US2418677A

US2418677A - Razor blade dispensing container

Info

Publication number: US2418677A
Application number: US518111A
Authority: US
Inventors: Testi Nicholas
Original assignee: Gillette Safety Razor Co
Current assignee: Gillette Co LLC
Priority date: 1944-01-13
Filing date: 1944-01-13
Publication date: 1947-04-08
Anticipated expiration: 1964-04-08

Description

April 8, 1947. N. TEST! ,5

RAZOR BLADE DISPENSING CQNTAINER.

Filed Jan. 13, 1944 mun-mun IN VEN TOR.

Patented Apr. 8, 1947 RAZOR BLADE DISPENSING CONTAINER Nicholas Testi, Boston, Mass, assignor to Gillette Safety Razor Company, Boston, Mass, a corporation of Delaware Application January 13, 1944, Serial No. 518,111

6 Claims.

This invention relates to blade-dispensing containers providing a convenient form of packaging razor blades for distribution and furnishing the user with a reserve supply of fresh blades completely protected against damage up to the time of use. a

The fine cutting edge of a safet razor blade is so delicate in its structure that it is easily damaged by any chance contact that may occur before actual use. It is desirable that the manufacturer, who is best qualified to produce the fine edge of the blade, should also protect and pack the blades so that they may arrive safely in the users hands and be maintained at his disposal until he is ready to proceed with the shaving operation. At that time the user should be able safely to draw fresh blades one by one from their container as required.

With these conditions in view an important feature of the present invention consists in an enclosure for containing a stack of blades of any convenient number and having an outlet slot bounded by a fulcrum shoulder in one of its side walls. With this structure is combined means movable into engagement with the uppermost blade in the stack for separating that single'blade from the stack and swinging it about the fulcrum shoulder into a position projecting outwardly through the said outlet where the user may conveniently grasp and remove the blade preparatory to inserting it immediately in his razor.

Another feature of the invention consists in blade feeding means which may be moved by the user into engagement with a blade to be removed from the stack, and held in operative engagement therewith during the feeding move ment of the blade; then being movable of its own accord to release the blade and permit it to be withdrawn by hand and without dragging over its sharpened edge.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a view in perspective of the container showing a blade in position for removal;

Fig. 2 is a view of the container in longitudinal section and on an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the body of the container on the same enlarged scale as Fig. 2.

The container is herein shown as adapted for use in connection with a single-edged blade of the well-known Valet type, that is to say, a flat blade substantially rectangular in outline,

sharpened at one edge only and provided with perforations of the shape of the letters of the word Valet. The blade has also a curved recess in each of its end edges adjacent to its unsharp ened rear edge." The container herein shown is of such dimensions and shape as to accommodate the "Valet blade but it is, of course, not limited in its application tothat or to any other particular type of blade but may be substantially modified in these respects,.all Within the scope of the present invention.

The container comprises. a body portion [0 substantially rectangular in outline and having upstanding walls at its sides and ends which form an elongated enclosure of sufficient depth to contain, for example, ten or twelve blades in stack formation. A transverse slot ll leads through one end wall to the interior of the enclosure. The bottom of the container is provided with a rectangular depression or well l3 bounded on each side by a longitudinal rib and communicates directly with the slot H. In the well I3 is placed a curved leaf spring M which fits between the parallel ribs or shoulders defining the well and has the function of always pressing the stack of blades upwardly so that the uppermost blade is maintained in contact with the cover of the container. The spring is may be inserted directly into the. well l3 and moved endwise into position beneath the blade stack after the container has been filled and while the stack of blades is resting upon the shoulders in the bottom of the container.

Within the two front corners of the container are disposed pillars having inwardly directed vertical faces '2 disposed at an angle of 45 to the axis of the container. These angular faces are arranged to engage the two front corners of the blades in the stack and position each blade with its rear unsharpened edge against one wall and its sharpened edge out of contact with the other wall of the container. The rear Wall and one end wall of the container are cut away at their upper edges to provide a blade exit slot 22 bounded at one end by a shoulder it which serves as a fulcrum about which the uppermost blade in the stack may be swung as will be presently explained. The end wall of the container adjacent the shoulder I6 is provided with a recess IE to afford clearance in which the corner of a blade may swing as the blade moves about the shoulder I6 as a fulcrum.

A fiat cover I! is secured to the walls. of the container by screws in its opposite ends. The cover overhangs and forms the upper boundary also forms the pivot of a spring arm 19 having an upwardly inclined portion with an operating a knob 20 therein. The arm has a downturned end normally moving in the curved slot E8 of the cover and'is shapedto engage an aperture in one of the blades, for example, the elongated perforation forming the back of the E.

Normally the downturned end of the arm i9 moves above the uppermost blade 25 in thestackfbut the arm may be depressed easily by the user into feeding engagement with that blade. However, even When the arm I9 is depressed to the limit, its

downturned end can engage only the uppermost blade of the stack because it .isnot longenough to reach through the blade.

The container herein described may be constructed of metal or may be moulded to plastic material. The blade stack may be accurately placed within the containerby the manufacturer andthen the cover i] -may be secured by screws 23 or by cement'or-in any other-desired manner. The leaf spring i i-may then be slipped into place where it will remain without any danger'of displacement and will operate to hold the blade stack up against the cover if of the container as shownin Fig. 2.

-When the user desires to remove'a blade from the container he has only to depress the arm i9 against the cover I! and swing it toward the exit slot 22. --When so moved it' engages the uppermost'blade in the stack and swings it outwardly about the shoulder it a a fulcrum. In

'thismanner anuns'harpenedportion of the blade is presented in a convenient-position tobe grasped 'byithe user, as shown inFig. 1. Since the feedcasing having a cover and an outlet in one side beneath the cover, means within the casing for locating a stack of blades in superposed relation with their edges substantially out of contact with the casing, a shoulder providing a fulcrum adjacent to the blade stack, and means mounted on the cover for swinging a blade from its position in the stack about said fulcrum and out through the outlet of the casing.

3. A blade dispenser comprising an elongated casing having an apertured cover and an outlet in'one of its'sidesrneans within the casing for locatinga stack of superposed perforated blades I therein and for preventing endwise movement 'ingarm' 139 immediately releases the blade when it itself released from downward pressure, the

user isfree-to draw the projecting blade out of the container and present it to his razor. As soon as the blade'is completely withdrawn the (spring 14 operates-to elevate'the-remaining blades {25 infthe stack sothat the'withdrawn blade is y immediately replaced by another which is held in contact'with the cover H. The whole stack of sharpfreshjblades may be in this way withdrawn one'by one from the container and the latter may be thenthrown awayby the user and replaced by the new full container.-

"Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail an illustrative embodiment there- "of, I claim as new and desire {to'secure by Let- 'tersPatent:

'1. {A blade container including walls forming an elongated enclosure having an outlet slot boundedby a fulcrum'shoulderin one of its-side walls, means for ;l o cating'a stack of blades in superposed relation within the enclosure, and means vmovable into engagement with the uppermost blade thestacl; for swinging that single blade Tabout said fulcrum shoulder and into an ular position projecting outwardly through said outlet slot. w

12. A'blade-container comprising an elongated thereof and a spring dog movable downwardly ing automatically to clear the sharp edge of the blade as the blade is drawn by hand through said outlet.

t. A blade dispenser-comprising a rectangular casing having an apertured cover and an outlet slot in-one of its sidewalls, means for aligning a'stack of single-edge bladesby their front corners in the casing, and a spring dog mounted on a pivot on said cover whereby it may be depressed through an aperture in the coverinto engagement with the uppermost blade of the stack and then swung about its pivot to move a rear corner of the blade outwardly through said outlet slot.

-5. A blade dispensing container comprising an elongated enclosure for a stack of perforated blades, said container having a flat cover and a sideoutlet slot beneath the cover, the cover having an arc-shaped slot directed toward said outlet :slot, and .a pivoted spring feeding device mounted on the cover and having a portion ex.-

rtending-downwardly into the slot of the cover and movable, when depressed by the user, to en- "substantially rectangular easing having a fiat cover and .a side outlet slot for blades beneath the cover, the cover having a transverse curved slot therein, and a sprin arm pivotally mounted to swing in said curved slot, having a downturned blade-engaging end and being itself normallyarrange to stand above the surface of the cover.

NICHOLAS TESTI.

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

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,092,067 Marx Mar, 31, 1914 1,791,586 Todd Feb. 10, 1931 622,807 Joy Apr. 11, 1899 665,385

Edson Jan. 1,1901