US2670841A - Blade dispensing package - Google Patents

Description

Mafch 2, 1954 Mum 2,670,841

BLADE DISPENSING PACKAGE Filed Sept. 25, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 2, 1954 MURQS 2,670,841

BLADE DISPENSING PACKAGE Filed Sept. 25, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ins/Ga a? Patented Mar. 2, 1954 BLADE DISPENSING PACKAGE Joseph Muros, Newtonville, Mass assignor to The Gillette Company, a corporation of Delaware Application September 25, 1948, Serial No. 51,161

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved blade supporting and dispensing package in which a series of double edge blades are supported in a unique manner whereby portions of the blades are located in such relative position to one another as to facilitate successive disengagement of individual blades from the package either by hand-or bymeans .of a razor for which the blades are intended.

It is a general object of the invention to improve methods of dispensing and handling razor blades and toprovide a safe, eflicient and exceedingly simplified blade dispensing package. More specifically it is an object to design an improved means of detachably securing unwrapped double-edge blades in a folded cover type of package and to provide fora novel blade transfer operation in the course of which the blades are at all times held in a protected position and yet they may be selectively detached from the package without having to come into contact with the fingers of the user, thus avoiding danger of cutting, both in extracting the blade from the dispensing package and inserting it in a razor.

Another specific object of the invention is to devise a carrier or blade supporting member for securing a small number of unwrapped blades in stacked relation with each blade being individually'attached to the carrier in such a manher that it is held in place by a limited restraining force applied so as to positively prevent accidental release of a blade and yet enable a blade to be withdrawn easily and smoothly without having to tear away any portion of the blade supporting member.

With the foregoing objects in mind I have provided a blade package included in which is a novel outer folded wrapper or cover, formed with two distinct blade openings which cooperate with one another to facilitate removal of successive blades from the pack. This desirable result is achieved by locating one of the blade openings transversely of the wrapper along folded portions thereoiin a position to constitute a convenient blade dispensing aperture. Communicating with this transverse blade dispensing aperture is the second blade opening which extends longitudinally along central portions of the wrapper throughout a substantial part'of its length. This general arrangement has the'notable advantage of exposing and giving access to intermediate body portions of individual blades, particularly when the blades are stacked in longitudinally overlapping relation withinithe wrapper.

Another desirablefeature of the invention is .the provision of a carrier strip whit .1 i5 spe- ATENT OFFICE 2 cially suited for use in combination with the wrapper described above. The carrier strip is mounted in the wrapper and is designed to support and secure with a light restraining force a selected number of blades of the doubleedge type in such relative position that the blades project forwardly from the strip to present free ends. By resorting to a longitudinally overlapped arrangement of the blades, there is readily obtained a spacing of the free ends with respect to one another and these free ends when viewed through the longitudinal slot of the wrapper, present a series of transversely disposed spaced apart blade mid-sections, which are available to facilitate separation of individual blades and allow them to be slid forwardly of the pack.

The blade securing means is preferably built into the carrier strip and includes a series of stepped tongues formed by transverse slits which define openings sufficiently large to receive and have passed therethrough the reduced ends of double edge type blades. A distinctive feature of the stepped tongue construction is a pronounced elongation of the tongues which are of a length so chosen as to extend across the reduced end portion of razor blades engaged in the transverse slits and to permit the tips of the tongues to become frictionally engaged with the complementary edges of the body of the strip from which the tongues are struck. Frictional engagement of the tongues in the strip serves to lightly restrain blades and yet permit them to be drawn forwardly smoothly and without the need for a suddent tug or tearing away of any part of the tongue or body portion of the strip.

These and other objects and novel features of the invention will be more fully understood and appreciated from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the blade cover or wrapper in a fully extended and flat position;

Figs. 2 and 3 are plan views illustrating two different forms of tongued carrier strip construction, and Figs. 5 and 4 are corresponding edge views of the same;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the closed dispensing package;

Fig. 7 is a corresponding view of the open package;

.Fig. ,8 .is a view in side elevation of the package in partially opened condition;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating another form of carrier strip construction;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view corresponding to Fig. 6 with parts broken away;

Fig. 11 is a view in perspective illustrating the package in association with a safety razor, a blade being partly withdrawn;

Figs. 12 and 13 are fragmentary views on a larger scale illustrating the carrier strip construction; and

Fig. 14 is a view in perspective corresponding to Figs. 2 and but on a larger scale.

The blade dispensing package of the invention has been devised havingin mind the need for an economy size package of unwrapped blades of the double edge type, in which a relatively small number of blades are to be packaged for merchandising purposes where it is desired to maintain the cost of packaging and handling at the lowest possible level consistent with proper blade protection. The following description of the book of blades should be read therefore with reference to a five-blade book, or a book containing some other limited number of blades.

The more essential parts of the dispensing package of the invention include a stack of longitudinally overlapping blades; blade securing elements; and a light flexible wrapper which is folded upon itself to provide top and bottom cover portions, thereby constituting a folded cover type of blade container. With a stack of overlapping blades arranged to be supported flatwise within this container, it is found that a blade dispensing aperture may be very conveniently furnished by forming in the Wrapper a transversely located slot which extends along the folded end of the wrapper in a position substantially in register with forward extremities of blades in the stack.

The blade securing elements comprise a series of elongated tongues struck out of a constituent blade supporting material. Preferably the tongues are struck out of a separate carrier strip which is located within the wrapper although the tongues may also be formed directly in the wrapper itself. In either case, it is inherent in the design of the package that the blades be supported in longitudinally overlapping relation, and that the tongues extend from the wrapper in the same general direction as the pro ecting blade extremities to the end that each blade may be gripped lightly from two opposite sides with the tongues extending into interlocking relation with the strip and thus providing limited restraining action for securing each blade in place.

Thus in one desirable form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 6-8 inclusive, numeral 20 denotes a flexible wrapper element which is conveniently made from a material such as paper, plastics and the like. Numeral 22 refers to a carrier strip which is separately formed and fastened to the wrapper as hereinafter described. Numerals 24. 26, 28, 30 and 32 indicate a series of longitudinally overlapping razor blades representative of the double edge type which is desired to be packaged and merchandised. Each of the blades is constructed with two opposite cutting edges, as for example in the case of blade 24, by cutting edges 24a and 24b. Located between these cutting edges of blade 24 are two opposite reduced end portions 240. Extending between the two reduced end portions 240 is a median slot which is formed to include a butterfly shaped opening 24c, a diamond shaped opening 24d and a circular opening 24 as illustrated in Fig. 11.

The wrapper 20 is of a width somewhat grt fit than the width of a double edge type blade and is provided further with a turned end 34 which may be secured in folded condition, for example by means of a staple fastener 36 passed through the two layers of wrapper material. At its intermediate portions the wrapper 20 is folded over upon itself in a manner such that there will be provided a cover portion 31 adapted to extend into engagement with the inturned end 34 of the wrapper, as has been indicated in Fig. 11.

Transversely located and extending along the folded portions of the wrapper is the blade dispensing aperture comprising a slot 38 noted in Fig. 1, and more clearly shown in Fig. 11. This slot extends between the edges of the folded sections of the wrapper throughout a distance slightly exceeding the width of a blade and leaving at either side thereof two U-shaped connecting webs which serve as hinge members for swinging the cover 31 into a raised position as suggested in Fig. 8.

Intersecting the blade dispensing slot 38 is a second blade exposing slot 44 (Fig. 7), located centrally and longitudinally of the wrapper so that it extends throughout a substantial part of both the body of wrapper 20 and its cover portion 31. As a result, when the cover is placed in a substantially closed position, there are presented two slots located in register one with the other.

The carrier strip 22 is attached between the wrapper sides in some convenient manner such as for example by means of the staple fastening 36, as indicated in Fig. '1. It will be noted that the carrier strip is materially shorter in length than the body portion of wrapper 20, measured longitudinally, and in general the strip has its forward edge terminating at a point closely adjacent to the inner extremity of the blade exposing slot 44 (Fig. 7). In thus limiting the length of the carrier strip, it becomes possible to support a series of overlapping blades with free ends which project beyond one another and beyond the end of the carrier strip. Such a blade arrangement has been illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. This arrangement of the blades also locates the ends of the blade slots beyond the end of the carrier strip so that the blades are accessible for engagement through the medium of the slots therein.

Numeral 50 denotes a series of blade securing tongues which are formed by transverse slits 52 in the carrier strip 22 shaped to include stepped portions 54. The tongues are characterized by a pronounced elongated shape and are of a length greater than the width of one of the reduced end portions of a blade measured longitudinally of the blade. Also the width of the transverse slits 52 exceeds slightly the width of any one of these reduced end portions measured in a direction transversely of the blade.

The stepped tongue and blade relationship described is made use of to secure a series of blades in the manner illustrated in detail in Figs. 7, 8 and 10. From an inspection of these figures, it will be observed for example that the reduced end 240 of blade 24 is inserted in a respective blade slit 52 of the carrier strip 22 and projects through the opposite side thereof. In this position, the shouldered portions of the blade bear against adjacent uncut sections of the carrier strip and therefore keep the blade from being forced inwardly beyond a limited distance.

When the shouldered portions of the blade 24 b1? thus engaged. against the carrier strip, the

included tongue '50 extends over and across 1 the central sectionof reduced endportiontflc of the blade, and thenprojects forwardly -1and:inward1y through the-median slot of the blade. Withthe tongue in this position, advantage may be taken of its elongated character .to :press the tip .of the tongue downwardly-into theplaneof thee-arrier strip where edges of the tongue may be brought into frictional engagement with the immediately adjacent complementary edges of the slot :in the strip from which .theztongue struck as shown in Fig. 13.

In the arrangement described, blade .24 is held transversely from :two opposite :sides and forward longitudinal movement of :the blade tions of the tongue with respective complementary 'strip portions. Such an arrangement is conveniently arrived at by constructing the stepped portions of the tongue with a length measured longitudinally of the carrier strip such that the forward edges 'of the stepped portions of the tongue may project into the butterfly opening of a blade when the latter is fully in- ;serted in the strip.

The blade assembly describedmay be utilized in either one of 'two ways'but is .especiallysuitable for carrying out a blade transferring opera tion inwhich'the fingers do not come'into contact with a blade'at any point during the transfer. This is exemplified in'Fig. 11 by the relative positions of a razor '58 in which the blade 24 is partially installed. As noted therein, a central blade guiding rib, which may be vconveniently referred'to as a spider hook 60, has been engaged through the median slot of blade 24 and hooked over the solid reduced end 240,

making use of the longitudinally disposed blade exposing slot 44 to enter the spider hook through the wrapper cover 31. It will be seen from Figs. 10 and 11 that the solid ends of the blades span the slot 44 in uniformly spaced relation. The blade has been then partly withdrawn from its secured position by moving the razor forwardly of the wrapper or alternatively by drawing the wrapper away from the razor while the latter is held in a stationary position. This movement has resulted in the engaged reduced end of blade 24 having forced its respective interlocking tongue 58 upwardly away from adjacent carrier strip portions, thus releasing the blade. The operation of installing blades is completed by separating the dispensing package from the razor and closing the blade holding sides or jaws of the latter member.

In using the razor in the manner described, good results may be obtained by inserting the extremity of the spider hook through the elongated slot 44 from either side of the package, i. e. through the cover 31 or through the body portion of the strip 20. When so desired, manual removal of blades may be carried out in the usual way by merely turning back the cover 31 and gripping the forward blade in the stack between the thumb and forefinger. Those portions of the blade ends visible in the slot 44 may also be designated with consecutive numbers body portion and .a scover printed or otherwise applied to theexterior surfaceiof'the wrapper in'a proper relative position so that theremay be quickly noted the number of bladesremaining inthe pack at any given time.

In Figs. 2 and "5 there is illustrated a slightly modified :type of blade holding stepped tongue construction. Numeral 62 indicates a carrier strip having transverse slits 64 which define stepped tongues 66. In addition to their stepped formation, the tongues are'made with depressed internal sections =68 that form in the other side :of the tongues blade holding ribs that enter the perforations in the end of each blade after it has been inserted through .the transversevslots 4. The ribs thus serve to more positively restrain a blade from detachment.

Still-another form of tongue element in a-carrierstriphasibeenillustrated in Figs. 3 and 4,;in whichnumeral 10 denotes a carrier strip formed withslits 7 2, defining serrated tongue elements 14, whose purpose and function correspond :in general to those of thetongues alreadydescribed.

I may also desire to utilize a blade wrapper .member such as that shown'in Fig. 9 in which numeral -76 denotes the wrapper element and numeral 1:8 refers to tongues formed integral with the wrapper. Similarly, these tongues are employed to :secure reduced ends of blades in overlapping relation, with the tips ofthe' tongues being placed in interlocking relation with adjacentportions of the wrapper. It will :be noted however 'that'in'this formof blade support, the

reduced ends do not pass through the supporting member but are held entirely on the "surface .of :this member and the tongues merely extend over the reduced end section of the blade.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described'in detailillustrative embodiments thereof, -I :claim as new and desire to ters Patent:

l. A blade dispensing package comprising :a

secured in hinged relation :to the-body portion by connecting webs,

secure by Letthe webs being spaced apart to provide a iblade dispensing aperture, the body portion and cover being further formed with a centrally disposed blade exposing slot which communicates with the blade dispensing aperture, a series of overlapping double edge blades located between the body portion and cover, the blades having solid reduced end portions which are spaced apart from one another and which extend in spaced relation transversely across the blade exposing slot.

2. A blade dispensing package including a carrier strip formed with a series of transverse slits which define stepped tongues, a plurality of double edge blades located on the strip in longitudinally overlapping relation, each of said blades presenting reduced end portions separated by a median slot having transverse extensions, reduced end portions of each blade being engaged through the transverse slots, the steppedtongues extending across the reduced end of respective blades through the median slot and its median extension into frictional engagement with complementary body portions of the strip, thereby to contact blades from two opposite sides and yieldably secure them.

3. A blade dispensing package including a wrapper folded upon itself to provide two opposite side wall portions, the folded portion of the wrapper being cut away to define a blade dispensing slot, said wrapper having a centrally located opening extending from one side wall across the blade dispensing slot into the opposite side wall to provide a continuous blade exposing slot, a stack of longitudinally overlapping blades supported in the wrapper, the blades being formed with median slots which are located in register with the blade exposing slot, reduced end portions of the blades projecting transversely across the blade exposing slot in spaced apart relation.

4. A blade dispensing package including a wrapper of sheet material having a short carrier strip secured to one end thereof and being folded between its ends to enclose said strip, a series of longitudinally slotted blades secured to the carrier strip in longitudinally overlapping relation and disposed with their slots extending beyond the end of the carrier strip, the wrapper having a blade exit slot in its fold and a longitudinal slot intersecting the exit slot and exposing a slotted portion of each blade in the wrapper whereby successive blades may be en-- gaged through the medium of their respective slots and withdrawn from the wrapper.

5. A blade dispensing package comprising a wrapper having a fold therein, a series of longitudinally slotted blades having solid ends supported in longitudinally overlapping relation in the wrapper, the wrapper being formed with a transverse exit slot at its fold and having a carrier portion with spaced transverse slots in each of which one end of a blade is inserted, the blades extending beyond the end of the carrier portion toward the exit slot, and the wrapper being longitudinally slotted to expose the solid free ends of the blades, whereby they may be engaged and drawn out of the wrapper.

6. A blade dispensing package comprising a wrapper having a slotted fold and an intersecting longitudinal slot, a series of longitudinally slotted blades with solid ends arranged in 1ongitudinally overlapping relation within the wrapper and with their solid ends spaced uniformly apart and spanning the longitudinal slot of the wrapper where they may be engaged from out- 8 side the wrapper and withdrawn through the slot in its fold without opening the wrapper.

7. A blade dispensing package comprising a wrapper having a fold therein with an exit slot in the fold and a long narrow longitudinal slot leading from the fold, a series of longitudinally slotted blades having solid ends and supported in longitudinally overlapping relation in the wrapper with one end of each blade-slot exposed through the said longitudinal slot whereby successive blades may be engaged and withdrawn from the package.

8. A blade dispensing package as defined in claim 7 in which a carrier strip with spaced transverse slots is attached to and enclosed by the wrapper, the solid ends of each blade being inserted in a transverse slot of the carrier strip.

JOSEPH MUROS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 537,613 Lucas Apr. 16, 1895 1,106,688 Tolman Aug. 11, 1914 1,588,923 Wells June 15, 1926 1,734,551 Zeller Nov. 5, 1929 1,908,115 Chadwick May 9, 1933 2,008,513 Muros July 16, 1935 2,016,256 OKeefe Oct. 1, 1935 2,030,996 Lustig Feb. 18, 1936 2,042,672 Maclean June 2, 1936 2,065,607 Morgan Dec. 29, 1936 2,086,210 Brown July 6, 1937 2,137,124 Pierce Nov. 15, 1938 2,138,708 Peterson Nov. 29, 1938 2,144,680 Huenergardt Jan. 24, 1939 2,229,114 Monnet Jan. 21, 1941 2,465,876 Hornung Mar. 29, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 383,739 Great Britain Nov. 24, 1932 471,914 Germany Apr. 7, 1947

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