US1978988A - Self sharpening safety razor - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 30, 1934. P. cooK ET AL SELF SHARPENING SAFETY RAZOR Filed Feb. 13, 1952 PAUL COOK PAUL P. COOK INVENTORS. may

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 30, 1934 A 3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to razors and it refers more particularly to devices of that character known as self sharpening safety razors. The present invention is in the nature of an improve- 5 ment upon the razor described and illustrated in United States Patent No. 1,681,466, issued on August 21, 1928, and which is characterized by the inclusion therein of an abrasive roller and a pivoted blade holder adapted to be released from shaving position so that incident to a back and forth rolling action of the roller over a superficiary, the opposite side edges of the blade will be brought against the roller for sharpening.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sharpening roller of an improved form of construction especially with reference to the formation of the roller shell, in the provision of grooves in the shell for containing strips of an abrasive material by which the blades are sharpened, and of the arrangement of the strips to provide a one point contact of blade with the abrasive material.

Another object is toprovide an improved form of blade holder which facilitates the insertion and .25 removal of blades, which firmly and safely retains invention, we have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the razor in which the guard is released from the blade holder as for sharpening and the holder is in position for removal of the blade.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the roller; this view showing the blade holder and guard set for shaving. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the sharpening roller with its mounting shaft partly withdrawn therefrom.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the blade.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the blade holder and blade in assembled relation. Q

Fig. 6 is a front end view of the razor head and showing an alternative means for rotating the abrasive roller.

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail of a part of the device of Fig. 6.

Referring more in detail to the several views of the drawingi The razor, as illustrated in its entirety in Figs. 1 and 2, embodies a handle portion 1 provided at one end with a threaded stud 2 whereby the handle may be securely, yet removably attached to a frame of a yoke like character comprising a flat base bar 3 with laterally turned opposite end portions providing mounting jaws 4 and 4d pe tweenwhich the roller, the guard, the blade holder, are mounted as will presently be described, this frame is of metal of a slightly resilient character to facilitate assembly of parts, yet has ample rigidity to insure an eflicient and durable mechanism.

The type of blade employed is that illustrated in Figure 4 and it comprises a flat piece of metal 5 sharpened along one longitudinal edge, as at 5,or on both edges. The opposite ends are arouately rounded, as illustrated, to facilitate insertion or removal from the holder, and in its opposite end edges are notches 6 and 6a. The notches are equally spaced from the sharpened edge of the blade so as to provide proper alignment of the blade when it is assembled in the holder. The location and shape of notches may be varied according to location and form of the studs on the blade holder described hereinafter. For a double edged blade the openings of the blade would be on a center line and studs placed accordingly.

The blade holder consists of a spring metal plate 13 folded upon itself to provide opposed faces adapted to yieldingly grip the blade when it is inserted between them. One face of the holder designated as the outer face, covers substantially all of one side surface of the blade, leaving the sharpened edge only exposed. The other face of the holder designated as the inner face, overlies the other side surface of the blade and it is formed with oppositely extending arms 13a.13b for pressing against opposite ends of the blade to hold it firmly against the outer face of the holder. These arms are separated from the body of the plate by notches or slots 1414a extending thereinto from opposite side edges, thus providing that the arms under pressure may bend away from the outer face of the holder. At the outer ends of the arms are short pivots 8-811 rotatable within openings 8' and 8" provided respectively in the jawse and 4a of the frame to mount the holder and permit the rotation thereof essential to reversing the assembly for sharpening both sides of blade, the dotted circle 5a and the dotted lines 5b and 5c in Fig. 2 showing the blade movement. A small pinion gear 9 is fixed on the pivot 8a. for effecting the rotative action as will be set forth hereinafter.

Lugs 12-12a are provided at opposite ends of the arms 13a and 13b which are curved outward from the face of the clip to aid in inserting the blade and which also interlock in the guard, as presently described, to hold the parts in proper relation for shaving. Studs 11 and 11a are also providedat the opposite ends of the arms 13a and 131). which project inward and are designed to seat within the notches of the blade to hold it in 8-8a of the bar mounted in the jaws of the frame and the parts'adjusted to the position,"as shown in Fig. 1, should downward pressure be applied against the central portion or bridge 130 of the inner face of the blade holder, the arms 13a and 1327 will yield and the outer face or.jaw'lof the holder will be moved down and away from the pivot supported ends of the arms 13a and 1319, thus releasing its holding pressure against the blade, and permit the blade to be pushed from the studs 11 and 11a, as illustrated in dotted lines on Fig. 5. The blade will then be released from the projections of the holder and may be dropped or withdrawn therefrom; Likewise, when the holder isthus depressed, a blade may be inserted within the holder and, on releasing the pressure on the bridge of the holder, the arms will again spring toward the outer face and the. studs 11-110; will be projected into the end notches 6-611 of the blade to hold it in the interlocked relation for sharpening or shaving.

The blade holder with blade secured therein is held in. position forshaving, as in Fig. 2, by a blade guard which, in Fig. 1, is shown in a position released. from the holder to permit the necessary action of the holder for sharpening the blade. This guardcomprises a strip of metal'or othersuitable material, provided at its opposite ends with legs 2l-21 having pivots 22-22 seated within openings 22 in the jaws 4-40. to pivotally mount the guard so that it may swing from and against the blade holder. The outer longitudinal tion of the guard is a thumb piece 23 by which the guard is adjusted into and from shaving position. It is curved outwardly to overlie the'handie, and in a manner to bear yieldingly against the edge of the base or cross bar of the frame, as in Fig. 2, thus to serve as a spring catch which, by reason of its particular shaping, operates to yieldingly hold the guard against the blade holder for shaving, or to hold the guard free and clear of the blade and holder for sharpening. When in shaving position, the toothed edge of the guard rests against the sharpened edge of the blade, as shown in full lines in Fig.2, but when it'is adjusted to position for sharpening, it assumes the dotted line position 20a, thus being clear of the path of rotation of the blade designated by the dotted circle 5a in Fig. 2. When the guard is adjusted against the holder for shaving, its move- I ment is limited by-reason of projections 24a at its opposite ends coming into contactwith the pointed end portions 4b of the jaws 4-4a of the frame, Also, there is an interlocking between the guard and the blade holder 13 by reason of the projecting ends 12-12:; of the holder seating behind the shouldersor notches 240 provided in the guard to receive them. I

The sharpening means provided within the razor for sharpening the blade comprises a cylindrical roller 30, which, in a preferred form, comprises a cylindrical metal shell having one or more helical grooves 31 formed lengthwise therein. Preferably-there would be three of such grooves, as in Fig. 3, with strips 32 of an abrasive material removably disposed therein, so that they may be scrapes changed or turned when such is desired, without necessitating the removal of the roller from its frame for this purpose. leather, metal or other suitable material, and may be permanently or removably secured to the roller.

In its prefererd form, the roller shell would be of a thin spring metal and the base walls of the several grooves would be symmetrically spaced about the axis of the shell and would provide a central passage 33 and a yielding bearing surface conforming to an axial shaft 34 by which the roller is mounted in the frame. The shaft, as shown, is provided with mounting trunnions 35 at its ends rotatably contained in openings 35 in the jaws ll-4a permitting rotation of the shaft.

The pitch of the grooves about the roller should be sufiicient that during a sharpening operation, as the end of one abrasive strip passes from contact with the blade at one end, the next srtip will come into'cont'act with the blade at its other end, thus to provide contact by the blade with but one strip at a time, so as to insure that the blade edge will not come into contact with the metal shell of the roller. V

The advantages gained by this particular construction ofv the roller reside in the ease with which the abrasive strips may be inserted or changedif necessary. The chief advantage, however, resides in the insurance of the blade edge making perfect contact with the abrasive throughout its length, regardless of irregularities in the surface of the roller, inaccuracies of manufacture, changesof alignment due to accident and like incidents which are practically unavoidable by any other construction.

When the parts are assembled in the frame, the roller axis is parallel with the axial lines about which both the guard and blade holder pivot and the shaft 34 is provided at one end with a pinion gear 36 fixed thereon. This meshes with an idler gear 40 mounted by a stud 41 on the jaw 4 and which, in turn, is in mesh with the gear 9 on the arm 13b. This provides that rotation of the shaft in" opposite direction by reason of rolling the roller in opposite directions upon a surface, will through this gear train cause the blade holder to be actuated about its mounting pivots to bring opposite .edges of the blade into contact with the roller for sharpening, as shown by dotted circle 5a and dotted blades 5b and 5c in Fig. 2. A belt connection may be substituted for the gears. The friction between the blade and roller may be increased by magnetizing the roller shell.

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' Assuming that the various parts are so con- 139 structed and have been assembled as described, and should it be desired to sharpen the blade Within the razor, the guard is adjusted away from the holder by pressing downwardly on the thumb piece 23, thereby adjusting the guard outwardly to the position in which it is shown in Figure 1, and to the position shown in'dotted lines in Figure 2. The roller 30 is then caused to be rolled back and forth-over any suitable surface, preferably upon the palm of the hand, and as the sharpening roller thus rotates, the friction between it and its mounting shaft causes the shaft to 1'0- tate accordingly, and by means of the gear train the blade holder assembly is turned on its pivotal mounting until the blade edge rests against the roller in position for sharpening. As the roller continues to revolve, the friction between "it anditsshaft holds' the blade tightly against its l lo

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sureof'the roller againstthe surface upon which it is being rolled and the tension of the spring metal roller on the shaft. Then by reversing the direction of movement of the roller, the blade assembly will be turned to the opposite side of the roller and the sharpening of the other side of the blade edge will be effected in a like manner. It is evident that the blade assembly may be reversed and also pressed directly against the roller by the fingers.

When used for shaving, the blade assembly is turned to the full line position shown in Fig. 2 and the guard is moved inwardly into contact with it so that the edge of the blade rests against the toothed edge of the guard. The guard is then held securely in position by the interlocking of the projections 12 and 12a of the blade holding arms 13a-13b within the notches or recesses 240 provided in the ends of the guard, and by the latch 23.

When the razor is not in use the edge of the .blade may be protected by turning the holder to aposition at which the blade edge will rest on the side of the roller which is adjacent the base of the frame, see dotted blade 5c, Fig. 2, and then pushing the guard forwardly until the toothed edge comes into contact with the pointed ends of the frame. In this position the blade is covered and is protected between the roller and the frame and beneath the guard. Since the projections 24a of the guard prevent the guard resting against the blade, there will be a slight movement of the blade holder permissible, and

this permits the blade to lift away from the roller in case of accidental turning of the roller, and this avoids accidental cutting of the abrasive strips.

' thumb may be placed on the central portion thereof 1%, the latter is pressed downwardly and in this way the outer jaw of the holder is moved away from the blade and the blade is released and unseated from the projections 11 on the arms. When thus released, it may be withdrawn from the holder. While the jaw is thus held in its depressed position, a new blade may be inserted and on releasing the holder the latter will clamp the blade tightly between the outer jaw and pivot jaw of the holder with its studs and thus hold it securely.

In Fig. 6 is shown an end view as well as illustrating an alternative form of construction and method of rotating the roller in both directions. This is done by looping a tautly drawn core 40 about a drum 41 secured to an extended mounting hub 42 at that end of the roller 30 and then drawing the razor back and forth along the cord. In Fig. 7 we have shown the hub 42 of the roller as being extended revolubly througha side frame member 4a and the shaft 34 terminating within the hub. Other forms may be used such as a guard made a part of the frame and the blade holder moved back and forth in openings in the frame to shaving or sharpening position.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new therein and on which Letters- Patent are desired is- 1. In a razor, a frame and a blade holding clip comprising opposite face portions connected to releasably grip a blade between them; one face portion being yieldable and having supporting connection with the frame for mounting the clip and adapted by application of pressure thereagainst in opposition to said supporting connection to be sprung to release the blade for removal from the clip.

2. In a razor, spaced frame members, a blade holding clip comprising spaced opposite face portions rigidly connected at one edge of the clip at a medial point and a blade disposed between said face portions; the opposite ends of one face por tion normally pressing inwardly against the blade to retain it functionally within the clip, and including means coacting with the spaced frame members to mount the clip, and providing supports whereby the said yieldable ends will be sprung away from the opposite face of the clip to release the blade when inward pressure is applied against that face of the clip.

3. In a razor, spaced frame members, a blade holding clip comprising connected opposite face portions arranged to receive a blade between them, a blade having end notches removably disposed between the said face portions; one face portion of said clip comprising yieldable opposite end portions normally pressing inwardly against the blade and having lateral projections seated in the blade notches to hold the blade functionally in the clip, trunnions at the ends of the said yieldable end portions mounted in said frame members and adapted to sustain the said yieldable portions when pressure is applied against the clip thereby to spring the said portions away from the opposite face of the clip and away from the blade to release it from said lateral projections for removal from the clip.

4. In a razor of the class described, a frame, a blade holding clip comprising a plate folded upon itself to provide opposed face portions adapted to receive a blade between them, a blade removably applied to the clip having end notches; one face portion of the clip being partially severed from the plate to provide a central connection and oppositely extending arms pressing inwardly against opposite ends of the blade to hold it seated against the opposite face portion of the clip, means at the ends of the said arms mounting the clip in the frame and projections on the ends of the arms disposed in the notches of the blade to retain it against displacement; said arms being outwardly yieldable to release the blade by pressure inwardly against the central portion of the 6 D.

5. In a razor of the class described, a frame, a blade holder mounted in the frame, a blade mounted by the holder, an abrasive roller in the frame against which the blade may be adjusted for sharpening, a guard and yieldable means for pressing it against the blade holder to retain the blade in shaving position; or with the blade edge in a protected position between the roller and guard; and means on the guard engageable with the frame to withhold it from contact against the holder while the blade is in protected position to permit a limited freedom of movement of the holder.

PAUL COOK. PAUL P. COOK.

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