retain the top or closure 13 in its open and in its closed positions to the back plate 3, is riveted a spring plate 24 having two arms 2525 extending from the sides thereof upwardly and forwardly and then laterally andterminating in spring plates 2626, which respectively lie flat and firmlypress against the bottom side edges 2727 of the top 13 when the cap or top is in its closed position. When the top is being raised, the

said spring plates 26 are depressed by the curved rear edges 28 of the sides 29. Since the side edges 28 are in advance of the pivots 12-12 of the cap 13 when the said cap is in its open position, the spring plates 26 pressing against the rear ends 30 of the sides 29 of the cap hold the rear edge 31 of the top of the cap firmly, pressed against the upper surface of the curved portion of the rigid member 2.

The rear end of the cap 13 is open except as it maybe partially closed by the curved top portion 4 of the rigid member 2 and it .is provided with a thumb piece 32 extending rcarwardly and slightly upwardly to enable the user of the razor to open and close the top by pressing against thesaid thumb piece 32. To permit of this movement of the thumb piece, the curved portion 4 of the said rigid member is provided with an ample opening 33.

The spring plate 24 is also provided with. an intermediate vertically extending spring '34terminating in a rcarwardly projecting lip or flange 35 which firmly presses against the lower end of a stiff spring lever 36, said end being heldfirmlypressed against the front side of the back plate 3 by the resiliency ofthe spring 34. At the lower" end of the lever 36 is a lip 01' flange 37 making a decided angle with the adjacent portion of said lever and projecting generally forwardly therefrom, the lip 35 of said spring 34 bearing against the said lever 36 at or close 'to the angle between said lever 36 and said lip 37. The said spring lever 36 extends upwardly and forwardly and its upper .end 38 extends into a slot 39 in the top of the cover 13. The lever 36 is preferably provided with a bent portion 40 to the rear of the inner wall 5 but spaced therefrom to' 5 15161:

ingly press against the rear edge of a lug or projection 41 extending rearwardly from the blade retainer 14 through an opening 42 side rails 9 when the blade retainer. is on its :through the Said Wan lVhen thelid or cover 13 is closed and the blade retainer is inits rearmost position on the seat-11, the lever 36' is arranged to bear with a yielding-pressure against'said lug or projection 31 by reason of the pressure of the lip 35 on the spring 34 upon the lip or flange 37 of the lever 36 with the upper end 38 of the said lever out of contact with the forward end of the slot 39. But when the lid is being swung to its raised position, the. forward edge of the said slot 39 engages the upper end38 of said lever 36 and the lever 36 will be swung upwardly and'rearwardly rocking on the outside of the angle made by the lip 35 and immediately prior to the confirmly pressed against the curved portion 4 of the rigid member 2.

This yielding pressure of the lever 36 against the lug or projection 41 is for the purpose of taking up any looseness or backlash that may exist in the linkages by means of which the blade retainer 14 is connected to the lid or cover 13 and between the cover 13 and its pivots or lugs 12, thus holding the blade fixedly in position when the raise is being used. v

In order to sharpen or clean the razor blade 20, the user first thrower-the top or cover 13 of the razor on its pivot pins to its open position by pressing the thumb piece 32. In so doing, the blade 20 fixedly held in the blade retainer 14 slides forwardly with the blade retainer until the cutting edge 21 of the blade projects well beyond the lip or flange 8 on the bottom or seat 6. If he wishes to hone or strop the razor he merely inserts the blade, still retained in the blade holder, into the sharpening machine, such as is shown in the said. copending application above referred to, the holder or retainer 13 being operative to prevent the blade from being drawn inwardly too far between the rollers.

If he merely wishes to clean the razor he may allow hot running water to flow over the enire inner surface of the razor, both sides of the blade 20 and blade retainer 14 being accessible by reason of the loose linked con nection between the retainer 14 and the top or cover 13. In so doing the blade 20 is still retained within the retainer 14. It does not 'fall out of the razor and one is no? liable to cut himself on the blade thus firmly mounted in the holder as he would be were the blade loose and requiring the manual removal of the blade from the holder in ord r to clean the blade and the holder.

To properly position the cutting edge of the blade with respect to the holder in position for shaving, the operator merely has to push on the thumb piece 32 or on the top of the cover and close the same, for in closing the cover the rotary movement of the cover draws the links 16 and the blade retainer rearwardly until the lug or projection 41 projects through the opening 42 in the inner wall and the retainer 14 is on its seat 11 in front of the rear wall 5. When fully closed, the front edge 22 of the top or cover 13 presses hard against the upper side of the blade due to the tension and pressure of the spring plates 26 against the bottom side edges 27 of the top or cover.

But in swinging to that position the upper end 38 of the lever 36 bearing lightly against the top of the cover 13 follows it downwardly bearing harder and harder against it as the pressure of the lip on the lip 37 increases due to the rotary movement of the lever about tact of the edge 22 of the cover with the blade, the lug 41 of the blade retainer 14 moves into engagement with the bent portion 40 of the lever 36 and bears with a yielding pressureon the said projection or lug 41 sufficient to take i up the looseness or backlash between the retainer 14'and its links 16, between said links 16 and its pivot pins 17 and between the cover 13 and its pivot pins 12.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

I 1. In a razor, the combination of a handle, a rigid member rising from said handle longitudinally thereof and then projecting laterally transverse to the axis of said handle to form a rigid blade supporting plate, a cover, a pivotal connection between said cover and said rigid member, the axis of said pivotal connection being substantially spaced above the plane. of said blade supporting plate, a 1

blade retaining member normally resting on said blade supporting plate andextending transversely thereof, means to fixedly hold a razor blade in said retaining member with the.

cuttingedge-of said blade projecting forwardly therefrom, a pivotal connection between said retaining member and said cover, the axis of which connection is belowthat of the pivotal connection of said cover to said rigid member whereby when the front edge of said cover is being raised, said blade retaining member and theblade carried thereby slide forwardly on said blade supporting plate to bring the cutting edge of said blade forward and clear of'the front edge'of said blade supportingmember and whereby when said cover is being closed said blade retaining member slides rearwardly on said supporting member to position the blade adjacent the front edge of said blade supporting member.

2. "In a razor, the combination of a handle,

a rigid member rising from said handle longitudinally thereof and then projectinglaterally transverse to'the axis of said handle to form a rigid blade supporting plate, a cover,

low that of the pivotal connection of said.

cover to said rigid member whereby when the front edge of said cover is being raised, said blade retaining member and 'the blade carried thereby are slid forwardly on said blade supporting plate to bring the cutting edge of said blade forward and clear of the front edge position;

of said blade supportingmemb er and wherelongitudinally from one end of said handle and then projecting laterally transverse to the axis of said handle to form a rigid blade supporting plate, a cover, a pivotal connection between the rear end of said cover and said ri'gidmember, the axis of which pivotal connection is spaced above the planeof said blade supporting plate, a blade supporting member comprising a bar, and means to fixedly secure a razor to said bar with the blade projecting forwardly therefrom, the ends of said bar being permanently pivotally connected to the sides of said cover respectively at points on an axis below the axis of said pivotal connection between said cover and said rigid member, and means to firmlyhold said cover stationary in its open and closed 4. In a razor, the combination of a handle, a rigid bar secured to the end thereof extending longitudinally therefrom and then projecting laterally transverse to the axis of said handle to form a rigid blade supporting plate, a cover pivotally attached to said rigid member on an axis substantially above thevplane of said blade supporting plate, a

blade retainer comprising a bar and means to fixedly hold a razor blade therein with the edge of said blade projecting forwardly therefrom, a pair of links, each respectively having one end pivotally attached to one end of'said bar respectively and the other end of said links pivotally connected to the sides of said top'respectively on an axis below the axis of the pivotal connection of said cover to'said rigid member, and yielding means to -=hold said cover in its open and in its closed position. I

5,. In a razor, the combination of a handle,

I a rigid blade supporting member fixedly secured to said handle and projecting laterally transverse to the axis of said handle, a cover,

a pivotal connection between said cover and said blade supporting member, a blade re- .taining member normally resting on said blade supporting member, means to fixedly hold a razor blade in said retaining member withthe cutting edge of the blade projecting forwardly therefrom, means connecting said cover and said blade retaining member and operative to slide said retaining member cutting edge of said blade forwardly clear of and beyond the front edge of said blade supporting member when said cover is being raised and to retract said blade retaining member and said blade carried thereby to' bring the cutting edge of. said blade into shavin relationship with respect to the front edge o said blade supporting member when said cover is being closed. i

'6. In a razor, the combination of a handle, a rigid blade supporting member fixedly secured to said handle and projecting laterally transverse to the axis of said handle, a cover, a pivotal connection between said cover and said blade supporting member, a blade retaining member normally resting on said blade supporting member, means to fixedly hold a razor. blade in said retaining member with the cutting edge of the blade projecting forwardly therefrom, means connecting said cover and said blade retaining memher and operative to slide said retaining member and the blade carried thereby forwardly on said blade supporting member to bring the cutting edge of said blade ,forwardly clear of and beyond the front edge of said blade supporting member when said cover is being raised and to retract said blade retaining member and said blade carried thereby to bring the cutting edge of said blade into shaving relationship with respect CLARENCE A. GODSHALK;