US2233446A - Shaving device - Google Patents

Description

Mrdl 4, 1941. .M. ANDIS SHAVING DEVICE Filed April 7, 1933 v I 3/ 2a aaw' g' 2/4 3/ INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHAVING DEVICE Mathew Andis, Racine, Wis.

Application April 7, 1938, Serial No. 200,566

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in shaving devices.

The invention relates more particularly to shaving devices of the type having a reciprocating cutter, driven by an electric motor or other suitable means and movable beneath a slotted face engaging part or fixed blade, whereby the device may be used without soap or other beard softening agent to greatly facilitate the shaving operation.

In devices of this type the shaving is accomplished by a shearing action between the fixed blade and reciprocably movable cutter, and efliciency of operation is dependent, among other things, upon a close contact between said members during operation. Heretofore various arrangements have been proposed for yieldingly urging the cutter into contact with the fixed blade. sulted in friction between the yielding means and cutter with objectionable wear upon the parts and noise during operation.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a shaving device as above described, wherein novel means is utilized for applying a floating tension to the lower surface of the cutter, and wherein sliding frictional contact between the lower surface of the cutter and the yielding means is eliminated.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide in a device as above described having supporting means and having a. cutter spaced therefrom, coil springs mounted between said supporting means and the lower surface of the cutter, said springs being anchored at their lower ends to the supporting means and at their upper ends to the cutter and being adapted to flex laterally to permit reciprocation of the cutter while yieldingly urging said cutter into close contact with the fixed blade during such reciprocation.

A still more specific object of the invention is to provide a structure as above described, wherein the fixed blade is carried by supporting posts which extend through openings in the cutter, said openings being of such size with respect to the diameter of the posts as to permit'reciprocation of the cutter, and there being coil springs surrounding said posts which are substantially the same diameter as the openings in the cutter whereby said springs may flex while the cutter is moving, without contacting said posts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shaving device as above described wherein thecutter is guided in its movement by the fixed blade and the depending flanges thereof.

These prior methods, however, have re- A still further object is-to provide a shaving device having supporting posts for the fixed blade wherein said posts have lower ends molded into the material forming the shaver handle.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a device as above described having a reciprocably movable cutter, a guard member carried by and movable with said cutter shaped to prevent cut hair from entering the end of the handle.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists of the improved shaving device and all its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating one complete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention, in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the head showing it attached to a portion of the handle;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, parts being broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of part of the structure shown in Fig. 1, showing the spring laterally flexed during movement of the cutter; and t Fig. 4 is a plan view of the hair guard.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the shaver handle is designated by the numeral 5 and may be formed of any suitable material such as Bakelite, and the handle may comprise two complementary longitudinal sections. The assembled handle has its outer end provided with a recess 6, and below said recess are shoulders 1 formed with bosses 8, or equivalent means, for cooperation with the lower ends of coil springs 9. Between the shoulders l is a central opening l0 through which the end ll of an actuating member projects. The actuating member may be of any desired type, but as shown is pivoted to the handle structure at I 2 and has-an end l3 which is operated by an electric motor in any well known manner. 7

The cutter or reciprocable blade [4 is preferably U-shaped in cross section, as shown in Fig. 2, and has outwardly directed flanges l5 which are slotted as at IE to form a plurality of cutting teeth, the slots communicating with the outer edges of the flanges l5. The cutter flanges l5 have teeth thereon formed substantially as shown in Fig. '7 of co-pending application Serial No. 124,416 filed February 6, 1937. The bottom portion of the cutter is formed with a central opening l1 within which a ring I8 is inserted,

and the outer end of the actuating arm H is received within the ring l8 to impart reclprocating movement to the cutter. The cutter is alsd formed on each side of the central opening 11 with openings I9, there being annular bosses I 20 depending from said openings as shown in Figl, for cooperation with the upper ends of the coil springs 9. Any other suitable means for anchoring the upper ends of the springs to the lower surface of the cutter around the openings l9 may be employed.

A guard member 2| (see Fig. 4) having downwardly bent edge-portions 22, is positioned adjacent the lower side of the cutter, and said guard has openings 23 which register with the openings 19 of the cutter and an opening 24 which fits around the ring l8 of the cutter. The upper ends of the springs 9 will serve to hold the guard in position as shown in Fig. 1. By referring to Fig. 2, it is apparent that the downwardly flanged edges 22 of the guard serve to direct cut hair away from the end of the handle and to the exterior.

Supporting posts 25 have their lower ends molded in the shoulders 1 of the handle with the posts projecting from said shoulders substantially centrally of the bosses 8. The outer ends of the posts extend through the openings l9 in the cutter and serve as supports for the fixed blade or face engaging member 26; The fixed blade is preferably formed with a substantially fiat upper surface and is provided with down-' wardly projecting flanges 21 on 'each edge. Each edge of the fixed blade is slotted as at 28, and said slots extend down into the flanges 21 as at 28' (Fig. 1) and terminate short of the lower edges of the flanges.

The center of the fixed blade has a depending ortion 29 to increase the thickness of the blade at the center. and the slots 28 terminate adiacent the edges of said thickened portion. The material of the fixed blade at each side of the thickened portion. wherein the slots are located, is of extreme thinness, but is, nevertheless of sufiicient rig d ty to su port itself against flexing. Screws 30 which have their heads countersunk into the thickened portion of the fixed blade may be employed to secure the fixed blade to the upper ends of the supporting posts 25.

The fixed blade ma have its end'edges formed with a rounded ridge as at 8|, for the purpose of preventing injury to the face from contact with the edges and comers of the fixed blade.

The diameter of the supporting posts 25 is I substantially less than the diameter of the openwhatsoever betweenthe posts and the cutter,

I and said posts serve solely to support the fixed blade. The coil springs 9 are of substantially greater diameter than the supporting posts 25 and are preferably of just slightly greater diameter than the openings l9 to fit around the depending flanges 20 and to prevent contact between any portion of the springs and the posts during flexing of the springs, said flexing being shown in Fig. 3.

The toothed portions l6 of the cutter reciprocate beneath the slots 28 of the fixed blade in downwardly opening channels 82, which channels are formed between the flanges 21 of the fixed blade, and the inclined edges 33 of the .2,2ss,44c

depending thickened portion of the fixed blade.

The fit of the cutter within said channels is such. that the cutter is guldedin the channels'during' its reciprocal movement as shown in Fig. 2.

Itis apparent from the above, that the springs 9 are so arranged around the supporting posts 25 as not to interfere therewith, and said springs constantly exert tension upon the cutter to keep the cutter teeth in close contact with the-teeth of the fixed blade during operation. By having the springs of substantially larger diameter than the supporting posts 25 and by having the openings l9 in the cutter of larger diameter than the supporting posts, flexing of the springs in the manner shown in Fig. 3 is permitted. Thus these springs constantly exert floating tension upon the cutter without being in sliding frictional contact with any part of the'device,-and furthermore the concentric arrangement of the springs and supporting posts results in a compact shaving head construction.

It is to be noted that the fixed blade has the major portion of its area formed of relatively thick metal as at 29 and has a substantially flat outer surface, opposite longitudinal edges of the blade being very thin as at 28 for a limited distance inwardly from the edges, and said edges being provided with downwardly extending fianges 21. Thus these thin portions 28 are supported against flexing by the-thickened central portion 29 and are further reenforced by the downwardly extending flanges 21. The slots 28 terminate short of meeting and preferably at the beginning of the thickened portion, and the outer ends of the slots terminate short of the lower edges of the flanges 21.. This structure of a thickened central portion 29 in combination with flanges-21 forms downwardly opening flanges 32 for cooperation with a U-shaped cutterand for guiding the latter, and the construction is still such that the fixed blade has a substantially fiat surface-from one shaving edge to the other.

Although only one. form of the invention has been shown and described, it is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated as may come within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a shaving device, a supporting structure,

the slots of the fixedblade and positioned below the latter, said cutter having apertures therein through which the supporting posts extend, and said apertures being of such size with respect to the thickness of the posts as to permit saidcutter to reciprocate, and coil springs surrounding the posts and connected at one end to the supporting structure and at the other end to the cutter for applyingtension to the cutter, said springs being of such diameter with respect to the posts as to flex laterally during reciprocation of the cutter without interference from said posts.

2. In a shaving device, a supporting structure, posts extending from said supporting structure, a slotted fixed blade supported by the outer ends of said posts, acutter slotted to cooperate with the slots of the fixed blade and positioned below the latter, said cutter having apertures therein through which the supporting posts extend, and said apertures being of such size with respect to the thickness of the posts as to permit said cutter to reciprocate, bosses depending from the cutter around said apertures, and coil springs surrounding said posts and connected at one end to r the supporting structure and at the other end fitting around said bosses of the cutter, said springs being of such diameter with respect to the posts as to flex laterally during reciprocation of the cutter without interference from the posts.

3. In a shaving device, a shaving handle having a recessed end, shoulders projecting inwardly within said recess, posts having lower ends secured to said shoulders and projecting exteriorly of the handle, a slotted fixed blade supported by the outer ends of said posts, a cutter slotted to cooperate with the slots of the fixed blade and positioned below the latter, said cutter having apertures therein through which the supporting posts extend and said apertures being of such size with respect to the thickness of the posts as to permit said cutter to reciprocate, and coil springs 29 surrounding the posts and connected at one end to the shoulders within the recess of the handle and at the other end to the cutter for applying tension to thecutter, said springs being of such diameter with respect to the posts as to flex laterally during reciprocation of the cutter without interference from the posts, said springs being substantially confined within the recessed end of the handle.

4. In a shaving device, a shaving handle, a slotted fixed blade carried by said handle exteriorly of an end thereof, a. cutter reciprocally movable between said fixed blade and the end of the handle and having slots cooperable with the slots of the fixed blade, and a. separately formed guard plate secured to the cutter and movable therewith, said plate having inwardly bent edges projecting beyond the sides of the end of the handle to deflect cut hair away from the end of the handle,

MATHEW ANDIS.

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