US2073713A

US2073713A - Razor

Info

Publication number: US2073713A
Application number: US638313A
Authority: US
Inventors: Siegel Edward
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1932-10-18
Filing date: 1932-10-18
Publication date: 1937-03-16
Anticipated expiration: 1954-03-16

Description

RAZOR Filed och 18, 1932 rf UNITED [STAT Patented Man f 16, 1937 RAZOR o i, o fnawarafsigpi, NewYork, N. Y.` t, Application october 1s, 1932,` serial No, 638,313`

l" This invention relatesito safety razors; "and,

renewable blade. o o

`now `appraised,the` invention is ofgreatest` o value in connection witha `ho'e-typerazor oi the io" familiar `inne ywherein .thegno1de1-mc1udes twcrr parts, to^wlt, Ian underlying member or blade i table andan upper member or 'lblade cap, `so

, i shaped Yand arranged `that when the, .removablef and renewableblade is doubleedged with'cut-v "i115 ting edges at `itsfopposite sideszandA is highly-` flexiblei and of the thin or so-callednribbonftype such av blade can be interposed between `the table i o and the cap and these `partsvcan` then be secured: l "together toclampfthe bladeto set` both its edges i 20 for Vshaving, whileflexing the blade transversely.

The importance of the present invention resides in this; that something longland fruitlessly heretofore sought in the arthas beenl attained, to wit, a true slicing or wiping-shear ofthe hairs of` the "beard incidental to easy and natural movement of the blade holder.V `By a true-slicing or wiping-shear ls meant a single sweepof the blade -edge over the face beingfshaved,` inrsuch manner that the direction of sweepis the resultof the blade-edge, one-laterallythereof and the other longitudinally thereof, and not only therefore diagonal or `oblique to the blade-edge--but `oi? the bladefitselfacross the face. A

Thel'patentsoofthe prior art are numerous wherein attempts to obtainaftrue slicing of the",`

bladeedge of a hoe-type razor by naturalmanip- `ulation of the handle thereof are evidently in mind; but, sofar "as I am aware, none of these acts to give a shavingactlon different from the.

o the hairs to be cut, with `sucl'x edge actually performingno slicing at all.` The resultis that' the effect producedA is fa chop Aor scrape, with the accompanying disadvantages fof more or less` painful chang, anfuneven" andunclean shave.

the conclusion of, it` not during, the nrstjshaving performed with a `new"blade.v Various 4previous workers in theart; attempting to providefor a 5,5natural trueslicing cutoi the razor blade edge,

ant of "two simultaneously performed movements 'also diagonal or obliqueto thedrection of sweep proposed structures, when thus manipulated,

`andan "appreciable dulling of Itheblade-ellge at l comme: (014311+14211 have felt, but (quite erroneously, they had solvedthe problem merelybyshaping and ar-v ranging the razor parts so that 1when a exible or cylindrically curved blade was clamped to position, or llexed` to cylindrlcity on theholder, the cutting edge of the blade would `be obliquely inclined to the general line. of,` extension of the handle on viewing the razor side-,elevationally rather than in topplan. Other previous `workers in the art have even gone so far, while cylindrically exing their blades oreven holding them flat, to propose that such blades have cutting edges which are regularlylor irregularly curvilinear.; Variousother expedients have been rel-oV sorted to heretofore, includingthe proposal that `the blade",` if a double-edge one, be made in the shape of a truncated triangle so as toperrnit the blade holder to be tapered toward one end there-o4 ofjfor the purpose of givinggreater visibility and` thereby avoiding` the danger of cuttlngprojecting parts of` the ear orjaw, and thatA thisV blade be clamped in the holder and against a conical surface to have the blade transversely curved yet with its cutting edges perpendicular to the gen- `eral line of extension ofthe handle on viewing taneous and cooperant action, in a hoe-type safety razor the blade of .which has a. straight cutting edge, twojof the `features yeach separately heretofore proposed by different workers in the art, `but iallaciouslyy so proposed, as itself the true` answer to the problem of providing an automaticrtrue slicingof saldi cutting edge; thereby actually and for therst time to solve "that problem.' In other words, the present invention is basedonl my discovery that the problem stated can be solved, and only solved, `by providing inv one'and `the same hoe-type razor: o

j (a) A transversely curved or curvable blade having a straight cutting edge (such blade hav-r ing, if desired, two cutting edges, one on each of the two oppositesides thereof); o o

(b') A holder for mountingthe' blade thereon in such manner as to `curve or hold the vblade curved in"agreementfwith a conically curved surface the taper oi' -which runs 4with the direcftion of extensiony of, a cutting edge of the blade;

tionally rather than inl plan, lthe general lineot i extension of the handleis perpendicular to the general line of extension of the holder, and the blades cutting edge is at an oblique angle both to the general line of extension of the holder and to the general line of extension of the handle.

A now preferred way of carrying out the invention, in a hoe-type razor, is to have the blade of substantially truncated triangular outline with cutting edges along both the inclined and converging sides thereof, to have said blade of the thin flexible or ribbon type the origination of which is commonly ascribed to Gillette, and to have the blade clamping parts of the holder comprise mainly or wholly a blade table the upper surface of which is conically convex and a blade cap the under surface of which is conically concave and the upper surface of which is conically convex. WithA such a razor, when the blade is clamped in the holder between the under surface of the cap and the upper surface of the table, the oblique angularity of a cutting edge of the `blade to the general line of extension of the handle automatically cooperates with the conicity of the blade and holder, when the razor handle is in the usual manner drawn over the face, to cause the cutting edge of the blade so to move over the beard as to slip both longitudinally and laterally of the cutting edge to give a true slicing.

In the preferred form of the invention, further, and in order to provide a razor simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and easy to assemble and disassemble as well as easy to clean and dry in either condition, the handle is readily detachable from theA holder, and the holder is readily separable into table and cap. K

Aside from satisfying the objects hereinabove indicated, the invention has as another objectto provide means for insuring quick, proper and safe flexing of a flexible renewable blade, incidental to the insertion and clamping of the latter between the table and cap of the holder; such means taking the form of one or more elongate slots in the blade, preferably also substantially of truncated triangular outline, running lengthwisely of the blade, and having the general line of extension and the opposite converging sides thereof if tapered projectable to meet at a common point with projections of the two converging cutting edges of the blade at opposite sides thereof,-in combination with a protuberance or protuberances on the holder forl accommodation within such slot or slots.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing. This drawing shows an embodiment of the invention as at present preferred; it being understood, however, that the showing thereof is merely illustrative of present preferences, and is not to be taken in any way in` delimitation of the invention beyond the prescriptions of the appended claims, which claims of course deilne the scope of protection contemplated.

In said drawing,

Figure I is a side elevation showing the parts assembled.

Figure II is a perspective view looking toward the right in Figure I.

Figure III is a top plan view of the blade table of the holder.

Figure IV is a transverse section taken on the line 0-0 of Figure I.

Figure V is a bottom plan view of the blade cap of the holder.

Figure VI is a top plan view of one form of razor blade.

Figure VII is a similar view showing another form of blade.

Figure VIII is illustrative of the action of razor and blade during shaving.

Referring first to Figures I to VI,.both inclusive, there is shown a hoe-type safety razor including a handle I, and a blade-holder comprising a blade table 2 and a blade cap 3; said holder for clamping and positioning a double-edge blade 4 to bring its

opposite cutting edges

4e and 4d properly over

marginal combs

2e and 2f of the blade table so that said table serves also as a safety or guard plate. The blade 4, substantially of truncated triangular outline, is provided with three slots 4a., 4b, and 4c therethrough; each of such slots also being substantially of truncated triangular outline, with the general lines of extension of the slots and their tapering sides converging in such manner relative to the convergence of the blades cutting edges 4E and 4F that said edges, said general lines of extension, said sides, and the center line or axis A-A of the plate are all projectable to meetat a common point 4G.

As best seen from a comparison of Figures andl II, the blade table 2 is conically convex on its upper surface except where interrupted by three protuberances 2b, 2c, and 2d, these protuberances similar in shape to and for entering respectively the blade slots 4a, 4b, and 4c; and the blade cap 3 has its under surface conically concave (except Where interrupted by an upwardly extending recess 2b for receiving the tops of said protuberances where the latter extend through said blade slots to project above the blade 4) in correspondence to the conical convexity of the upper surface of the blade table 3. The upper surface of the blade cap 3 is smoothly conically convex all over, the cap being generally of crescent-form cross-section thereby laterally to thin down to opposite side edges 3c and 3d for overlying the side marginal portions of the blade 4 a slight distance in rear of the

cutting edges

4e and 4d of said blade.

The slots in the blade, and the protuberances on the blade table, as shown, are circularly rounded at their opposite ends, these roundings merging smoothly with the tapering straight sides of the slots and protuberances.

The protuberances fit nicely Within the slots so as to set the blades two cutting edges precisely as prevised; and, by virtue of said slots and protuberances, a very thin blade can, without danger of cracking or otherwisev being injured, be conically curved to an average radius o'f curvature laterally thereof muchsmaller than would otherwise be safe to attempt with an ordinary blade of the same shape and of the same thinness and temper.

When the holder parts 2 and 3y are clamped tightly together, the former under the plate and the latter over the same, the blade is conically curved from end to end thereof, and safely to an average relatively small lateral radius of curvature as aforesaid; and, due to the bearing down of the side marginal portions of the blade cap 3 on the side marginal portions of the blade where the latter rest on the properly shaped upper sides of the teeth of

combs

2e and 2 f, these marginal portions of the blade can be given exactly the shaving set intended.

Then, it will be noted (comparing Figures I, II, and VI), the razor as a whole is substantially mi l i "radius of curvature of the blade; and, simultak 9,073,713 T-shaped side elevationally, that is, as` viewed-in i `Figure I; and they general lineof extension'la` V i of the elongate dependent handle l,con'stiti1tingA both cutting edges 4dand4eof the blade, and also `both guard combsZe and 2f, -extendat' Aan oblique 'angle ito both the axis iig-Alf4 and the `genl, ACsi eraldirection of extension `of thenandle, while i the blade, and `alsothe blade 'cap `and said combs,

are 'conically curved. i i

The means shown for assemblingmand disas-` semblin'g the "parts of the holder Khereshown as on `thestud up' tightly against the underside of the blade table 2 or toscrewithe-same loose from i the blade tableand offthe stud. i* r i Ncornprisingtwo' partsjlthe blade table 2 andthe bladecap 34),? theV` blade 4; and thehandle I, inc1u`de`as shown, the `followingv elements: The 1 upper `end of the'y h'andlefis .axially xbored and" i g tapped to provide asocket having a cylindricalz internal *thread Ib. This' socketisfor 'the re* `ception of `a stud 3a, projected from-the lower ',side of blade cap 3 andhavirig an external thread matching the thread AIb: `the central slot `lib in "the blade having a circular enlargementjand the blade table 2 having" a circular hole,'through which said stud is passed. 1 `Tnassernbling or dis- `assembling thefrazor, thehandle `is merelyltwir'led inone direction or theiother to screw 'the same `The `blade 4 as shown is arcuateiycurved lopposite ends;` but `whatever bethe shapingsof "these blade en`ds, preferably `the distances Nbe` *tween the ends `of the slots in` the blade, longi` tudinally of the generallinesjof extension of the m,

slots, and said blade ends, are equal.' The ilexure of `the blade, whichas aforesaid is permitted tobe` markedly increased by the `bladey slots and their coacting protuberances Within the holder, i is arounda singleaxis A-A. :The `blade when.` thus exed'isviiexedto match a portion of the y rotundity ofacone.- Referring in this connec- ,tion to FigureIL the degree, ofV suchfflexure of thefblade is a function `of the radiiotthe arcs 29* andZh of the blade table `and ofY thearcs 3c andSJ` of the blade `cap;` it .beingnotedithah in accordance `with present preferences, the upper sides of `the combs `2e, and` 2fyareshown asfsmoothly4 curved continuations of the arcuate lateral curvatures ofthe blade table at itsr upper ,i

side..` The proper relative variation of said radii,

and/or loi `the curvatures ofl the upper sides of `thevcomb teetlij will give maximum eiiiciency of i i cutting action at each sideof` thefrazor. V f

.Duringshavingqthere is, when the Jrazor is` ,glmfoved in the usalvway oveixthe face by or- `dinaryipull onthe razor `handle Vlengthwisely` thereof, anauto-matic tendency of,` the holder and blade cutting edge `applied `to `'the face to have motions in `two directionsboth at an angle to the direction of `said pull. ,Referring to Fig-` ure VIII, there is aniautomatic tendency of the holder and the entire razorto move laterally-.of

t `bsaidpullfandjata `considerable if `not a-righty angle thereto,-that is, in the direction-.of `thej une rr-L, and :in the direction of diminution of neously, an automatic tendency of the face-conl,tabting cutting edge of the blade and con- ,i tiguous comb 2e or Zito move obliquely relative to thedirection of pull, in fact almost perat its pendicular to the direction `ofextension off said cutting edge of the blade, as indicated 4by the line DD. The resultant effect of these two tendenciesrtoward movements in the directions of the lines L-L and D-D, simultaneously exi hibited, is a movement of'l the holder and cutting L. edgein the directionof thelineDQ-R; givingar true slicing of the hairs of the beard. automatic movement of `the holder and' cutting `edge in the direction of the lineD-l-R is notonly` caused in `partby the oblique inclination of the cutting edgeto the `general `line of extension of" the handle and consequently to .the direction `of-v` natural pull lengthwisely of said handle,and in 1 part'by the conical 4curvatures vof blade and holder; but also "(as the-result" of' the conicityzl just referred to) by the fact that the axis AA,`

although perpendicular tother general` linev of the handle, is obliquely inclined;` tothe-surface i of the face beingshavedl 'Iniother words, -with th'eblade and' holder-top curved` conically pursuant` to the invention,` the cutting edge of the i blade is not only obliquely inclined -to the gene eral `line of extension ofthehandle side eleva tionally of the razor, but said `edge is `also obliquely inclined to` the' plane icontaining f the axis of the-cone and hence obliquely inclined to the axis `A---A when the razor is viewed in ytop plan;`

`and since in shaving the'cutting edgeis laid flat against the face, andthe faceiis in the plane of said cutting edge, and the latter is obliquely inclined to` the axis AJ-A when the razor is viewed in plan as just stated, said aXisA--A is also obliquelyinclinedtothe face;

Referring finally to Figure,v VII, the `modiiied` forrnofrazor blade shown, also;rdesirably, `a douf ble edge one, differs fromfthenblade illustrated in Figure Vrby `the fact that, instead of a plurality `of elongateand longitudinally tapering slots being.

provided in the blade, there is but a single such slot provided in the blade,` and` one` so tapering longitudinally that whiletthe center 'line` thereof is projectable to meet at a common, ypoint projections of the cutting edgesfon opposite sides of the blade the tapering sidesof said slot are substantiallyparallel to such cutting edges. "I'hisblade is also shown ashavingfsmoothly curvilinearly` notched corners, 'as vthese `in practice have been found to increaseease and safety in iiexing the blade to lateral curvatures of comparatively small4 radius.

Wherever the blade or holder has been herein referred to aspresenting a substantially truncated triangular outline,'there is meant, prefer-` ably, as shown, the outline of` an isosceles triangle.` N

truncated perpendicular lto itsaltitudeior parallel to its base.-

`WhatI claim as my inventionJ and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

-1. A safety `raiior comprising a head and a ham-` dle, said head including cap `and guard members` and an interposed thin, flexible blade, saidf head being oblong but narrower at one end than` at the other, means on said cap co-operating with said handle to drawthe parts of the razor head t`0- gether, said cap and guard members having minor 1 portions comprising central `zones dening a pronounced transverse curvature, saidblade having i a central slot and a slot on opposite sides thereof whereby the major portion of said blade is formed into sections united at their ends by flexible hinges, said cap and guard members having beyond said minor portions extensive guiding surfaces whereby the outer sections of said blade' are clamped into positionswhich dene planes which if convergently extended would meet in a line at right angles to the axis ofthe handle, the edges of said blade defining a plane at a substantial inclination to the axis of said handle, whereby while shaving the drawcut action may be automatically `produced in addition to the maintenance of a proper shaving angle resulting from the extensive guiding surfaces.

2. A safety razor comprising a head and a handle, said head including cap and guard members having an interposed thin, flexible blade, said members having a minor central zone portion of pronounced curvature, said head being oblong but narrower at one end than the other, means on said cap co-,operating with said handle to draw the parts of said headtogether, saidblade having a centralv slot and two similarslots on opposite sides of said central slot, thereby dividing the major portion of said blade into sections united at their ends by flexible hinges, said guard meme ber having positioning means received by said slots, the major portion of said slots being defined by straight lines converging toward the narrow end of the razorl both sides of said razor head beyond said-centralzone forming extensive guiding surfaces which terminate in shaving edges substantially inclined tothe axis of the handle whereby simultaneously yboth a proper shaving angle may be maintained and a drawcut action may be automaticallyproduced substantially as described. Y

V3. A razor, having a head including cap andl guard members and aninterposed thin, flexible blade, said head being oblong and narrower at i one end than at the other, a handle for said razor,

means on said cap andco-operating with said handle for drawing theparts of said razor head together, said blade having slots and said guard havig positioning means received by said slots, the lines defining .the major portions of said slots being straight and convergent toward the narrow end of the head, said razork head having a central zone defining a pronounced curvature having its axis at substantially right angles to the axis of the handle, the remaining portions of said head defining smooth, extensive guiding surfaces 4which terminate in shaving portions inclined substantially to the axis of the handle whereby the razor may be guided at a proper shaving angle across the face and produce in addition automatically the drawcut action of an inclined edge, substantially as described.:`

4. A safety razorlhead having-cap and guard members and anV interposed thin, flexible blade, said members-and blade being oblong and nar rower at one end than at the other, a handle for said razor meanson said cap in co-operation with said handle for drawing the parts of said razor head together, the long edges of ,said cap, blade and guard being obliquely inclined to the axis ofthe handle and adapted to produce automatically a drawcut action when said razor is drawn across the face in shaving, the outer portions of said blade being supported in planes by said members, the outer majorportions of said head defining extensive guiding surfaces to facilitate guiding the razor over the face at a proper shaving angle in addition to maintaining the automatic drawcut action.

5. A razor blade `having straight shaving edge portions on each of its opposite side edges, Asaid blade having one broad end and its opposite end comparatively narrow whereby said shaving edges define lines inclined oppositely relative to the longitudinal central axis of said blade, the major portion of said blade being divided longitudinally into sections by a plurality of longitudinal slots, one'of said slots vbeing centrally arranged, with at least one of the other slots located between the central slot and each cutting edge, the edges of said sections and slots being defined at least throughout the major portion thereof by straight lines, said lines converging toward the narrow end of the blade whereby said lines, if sufficiently projected beyond said narrow end, will all meet in a point, said slots adapted to receive positioning means.

6. A safety razor comprising a head and a handle, said head; including cap and guard members `and an interposed thin, flexible blade, said head having one` end narrower than the other, said blade having a plurality of slots extending longitudinally thereof, oneof said members having blade positioning means received by said slots to properly align the blade and members. said members having minor portions of pronounced curvature comprising central zones, the4 remaining portions of said members being of reduced or slight curvature and terminating in edges defining planes at an oblique angle to the handle, said portions supporting the outer shaving edge portions in planes at a proper pitch to the handle as well as the inclined blade edges in a drawcut position, said cap member defining plainI smooth extensive guiding surfaces whereby the razor may be guided at an efficient pitch over the face in shaving for simultaneously and automatically producing in co-operation with said inclined razor edge an effective drawcut action substantially as described.

7. A safety razor having a handle, cap and guard members and a wafer-type blade interposed between said cap and guard members, said members and blade being oblong and narrower at one end than at the other, means for drawing the cap and guard members together to cause them to clamp the blade between them, the long edges of the cap, blade and guard being obliquely inclined to the axis of the handle and adapted to produce automatically a draw-cut action when said razor is drawn across the face in shaving, the blade when clamped in cutting position lying wholly in a curved surface having a straight line generatrix and having its cutting edges lying in a straight line which is inclined both to a plane perpendicular to the handle and to a plane definedv by the center line of the handle anda straight line lying in the curved surface and intersecting .said center line.

8. A safety razor having a thin flexible blade Wider at one of its ends than at the other, a

`handle, clamping means between which the' blade is flexed, said clamping means being so shaped thatthey flex the blade and hold it in cutting position so that it lies .in a curved surface corresponding to a portion of the surface of a cone, with the cutting edge of the blade co-` inciding with the generatrix of said surface and lying obliquely with respect to a plane perpendicular to the handle.

EDWARD SIEGEL.